The Ballad Exchange

The restoration of Sanlen continues after a tough 2015. All interior parts have been stripped down and new plywood is cut out. The only part remaining is the galley module (icebox and sink) that I was unable to remove last year. I don't want to destroy it completely on removal but soon this seems to be my last option. Before I start smashing it loose maybe someone could give a hint how the module is fastened?

I took the hammer and smashed the pieces apart since I decided to rebuild it. Now it is gone but I still can use the pieces to cut out new plywood. The solid mahogany parts survived.

Hi Jan,
When I replaced my interior I changed the galley construction a bit by making the aft galley bulkhead in one piece. The original one had a lower section that was part of the cabinet, then an upper section which was overlapped and bolted to it.


I added a counter level bulkhead parallel to the aft bulkhead, attached to the aft bulkhead with a side piece by the engine box. (I later cut an access hole in this side piece to access the side of the engine ... very convenient!)
The cooker cabinet consists of two panels fitted between the galley/settee bulkhead and the short galley bulkhead. In the picture below it's fitted for an Origo two burner cook top, but later I scored an Origo 6000 at a swap meet and installed that instead.


The panel behind the stove is angled back to allow the stove to swing on it's gimbles. It also slides out for cleaning behind the stove. The little locker it creates makes a pots and pans storage area.


The finished galley.

Good luck on your galley rebuild !

Question about your seacock arrangement, Peter. I've seen those two together in that location under the sink on several Ballads: are they sink outlet and galley seawater footpump inlet? If so, do you ever find your seawater pump 'recycling' potato peels, etc? I epoxied down a two-seacock mounting base muck like yours, but now I'm wondering if having them so close together is a good idea.

Well, because the City of Victoria and surrounding areas are still pumping raw sewage into Juan de Fuca Strait, I did away with the seawater pump and use that for an engine cooling water inlet. My original engine cooling water inlet was in the bilge, a most unsatisfactory arrangement just waiting for someone to step on the plumbing down there and bust it off. My plastic raw water strainer was also well below the waterline ... and is now a nice little bronze Groco located in the cupboard under the galley sink ... above the waterline.

Ah -- that makes sense. No problems with sucking air on a starboard tack? Our raw water intake is also in the bilge -- and yes, it did snap off under light hand pressure! -- but we haven't decided yet where to put it back. Have glassed over the old location.

seacock3 by Wyoming offgrid, on Flickr

(Checklist of bad practices: Unsupported small brass thruhull -- check. Gate valve -- check. Unbarbed nipple with single perforated hose clamp -- check.)

I'm thinking maybe we locate the galley/washdown/seawater thru-hull under the cooktop, which is a few feet forward of the sink drain. Sea of Cortez is still fairly pristine, at least outside Cabo, La Paz, and Guyamas.

Thanks for the reply and pictures, very nice galley Peter

On Sanlen the bulkhead is also divided in two but the upper part is in grp and integrated with the inner liner as you can see in this picture.

Bob, the inlet is quite close to centre line. By the time we get healed over that far I'd be more worried about the oil in the engine sump migrating away from the oil pick-up! Even motoring in heavy seas it's not been a problem.
Your suggested location under the cook top is good, but remember that the head drain is in line with it

Composting head for us, moved to the nav station. We've now filled all thru hulls except the speed transducer (next to keel, port side) and the garboard drain plug. This summer, we need to poke holes in the boat again. Sigh. I think we can get away with four: Speed/depth/temp transducer; galley sink drain; saltwater intake for galley/shower/washdown pump; and raw water intake for engine. Eliminated are depth transducer aft; head inlet; head discharge.

BTW, did you put an external strainer over your raw water intake?

I put an external strainer over the thru hull, held on with 4 short screws into the fibreglass. The grills face aft, it's not part of the thru hull, something like this.
I read a lot about which way it should face,e-pinions being about 50/50. The one on my Vega was facing aft, so I did the same on the Ballad.
Composting toilet is good. Wish one was made that would fit the Ballad head compartment. They're all so tall that you'd need a dome above the head to provide 'head' room!