Galley up, or down?

[CharlieO.]

Ok did I say I’m no good with computers! Here should be 3 pictures of 3 steps down to galley with salon up.
If 3 stairs are hard to handle inside a boat, I’m not sure how you would get off the dock into most boats in the 30-40’ range without steps.

Very nice looking boat. Your interior lay out is pretty much exactly what will be in my search. Down kitchen/galley room in the salon for a nice small sectional and a space saver recliner.

 

[FF]

This same question is asked in dirt houses with the "open plan",,, do you want to live in one room or have the ability to get away from work areas?

My vote is for galley down , with dining also down , no need to have the galley RFI (ready for inspection ) 24/7/365.

 

[Bacchus]

Awesome.
I'm leaning towards down at this point, but The Admiral would prefer up for the reasons of entertaining while cooking as mentioned above. I'm more in favor of the extra salon space at this point. The few good pics that I have seen seem to show The Galley down only a few steps as mentioned above.
Does anybody care to share some pictures?
Al.

Ok did I say I’m no good with computers! Here should be 3 pictures of 3 steps down to galley with salon up.
If 3 stairs are hard to handle inside a boat, I’m not sure how you would get off the dock into most boats in the 30-40’ range without steps.

Listen to the admiral! I dont mean to say buy the wrong boat but don't just ignore her preferences... you'll be glad you did in the long run.

I'm with those that have / prefer being partially down but some separation of being a few steps down but open sight lines & ability to converse. For us at least its the best of both worlds.
Up means everything is out in the open and visible and frequently not a pretty sight while galley activities are underway.
Our previous boat was galley down but we always ate up for open air & visibility. That arrangement with room & set up to eat up would be our second choice.

 

[PPandE]

From our point of view, it all depends on how highly regarded is the galley slave. If you don't want them in the conversation, galley down. If they are to be part of the socializing, galley up.

We've been shopping hard for a boat and just the other day it occurred to me that some of the galley down designs more resembled a bar than a kitchen. I'm left to wonder if the architects intended these boats to be professionally crewed, and only used for cocktail parties.

My parents house was designed with an isolated kitchen. Growing up, extended family events usually found most of the guests socializing there. Shortly after my father passed, the wall between the kitchen and the family room suddenly disappeared.

 

[Dieselfool]

Thanks for the pics. I really like that look layout. Lots more saloon space it seems.
Can 4 people sit comfortably at that dinette?
Al.

 

[Okydowky]

4 Adults can sit at the dinette, I wouldn't call it an entertainment space it would be to cozy for us. For my wife and I it's perfect for helping with dinner prep and just hanging out in the galley together on one of those rainy days.
There is pretty good storage under the seats and bed would be great for couple kids or 1 not so tall adult.
Also look for an outside eating area, let be covered or not. This is where you will find us most of the time until the weather drives you inside.

 

[psneeld]

While I can't fault people for liking galley up, and many boats its unavoidable many layouts with galley down are "NOT" removed from activity....that is just lack of experience with some.

 

[OldDan1943]

Check with the cook. "She who must be obeyed."
Gently remind her, she will have to live with the decision.

 

[lwarden]

Another vote for the mid-level galley. Our boat is only 36' so space and layout is critical to maximize usability. Our galley is two steps down and therefore keeps the cook in the mix without isolating them and keeps them clear of the helm view.

 

[OldDan1943]

So now, we have 3 options. Up, down and mid level
I guess on the AT it would be considered mid level. 3 steps down from the pilot house in the saloon.

 

[Codger2]

Lots of opinions, and thanks, but nobody wants to share pics of theirs?
Al.

I was going to ignore this thread as I no longer have my OA 42 Sedan. (After 8 years.) For a cruising couple in SoCal, I have found this boat to be "very hard to beat." At 42', the interior looks massive. With the galley just 1 step up from the salon & the dinette adjacent, the living space is spectacular! The views are great and the cook can take part in all conversations.

 

[Sabre602]

This is a family decision; if you want to be happy on your boat, your mate must be happy on your boat. She needs to have an equal say...some wise men would say that she should have a 51% vote.

There's really no way to know until you go aboard such boats and spend a bit of time on them. You'll have to go to boat shows. Hunt for in-the-water boat shows and travel to see them. Yes, difficult with Covid, unfortunately. The thing is, pictures can only convey so much They don't show how you two would actually interact, both while underway and while at anchor. They don't show how difficult it is to share the galley space, how the galley and dinette area relate to one another, how your guests (if that's part of the plan) interact with the galley and its occupant.

More important to me (this is just me, mind you) is whether there is a rear cockpit, which is where my admiral picks up mooring buoys and steps off onto the dock.

Our boat is 37 feet with a small but adequate rear cockpit. It's our favorite space on the boat and SabreWife would never be comfortable without it, both for relaxation and entertainment as well as for boarding the boat, handling lines, etc.

Our family has had galley up and galley down, power and sail. I wouldn't make the galley location my primary concern as (a) it's really not where you spend much time, and (b) unless you're looking at a larger boat, this criterion will really limit what you're looking at.

As requested, a photo. It's all a compromise; a decent cockpit and a comfortable aft cabin make the pilothouse smaller. But how much space do we need? We don't entertain away from the dock all that often. In a seaway, we don't want to be lurching all over the place...you want to go from handhold to handhold. Note that our beam is only 10.5 feet. As always, bear in mind that this is personal preference; your mileage may vary.

 

[CharlieO.]

I was going to ignore this thread as I no longer have my OA 42 Sedan. (After 8 years.) For a cruising couple in SoCal, I have found this boat to be "very hard to beat." At 42', the interior looks massive. With the galley just 1 step up from the salon & the dinette adjacent, the living space is spectacular! The views are great and the cook can take part in all conversations.

That's a beautiful layout, sadly I know something like that is out of my price range, but I know I can find something within our budget that we will be happy with.

 

[OldDan1943]

I will admit, the galley of the N46 was almost perfect for me. It was small, one step down from the saloon and a U shape. I just kept rotating in the galley.
The galley on the AT34 fills the starboard side of the saloon. That design it good also. It has more storage room.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I've only chartered boats with a galley down and that was in the summer. So the common complaint about them hasn't happened to me. The gripe that I hear (and I don't think has been mentioned yet) is that a galley down is usually right under the helm windows. When boating in the winter in the PNW, making a meal or even a cup of coffee while underway, especially with a propane stove, means a losing battle with steamed up windows. If the stove is up and aft, it is possible to keep the moisture aft and the progress forward.

Boating in the snow isn't everybody's idea of perfect sea conditions, but where and when you boat could make a difference in whether a galley down is practical.

 

[aevdg]

It has always been my choice about galleys (my husband is a smart man). I don't like galley down because I do like to be involved with guests if we have them (and I am a neat cook). My comment would be that if you do have a galley down you need to have an eating area down as well - carrying food up stairs in a moving boat doesn't seem to be the most practical. Also - BTW--if you have galley up do not put the stove next to the stairs.....

 

[Nomad Willy]

Oky wrote;
“ 4 Adults can sit at the dinette, I wouldn't call it an entertainment space it would be to cozy for us. For my wife and I it's perfect for helping with dinner prep and just hanging out in the galley together on one of those rainy days.”

I love dinette’s and Christine loves to cook and watch the scenery. AND she can continue her job as lookout.

 

[whjkelly]

We looked for a Trawler for about 1 year and one of the important features was an up galley.
It was important for us to have the view and all the light from surrounding windows.

We have not regretted this decision as it allows for a larger group to enjoy dinner as you can spread out more in the salon.

Think of it as open concept living.

We settled on the Island Gypsy 40”

 

[psneeld]

It has always been my choice about galleys (my husband is a smart man). I don't like galley down because I do like to be involved with guests if we have them (and I am a neat cook). My comment would be that if you do have a galley down you need to have an eating area down as well - carrying food up stairs in a moving boat doesn't seem to be the most practical. Also - BTW--if you have galley up do not put the stove next to the stairs.....

Again a huge misunderstanding of galley down.

Moving food is easy...place it on the counter above, climb 3 stairs if need be, or the people you are conversing with ( because you can from many galley down) can move it wherever. No eating down is necessary.

 

[Comodave]

I don’t even imagine cooking while we are underway so carrying food up the steps while underway isn’t an issue. While we are cruising we have food prepared and take it up to the bridge. The really only time we even go below is to use the head. There is plenty of time for cooking after we anchor or tie up at the dock.

 

[Okydowky]

Trying to show a perspective of my wife taking this one picture from I guess a mid galley with lots of light from windows. She 5’ 6” and says she feels totally involved with easy view over the upper counter. She also does likes the little bit of hiding for her mess you can’t see if someone drops by un expected.

We both agree for us the dinette is great off to the side for an added counter space for larger meal prep and helpers.

I agree with windows fogging up in the PNW, but that’s not only an issue with galley down that’s just boating.

 

[Dieselfool]

Thanks for the great pics.
Al.

 

[OldDan1943]

Micowave on the floor?

 

[psneeld]

Every boat is a compromise.....

 

[OldDan1943]

Every boat is a compromise.....

and every husband is a compromise too. LOL

 

[Chrisjs]

While personally I prefer "galley up", isn't there a consideration about boat space/volume allocation? It seems to me that there is only so much space available above and below deck. So if you utilize below deck space for the galley, that must take away space that could (better) be used for engine room space, heads/showers, and cabins. So, on a typical (under 65ft vessels), shouldn't this be a bigger consideration?

 

[n3qtrtme]

I love my galley down.

Can’t figure out how to post pictures, but here’s the listing from when we bought our boat. https://www.edwardsyachtsales.com/boat/1985/marine-trader/labelle/1924/

 

[Okydowky]

You really have to spend sometime on many different manufacturers designs. When we were looking we want the smallest boat that work, which we thought was a 32’. 2 yrs on this design we narrowed it down to more of what we wanted in a boat.
We then look at 36’, which got us hooked on aft bed but most designs had upper galley which we didn’t want.
Low and behold we pushed our size up to 40’, and this is where we found the hulls really opened the spaces up, not only with length but the beam made a huge difference.
Again we went for a design specifically for us and our life situation right now.

Even though it’s designed to sleep 8, I don’t know were the other 6 would put there stuff we are pretty selfishly packed.

My wife and I always chuckled when we boat shopped, had to be big enough to have dinner for 8, and sleeping for 2.

 

[psneeld]

While personally I prefer "galley up", isn't there a consideration about boat space/volume allocation? It seems to me that there is only so much space available above and below deck. So if you utilize below deck space for the galley, that must take away space that could (better) be used for engine room space, heads/showers, and cabins. So, on a typical (under 65ft vessels), shouldn't this be a bigger consideration?

For some boats yes, some no.


A typical 36 trawler is going to be galley up because putting it down would cramp forward berthing, etc.


In my 40, its a 36 but galley down because the extra 4 feetl


On a 42...it can go back up because splitting the room between the salon and down gives a decent salon and much better down stateroom accomodations.


Every boat compromises something...just where is the question and just ip 2 or down 2 feet can make it possible to switch compromises and still work for most.

 

[Bkay]

I've had both up and down. I disliked the down when it was hot, the action was in the cockpit, and when cooking things that had particularly lingering smell (bacon etc), or when I wanted to watch what was going on at anchor. I like the down configuration more the winter.

I went with galley up with my current boat and based the decision on: it was the only way it fit, I like seeing what's going on at anchor, evacuates cooking smell and heat much better, closer to the action (either at the settee or in the cockpit), easy to make coffee or reach into the fridge when alone at the helm.

My driving factor is that I'm alone much of the time and when I have company, I do much of the work while they are hanging out (either inside or outside). Also, as a small boat, I didn't have a whole lot of options but I do cook a LOT.

If I had a dedicated crew, I'd certainly view it differently - but would probably still want to be where the action is (everyone hangs out in the kitchen in our dirt house, too).