Reader John Mayton recently posted this on TBG’s Facebook page. While he talks about it being great for him as a single-hander with only a few dishes, I see it as a great silverware and small item holder when there are more people on board.
I live aboard a 37 foot ketch in North Carolina, and will be heading south to the Bahamas next week. When I bought the boat two years ago the previous owner had installed a custom made double sink.
I use a rubber sink mat that allows water to drain, but for most small things I use a Rubbermaid drainer that hangs from the center of the sink. The water goes back into the sink, which is in a small way water conservative. As a single hander, my dish washing issues are small, so the hanging drain works well for all but the pot I cook in.
I couldn’t find the drainer that John has, either online or in a local store. That’s often the problem with seeing something great: can you find it? With a bit of looking around, though, I did find one that might be even better as it’s collapsible!
Progressive International has a collapsible colander that hangs over the divider (see/buy it on Amazon) — and yes, it can do double duty as both a drainer for silverware and other small stuff that you want to contain and serve as your colander for draining pasta and rinsing veggies. Their picture shows it as a colander, of course:
NOTE: The product description seems to be missing some decimal points in the size. It holds 7 cups and is approximately 4-3/8″ x 4-3/4″ x 7-1/2″ — it collapses to roughly one-third of the open size, so it can be left on the sink all the time and just opened when more draining space is needed. The nice thing is that you can have other larger items in the sink under it.
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
And check out our other courses and products
David james says
Hi, We have a 9mt eurobanker c-cip trawler yacht 1978 sedan and we find the rear sliding windows on the side of the saloon leak as the water runs down the window , please can you tell us how we can make canvas covers for the outside of the windows to keep out the rain and stop the water getting in .We have seen other boats with blue canvas covers over the windows and would like to make some for ours ,trying to keep the cost down .Kind regards Lindy & David . in England.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’d ask some of the people who have ones like what you want if you could come aboard, see them up close and take some photos. That’s the best way and most people are very willing to show off what they’ve done (or paid a canvas shop to do). There’s also a great Facebook group called “Sewing on Boats” where you might be able to get some ideas.