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how do you organize your galley space?

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awetmore
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USA
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Initially Posted - 04/18/2012 : 15:57:20

The C-25 has a pretty tight galley as you'd expect of a 25' boat.

As I start to think about cruising trips this summer I also start to think about how I'd use the storage there. I have a stove in the stock location and the stock sink and 3 small drawer cabinets. This would be for a two adults most of the time.

Where do you keep your dishes and how many do you carry? Where do you keep your pots and pans and what do you carry there? Do you have clever storage solutions that have made the best of the small kitchen space?

Our boat has the dinette layout. There are two "dead" space areas that I could see using to grow the galley. One is the area above the keel in the rear dinette (drawers there could be pulled out to access the keel) and the other is moving the electrical panel then having a drawer or cubby which goes into the dumpster from the back of the sink.

alex

Alex W
Seattle, WA
Express 37 "re-Quest"
previously owned 1984 Catalina 25 "Lutra"

Edited by - on

dlucier
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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
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Response Posted - 04/18/2012 : 18:39:12

Quite a few have cut holes in the settee seatback to reclaim the area for additional storage.

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OJ
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Response Posted - 04/18/2012 : 18:41:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Smart, Don!

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awetmore
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Response Posted - 04/18/2012 : 21:47:31

I've seen some other variations of that. It makes sense to me, but more for stuff with occasional access (since you have to pull the seat cushion) than what I'd keep in the galley. Our boat is a dinette so there is only one settee and it is as far from the settee as you can get in the cabin.

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Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 04:03:40

We pulled out the stove some time ago, tried lighting it in a controlled environment, and left it in the basement thereafter.

Many have replaced teh stove with a microwave, which is great if you marina-hop, but less so if you plan to anchor out.

Another option is the much-lauded butane single-burner. We have one and keep it under teh port settee.

We also bought one of the picnic backpacks which comes with glasses, plates, cutlery, etc. We have added spices, steak knives, bowls, etc. to it. Come dinner time, the backpack comes out of hiding for all the tablewares. For pots & pans we picked up a nesting set.

I keep telling myself I am going to build a little kitchen organizer with spice drawers etc. and install it where the stove used to be. Hasn't happned yet though.

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szymek
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 06:10:02

Don: That is very neat idea. For me storage space is always an issue.

Where did you get those panels?

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awetmore
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 06:36:11

I should have said that our stove is an Origo 3000, it isn't the original curtain burner. We don't have shore power, so a microwave wouldn't make too much sense.

I've wondered about a making a small plate holder or spice holder that lives on the bulkhead above the sink.

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 06:52:07

I pulled out the stove and stainless liner. Cleaned up all the yuck and dirt dobber nests...made a top out of red oak butcher block to fit and create a counter top.

I keep pots/pans and dishes in the space. The pot/pan are loose but everything else is in a plastic tub. Also have space for a couple smaller plastic boxes.

Now that I've re-done the galley cabinets, I'm going to put a microwave in that space. I use a Colman camp stove on the counter top when I cook, but I'm going to replace that with a new camp stove that has a burner on one side and a grill on the other. I'm going to attach it to the red oak top for stability, and as soon as I can find something, I'll rig up a way to route the propane canister down to the area where the microwave will be.

I dont' use the ice melter for it's intended purpose; I use coolers instead. I'm going to clean it up and paint the inside of it, then use it for dry storage of pots/pans and cooking utensils. I'm hoping to find some nice elfa to fit in there.

When I refinished my galley cabinets, the one under the stove fell apart on removal. Only the cabinet face was salvageable. Some Homer had tried to repair the drawer and it was gone. I had to build a new cabinet from scratch, so I built a nice deep cubby instead of a drawer. I put tension hinges on the old drawer face, so now I have a nice cubby I'll use for food storage.

This week's teak includes the galley shelf and bulkhead between the galley and port settee. Once I get those installed this weekend, I'll take some pictures of my galley in progress.

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 06:55:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 I've wondered about a making a small plate holder or spice holder that lives on the bulkhead above the sink.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I have an exceptionally ugly paper towel holder below the sink.. I hate it...and can't seem to find a way to remove it. I think whoever installed it, used glue or something...that sucker is on there.

What I may do: remove the side pieces, create a small shelf with spindle rail, and mount the shelf to the old holder as a back piece. Then use the shelf for things like hand soap, dish soap, Dobie, etc.....put a cuphook on it for a hand towel.

Edited by - Joe Diver on 04/19/2012 06:56:33

Prospector
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 07:25:15

Joe - you wil likely receive much feedback on the use of propane aboard. Please be sure your installation is well vented and code compliant.

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pastmember
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 08:47:39

My spice rack solution.

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awetmore
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 09:03:16

Joe: Where do you keep your coolers onboard so that they are out of the way but easily accessible? I like the idea of turning the stock cooler into a cabinet, but haven't found another great location for a cooler that doesn't feel in the way. Maybe next to the starboard settee on the QB (we mostly use our QB for storage).

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PCP777
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 09:36:08

Dang, you guys are fancy. I use my stove area for..eh hem beverages. The "mothership" cooler goes there.

As far as cooking goes, I picked up a propane two burner cooking stove which I use in the cockpit or on the dock. I also have the one burner variety for heating up the tea kettle for making coffee with the french press.

Seriously though, some very nice mods above.

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 10:14:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 Joe - you wil likely receive much feedback on the use of propane aboard. Please be sure your installation is well vented and code compliant.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, been down that road already. I keep the canisters back in the rope locker. When I'm cooking, the companionway is open and so is the pop-top. When I'm done cooking, the canister goes back to the rope locker. I have the same stove Peter posted a pic of above.

I keep a cooler against the bulkhead by the port settee, below the fold up dining table. (traditional layout) I also keep a small cooler at the transom, under the tiller. Neither are super convenient, but then again that ice melter isn't all that easy to dig in either. My coolers are actually easier.

The quarterberth is also a good place....never put it there though. I might try that and see. My coolers are small...an Igloo Ice Cube and a Marine 25 quart. For day trips I use the Cube for drinks and a lunchbox for food. For whole weekends, food items go in the Cube and drinks go in the Marine 25 qt.

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dlucier
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 10:43:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 Smart, Don!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It's not my boat. I just found the picture.

On our first cruise, a week long, four port excursion, we, a family of four, quickly discovered just how small the C25 really is. After packing the boat to the hilt with luggage, coolers, food, bedding, pots, pans, and other necessities, there was barely enough space down below to move. The aft quarterberth cushions were removed and this space was used as the main storage area with the V-berth used for mainly luggage and bedding storage. It seemed every time I needed something from the quarterberth, it was all the way aft requiring us to lug out the heavy coolers and everything else just to get to it, then stuffing everything back in only to discover we needed something else from the nether regions. At bedtime, we'd haul all the luggage from the V-berth and put it in the already cramped main cabin overnight then restow it in the morning. Also, preparing meals in a galley with two square foot of floor space and nearly zero counterspace is quite challenging. Unfortunately for my natural born caregiver wife, she bore the brunt of taking care of our two daughters, preparing meals, organizing the cabin,...etc, and at times she questioned heavily whether ditch digging would be a better vacation choice.

Most of our trips consisted of getting underway in the morning after breakfast, sailing 4-6 hours to a liberty port, staying overnight, then departing the next day. Some places we stayed multiple days. After being on the water for up to six hours, the crew had little patience, or desire, to remain cramped in the cabin preparing meals, eating, stowing/shifting/restowing supplies, doing dishes, etc, so our cruising morphed into eating most meals at restaurants and using disposable everything (plates, forks, cups) to eliminate clean up.

Cruising in a C25 is akin to living in a Minivan.

Edited by - dlucier on 04/19/2012 10:45:18

pastmember
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 11:09:15

My cooler location. On a lake the refrig stayed cold while sailing. It was great to have cold things already on the boat when we arrived.

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 11:17:54

I love to cook. It's almost a hobby.

The C25 Galley isn't conducive to cooking really. In my first year of ownership, when I cook onboard, it's sausage/bacon/eggs and pancakes for breakfast. Perc coffee. (Mr Coffee in the marina) Dinner is rarely more than a heated up can of soup, chili...or inst mash and a grilled steak or something. All simple fare. Usually, outside of breakfast, I go get lunch or dinner at the marina or one of the local fast foods. Heck, even Dominoes will deliver to my slip, I've done it!

Breakfast though....that's different. It's pure joy and my favorite part of the weekend. I wake at dawn to watch the lake come alive. The mist that rolls over the water, the color of the sky...the occasional bass boat going 70 in the distance. Watching the lake wake up, with the smell of fresh coffee in the perc, sausage frying in a pan....oh yeah, that's magic time for me as I sit in the cockpit with a smoke and a cup o' joe.

As I redo teak and refit my galley, I'm going to equip it and stock it more toward the way I cook in it, rather than the way I cook at home. More to come on this....

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awetmore
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 12:37:44

I should have been clear that I have a lot of camp cooking experience. I do a lot of bicycle touring and kayak camping and I'm used to all of my kitchen gear and food weighing under 10# (for up to 5 days) and being able to cook interesting stuff out of that.

For the boat I've been looking forward to making more advanced meals than what I do on my bicycle and kayak trips, but I'm not trying to replicate a home kitchen. Just moving up to pots with real bottoms (so you don't get hot spots), a cooler, and a grill are major pluses compared to what we're used to with camping. I'm used to one and two pot meals.

Layout wise it is just the two of us (no kids) and we plan on primarily sleeping in the V-berth (we both fit up there comfortably based on a test nap). We mostly use the QB area for storage, and I often have my folding bicycle in there.

Parts that are tricky for me to figure out are storage of plates (they don't really fit anywhere in the galley since the drawers are so small) and moderate quantities of dry food stuffs.

On my to-do list this summer or next fall is a new table for the dinette. Maybe some drawers on there will get the storage space that I desire for flatware and plates without any major changes.

If this summer's planned 1-2 week trip to the San Juans goes well we may do a trip as long as 8 weeks the following summer.

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John Russell
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 12:44:17

Organize galley space? Sorry, not familiar with the concept.

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Prospector
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 13:23:01

OK awetmore - now that I know we share similar backgroundss... my plan for where teh stove used to be is to build a wannigan that will give teh same sort of cooking potential that I reached on canoe trips. I was able to bake a cake on a canoe trip, but thestock layoutof a C-25 doesn't allow for anything very elaborate. To that end we NEVER actually cook in the galley.

Our ingredients may be stored in the drawers and icebox, but just often they are in a rubbermaid tote in the cutouts under teh quarterberth. It is a handy spot to place a shallow tote that will hold 2 days worth of food.

Our spices go in the backpack mentioned before. our ingredients are mostly dehydrated and stored in zip-lock bags. We also learned to adore tinned potatoes in boat cooking (equally good boiled or fried) where we need mashed potatoes, we use potato flakes.

To cook, we take the top hatchboard and lay it across the back of the cockpit. A BBQ is stowed in the dumpster. It goes on teh port side of the cockpit. the butane stove comes out and it goes on the hatchboard. the other settee gets a cutting board on it for whatever fresh stuff we happen to have.

On days 1-3 we usually have a lot of fresh stuff. Salads, meat etc. After that we go to tinned and dehydrated foods.

The dehydrated meals often cook faster and taste as good as the fresh stuff though (with the exception of salads). We rarely eat out, and when we do its a treat.

I also pack a camp oven and we can bake biscuits, cakes and breads on either the BBQ or stove. To do this depends on a still night though since you have to turn the heat down to barely there on teh stove and any breeze will blow it out.

If you were doing extended trips in your kayak, you should have all the gear needed for longer trips on the boat.

ETA - the picnic backpack really is a lifesaver for plates and cutlery. If you go ashore for dinner its also great for carrying a meals worth of food. Grab teh backpack and teh butane stove and you are set to go ashore and make dinner.http://www.leevalley.com/en/gifts/page.aspx?p=46792&cat=4,104,53219&ap=1

Edited by - Prospector on 04/19/2012 13:26:04

dlucier
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 13:32:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 Layout wise it is just the two of us (no kids) and we plan on primarily sleeping in the V-berth (we both fit up there comfortably based on a test nap).<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My wife and I slept in the V-berth but it can be a little crampy, especially at the foot, and fairly close to the head, but where I had issue was my V-berth slopes a little upward towards the bow. Having my feet/legs elevated made sleeping rather uncomfortable for me and my wife, but the kids were okay with it.

Do yourself a favor. If you have the dinette interior, you already have everything you need for a queen size blow up mattress for the main cabin.

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Prospector
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 13:45:51

Don - buy pillows. Lots of them. Makes teh Vee berth wonnerful.

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awetmore
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 14:29:06

We've talked about the queen air mattress idea, but don't like the idea of having to climb over it.

We'll try the V-berth on overnights and see how it works for us. With our heights (5'11" and 5'1") it feels quite roomy. It has a lot more room than our tent and sleeping bag when we're camping.

If it doesn't work out then we'll re-explore the queen layout. It is simple to do, it would just require making one more cushion.

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glivs
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 15:22:33

I don't have much time right now, but if you search on table mods, browse through the tech tips (check Compass Rose IIRC) or some of our members websites, e.g., LarryO, I suspect you'll come up with some ideas. Some folks with the traditional lay out have added storage space for dinnerware between the bulkhead and the table when the table is in its stored position, others have added storage against the bulkhead beneath the stored table similar to a magazine rack but designed to hold dinnerware, etc. There have been a couple of clever ideas to add a drop in or fold up shelf on the forward divider next the galley or even a drop in shelf that hooks over one of the companion way steps. I hope to explore one of these options later this spring. As to the drawers, we use plastic organizers in two of the galley drawers. I'm in the process of adding rails above the dividers for a second tier of storage. With a simple fiddle all around and finger holes in the bottom, I hope to gain a little extra storage for smaller items. Again IIRC someone went to the extreme on a galley mod way back in the archives. Built drawers that extended deep into the quarter berth adjacent the wooden bulkhead/divider. Let us us know what you finally pursue.

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dlucier
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 18:17:31

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 We've talked about the queen air mattress idea, but don't like the idea of having to climb over it...If it doesn't work out then we'll re-explore the queen layout. It is simple to do, it would just require making one more cushion.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There's really not much climbing over it. Just before bedtime we would use the head, blow up the queen mattress, then go to sleep. In the morning, get up and let the air out of it.

To make the queen, drop the table, take the hatch lids from beneath the dinette and settee cushions, leaving the cushions in place, then use the lids to span the aisle. Lastly, blow up the mattress.

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krobsten
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Response Posted - 04/19/2012 : 18:33:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier

To make the queen, drop the table, take the hatch lids from beneath the dinette and settee cushions, leaving the cushions in place, then use the lids to span the aisle. Lastly, blow up the mattress.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I would love to do this because my wife and I just can't fit in the v-berth (well, she can...) but it looks like they didn't have this option on the '84. I think I remember someone telling me it started in 86? Has anyone seen an older one retrofitted so it could create that queen bed across the seats?

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