Thoughts on port or S/Board sette conversion to kitchen etc

[cruiserpete]

Hi I563 owners,

I'm thinking of converting one of my settes to a mini kitchen & nav area. Essentially, there is only me sailing my I563 so I really don't need the extra sette. I've no plans on taking extended groups out sailing although, if I was to take some friends/family out it would only be a day sail and worse case... the remaining sette/quarter berth and forepeak V berth could be used at a squeeze by a couple in the forepeak.

Ok, as mentioned, essentially I've invested in an I563 because I'm getting back into sailing and especially single handed sailing.
I'm only a few weeks away from starting my interior refurbishment because I've been 'collecting' refurb items so I would not be delayed. The only delay I can foresee now is our famous Tasmanian weather but the I563 is under cover so that's not a real issue other than 'drying time' for the paint. mind you, this new thinking will add extra time to the refurb but that's ok as I plan to keep the I563 for at least 6 or 7 years so best to make it how I want it now and enjoy it later.
Secondly, this might limit my I563's resale value but that's ok because as mentioned above I'm keeping her for 6 or 7 years so resale is NOT a priority now or then.

I'm considering:
Converting the quarter berth into storage (but needs some design thinking to make it accessible)
Converting at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the settee to a mini kitchenette and nav station with the remaining but still comfortable 1/4 or 1/2 of the settee remaining as a mini settee/chair that forms into the nav table..
Not sure whether port or starboard settee & quarter berth lends itself better to the conversion so may end up as personal preference.

Option A/ starting from the rear... I'll have quarter berth enclosed to make a storage area, then midships I'll have the kitchenette, then a Nav table and lastly a small settee or chair that allows access to legs under the Nav table. The reduced/small settee/chair will butt up next to the bulkhead between the cabin & forepeak V berth.

Option B/ starting from the rear... I'll have quarter berth enclosed to make a storage area, then midships a small settee or chair that allows access to legs under the Nav table then a Nav table and lastly I'll have the kitchenette that butts up next to the bulkhead between the cabin and forepeak V berth

I'll try to get some drawings overlaid on top of some original I563 birds eye view plans to offer a better visualisation.

Thoughts and opinions ?
Cheers, Pete

[Brendan]

Maybe you could build the galley and nav station to fit the hull shape and bolt it to the berth. Then if you want to modify or remove it just take out the bolts and lift the complete unit out.

[Yara50]

Take a look through our posts and you can see a number of solutions to the problem.
Like: http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... ?f=4&t=166
See also http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... p?f=5&t=60
http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... p?f=2&t=64
My solution is the slide out stove. An infill ply piece converts it to a nav table.

In the design you need to take into account where your work surfaces are going to be, and where you can sit so that everything you need is close to hand.

We also have the bunk infill piece which converts to a table, so for meal time that is mounted in the cabin, and sitting on the step, there is access to the stove and the table for preparation and eating. The sink is a plastic bowl which is in the cockpit during preparation and wash up. You can see the table in the boat in the shots of Margarita in the link above. You can see it used in the cockpit in one of my posts linked above, as well.

[Brendan]

Nice looking stove ian. What brand and model is it.

[cruiserpete]

Hi all, Thanks for the input,

Maybe you could build the galley and nav station to fit the hull shape and bolt it to the berth. Then if you want to modify or remove it just take out the bolts and lift the complete unit out.

I gave a removable (in a few years time) design some thought however, I think ease of design and build will determine the final outcome... still giving this some thought but I'm leaning towards a fully built in system rather than a system that can be removed. I'm thinking ease of design and especially build will dictate a permanent conversion over a removeable conversion. I do like the look of Rod's Investigator 563 #71 "Christina" removable gally for 'extended weekend cruises' in one of the links so may still keep investigating that as an option...

My solution is the slide out stove. An infill ply piece converts it to a nav table.

I gave this some thought as well but I finally concluded that a slide away system will still encroach into the quarter berth thus limiting the sleeping area by the bulk of a slide out stove system therefore, I've only gained a 'hide-away' stove that pulls out to give me a cooking system and slides away to give me more seating.
Unfortunately, I'm not in need keeping the current quarter berth seating but more so I'm looking to lose seating in lieu of gaining a permanent galley and nav area.
I do like the look of Rod's Investigator 563 #71 "Christina" removable gally for 'extended weekend cruises' in one of the links so may still keep investigating that as an option...

Cheers for the ideas and feedback
Pete

[Yara50]

Nice looking stove Ian. What brand and model is it.

The stove is an Origo
http://www.dometic.com/enie/Internation ... taid=71774
Sold mostly from caravan places, cost about $250. Expensive, but it is made in Scandinavia and good quality.

a slide away system will still encroach into the quarter berth thus limiting the sleeping area

Actually there is enough room under the stove for my legs in a sleeping bag. Had I been more careful in the installation I probably could have gained another couple of inches (5cm) in height as well. I use this berth to sleep in, and the one opposite has all the cooking utensils, radio, navigation gear, etc.

[cruiserpete]

Take a look through our posts and you can see a number of solutions to the problem.
Like: http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... ?f=4&t=166
See also http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... p?f=5&t=60
http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... p?f=2&t=64
My solution is the slide out stove. An infill ply piece converts it to a nav table.

P1090095 (Small).JPG

In the design you need to take into account where your work surfaces are going to be, and where you can sit so that everything you need is close to hand.

We also have the bunk infill piece which converts to a table, so for meal time that is mounted in the cabin, and sitting on the step, there is access to the stove and the table for preparation and eating. The sink is a plastic bowl which is in the cockpit during preparation and wash up. You can see the table in the boat in the shots of Margarita in the link above. You can see it used in the cockpit in one of my posts linked above, as well.

Thanks for the post links, greatly appreciated as I missed a few of those links. have more ideas now
I'm thinking that the nav table will also double as my regular table.

My idea (still working on port or starboard) working from rear of the cabin to front of the cabin is:
Nav area (electrics on bulkhead), nav table/general table and seating area, then stove, then ice box - but this puts the weight in the ice box quite forward into the cabin
Nav area (electrics on bulkhead), nav table/general table and seating area, then ice box, then stove - but this puts the stove quite forward into the cabin
or my preferred option is this one:
Ice box plus some storage built into a wooden box on slides/runners positioned under the cockpit seat (in the area that would normally accommodate ones feet under the cockpit)
Then Nav area (as above) but NO ice box in actual cabin as it's now located on runners/slides. This makes effective use of the area under the cockpit and frees up the cabin area of an ice box.
This leaves the Nav area and table as per above but when the ice box is to be accessed it is simply slid out, opened, items taken out for cooking etc and then slid back and locked in place. A cushion is then placed on the runner/slides and the Nav area and Nav/general table used as per the would normally be. This affords me more room for an extended table or more room for sitting..

I'll draw up plans and scan to give a better indication.
Cheers, Pete

[Bobbo]

I have been away for a while and upon reading the forum I came across your kitchen post. If it is still of use I would like to share my adaptation. I sail my 563, Zoe Amelia, almost always alone, and have set her up for comfort. I have a slide in set of cupboards that fit into the space of the starboard quarter berth. It has sliding drawers that contain all my cooking utensils.
A white lamipanel plywood sheet with a gas stove and bottle bolted to it takes up the rest of the space which allows for food prep and cooking with me either sitting on the port bunk or standing with the pop top raised. The gas bottle is 2kg and I always control the gas from the bottle itself. This has given me years of trouble free cruising.
I am a bit of a dunce with computers but if the subject is still of interest to you I will attempt a photograph.
The whole set up is simple to slide out without compromising the original accomodation

[Dr. Peter]

Google 'microcruiser modification'. Some of these guys do interesting things.