PNW Live Aboards

We loved the boat but bought it knowing full well it needed a full kitchen remodel and three of the four baths updated. The kitchen was straight from 1981 stock- minus the lovely whitewashed pink cabinets someone put in and the turquoise dinette and accent upgrade. Galley style set up kept it closed off and tight. So, once we closed on our purchase the first big project we chose to tackle was to gut and redo the kitchen and upgrade floors, counters and hardware in the baths.

Now how to do this! A boat remodel is not the same as a home remodel, or is it?? After calling boat yards, repair and construction services along the Seattle to Canadian border it became very clear there was no one stop shop for a project like ours. Thinking outside the box, we began inquiring with some local house contractors. We found a contractor that was willing to do the job and estimated 6 weeks to get it done.

The planning began. Being large enough to utilize household appliances made the planning easier, but electrical usage on a 40 year old boat is unique. When on anchor, electricity is a very valuable item and conservative usage is key. In addition to electrical considerations weight of where new products will be is very key. Opting for granite countertops and full size stainless appliances brought a-lot of new weight onto the port side of the boat. You would not think a 1 or 2 degree difference in list is not noticeable but it is huge on a boat! Just those few degrees gives you a new meaning for the term “drunken sailor” as you try to walk throughout the boat. Plan and space out your new weight carefully. While the refrigerator is centrally located it took about 700 pounds of sandbags and moving any extra heavy china to the opposite side to overcome the list caused by the granite countertop in the galley. Thank goodness there was ample wasted space under the dinette for this, but more forethought could have helped.

Not being a square frame made for unique nuances that took some careful height measurements on where to place cabinets in the middle of the room to ensure they were even at the much lower outer areas of the kitchen roofline. The upper cabinets looked great when closed but as you open the two at the outside wall of the galley the top of the door can hit the vinyl ceiling material.

Supplies! We started this project March the beginning of COVID. As we can all remember we were all stuck at home and home remodels were popular and supply low. Having all of your needed supplies pre-ordered can speed up the timeline. Wait time alone added 3 extra months to our timeline.

While the galley was gutted to the studs it is a good time to call up a reputable ABYC marine electrician. These folks can make or break your upgrade. We found a few terminated 120v circuits in the wall that were turned into extra outlets. Also updated was all other outlets, switches, lighting gang boxes and HVAC controls.

Overall, it was a big investment, but so highly worth it as the usability and entertainment factor will be enjoyed for years.