Galley box

  I was using the Trangia 27  in the cockpit, as this was the safest place aboard. If the Trangia fell over, a cockpit floor fire could be extinguished with a bottle of water from the cabin.

It would be even safer if the stove had it's own fire-proof box. Dinghy cruisers have built galley boxes for years so looked at these online, then designed and built my own box.

It's dimensions are close to a cube with 30cm (1ft) sides. This size allows upright storage of trangia bottles, 1L spirit fuel bottles, small thermos, enamel cup, as well as several packed stoves and a 20cm fold handle frypan. I have separate plastic boxes and cabin shelves for food etc, so my galley box is a single compartment design for the hot stove only while in use. (most galley boxes are 2 compartments or more)

It's just small enough to stow in the quarter berth foot or cockpit locker.

It's been used in the safe cockpit area (with gas). 

Alternatively there is room in the cabin (without gas, spirit only)

It's only used in a calm anchorage, never while sailing or at sea.

It's constructed from plywood and timber. Lined with 30cm cork floor tiles and embossed aluminium sheeting. Both are heat and fire resistant, and could cope with and contain a spilt burner fuel fire.

The aluminium floor pan was fitted first. The 0.6mm aluminium was easy to shape and bend. None of it is glued in, just the edge shapes and some stainless screws hold it together.

It's also designed like a small companionway hatch. The front door slides up and out and acts as a cork trivet. The lid comes off and acts as a cork benchtop with sea fiddles. The cork can handle hot pots and is non-slip. The lid is held on with stainless steel latches when everything is stowed. 

The outside was sanded and varnished.

In retrospect it could be reduced in size further, say and inch or two, if fuel bottles were stored elsewhere. However i wanted all my critical and integral componentry to be stored together, so that nothing could be accidentally left behind on shore.