Completed project

Click on image for full size picture

After seeing a couple of the projects on the Catalina 34 International Association website, and seeing a new Catalina 34 Mk II, I decided to expand the storage in the galley by building a shelf over the sink.

Rather than expend  a bunch of labor and start from scratch I decided to see if I could find something on the market that would work.  I checked a lot of cabinet departments in several stores, to no avail.  I ended up finding the table pictured below at a unfinished wood furniture store.  I turned it upside down and began cutting and modifying it.  You can see the results in the next picture. 

I attached it using hardware supplied with the table to the hand hold in the overhead with a couple of brass cap nuts to dress up the ends of the screws.  I attached the other end with brackets to the wood trim.  I used this as the base for the rest of my construction.

I then fabricated a second shelf with a small cupboard and used a hole saw to make a place to stick bottles, cans, or whatever round thing might fit.  I used an average wine bottle as the standard.  I used as much of the leftover material from the table as I could and only had to buy minimal materials and hardware to complete the construction.  The drawers were prefabricated.  I bought them from Creative Spaces.  I just had to sand and refinish them.

I then installed an antiqued brass curtain rod from Wal-mart that has thus far worked perfectly as a paper towel holder and then installed a light on the underside to illuminate the work area around the sink.  I suppose you could've mounted a wine glass holder under the shelf, but I prefer to drink wine straight from the bottle.

One interesting thing about doing a project like this on a boat is that nothing is level, straight or constructed at a right angle.  The only way to make it appear level is to measure up from the countertop below.  When both ends are an equal distance from the counter's surface you're as close as you're likely to get.  (anyone who has ever done a battery alignment on an afloat weapons system should understand the pain of trying to get anything level and pointed in the same direction on an afloat platform)

The Cost:

Unfinished table: $70.00

Other wood: $40.00

Curtain rod: $5.00

Stain/brushes/Sealer: $20.00

Screws/handle/hardware: $15.00

Grand total:

$150.00, 2 weeks labor, and a huge mess.

Back to Projects