Tell me why...

Trade offs abound!

Linda wants galley up for ability to be with folks (especially me, as we usually boat simply as a couple) As well as she loves to see through big salon windows while cooking. That works well for us. We have easy chairs in the salon.

Both my helm and galley are in the saloon and here are my thoughts (justifications)

Pros-

At anchor or socialising, the cook is part of the conversation; harder for guests to ignore the used dish stack, therefore more washing up volunteers.

At sea, 360* sightlines from galley allows on-watch to self-cater.

Cons-

At sea, greater working-light discipline is required on night passages.


In reality, for me it's never the major compromise and I'd adapt.

N4712 said:

I wouldn't.

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+1

eagle419 said:

...harder for guests to ignore the used dish stack, therefore more washing up volunteers.

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I really like this and have never thought of it. The only thing I despise more than cooking is cleaning up. I simply don't do either one. Ever. My wife is fine with this--- she doesn't like changing the oil in all our vehicles and boats and doesn't do that. Ever. But it's nice when guests chip in with the washing up so she gets a break.

Of course if we had a galley down boat I guess we could just leave all the dirty plates and serving dishes on the table until a guest volunteered to clean up.

Great strategy, though. I'll pass it on to my wife so she can make it a conscious act from now on when we have other people on board.

To me it's simply where do I have the need for space. On a boat that could still have a decent salon, has a nice aft deck and has a flybridge, I wouldn't choose galley down because I prefer it adjacent to the daytime living area. That gives space for the staterooms as well.

However, take an open boat or a coupe with no bridge. Now living space is in short supply. If on that boat I could still fit the staterooms needed then galley down allows more comfort during the day. It's a space issue often and just what am I most willing to give up. Some boats would really not have a very decent salon with a galley up.

Another factor to some is how much do you cook and eat on the boat. I know an owner who never uses the galley, going from dock to dock and eating on shore. He uses his boat like a day cruiser even if far from home. With no bridge then having space up all open for enjoyment makes sense. A galley that he wouldn't use would take up space he does use all the time.

FlyWright said:

I like my galley up since my boat's only 34 ft. On a small boat like this, it helps to have dual purpose space to fit in all the desired comforts. I wanted 2 staterooms, a separate shower in the head, a FB, a cockpit and full walkarounds. I got that with reduced salon size and a galley up plopped right there in the salon.

With larger boats of 40 ft or more, there are more options for a dedicated galley, either up or down, to separate the seating and cooking spaces.

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Both my wife & I had the same requirements although we added more speed to the equation. We have two staterooms & heads but only one shower. We also have a dinette in place of a down helm which we love.
(The fly bridge is enclosed on all 4 sides so one can drive comfortably up there even in inclement weather.)

Wonderful! Those sounding off here appear happy with their choices even if compromised as needed.


I've noticed that males tend to congregate in the raised pilothouse while the ladies like the saloon when socializing.








When underway without guests, Perla splits her time between the saloon and pilothouse while I remain at the helm.

In our old 35 Senator, we had galley down, but no forward cabin. The V-berth was the dinette. However, it opened up the salon to be really big for an aft cabin 35-footer. We liked it a lot.

37 by Gonzo Beaty, on Flickr

30 by Gonzo Beaty, on Flickr

We have a pilothouse boat, Galley up. For us the cooking is part of the social part of the boat.

The pilothouse gives us good separation for night cruising but we don't do much of that since in the summer the sun doesn't go down until Very late or not at all here in Alaska

Really interesting pics. I think preferences have a lot to do with how the boat is used, how many onboard, etc. The fwd dinette in what would be a V-berth in Tom`s boat is a great set up for a couple.

ksanders said:

We have a pilothouse boat, Galley up. For us the cooking is part of the social part of the boat.

The pilothouse gives us good separation for night cruising but we don't do much of that since in the summer the sun doesn't go down until Very late or not at all here in Alaska

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What Kevin said.

Galley down reduces rolling for the cook while underway. The lower in the boat, the less the rolling. Also, as others have posted, the dishes are not in your face if you choose not to tackle immediately after dinner.

BruceK said:

a V-berth in Tom`s boat is a great set up for a couple.

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And for people with no friends. Like us.

Tom.B said:

And for people with no friends. Like us.

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Thanks Tom, way to steal my thunder buddy.

Marin said:

When we were contemplating acquiring a GB46 we much preferred the galley down configuration. It makes the main cabin a lot more roomy, open and versatile.

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I hadn't looked at the GB 46 until you mentioned it and I see what you mean. Galley down also provides for a port side door. I like!

ksanders said:

Woa!!! As a for example I've never seen a pilothouse boat with a galley down design. Not to say they do not exist but galley down design is not common on pilothouse boats..

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Diesel Duck