Is it worth it ? Sink covers ?

[blush2]

When we replaced Blush's sink with a double sink the smaller one had a teak cover intended as a chopping board. It never left the locker because the smaller sink was too useful to put things in whilst sailing. We also had a large wooden chopping board that came with her which sat over the big sink as a worktop and chopping board.

It also protected the galley when the boat was ashore for putting tools and paint cans etc down. If it suffered from this we simply sanded the surface

 

[William_H]

I reckon Nigel needs to do some living in the new boat to decide what he really wants. Yes a single sink cover could work well as a chopping board assuming you have some place to store the board. I find on my little boat that the sink is a safe place to put things. So open sink could double as useful surface to put down things like a hot saucepan or useful when peeling vegetables. So no don't build covers yet. ol'will

 

[harvey38]

We have a board that covers the sink, the reason being quite obvious!

 

[Refueler]

I reckon Nigel needs to do some living in the new boat to decide what he really wants. Yes a single sink cover could work well as a chopping board assuming you have some place to store the board. I find on my little boat that the sink is a safe place to put things. So open sink could double as useful surface to put down things like a hot saucepan or useful when peeling vegetables. So no don't build covers yet. ol'will

Yes - l;iving on board always leads to answers .... the boat is a 'novelty' at present ... so thinking of so many things to do or change ...

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I have a sink lid, never use it. It was the cutout from the new counter top. Storing is no big deal, it just sits flush against the cabinet side under the sink. If I needed a lot of worktop space for some reason, then other surfaces would be used and not a sink top lid. Cutting stuff tends to happen on another counter top, and if I am cutting where a lot of waste is produced, I tend to cut to the side of the sink and sweep waste into sink for later disposal.

I also got rid of the twin sinks and replaced with a slightly larger (than a single) and deeper sink. Twin sinks just took up valuable counter top for little added benefit as far as my boat use is concerned.

In the OP photo, there is a lot of counter top taken up by sinks at a useful area just to the side of the cooker. A sink top may be a reasonable idea to reclaim space on the outer sink, maybe with a fiddle on it to keep stuff from rolling into a counter.

 

[ylop]

Asking myself if its worth cutting ply sheet to create sink covers ?

I've been on boats with them and great for adding \worktop' but then were a PITA when using the sink as they had to be placed somewhere ...

I'm 50-50 on it at present ... so c'mon - convince me yes or no ?

I would say yes (but not in ply)! More space is always useful whether that is cooking or tinkering. If you are the only person who will ever use the galley you can live with its irritations, but if others will make it easy for them.

Our boat came with them and I use them a lot. When not in use, they stow flat beneath the cooker.

I think that it the trick - work out a simple place to put them when not on the sink. That will affect your choice of size etc. I wouldn’t hinge - a lot easier to make a new one if someone puts a hot pan or something on one it’s it’s just a block. Personally I’d go to IKEA and buy one of their chopping boards and then attack with a router to get the shape you want.

View attachment 161074
I found a plastic bowl which fits exactly (saves bits and fat getting in the holding tank) and made a cover to act as a draining board out of teak (from old garden furniture).

Do galley sinks normally go to the holding tank? Mind doesn’t - only the toilet goes there.

 

[john_morris_uk]

With a double sink, it's worth making a cutting board that fits in one of the sinks. We use a piece of cutting board. I fitted 4 rubber feet to it so it locates on the sink rim. With the rubber feet, it works great on the counter top and doesn't slide around.

We have covers for both of our sinks. The are designed to be chopping boards and have a rebate routed into them all round the lower edge so that they fit securely into each sink. (The sinks are identical so they’re interchangeable as to which goes where). When I rebuilt the galley I made one of the worktops have a suitable sized fiddle rail all round an area to put one of them as a storage place.

We wouldn’t be without them.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Do galley sinks normally go to the holding tank? Mind doesn’t - only the toilet goes there.

Not usually. Galley and heads sinks normally drain overboard on small boats.

In big boats you can get black water and grey water tanks.

 

[Boathook]

Your picture shows a twin sink so why not make a cover that only covers half. It could cover either or if crafty with design cover just the central bit leaving a bit of both sinks exposed.

 

[Refueler]

Your picture shows a twin sink so why not make a cover that only covers half. It could cover either or if crafty with design cover just the central bit leaving a bit of both sinks exposed.

That was a thought .... even though the sinks are not same size ...

 

[Supertramp]

I would say yes (but not in ply)! More space is always useful whether that is cooking or tinkering. If you are the only person who will ever use the galley you can live with its irritations, but if others will make it easy for them.

I think that it the trick - work out a simple place to put them when not on the sink. That will affect your choice of size etc. I wouldn’t hinge - a lot easier to make a new one if someone puts a hot pan or something on one it’s it’s just a block. Personally I’d go to IKEA and buy one of their chopping boards and then attack with a router to get the shape you want.


Do galley sinks normally go to the holding tank? Mind doesn’t - only the toilet goes there.

I have a separate holding tank for the toilet but also grey water tanks for the sinks. I think it's because the galley is low down and near the waterline. It empties from a large (accessible) tank in the bilge with a large pump that doubles as a reserve bilge pump. Not my choice of system but comes with the boat and galley position.

 

[Minerva]

I kind of have a sink cover - it's a bamboo chopping board from Ikea/tesco/some-other-big-warehouse shop. As it just happens the depth of the chopping board is about 5mm short of the depth of my countertop between back and fiddle.

Works perfectly - gives extra copping space and is a jolly lovely size for my charcuterie & cheese board too.

Win-Win-Win as they say!

 

[Refueler]

I have a separate holding tank for the toilet but also grey water tanks for the sinks. I think it's because the galley is low down and near the waterline. It empties from a large (accessible) tank in the bilge with a large pump that doubles as a reserve bilge pump. Not my choice of system but comes with the boat and galley position.

All my grey is exit to sea.

Only my toilet has choice of HT or sea.

 

[Refueler]

I kind of have a sink cover - it's a bamboo chopping board from Ikea/tesco/some-other-big-warehouse shop. As it just happens the depth of the chopping board is about 5mm short of the depth of my countertop between back and fiddle.

Works perfectly - gives extra copping space and is a jolly lovely size for my charcuterie & cheese board too.

Win-Win-Win as they say!

Local Supermarket has heat resistant melamine boards I can re-purpose ...

 

[Poignard]

I kind of have a sink cover - it's a bamboo chopping board from Ikea/tesco/some-other-big-warehouse shop. As it just happens the depth of the chopping board is about 5mm short of the depth of my countertop between back and fiddle.

Works perfectly - gives extra copping space and is a jolly lovely size for my charcuterie & cheese board too.

Win-Win-Win as they say!

'charcuterie' eh?

That's corned beef on our boat!

 

[Refueler]

'charcuterie' eh?

That's corned beef on our boat!

We'll be talking Fray Bentos and Spam next !!

 

[jaminb]

I bought a very cheap £5 bamboo chopping board that coincidentally almost fitted in the sink. I then bought a slightly larger one £8 that fits perfectly and covers 3/4 of the 1.5 bowls. The board slides between the two so can still have sink access. Has doubled my galley worktop area and means I can access the top loading fridge without having to move my prep.

 

[Refueler]

I bought a very cheap £5 bamboo chopping board that coincidentally almost fitted in the sink. I then bought a slightly larger one £8 that fits perfectly and covers 3/4 of the 1.5 bowls. The board slides between the two so can still have sink access. Has doubled my galley worktop area and means I can access the top loading fridge without having to move my prep.

Sounds good ...

Next visit to S/market will be with tape measure !! Wife will 'tut tut tut' and move well away not to be associated with strange guy measuring boards !!

 

[Poignard]

We'll be talking Fray Bentos and Spam next !!

And other such examples of haute cuisine!

 

[geem]

We have covers for both of our sinks. The are designed to be chopping boards and have a rebate routed into them all round the lower edge so that they fit securely into each sink. (The sinks are identical so they’re interchangeable as to which goes where). When I rebuilt the galley I made one of the worktops have a suitable sized fiddle rail all round an area to put one of them as a storage place.

We wouldn’t be without them.

It all depends on the galley design and how much work surface you have. We have a large galley and lots of work surface. We don't need to make more. It's convenient having two sinks with one available to use and one covered for chopping work