# Galley Location



## Hobo5

Gentlemen,
I have a question regarding the ship's galley(s) on a cargo/passenger vessel prior to 1970. (No super cruise ships)
Looking at ship and deck plans, it is rare to see where the galleys are located. If they are, they are quite a considerable distance, even decks away from the dining rooms and messes. 
On land, hotel and restaurant designs avoid this issue, so It seems odd for a very important service available 24/7, regardless of the number of passengers and crew, that marine architects neglected to design both the galleys and dining facilities closer to each other and make them more efficiently to each other for obvious food quality, presentation, speed of service etc.
Your input would be appreciated,
Regards,
P.N.


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## duncs

In my own memory, on cargo boats, the galley was usually abaft the saloon, in close proximity to mess rooms. Today, a lift is used from galley to a common pantry, for ship's staff. Passenger services are on the same deck, as the galley. This is on a ferry.


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## Hobo5

Thanks Duncs,
Very helpful.
Cheers,
P.N.


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## Johnny Walker

I sailed on several general cargo ships/passenger cargo ships in the 60/70s. in each case the galley was in the main accommodation block on the main deck amidships On one of those ships (king Arthur) the officers saloon was further forward in an accommodation block separated from the other accommodation by no. 3 hatch. The food was transferred in kits from the galley to the saloon. Deck and engine room crew food was also distributed in a similar fashion to poop accommodation by peggies as there accommodation was separated by hatches 4 & 5.
I also sailed on about 20 bulk carriers/tankers every one of those had the accommodation aft with the galley on the main deck aft. the exception was 3 Shell tankers which all had a centre castle where the deck officers slept and to eat they had to proceed via a flying bridge aft.


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## holland25

In 1950, on the Blue Funnel A boat I sailed on, the Galley was on the port side on the main deck, between the Saloon forrard. I think the seamans mess was aft of it, again on the port side.


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## Pat Kennedy

holland25 said:


> In 1950, on the Blue Funnel A boat I sailed on, the Galley was on the port side on the main deck, between the Saloon forrard. I think the seamans mess was aft of it, again on the port side.


Correct, all 'A' class 'P' class and 'H' class had the galley on the main deck midships on the port side abaft the saloon and fwd of the sailor's messroom
There was also a galley on the poop which served the Chinese engine room ratings whose accomodation was aft.


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## norm.h

Australia Star (1) early 1950s
Galley located aft of No3 hatch


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## Hobo5

Norm H.
Thank you for your reply and attached photograph. Location arrows are very useful.
Regards,
P.N.


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## Hobo5

Pat Kennedy said:


> Correct, all 'A' class 'P' class and 'H' class had the galley on the main deck midships on the port side abaft the saloon and fwd of the sailor's messroom
> There was also a galley on the poop which served the Chinese engine room ratings whose accomodation was aft.


Holland 25 & Pat Kennedy
Thank you for your information. I googled Blue Funnel Line "A" boats and came up with the same information that you both sent me.,
Thanks again,
P.N.
http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/blue_funnel_home/blue_funnel_home.htm


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## Hobo5

Johnny Walker said:


> I sailed on several general cargo ships/passenger cargo ships in the 60/70s. in each case the galley was in the main accommodation block on the main deck amidships On one of those ships (king Arthur) the officers saloon was further forward in an accommodation block separated from the other accommodation by no. 3 hatch. The food was transferred in kits from the galley to the saloon. Deck and engine room crew food was also distributed in a similar fashion to poop accommodation by peggies as there accommodation was separated by hatches 4 & 5.
> I also sailed on about 20 bulk carriers/tankers every one of those had the accommodation aft with the galley on the main deck aft. the exception was 3 Shell tankers which all had a centre castle where the deck officers slept and to eat they had to proceed via a flying bridge aft.


Johnny Walker
Thank you for your reply. Your information is very informative and useful.
Thanks again,
Best regards,
P.N.


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## tunatownshipwreck

Of the nearly 1000 ships I boarded, i found that in ships where the sole superstructure was aft, the galley was aft in the ss, positioned to serve equally the officer mess and crew mess. On ships where the sole ss was midship, the same was usually true, but when there was a second ss at the stern, it could be in either one (tankers it was aft). Some Norwegian ships had the galley below deck on the starboard side.


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## harry t.

It was standard on coal fired ships/galley’s, to have the galley handy to the coal needed for the stoves, near the engine room cross bunker hatches. Until the 40’s these were usually just abaft No.3 hatch on the standard ‘three island’ cargo ships of the day.


Collecting the ‘kits’ from the galley’s lee side door one lunchtime I was making my way aft to our ‘mess’, when a big lump of water took charge. On picking myself up the first thought was to look around for my false tooth. 
It was only later I realised the two sets of ‘kits’ containing soup, gravy, the salad, main course and pudding for three other hungry young men had gone too. Reporting this loss to the senior apprentice he rattled my remaining teeth then marched me back to the galley, but the cook was adamant, he had ‘wiped-down’, there was nothing he could/would do until dinner that evening. I then got another ‘seven bells’ knocked out of me. 
We were always hungry so it was good policy to keep-in with the cook. The firemen and trimmers were always thoughtful, giving us any extra food or dry stores, they had.


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## Hobo5

tunatownshipwreck said:


> Of the nearly 1000 ships I boarded, i found that in ships where the sole superstructure was aft, the galley was aft in the ss, positioned to serve equally the officer mess and crew mess. On ships where the sole ss was midship, the same was usually true, but when there was a second ss at the stern, it could be in either one (tankers it was aft). Some Norwegian ships had the galley below deck on the starboard side.


TTSW
Thank you, interesting.
Cheers,
P.N.


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## Hobo5

harry t. said:


> It was standard on coal fired ships/galley’s, to have the galley handy to the coal needed for the stoves, near the engine room cross bunker hatches. Until the 40’s these were usually just abaft No.3 hatch on the standard ‘three island’ cargo ships of the day.
> 
> 
> Collecting the ‘kits’ from the galley’s lee side door one lunchtime I was making my way aft to our ‘mess’, when a big lump of water took charge. On picking myself up the first thought was to look around for my false tooth.
> It was only later I realised the two sets of ‘kits’ containing soup, gravy, the salad, main course and pudding for three other hungry young men had gone too. Reporting this loss to the senior apprentice he rattled my remaining teeth then marched me back to the galley, but the cook was adamant, he had ‘wiped-down’, there was nothing he could/would do until dinner that evening. I then got another ‘seven bells’ knocked out of me.
> We were always hungry so it was good policy to keep-in with the cook. The firemen and trimmers were always thoughtful, giving us any extra food or dry stores, they had.


Harry,
Thank you for your response, interesting story. Still using coal in 1940? Nasty.
Regards,
P.N.


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## Tony Drury

I recall Ellerman Line vessels built in the 50s and 60s had three galleys. Other than the big four (which had about 120 pax?) a few carried 12 pax. However, come the early 70s and after the sale of the big 4 none of the vessels were regularly carrying any.

The officers were accommodated amidships and the crew aft in the poop.

There was a midships galley for officers and petty officers (quartermasters and carpenter) and this was generally at main deck level at the aft end of the accommodation close to the messrooms?.

The deck and engine crew had their own galleys in the poop, deck crew on the starboard side and engine crew on the port side side - both in the housing on the top of the poop. Both had there own bhandari  or a cook in a lascar ship's crew.

I remember the aft galleys on my first ship (City of Wellington) were coal fired (remember taking coal down aft in London a couple of times). Not sure about the powering of the midships galley?

All in all by modern standards the catering departments were huge, Purser, assnt purser, chief steward, cooks / bhandaris (3 or 4), officer messmen / cabin stewards, Captains Steward, quartermasters messman, bhandari assistants / crew steward aft etc.... and so it went on. By todays standard a full ships complement worth.

One ship, City of Capetown had a total complement of about 80, while others, such as the City of Wellington were probably in the 40/50s?


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## harry t.

*Coal fired galley stoves*



Hobo5 said:


> Harry,
> Still using coal in 1940? Nasty.
> Regards,
> P.N.


Hi and hello Hobo5, this lady, attached, was still burning coal when I joined in the mid-fifties, bumped up from apprentice to uncertificated 3rd mate. I do remember after donning a new doe skin uniform my dad had paid for, being covered in a layer off dust after arriving on the bridge to keep a watch, having had to climb over the coal bunkers still on deck. Shortly afterwards she was converted to oil, engine and galley. The ships cook, wee Billy, all off 4 foot eleven off him, regimental cook ex. Irish Guards, was still shipmates a dozen years later, the only man I met who could fry up ‘rubberised eggs’ you could bounce off the breakfast plate, but a great shipmate nonetheless. I sailed with one cook, magic, meals to die for, he had been sent by the owners to ‘dry out’. We kept him ‘prisoner’ onboard for two years before returning him to the International hotel were the owners had been patrons. I’m told he later wrote a book on his seafaring adventures.


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## holland25

My memory may be at fault it is a long time ago,but the Harrison Liberty ship I sailed on in 1956 had a coal fired galley. The galley was midships just after the funnel on the main deck. The engine was an oil burner but I have a memory of sacks of coal being carted around in a wheel barrow.I am happy to stand corrected.


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## IAN M

When I sailed on the wartime Liberty Ships Samite And Samforth, the galley was on the main deck; directly below my room on the port side of the boat deck and made it uncomfortably hot in warm weather.


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## kewl dude

Two pictures I took on SS Jeremiah O'Brien 20060930 when she was in San Diego Galley Coal Stove fuel.

IMG_0604-E.jpg (120.3 KB) 
IMG_0605-E.jpg (116.5 KB)

Greg Hayden


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## BPTwitcher

On BP's tankers, built immediately after the war, the 8, 12, & 16,000 dwt classes had the the galley located on the poop deck, as far aft as possible (for obvious reasons). The officers' lived midships & this was where their saloon was located. All meals had to be hand carried from the galley, along the flying bridge to the saloon. There was a small pantry adjacent to this saloon where the the food could be re-heated/dried out. It was only when BP's first super tanker was built in 1951 that the officers' dining saloon was located adjacent to the galley, port side on the poop.


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## seaman38

harry t. said:


> . The ships cook, wee Billy, all off 4 foot eleven off him, regimental cook ex. Irish Guards,


I sailed on coal fired trawlers in the early 50's, mind you they were built in 1914.

My uncles were in the Irish Guards, minimum height requirement in 40's was 5' 11"


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## harry t.

*Irish Guards*

Ach aye, that was just wee Billy’s joke, he was forever getting burns, especially in bad weather, trying to reach over the galley stoves as he was so short.


One of his party pieces related to the chief and 2nd engineers having a problem in the flooded steering flat on the Santona. She was on the northern Grand Banks. They were up to their waist in freezing water, both with speech impediments, that got worse with the cold and very much worse when a bottle of the hard stuff was passed down to warm them up. It became wee Billy’s party piece afterwards, imitating two stutterers trying to talk to each other repacking the rudder gland in arctic conditions. Two good sports, enjoying the craic, no offense taken.


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## saudisid

Tony Drury said:


> I recall Ellerman Line vessels built in the 50s and 60s had three galleys. Other than the big four (which had about 120 pax?) a few carried 12 pax. However, come the early 70s and after the sale of the big 4 none of the vessels were regularly carrying any.
> 
> The officers were accommodated amidships and the crew aft in the poop.
> 
> There was a midships galley for officers and petty officers (quartermasters and carpenter) and this was generally at main deck level at the aft end of the accommodation close to the messrooms?.
> 
> The deck and engine crew had their own galleys in the poop, deck crew on the starboard side and engine crew on the port side side - both in the housing on the top of the poop. Both had there own bhandari  or a cook in a lascar ship's crew.
> 
> I remember the aft galleys on my first ship (City of Wellington) were coal fired (remember taking coal down aft in London a couple of times). Not sure about the powering of the midships galley?
> 
> All in all by modern standards the catering departments were huge, Purser, assnt purser, chief steward, cooks / bhandaris (3 or 4), officer messmen / cabin stewards, Captains Steward, quartermasters messman, bhandari assistants / crew steward aft etc.... and so it went on. By todays standard a full ships complement worth.
> 
> One ship, City of Capetown had a total complement of about 80, while others, such as the City of Wellington were probably in the 40/50s?


Tony
When the Brisbane / Winchester came out early 50's they carried a Doctor as crew was over 99. Deck crew alone was 30 and as no Auto Pilot 6 QMs

When I was in her in 67 / 68 the deck crew was down to 12 and QMs to 3 as Arkas fitted.
Alan


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## Tony Drury

saudi

Aahhhh now that was progress - the benefits of progress the Arkas!

But going back to galleys I seem to remember we used to get a sandwich box for the night watch (had done away with night stewards in my time). How they mastered those curly sandwiches with sardine paste!


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## saudisid

Tony Drury said:


> saudi
> 
> Aahhhh now that was progress - the benefits of progress the Arkas!
> 
> But going back to galleys I seem to remember we used to get a sandwich box for the night watch (had done away with night stewards in my time). How they mastered those curly sandwiches with sardine paste!



Tony
The only " Night Boy " I can remember was the Guy in the Calcutta Harbour crew. Must have been 80 + then in the 70's when we were there in the Montreal 72.

Alan


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## kewl dude

The US Flag ships I sailed had a night cook/baker who worked midnight - 0800. He was like a short order cook who made anything one wanted for breakfast, when those on the 12-4 got off @ 0400. He prepared 0800 breakfast for the whole crew, served by the day shift; along with baking fresh breads and rolls.

Greg Hayden


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## Mad Landsman

harry t. said:


> The ships cook, wee Billy, all off 4 foot eleven off him, regimental cook ex. Irish Guards,


More likely Welsh Guards - During WW2 they famously abandoned the height restriction. As my father used to call them: 'little dark haired men from the mines'.


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## Pat Kennedy

(Thumb)


kewl dude said:


> The US Flag ships I sailed had a night cook/baker who worked midnight - 0800. He was like a short order cook who made anything one wanted for breakfast, when those on the 12-4 got off @ 0400. He prepared 0800 breakfast for the whole crew, served by the day shift; along with baking fresh breads and rolls.
> 
> Greg Hayden


I wish we had one of them Greg. All the ships I was in, the galley was in lockdown throughout the night. The cook would leave a tray of cold cuts and salad out in the sailors mess which was all gone within half an hour.
I once visited an American ship in Kobe, it was called Golden Bear, and I was stunned by the amount of grub available during the night, plus endless coffee and a Coca Cola machine. Amazing!
Regards
Pat(Thumb)


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## kewl dude

I meant to but forgot to mention the cookies usually oatmeal and chocolate chip. They were stocked in large glass cookie jars with the lid on a slant in the galley help yourself.

Greg


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## Pat Kennedy

Now I come to think of it, every cargo ship I was in had the galley on the Port side. I wonder now if there was a particular reason for this.


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## seaman38

Pat Kennedy said:


> Now I come to think of it, every cargo ship I was in had the galley on the Port side. I wonder now if there was a particular reason for this.


Were the ships built by the same yard? or belonging to same company

I have found that with sailing with different companies but the ships built in the same yard the accommodation layout rarely changes. Most of the ships I sailed on had the galley on the centre line at aft end of accommodation, with deck crews and P O's messrooms adjacent (across the alleyway) on the starboard side and engineroom crew on port side

Food for thought


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## Pat Kennedy

seaman38 said:


> Were the ships built by the same yard? or belonging to same company
> 
> I have found that with sailing with different companies but the ships built in the same yard the accommodation layout rarely changes. Most of the ships I sailed on had the galley on the centre line at aft end of accommodation, with deck crews and P O's messrooms adjacent (across the alleyway) on the starboard side and engineroom crew on port side
> 
> Food for thought


Well lets see.
I have 64 ships in my discharge book. 10 of them were repeats, 3 were tankers, 2 were ore carriers, 2 were passenger liners, and 2 were coasters.
That leaves 45 general cargo ships. 26 were Blue Funnel, mostly built to very similar designs. The remaining 19 were various companies built by various yards, and on all of these 45, I am fairly sure the galleys were on the port side. The only ones I am uncertain of are the Vives (Mac Andrews), Cotopaxi (PSNC) Essequibo (Royal Mail) Tactician(Harrisons)and Waipawa, (SSA).
Regardless of where the galley was sited, the very worst feeder was the Cotopaxi.


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## makko

kewl dude said:


> The US Flag ships I sailed had a night cook/baker who worked midnight - 0800. He was like a short order cook who made anything one wanted for breakfast, when those on the 12-4 got off @ 0400. He prepared 0800 breakfast for the whole crew, served by the day shift; along with baking fresh breads and rolls.
> 
> Greg Hayden


One of the first jobs was to fabricate duplicate keys. Leave the wives to send bacon sandwiches down to the ER on 12-04 watch! Then there was the "geyser", used to boil eggs to accompany the bacon sandwiches........!

All Galleys, port side a la Pat Kennedy, even in modern vessels.

The fly in the soup were the Norwegian RoRos. Microwaveable meals in trays, in the mess. Then again, they ran 18 crew total compared to 28 on Blue Funnel (80's).

Rgds.
Dave


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## kewl dude

Cooking hot dogs wrapped in tinfoil on the steam air ejectors - bare (not insulated) forged steel shapes. External reinforcing in the shape of ribs the long way. Just lay the dogs in the top valley. Did not take long.

Greg


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## John Melbourne

*Galleys*

I have wondered from time to time about this question. Memory dims and I ask myself where were the officer saloons on the Wave and Tide class RFA tankers.
Grateful for a little enlightenment.
Thanks


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## Peter Greene

Hobo5 said:


> Harry,
> Thank you for your response, interesting story. Still using coal in 1940? Nasty.
> Regards,
> P.N.
> [/QUOTE
> Hi, was it common to find coal fired galley stoves in the 1940s an 1950s on ships with oil fired engines?
> 
> Was it the galley deck crew that fetched the coal ash?
> 
> Regards, Peter


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## Peter Greene

I meant to type 'fetched the coal and cleared the ash' - Peter


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## Ron Stringer

The galley and the Saloon were aft aboard the ss Regent Pembroke (63000 dwt). Going for meals could be exciting for those of us who dwelt amidships in heavy weather.









Photo is copyright of Malcolm Cranfield


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## P.Arnold

The galley and the Saloon were aft aboard the ss Regent Pembroke (63000 day). Going for meals could be exciting for those of us[/QUOTE]




Ron Stringer said:


> The galley and the Saloon were aft aboard the ss Regent Pembroke (63000 day). Going for meals could be exciting for those of us who dwelt amidships in heavy weather.
> View attachment 684399
> 
> 
> Photo is copyright of Malcolm Cranfield


Regent Royal, galley aft saloon midships.
Peter


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## P.Arnold

The Regent Royal had VIP Suites midships. apparently the Princess Royal was to have travelled to the W Indies on the RR.
I suspect there were two saloons. Being my second ship I can’t really remember where i ate,


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