Boat Galley Trends
Design and Innovation for the Floating Kitchen
Published: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 12:00 pm
By: Zuzana Prochazka
A version of this article appeared in the Fall (September/October) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
Good cooks are always welcome onboard. Next to the captain and navigator, the chef is an essential worker and can make the difference between a memorable cruise and a floating gulag. Anyone who can whip up a tasty treat in a small, under-equipped, and moving kitchen gets kudos from all aboard. Now the job is being made easier as boat galleys take center stage and morph into focal points of onboard living.
Bigger and Moving
Boat kitchens are getting bigger just as they are in our homes. The kitchen is always the gathering point so the galley must accommodate a chef, a sous chef, and a few onlookers giving direction. Galleys used to be looked at as unavoidable necessities aboard, but they’ve grown into popular attractions with more countertop space, more refrigeration, counter seating, and loads of storage.
Galleys have also migrated — mostly aft. Cruisers Yachts dialed this in a few years ago with the Cantius series. The Cantius 54 has a U-shaped galley with a window that opens directly to the cockpit. This creates a bar-like setting with stools where guests can keep the chef company and it centers the party. Even better, serving diners in the cockpit as well as the salon is easy when the galley is aft.
Some designers moved the galley so far aft that it’s outdoors. Dufour sailboats and the Beneteau GT express series keep the heat and cooking odors out of the boat interior by incorporating the galley into the transom. Here you’ll find grills, sinks, and prep spaces where the chef stands on the swim platform and cooks as if in the backyard.
Shapeshifting and Stowage
Just like at home, boat galleys are adding islands and hidden countertops. Open spaces on a moving platform can be dangerous and the chef needs a bracing point as does anyone doing dishes underway. Islands are a great way to keep everyone safe and they create both stowage and countertop space where before, there was none.
Space comes at a premium on a boat and there’s never enough for all the provisions and cooking tools. Dead space is a problem with hard-to-reach corners and tiny lockers. Designers have added popup counters, sliding racks, and Lazy Susans that have leveraged all available space. Dufour has even become known for its wine cellar tucked under the cabin sole.
Hiding Appliances
At home, we tend to show off our industrial cooktops and giant SubZero refrigerators, but boat trends are shifting. First, because the galley shares the onboard space with the salon, appliances are getting hidden and even drawer and cabinet pulls are going undercover. Wood veneers and fabric pulls take it up a notch. Other high-end finishes make the tools of the galley more appealing. Stone, metal, and fabric finishes are changing the utilitarian galley into a work of livable art. Luxury touches make a boat feel richer and mimic the at-home experience that we crave.
And speaking of appliances, drawer refrigeration has taken over. Impossible to access top-loading boat fridges are a thing of the past. Drawers have become so popular, that they’re even creeping into home décor.
Built-ins have become de rigueur as well. Coffee makers hide in cabinets while microwave ovens tuck under a helm seat. Every bit of space must be used on a boat because every convenience is now expected.
Lighting and Lounging
We’ve already alluded to the bar concept on the Cantius and wet bars are popping up in cockpits, on flybridges, and even inside where they are companion spaces to the galley. Long happy hours are the way we entertain at home, so it makes sense we make space for them aboard.
Lighting is the final element of design and it can define a space and add luxury. Bright spotlights over the stove or counter are useful when working but indirect lighting under counters, behind valences, and near the cabin sole create an inviting atmosphere even in the galley.
Meeting Expectations
Whether you’re entertaining with afternoon docktails or planning a multi-day offshore passage, food can make or break the experience so the value of a good chef working in a great galley cannot be overstated. The bar on galley expectations has been raised and the good news is that yacht designers are listening and working some innovative magic. After all, they get hungry too and some of them even cook.
tags: Applicable Everywhere, Boating 101, Galley, luxury
