What's in your Galley? - improvements, hacks and tricks for our San Juan Cruising and Boat Camping

         First some background thinking - most of us simply use the boat we have the way the PO (previous owner) set it up, plus some of our own tinkering.  Once in awhile though we get to make a major decision. For example; about twenty  years back we acquired a boat with a pump up alcohol cook top, and of course it was a useless rusty piece of stainless (s)crap so over the side it went.  (dumpster) My cheap rush rush solution was to nail a piece of plywood over the gap where the alcohol stove used to take up, and set my propane camp stove on top. And then we took off for the San Juans or somewhere.

        Later I replaced the nails with screws and painted plywood for formica on plywood and created a pretty nice looking counter top.  Of course while underway the propane camp  stove is stowed away.  Boring - Ok, what I learned was how well the set up worked. Over the years several of our boats have had factory propane ovens, some with gimbals, and I admit they were nice, but they also took up precious space 100% of the time. Don't forget the propane bottle fills a locker too.

           So let's fast forward to Kraken to see what we do today.  Thanks to the PO, Kraken has a Dickinson diesel stove which gets zero use in the summer because its primary function is to blast us out of the boat in freezing weather, which it does very well. Our cast iron soot belching mini monster  takes forever to heat up and cool off, but for now, I put up with it in spite of the baggage, weight, space,  and occasional tantrums.

Our  Dickinson Bristol with door open - yes,  the oven on your boat is bigger.

      I could have set kitchen dishes etc. on the cold cook top, but I opted for a cleaner counter and varnished up a scrap of plywood with little spacer legs.

See!

But wait there's more.  I made sure my camp stove would sit comfortably on top.

I also whacked up a set of shims for leveling, which we use once in awhile when making pancakes.

Here's more in our galley bag of  tricks.

This cool Coleman oven fits just fine, and is just a smidge bigger than the Dickinson, (see the same tray)
It also heats and cools as fast as the flame can be turned on or off.  This set up makes fantastic biscuits, pizza and cookies, I highly recommend it

Wait, it gets better.

Our camp drip drip coffee maker fits too!
Hot cinnamon rolls and coffee anyone!
(guilt free boating at its best)

Everything gets easily stowed, and we get our counter space back.

The oven folds up into that little box and fits under the Dickinson next to the camp stove

And that's the way our galley stove works.

BTW - when the diesel stove is hot we place the camp stove on the counter to the left of the sink and  carry on.

The rest of the story, follow this link and then scroll way down to our last straw with soot and the diesel stove replacement.  new propane stove install

Cruisers Packing List - don't forget the ?

      If your a beginner to the San Juans as well as a beginner to cruising (boat camping) you may find some useful advice here.  But some people don't like being told what to bring or what not to bring, or ask for directions when they are hopelessly lost.  So stop right here if you recognize yourself, and move on.

        Okay, now that the captain and skipper have quit reading lets see if we can ease the pain somewhat.  I'm not going to try to be all inclusive here, but just some little reminders to get you thinking about your cruise.  Obviously you have a spotless well equipped boat and many things are already on board.

• I'll bet you don't have an underwater flashlight, they are great for teasing sea creatures after dark, and will add hours of entertainment time to answer your children's "I'm bored" comments. (hint, stick a cheap flashlight in a ziplock bag) Now tie it to the end of your boat hook and poke it under water
• How about heavy duty zip lock bags, or the ones they sell at the outdoor outfitter stores for river running, you know for your cell phone, ipod, camera, wallet, etc, etc, etc.....
• speaking of waterproof have you got any good wood matches in a waterproof container?
• here's one you really miss and then its too late  - chap-stick with spf 99 (how high do the #'s go?)
• remember that hat that blew off into the water?  ditto for glasses!  you need a chin strap or leash.
• OK, this is a good one, get a second or third corkscrew, uh huh! (try em at home to make sure they work well)
• Dramamine in all forms for everyone
• cheap little led flashlights, lots of em, they're cheap
• plastic kites for beach fun, don't forget the string
• multi-function tool that you carry in your pocket all the time
• boat cleaning supplies, wax, polish, paint thinner to remove tars you track on board with your shoes. We seem to do our heavy cleaning while on a cruise, I see others doing the same.
• misc. boat repair supplies and tools. (sail tape) get a bottle of soft scrub it's my best friend (paint thinner too)

These are just some starter ideas, feel free to add your favorites.

Since some folks really benefit from in depth detailed instructions and are lost without to-do lists, I have added below a list created for a general travel article.
Click here and read more >>>>>