Crockery or melamine?

[White_Lady]

Needing to buy crockery for our new found AWB.Whilst on the 'Dark Side ' we had crockery. But what is best on the 'Light Side'?

Have you plastic or Royal Doulton on board?

Thanks

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bit of both aboard Indigo (china mugs and dinner plates, melamine bowls, mugs and side plates). Much prefer china, provided you can stow it securely.

Spesh for mugs, melamine mug interiors become grotty v quickly.

 

[dmmbruce]

Melamine. And take it home in the autumn and put it through the dishwasher before next year.

 

[TamarMike]

Despite the occasional breakage I prefer crockery as it is easier to clean (particularly if anything is accidentally left a bit 'unclean' when leaving the boat) [can't find a maggot smiley]

 

[Flapjack]

Crockery every time, just have to make sure its stowed properly.

 

[VicS]

Crockery nicer.
Plastic being unbreakable more suitable.

Agreed plastic, cups in particular, need an annual session in the dishwasher. although a peroxide based cleaner will get the tea stains off. (so will a chlorine based bleach!)

 

[doug748]

I read one of those old, pre war, sailing books about 30 years ago.
It said..... do not trouble with any of those patent unbreakable products, china is much more pleasant and you will break no more afloat than ashore.
Could have been Francis Cooke or Maurice Griffiths but I have always found it good advice.

 

[sailorman]

Needing to buy crockery for our new found AWB.Whilst on the 'Dark Side ' we had crockery. But what is best on the 'Light Side'?

Have you plastic or Royal Doulton on board?

Thanks

One has crockery o/b but some insulated mugs as well.
One does also have some Wedgwood for special occasions

we do have some old melamine for inclement weather

 

[Robin]

We carried proper crockery and proper glasses. As long as you have good stowage there is no problem and proper stuff is much better than plastic.

We did have a few melamine dishes for use at sea in case they slid off on a rough day and we also had S/S thermal mugs with lids for hot drinks going along, these fitted in a holder on the pedestal. On seriously rough days we swapped the plates for square Tupperware containers which were useful in their own right, these were deeper and could be put down with the lid on if needs be. We had a few plastic stackable tumblers too for going along soft drinks.

 

[sailorman]

We carried proper crockery and proper glasses. As long as you have good stowage there is no problem and proper stuff is much better than plastic.

We did have a few melamine dishes for use at sea in case they slid off on a rough day and we also had S/S thermal mugs with lids for hot drinks going along, these fitted in a holder on the pedestal. On seriously rough days we swapped the plates for square Tupperware containers which were useful in their own right, these were deeper and could be put down with the lid on if needs be. We had a few plastic stackable tumblers too for going along soft drinks.

we have 5 of 7 wine glasses we bought in Spain 25 yrs ago.
now on their 3rd boat & been o/b all those years + 14 330 ml bier glasses we inherited with the present boat & only broke one in 12 yrs

 

[Pye_End]

Stainless double skinned mugs, plus some of those pyrex mugs.

Melamine plates etc. - but a decent set from Lewis - not a cheap camping shop set.

Most of them have done the leap to the low side during a battering in heavy weather - wouldn't like to see china do the same.

 

[VicS]

proper glasses

proper glasses I wont have. Prospect of bare feet (I take my wellies off when going to bed!) finding fragments of broken glass on the cabin floor ... no thanks. Plastic tumblers for me but I also have a pair of stainless steel wine goblets.
I do prefer the lightly neutral tinted plastic tumblers to clear ones.

 

[Sandgrounder]

If going for crockery it may be worth trying "Steelite". A bit more dear than the norm but it is almost unbreakable and commonly used in the hotel trade. We've had some for approximately 20 years, including having two young children, and have yet to break anything - a plate was dropped onto a hard tiled floor and just bounced.

I should add that I have nothing to do with the company; I don;t know if it is still trading but I am very impressed with its durability.

Simon

 

[pmagowan]

We like a combo;

Melamine plates and bowls
Stainless cutlery
Plastic mugs
Some of those twin walled stainless vacuum type mugs for coffee on deck (Sainsburys doing a good deal at the mo)
I like real glasses for G&T, wine and whiskey. Some plastic ones will do for juice and going ashore on pic-nic

We are currently completely rebuilding the galley so looking for max poss space saving. Me Ma was up til 1:30 last night thinking through the best layout. I'm more interested in a safe spot for the whiskey and associated glassware.

 

[samwise]

We came across a guy with a converted tugboat in Calais who had a giant cupboard downstairs containing a complete 12 place setting dinner service complete with tureen, gravy boats and the lot. Said he had not had a breakage so far.
On our boat we have plastic and pot. Plastic is always the choice when on passage, but pot in port. Crewed on a boat across the Atlantic recently and they started out with a full inventory of nice bowls, mugs, plates and glasses -- they finished with rather less! A three metre Atlantic swell is a real crock killer.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Has to be proper crockery and proper glasses for me. If I wanted to go camping I would have bought a tent!

We found some nice Riedel wine glasses that have a wine glass top, but no stem. Perfect for a boat.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"We found some nice Riedel wine glasses that have a wine glass top, but no stem."

I've got one of those. The others still have their stems, though.

 

[AndyPandy]

We have a full set of Denby onboard, I say full set cos it is, although itis all been dropped and slid off when its rough, every piece has bounced!

We have settled for perspex wine glasses tho, just for safety more than anything.

Perspex whisky tumblers are just not on tho lol

good luck,

Andy

 

[vyv_cox]

We gave up on Melamine mugs a long time ago, particularly when we began living aboard. They won't take boiling water and soon begin to craze, allowing tea/coffee into the cracks to make an unpleasant looking stain. We use china mugs when berthed or anchored and stainless double skinned for on the move.

As said, no glass except four very special tumblers and a decanter for those certain occasions. These are stowed surrounded in foam in their own plastic containers. Plenty of attractive plastic glasses around these days, a good selection can be found at most large caravan shops.

 

[Neil_Y]

Wooden plates from Northern Spain.

The food won't slide off and they also seem to grip surfaces especially tek cockpit table. They don't break either. If they get really cut up then a quick sand and they are as good as new. Go for the ones they use for octopus they are quite chunky.

We also carried a full set of china and glass, wine just has to be in a nice big wine glass.