In the arena of yacht design, the galley has gained an increasingly important role, warranting constant innovation as architects, clients and builders strive to provide the right balance of form, function…and family. The talented visionaries responsible for creating today’s finest yachts are designing for a whole new crowd with a whole new purpose.

Photograph by Martin Fine. (Click image to enlarge)

Some designers and builders use the term "country kitchen" to describe the galley arrangement that includes a space for dining and/or socializing. However, that term does not quite fit the array of sophisticated designs currently afloat and on yacht designers’ drawing boards—especially since the tastes and » palettes currently in use are not limited strictly to the "country" aesthetic.

"By opening the space up, without a wall separating or compartmentalizing the rooms, it makes the entire yacht feel larger," says Obernberger. This arrangement was designed at the behest of the owners, who also enjoy a formal dining salon aft on the vessel but saw a need for a casual place where guests could start their days with a quick bite and feel comfortable taking light meals throughout the day.

Designer Patrick Knowles has identified three distinct demands owners place on galleys when designing from the ground up.

"Some clients are not interested in having any part of the owner’s party involved in the galley," he says. "Others are not opposed to the idea and see the benefit of having family and guests access the space for snacking and meals. And a third group is adamant about turning the space into a fully integrated guest area for gathering, similar to a breakfast nook–cum–family room." When refitting the 135-foot Lürssen Blind Date (ex-Abbracci), Knowles worked alongside the captain to create a galley for both owners and crew. "That was the owner’s motivation: a family galley for gathering and entertaining," he says.

While not losing the feel of a galley by using stainless steel rhythmically around the space, he incorporated a stand-alone dining table and chairs that give the room a sophisticated feel tantamount to the design of the rest of the yacht.

Top: A Patrick Knowles galley, brings the outside in. Photograph by Pamela Jones. Bottom: Upholstered stools bring a formal tone to a galley. Photograph by Jim Raycroft. (Click images to enlarge)

Douglas Richey, an in-house designer for Burger Boat Company, is particularly fond of providing seating around galley islands. "After so many banquettes, the island is a refreshing idea," he says. "It was an important departure for designers to get away from the settee idea."

On the vessels Wow and Wimil, which were built by Burger on speculation, Richey had the chance to experiment. He provided several seats at an island surface for dining, which doubled as an area to set up a buffet and prepare and plate meals being served elsewhere on the yacht.

"The clients’ responses to this different idea were very positive, and we began to use the plan in subsequent designs," Richey says.

Chief designer for Trinity Yachts Geoff van Aller attributes the rise of the dine-in galley to the configuration of many of his company’s earlier raised pilothouse yachts that exhibited these so-called "country kitchens."

"As owners grow from their 118-foot raised pilothouse yachts into larger vessels, 135 feet and up," he says, "they don’t want to lose the dine-in option provided on the smaller builds." On the 150-foot Trinity motor yacht Nova Spirit, van Aller incorporated a large central island with seating for six in the center of the galley. The vast surface on Nova Spirit is also ideal for preparation. Subsequent builds on the water and on the boards all feature, to some extent, areas to eat inside the galley. The top of this range includes designs at 220 and 250 feet that can accommodate 16 to 18 people for a meal in the galley (in addition to a separate crew mess). On the smaller side of the spectrum are recent releases like Lady Linda and Imagine, which include several spaces in the galley that are perfect for a quick snack and/or speaking and socializing with the chef. Interestingly, a different arrangement has been chosen for each of those yachts. Imagine features three chairs along an island angled at 45 degrees (perhaps more akin to her contemporary interior), while Lady Linda’s three stools are placed at a raised bar. The dichotomy offers insight into the amount of thought Trinity puts into galley design.

If Knowles were given carte blanche to design a galley of the future based on the current trends, he already knows what he would create.

"I would love to combine indoor and outdoor elements," he says. "Most galleys have fixed windows that seal the inhabitants into an artificial space. I would like to see a more dynamic space that takes advantage of the elements on the other side of that window." 

To do this, Knowles envisions a layout that includes an outdoor terrace either outboard to port or starboard, or forward of the superstructure toward the bow. He describes the space as similar to a curbside bistro with umbrellas or a canopy system warding off the elements. And to create one large, dynamic, integrated room, the threshold between indoors and out would be invisible, with doors pocketed into the bulkheads. However, this is not Knowles’ only idea. He also has plans for an interactive tasting kitchen complete with wine cellar—perfect for gourmands who want a front-row seat as the chef prepares their meal.

The Delta Design team also has plans should an opportunity arise. They’ve imagined a working balcony similar to a bay window protruding from the yacht’s superstructure. With the correct styling and engineering, the space could be completely open or sealed from the sea via a retractable ceiling and removable glass walls. Adjacent to an amidships galley, this dining area would provide the sensation of dining over the sea. Van Aller has also put some thought into the question for possible future Trinity builds. "I’ve always wanted to design a galley with a dining area adjacent and surround that dining area with double doors and folding bulkheads," he says. "The doors would open on two sides to the rest of the interior and the other two to the side decks. The bulwarks at this portion of the side decks would then fold out and be fitted with fixed railings so two terraces over the sea would flank the dining room. I imagine it would be something like dining on a Mediterranean veranda."

Indeed, a virtual sensation of the cross breeze and seascape framed by the interior walls of the dining salon instantly comes to mind. While none of these whims may ever see the light of day, of any design genre they have the best chance in yachting, where the sky’s the limit.