Slow Galley progress

We seem to spend a lot of time moving stuff around the boat to get it out of the way for jobs or meals or sleeping. Then lots of time working things out and planning. Plus I had to buy a full sheet of marine plywood and very carefully bring it back to the boat using our “emergency” inflatable roof-rack.

All of which is a set of excuses for why we don’t seem to have made much progress on the galley. Here are three photos of where we have got to by this evening.

The sink worktop and all the other timber has been removed. Now it is just “resting” in place. We have trimmed the front to a straight line and sorted out how the supports, shelves and “bulkhead” will go. We have also been working out the insulation for the hull.

Another big planning exercise has been the box for the microwave and hob along with the space for it to go. You can see a plywood mock-up of one side of the box fitted to the forward bulkhead. If you look carefully you might be able to see the single screw which is where the cooker box will be able to pivot so that it stays level when the boat heels.

This forward bulkhead has a non structural teak veneer which was in very poor condition and coming off. In the end I pulled one corner and the whole thing came unstuck and fell off. We will repair and paint the bulkhead.

We also have a lot to do to repair the bulkhead between the galley and the cockpit locker. About 5 large holes and lots of smaller ones. So we have emptied the cockpit locker and fixed “backing” plates and tape to the cockpit locker side. Now we can cut and fit wood inserts with epoxy so we can have a good surface for sanding and painting on the galley side.

While in the cockpit locker we think we have found the place where water has been getting in (holes from the old diesel tank vents in the cockpit coaming). Temporarily taped them over to see if that solves the problem when it rains hard tomorrow.

Another milestone in our thinking has been some of the practicalities of fitting our carbonfibre stanchions. Ensuring that they are vertical has been a concern for a while and now we think we have finally cracked it.

We decided to finish the day with a treat – a Chinese takeaway from Menai Bridge Town. Now resting.