A quick safety tip . . . but one that can save a lot of misery!
Due to the curvature of the hull, most boats have a storage locker just behind the stove, as in the photo above. Know what you should never put in this locker?
Never put anything behind the stove that you might want to use when a burner is lit or when there is a hot pan on the stove!
Several reasons for this . . .
- If you’re wearing a top with sleeves, a sleeve can catch fire if it comes too close to a lit burner.
- Steam from a boiling pan can burn your arm. (I learned this one the hard way on our first passage, aboard a friend’s boat. Luckily, the burn wasn’t too bad.)
- If the boat moves as you’re reaching across, you can fall into a hot pan — possibly burning yourself where you come into contact with the pan, on the burner itself, or splashing hot food down the front of yourself or down your legs. Just because you’re in a calm anchorage doesn’t mean the boat won’t roll when another boat — or JetSki — goes by!
Just turning the burner off before reaching across doesn’t eliminate the risk, as the hot pans are still there.
Another tip on this locker location — it tends to get really hot since it’s next to the hull as well as adjacent to the stove. Don’t put things in here that would be harmed by heat. I used it for “leftovers” containers that I’d only get out after we were done eating and thus the stove and pans were fairly well cooled down before I reached over the stove.
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.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
Christine Bailey says
We have two very large drawers behind the stove. I put stainless steel cladding over the front to help with the fireproofing. Good article.
The Boat Galley says
Christine — great idea! Where did you find the stainless? And how did you attach it?
Christine Bailey says
I had some scrap pieces that I pulled out of the trash- brushed stainless steel that were originally part of a table of some kind. I cut it to size with tin snips and screwed it in place using oval head screws and #6 finish washers. This is what I did behind out bulkhead heater. Sorry, don’t have a pic of the galley.
The Boat Galley says
What a great find — and quick of you to see how you could re-purpose it!
Karen Meyers Haver says
small children?
Ok, I’m kidding – thanks for the tip. It seems logical, but we don’t always think of the safety factor when we are used to having things” right there”
The Boat Galley says
Yeah, I didn’t really think about it until I had a problem one day . . . and then it dawned on me how stupid I’d been!
Al Felker says
Non flammables.
el says
Hi,
maybe you can tell these thoughts and examples to the american engineers that construct stoves with the dials for the burners in the back so that you must reach over whatever hot is cooking to turn the gas up or down.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I SO prefer the knobs in front!