Galley worktop replacement.

P

potentillaCO32

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 May 2023
Messages
900
Visit site
So my refit of my contessa 32 is going remarkably quickly and i will soon (within the next couple of months soon) be turning my attention to the galley.

I have already pulled out the original formica and am thinking of some composite replacement, like coriam.

I was thinking of solid oak planks with epoxy coating but a few people have said they are a nightmare to maintain.

So with composite products like coriam, the suppliers seem incredibly reluctant to sell it to non professionals like me and getting hold of offcuts seems very difficult.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Should I try to contact a local kitchen fitter in essex and see if they would be prepared to make a worktop for the boat from a template? Should I continue to try to find a reasonably priced off cut seller?? Any thoughts welcomed.
 
My experience of this was that the fabricators have plenty of offcuts available if you’re happy with what they have. I used Carrera Marble in Park Royal. They did the template and fitting of a composite worktop for me but I’m sure they would do whatever you wanted. They had loads of offcuts in their yard to choose from. Cost for 3 sections in a u shape was £1700 including fitting and template and cut outs for sink and hob. It’s a lot more if you want a specific finish as they have to buy a full sheet and charge you for it.
 
Corian is only a thick laminate over a chipboard, so likely to swell if the material absorbs water. Composites like Silestone are very nice but very expensive and heavy. Personally I would suggest using a plywood covered with a laminate. That is what was there for half a century in your Contessa and would be your cheapest option.
 
Concerto said:
Corian is only a thick laminate over a chipboard, so likely to swell if the material absorbs water. Composites like Silestone are very nice but very expensive and heavy. Personally I would suggest using a plywood covered with a laminate. That is what was there for half a century in your Contessa and would be your cheapest option.
Click to expand...
I think you are confusing Corian with regular kitchen laminate. Both Corian and Silestone are solid premium materials. Corian has a higher resin content making it easier to work with and repair and is what I used on my previous boat. It is in a different league (in my view) to plywood / formica but more expensive.
 
Last edited:
Concerto said:
Corian is only a thick laminate over a chipboard, so likely to swell if the material absorbs water. Composites like Silestone are very nice but very expensive and heavy. Personally I would suggest using a plywood covered with a laminate. That is what was there for half a century in your Contessa and would be your cheapest option.
Click to expand...

That is not true. It's a solid plastic material. Mine is a solid sheet, shaped to my galley, with fiddles all-round, centre removable fiddles, cut out for stainless sink, glued onto a wood frame. There is no visible joint and all corners are curved which makes cleaning and leaning on them very easy. It is super strong and the fiddles act as great grab holds, if needed. Super easy to clean and keep looking like new.
 
You could consider stainless steel, bent professionally to shape, cuts outs for the sink(s) and stove, lip for drainage (or not) and built in splash backs, lightweight, enduring......

Jonathan
 
Formica is my choice. Great range of colours and bomb proof for less than a Happy meal. Not that I’ve bought one recently.
Steveeasy
 
I cannot afford Corian.
I have noted in the local stores, ceramic tiles in large sizes.
SWBO has vetoed mosaics (rightly so I think) but the large tiles are large enough to minimise joins.
My local laser supplier has confirmed he can cut ceramic access (e.g. sink) holes albeit with water jet.
The tiles are moderately priced.
I need to submit a drawing for an estimate.
Isn't is possible to create a resin top "dynamically"?
 
I had exactly the same problem and went to a corian fabricator who made the top from my template. Yes it’s not cheap but in essence maintenance free and will comfortably see me out!
 
I went the laminate route. I’ve used the same laminate to trim and finish many other areas within the boat so as to create some consistency with the finishes. I’ve used a matt/satin dark slate type pattern which I’ve also used for the interior helm dash, worktops within both heads, trim around forward portholes and various other detailing around the boat when needed.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0128.jpeg
    IMG_0128.jpeg
    773.4 KB · Views: 45
  • IMG_0302.jpeg
    IMG_0302.jpeg
    699.8 KB · Views: 44
  • IMG_0386.jpeg
    IMG_0386.jpeg
    737.9 KB · Views: 39
  • IMG_0421.jpeg
    IMG_0421.jpeg
    706.5 KB · Views: 39
  • IMG_2875.jpeg
    IMG_2875.jpeg
    862.1 KB · Views: 43
Graham_Wright said:
I cannot afford Corian.
I have noted in the local stores, ceramic tiles in large sizes.
SWBO has vetoed mosaics (rightly so I think) but the large tiles are large enough to minimise joins.
My local laser supplier has confirmed he can cut ceramic access (e.g. sink) holes albeit with water jet.
The tiles are moderately priced.
I need to submit a drawing for an estimate.
Isn't is possible to create a resin top "dynamically"?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you're talking about the 60cm square polished porcelain floor tiles about 10mm thick? these are pretty great for non-floor uses (I'm a fan in kitchens/bathrooms for splashbacks) but they do not protect the substrate perfectly (they always rely on grout at the joins). You also need a particularly hefty tile cutter to cut them. You could lay them on cement board (like you make bathroom walls from).
 
Our 25 year old boat has Coriam and all is good apart from 2 issues, both cause by a person who I must never blame putting hot things on it. The first was the fridge lid which feels room temperature so must be pretty well insultated but still cracked near the hinges when a boiling kettle was put on it. The second was another part of the surface which seemed to slightly melt when a frying pan of hot oil was also put on it without a thermal mat or (usually) wooden chopping board to protect it.
 
Can anyone point me to the plastic faced insulation board that the fridge box is constructed from in the 'Refit & Sail' video? I've searched but can only find plasterboard, plywood and fibreboard facings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top