The Galley Guys Have Been Busssssssy…

The Galley Guys gave me a daunting one-day assignment while at the 2008 Annapolis Boat Show: determine which sailboat, currently available in Canada, had the best and possibly the ultimate galley. Have you ever attended the Annapolis Boat Show? Seen an aerial shot of it? Daunting! Amazing! Thankfully, limiting the assignment to boats available in Canada made the job a tiny bit easier.

So what are the key considerations when determining who has the ultimate galley? I opted for the basics. I considered what kind of storage was for dry goods, cutlery, serving wear, glasses and so on.

In our quest to encourage boaters to dine and entertain with fun and flare, the Galley Guys showed up at the Halifax Boat Show this past Valentine’s Day, February 14th to join in the “Cooking Onboard” presentations being made by Michele Stevens at the show.

Michele is a 4th generation sailmaker and her loft, called Michele Stevens Sail Loft in Second Peninsula, Nova Scotia is the official sailmaker to the Bluenose II. With her all-woman team, they produce sails as well as upholstery, cushions, sail bags and custom work.

So how do you objectively review a powerboat galley? Well for starters – more or less the same way you would look at any galley or kitchen; counter space, storage, access to guests, lighting and overall functionality are key components. As with any galley, it also depends on the type of entertaining you will be using it for. Most buyers want a galley that affords easy access to everything needed for meal preparation and encourages interaction with on-board guests.

At the 2008 Toronto International Boat Show, I got to explore the different types of powerboats and their galleys. For those of you who have been to the show, you know that the power side of the show far outweighs the sail in numbers.

In the 75th Anniversary Mount Gay Round Barbados Race But Local Cuisine Makes Everyone a Winner!

Tell me what self-respecting Galley Guy could possibly (while on the beautiful island of Barbados) turn down an opportunity to tour the famous Mount Gay Rum Distillery? For sure, not this Galley Guy!

Sadly, the other Galley Guys, Andy Adams and John Armstrong who both lean a bit in the direction of diesel instead of wind power, and whose sailing skills are less than race-ready anyway, did not get the call.