Sailing Superyacht — 42m Galley Refit

Project Overview: 42m Sailing Superyacht Galley Refit

This project was a comprehensive galley refit for a 42-metre sailing superyacht originally built fifteen years prior. The vessel had undergone multiple owner changes and the galley — while functional at the time of its original specification — had not kept pace with the evolution of professional kitchen equipment technology and the increasing expectations of the Mediterranean charter market.

The brief was to modernise the galley comprehensively within the constraints of the existing structural envelope, replacing all major equipment while improving the workflow and upgrading the cold storage capacity to support the vessel's charter programme.

Survey Findings

Our pre-refit survey revealed several significant issues with the existing installation:

• The existing combination oven — a 12-year-old unit from a brand that had subsequently left the professional kitchen market — was experiencing repeated temperature calibration failures and spare parts were no longer available
• Refrigeration was undersized for the vessel's 10-guest charter capacity, with only 280 litres of total cold storage — approximately 40% below the minimum we recommend for a vessel of this size and programme
• There was no glasswasher — glassware was being washed in the main dishwasher, which was causing gradual hazing of the vessel's crystal
• The laundry was equipped with a standard domestic washer and dryer rated for 4 cycles per day — clearly inadequate for the linen volume of a 10-guest charter programme
• The galley layout placed the combi oven directly adjacent to the main refrigerator, with no thermal separation — significantly increasing the refrigerator's ambient operating temperature and reducing its efficiency

Refit Scope and Specification

The approved refit scope addressed all survey findings within a six-week yard programme at a Spanish Mediterranean shipyard. The key equipment changes included:

• Combi oven replacement — Rational iCombi Pro 10-grid replacing the failed legacy unit, with revised mounting position to improve the thermal separation from the refrigeration
• Refrigeration expansion — addition of two True Refrigeration tall upright units in the expanded provision alcove, increasing total cold storage from 280 litres to 520 litres
• Glasswasher addition — Winterhalter GS B-R glasswasher installed in the service station adjacent to the main dining saloon, eliminating the return of glassware to the galley for washing
• Laundry upgrade — replacement of domestic washer and dryer with Miele Marine PW 6101 commercial washer and PT 7136 dryer
• Dishwasher replacement — existing undercounter dishwasher replaced with Winterhalter UC-M for improved throughput and cycle time

Project Outcome

The refit was completed within the planned programme and within the approved budget. The vessel returned to charter with a significantly improved galley capability — the expanded cold storage eliminated the provisioning constraints that had limited the chef's flexibility during the previous charter season, and the new Rational oven enabled cooking techniques that the previous equipment had not supported. The glasswasher addition produced immediately visible results: the crystal that had been showing progressive hazing was returned to service in pristine condition after the first glasswasher season.