When we started asking feedback on our galley design from chefs, the response was overwhelming. It lead to suggestions on laundry equipment, tableware and a lot more. So, we’re going to dedicate a section of our blog to crew-related issues such as crew accommodations, crew management, crew-guest relations and a lot more.
Of course there are online forums dealing with these issues. There are Dockwalk forum, YotCrew.com and Yacht Forum to name a few and please visit them if you are crew. But our purpose is to get back specific feedback and there are things we cannot do on these other forums like posting questionaires or posting images.
We appreciate your visit and we love your feedback.
Here are some direct links to crew-related topics:
We look forward to hearing from you.
Thorwald Westmaas
Project manager
We’d like to create a bridge with a smart layout that’s easy to move around and has all the necessary equipment without overdoing it. Not a bridge for the magazines or to show of to people who have no clue about the subject but a bridge that’s also great to work on at night crossing the English Channel.
So captains, mates and other navigators, please share your thoughts and your experiences to guide us in the right direction for a bridge on this go-anywhere expedition yacht. Continue Reading »
In our continued effort to create the ideal yacht for guests AND crew, it’s now time to get feedback from the stewardesses. While converting an existing vessel obviously creates some restraints, we’ve made a considerable effort to make life for crew as pleasant as possible. As you explore this site and the yacht’s proposed layout, you’ll see things like never more than 2 crew members per cabin, a decent cress mess not tucked away below the waterline, a big laundry space with pro-line Miele’s, no white carpet but easy to clean parquet; all seating with leather(like) covering instead of hard to clean fabrics, bathrooms that will be easy to clean (no nasty edges, showers that always drain to name a few features of our low-maintainance interior design. No silverware either!
Continue Reading »
Our yacht galley is really coming together now. With our interior designer making progress, there have been some minor changes to provide access to the rear cabins as well. In December we had made the galley bigger, added a dumpwaiter (from Lift Emotion) and moved the entrance The exact list of galley equipment is still to be decided but this list is what you see in the drawing below (click on link for big version). We have consulted with some people in the restaurant business and hope to get more feedback from yacht chefs in the field (see form below) and THANK YOU YachtChefs.com for posting this request on your website! And thank you too Palux in Germany for your outstanding customer service. If you need a professional galley, contact this company. You won’t be disappointed and their quality equipment will make any chef smile.
Click here for a general arrangement of the yacht. This is how it looks currently. Click on the image BELOW for a bigger lay-out with an updated distribution of the galley based on your overwhelming input of the last few weeks.
June 10
Thank you, thank you all for your feedback! We added the ’stewardess station in the front’ and have added an automated sliding door. We hope to find a better option for the fire door, ideally to panes, turning outwards of the galley. The walk-in cooler and freezer rooms will be on the deck below the galley. Do we really need 6 induction zones? This has been a long discussion but eventually we decided to go for 4 zones and add the more flexible variocooker. Yes, occasionally we may have 20 guests but it won’t be a-la-carte dining. For such big groups you’ll know the menu for the whole week in advance. Wouldn’t you rather have some more counter space? And that’s what we did. Of course, comments are still welcome. Please use the form below. Continue Reading »
Peter Sampson has done it again. Here’s a first draft of our lounge ‘look’. We’re quite happy with it!
Just thinking about adding an upper section to the bar – suspended from the ceiling as I’m sure the stewardesses will want more storage space. And of course another flat screen TV behind the bar stools.
You’ll also see 2 visuals of the guest bathrooms. We wanted a stylish design that would be easy to keep impeccably clean and very accessible for maintainance. I think we’re succeeding on all counts. These units will be fabricated in the factory for ultimate quality control and be placed on board completely ready. Just connect.
If you click on the thumbnails and then click of full size, to get back to regular size, hit the ‘back’ button to get back to this post.
I’ve been busy with my regular business (The Balboa Inn Bed and Breakfast) so I’ve fallen behind on the postings. I have a ton of things to write about including ‘exciting’ topics such as sewage treatment 
and cathodic projection but well, poco a poco.
But things are moving behind the screens. And here’s a quick post with some visuals. Peter Sampson is working on the interior of the lounge area and crew spaces. A first draft of the lounge below.
The dining table on port side lowers to a coffee table when not in use which maximises the lounge space. Chairs with folding or lower backrests can be stowed under the coffee table.
We plan to put a motorized drop down projector screen in front of the aft cabinets – the lounge can then easily become a cinema or lecture/briefing room.
As you may have read, we hired Estonia-based British designer Peter Sampson several weeks ago to give the staterooms a ‘look’ and make all technical drawings for the interior (walls, ceilings, furniture, bathrooms, the whole five yards).
I’m happy to say we’re making good progress here. While the first draft (see bottom of post) went to a second round as can be expected, we are now close to the final look and hope to post a quality render soon.
At the same time, we’ve been working on the distribution of the staterooms. Based on our general arrangement and using his extensive experience with wallpanel systems used in the passengership and off-shore industry and a couple of – what? 20 e-mails? - we basically nailed down this area of the vessel.
I’m particularly happy with the added storage space that Peter has been able to cramp into the rooms and the fact that all this can basically be made in a factory, ready to assemble on-site. There will be very little to ‘figure out’ once we have all the details. Compare with the original drawing below. Do you see improvements too?
Another very important point is that all bathrooms (”wet cells’ using he industry speak) will come totally ready to place in the vessel (where possible; some may have to be (partly re-assembled). But, they come with their own floor, drains, connections for water, etc.
There are many small changes. Our two ‘master suites’ now each have a queen bed and a 2-person sofa with a ceiling mounted pullman hidden above it. Desk’s have been moved around and the bathrooms layout’s are now practically final. Seeing it in 3D like below allows you to appreciate the space we have available.
No, the Kawasaki green won’t stay . In fact, here’s an update in PDF.
What do you think?
