Building a Galley Box

by Jerry Thompson

Few things in life are more satisfying than a freshly prepared meal after a day under sail. Not only satisfying, but necessary as well to replace calories burned by the rigors of sailing.

Not all sailing vessels have a built-in galley. How can meals be prepared aboard without a proper galley? The answer may be a galley box. A galley box is a portable container designed to store all of the items necessary, except food, to prepare meals. A stove, pots and pans, cooking and eating utensils are all included.

I searched the internet and found some galley box designs and several YouTube videos showing galley boxes. But I didn’t find what I was looking for. They were too large or were designed for a certain type of stove which I did not have in mind. And most of them had fold-down fronts which take up too much room when opened. I decided to design a galley box that fit my needs and requirements, and hopefully yours as well.

I wanted the galley box to be lightweight, low-maintenance, highly functional and durable. It needed to be easy to move and stow, used inside the cabin, in the cockpit or ashore. I made a couple of prototypes out of cardboard and duct tape. Here is what I designed and built:

My galley box features a top/front that once removed from the galley box, can be easily secured to the side creating additional workspace. This workspace has fiddles built on to help secure items placed on it. The stove can be used in the top-shelf position or the workspace position, adding flexibility. The workspace cooking position, which is lower, may make it easier to keep an eye on what is cooking. The workspace also adds stability to the galley box. The 4-inch area under the workspace is handy to store items during meal preparation. Without a fold-down front design featured on most galley boxes, one can sit in the cockpit directly across from the galley box, making a comfortable, efficient meal-preparation space.

The lower front cover can be placed on the cockpit seat, paint side down, and used as a hotpad of sorts—a ready spot to place a hot pot or pan.

The galley box size, approximately 14 inches square, is large enough to hold everything needed to prepare and eat meals, including the stove. And it will fit on most cockpit seats. I say most because I have not measured them all. When weather permits, I much prefer to cook outside in the cockpit, especially in warm weather to keep from heating the cabin.

The top shelf is where the stove is stored and used. I tested to make sure the shelf and sides of the box did not get too warm. The middle shelf holds plates, flatware and cooking utensils. The bottom space is for storing pots and pans, Ready Set Joe, coffee cup, bowls and cutting board. I bring along enough dinnerware for two, not knowing when a guest may come aboard.

The sides feature stainless steel box-chest handles that facilitate moving, stowing, and securing. A savings can be had here by not purchasing box-chest handles and using scrap line to make rope handles instead. (Simply drill a couple of holes in each side and tie stopper knots on the inside.) I do like the look and feel of the box chest handles and they are designed to keep your fingers away from the sides of the box.