Galley
The galley refit started with a few basic ideas: We'd replace the doors and drawers with new ones of mahogany.
Next was the counters. After many hours of discussion, we decided on Corian counter tops. Although we are not particularly fond of Corian, the practicality (a single sealed surface, an integrated sink, a raised drip lip all around) was too hard to beat. We went with a stainless steel backsplash, which is funky but also practical. The sink is an undermount stainless steel one.
The Refrigerator Problem
We decided to install two undercounter refrigerators, one dedicated to drinks and one dedicated to food. Opposite (forward) from the new counter, we would install a half-height freezer with built-in icemaker. The only question remaining at this point was which products to choose. We first decided that 110 VAC products would be fine, so we did not need "marine" stuff.
For the freezer, a quick bit of investigation found that while many manufacturers make undercounter freezers, and many people made undercounter icemakers, there seemed to be only one manufacturer who made an undercounter freezer with a built-in icemaker, and that was Sub-Zero. For the refrigerators we finally decided to go with standard door refrigerators, and after looking at the various manufacturers we chose U-Line.
Above the fridge is a nice big butcher block counter, and there are dedicated locations (and outlets) for the espresso maker, blender, toaster and bread maker. The microwave is up above, very solidly mounted, and there is good cookbook storage space inboard.
Stove
We initially had a Force 10 marine stove, which was basically useless. Island Eagle now has an amazing Viking 24" propane range with four 15,000 BTU burners and a gas oven. Cooking on this is a joy. It's fed from dual propane tanks in a sealed, vented propane box on the upper deck.
Flooring
We installed natural cork flooring in 2" X 24". The results are beautiful, resilient, and warm. Who could ask for more? The finish is a water-based urethane.
Bottom line: The Island Eagle galley is beyond fabulous. I've literally cooked for 30 people for a week in this galley, but it's still cozy and comfortable to make a cup of coffee. Everything falls to hand, there's plenty of power, the stove is a joy, the inverter happily powers the fridge and coffeemaker... what more can you want?
Next was the counters. After many hours of discussion, we decided on Corian counter tops. Although we are not particularly fond of Corian, the practicality (a single sealed surface, an integrated sink, a raised drip lip all around) was too hard to beat. We went with a stainless steel backsplash, which is funky but also practical. The sink is an undermount stainless steel one.
The Refrigerator Problem
We decided to install two undercounter refrigerators, one dedicated to drinks and one dedicated to food. Opposite (forward) from the new counter, we would install a half-height freezer with built-in icemaker. The only question remaining at this point was which products to choose. We first decided that 110 VAC products would be fine, so we did not need "marine" stuff.
For the freezer, a quick bit of investigation found that while many manufacturers make undercounter freezers, and many people made undercounter icemakers, there seemed to be only one manufacturer who made an undercounter freezer with a built-in icemaker, and that was Sub-Zero. For the refrigerators we finally decided to go with standard door refrigerators, and after looking at the various manufacturers we chose U-Line.
Above the fridge is a nice big butcher block counter, and there are dedicated locations (and outlets) for the espresso maker, blender, toaster and bread maker. The microwave is up above, very solidly mounted, and there is good cookbook storage space inboard.
Stove
We initially had a Force 10 marine stove, which was basically useless. Island Eagle now has an amazing Viking 24" propane range with four 15,000 BTU burners and a gas oven. Cooking on this is a joy. It's fed from dual propane tanks in a sealed, vented propane box on the upper deck.
Flooring
We installed natural cork flooring in 2" X 24". The results are beautiful, resilient, and warm. Who could ask for more? The finish is a water-based urethane.
Bottom line: The Island Eagle galley is beyond fabulous. I've literally cooked for 30 people for a week in this galley, but it's still cozy and comfortable to make a cup of coffee. Everything falls to hand, there's plenty of power, the stove is a joy, the inverter happily powers the fridge and coffeemaker... what more can you want?
