Sink Considerations

Chances are, if you’re buying a used boat, you don’t have a lot of say in the galley sink. I do have strong opinions about sinks (gee, really?) but not enough to nix an otherwise awesome boat.

But maybe you’re at the point with your old boat that you’re contemplating a galley refit. Or maybe you’re building your dream boat and can pick ALL. THE. THINGS. Including the sink. So what might you take into consideration?

*Initial stages of destruction. This was once our dream galley (minus that damn sink)*

Placement. The sink needs to be able to drain on both tacks. This means the drain is close to centerline, or the sink isn’t too far outboard, or your boat has super high freeboard. Whatever. Just make sure you think about this. When we redid Calypso’s galley, this involved figuring waterline and where the sink drain was in relation to that waterline when we were hard on port tack. On Mischief, a Sam L Morse finished boat, the sink is on centerline.

One bowl or two. Definitely a matter of personal preference. (cough one bowl cough) My strong advice, no matter what camp you’re in, is to get the largest sink you can fit in your space. Period. Space might be defined by that drain thing I talked about just above, or other cabinet constraints. But I’ve never ever met anyone who said their sink was too big - not on a boat or on land.

Drain depth. Closely related to the placement consideration, the depth of the sink (and the depth of the drain) can be a factor in how well the sink drains, particularly on smaller boats. Think about it: if the waterline is at the bottom of your sink drain, this means there will always be a bit of water in your sink.

Undermount vs drop in. Undermounts look cleaner. Drop ins are easy to replace without messing with the counter. This is again a matter of personal preference. BUT if you’ve got an old boat with a drop in sink you can’t stand, but the counters are not objectionable - it’s often super easy to swap out the sink.

Where to buy. No contest here, IMO. Stay far, far away from marine $$tores. You can easily find good quality stainless steel sinks at your local home improvement store or online retailer. Plus the selection is unmatched. I’m partial to Ticor sinks. A hint for searching: manufacturer’s websites are often far easier to navigate than big box sites, including Amazon. You can find the exact model you love then check around for the best price, which is often NOT at the manufacturer’s site.

Other things to think about.

Zero radius sinks are all the rage as they look modern and way cool. But the hard 90 degree angles make cleaning almost impossible. Go for a tight radius instead.
A sink grid helps keep stuff from clanking around on the bottom of the sink and simultaneously helps water drain.

Galleys are about more than sinks, of course. But I’d argue that the sink is perhaps the biggest workhorse - and the most underrated. It deserves a lot of consideration!