A compact galley for the Com-Pac

[McNemo]

I had been brainstorming for a bit on the usage and efficiency of space aboard my Sun Cat ARTEMIS, specifically the cabin arrangements. I absolutely hate the placement of the plastic toilet unit under the companionway hatch, and the idea of the thing itself: nothing but a bulky, space-wasting tank of s***. We have come so far in the technology of wag-bags, there is no reason to have a tank of sewage as a companion during a voyage. The pariah was jettisoned, along with it's mounting brackets and teak fiddle rails, leaving a wonderful area to develop better efforts towards creature comforts.

I was really impressed with a galley box design utilized by Roger Barnes of the UK Dinghy Cruising Association (Check out his YouTube Channel for some great videos!), and wanted a similar compact, portable setup for my boats. The problem is that I fully admit I am a complete amateur when it comes to woodworking.  I certainly don't have the confidence to build something of the quality I want for ARTEMIS.

I spent a few weeks googling "galley box" to brainstorm other options, sifting through tons of random sites covering everything from sailboats to commercial aircraft. Somewhere in the internet fog things clicked and I realized that they all are all engineered to face the same challenges of a dynamic environment, be it turbulence at sea or in the air.

A little searching for "galley box" on ETSY brought up sources for ATLAS system containers and drawers that are used for stowage of food and beverage on commercial airliners. One of which was a perfect fit for the space under the Sun Cat's companionway. I purchased one with aluminum drawers because I intended this to house my trusty Trangia alcohol stove along with the other accoutrements needed for meal prep . A couple more modifications were made using self-adhesive heat shielding from Amazon and a quick release pin to hold the bottom drawer in place in rough seas. The final embellishments were accomplished by a visit to the NASA PX at the foot of the Vehicle Assembly Building in Kennedy Space Center. The end result I present to you now is the Galley for ARTEMIS!

The design seems quite practical, one of the benefits of the heat shielded door is protecting the bedding of the starboard berth from heat and flame. This is only the Mk I. version, so if there is any additional modifications from testing during in-field usage I will be sure to update!

[Ken J]

Looks great ! So how do you use or put the ummmm wag bag ?

[McNemo]

From backpacking experience,  one does not need a toilet contraption to use a wag bag. The deed is doable at a squat while holding the bag... instructional videos are available on YouTube if you are curious.

The tied off bags then get sealed in a 3gallon bucket with a screw top lid that lives in the port side cockpit locker until convenient shoreside dumpster is found. Out of the way of the foreword living space.

[Ken J]

Oh boy ! Maybe TMI question I asked 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[BoatTreble]

Wow!  That looks really nice and resourceful!  I'd love to read a follow-up on how well it has performed for you.  I have been brainstorming myself a bit on the best way to add a small alcohol fired oven to my 27.  It won't have to be very large and I'd like to reduce my available storage by as small an amount as I can get by with.  But planning on cruising the Great Loop (for starters) living aboard her in the near future and an oven would be a nice luxury to have.

Al

[McNemo]

So far this design has worked out great for me. The only drawback I can think of, is someone might find it inconvenient that the top drawer is inaccessible when the stove is in use. I usually pull all the items I need out before beginning a meal or brew-up, and this is not an issue for me though.

While brewing tea yesterday it survived the "wake test" when I was passed by a trawler at maximum displacement speed on the ICW... Everything stayed put and nothing spilled!