Issue 22 : Jan/Feb 2002
There is never enough counter space in any galley, or kitchen for that matter, but this is a particular problem in smaller boats like our C&C 30. The galley is aft on both sides of the companionway, so the companionway ladder splits the galley in half. I’ve always been tempted to use the top step of the ladder as counter space in this situation, but I didn’t like having the food-preparation surface stepped on by the crew.
I put a cutting board on top of the step, locking it in place with cleats that keyed into the ladder sides forward and the back of the step aft. I made this board out of scrap birch, but practically any fairly hard wood, or even an actual small cutting board, will work. Just add some pieces to the edges so the board locks onto the top step of the ladder.
When the cutting board is in use during meal preparation, the crew must be careful not to step on it, but this has not been a problem. When meal preparation is over, we move the board off the step and push it aft on top of the counter behind the ladder. No matter what the sea condition, it seems to say there. Sometimes we use the board as a tray to carry food to the galley table or to bring munchies up to the cockpit. With a little planning, the aft cleat of the cutting board can extend down about as much as the fiddles of the galley table extend up, allowing the board to sit flat on the side of the table.
I made my cutting board out of lumber that was almost 3⁄4 inch thick when finished. This thickness was unnecessary, and over the seven or eight years that we have used the cutting board, it has warped a little. Thinner stock, or perhaps good plywood under a thin cutting surface would have been better.
If I get time this winter, I’ll “un-warp” the board by cutting slots in the underside and filling them with filled epoxy and pressing the board flat. Sometimes two sets of slots at 45 to 90 degrees are needed, but in this case I doubt that will be necessary.
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