We're delighted with the position of the table, and satisfied with the layout (stoves for heat and cooking opposite the companionway, counter space in a U with access to the pantry through a removable countertop, and a sink opposite the stoves.)
But what sink?
One decision we made early on was that we did not want drains through the hull. In fact, our current stance is that we don't want holes through the hull at all. We are expending considerable effort, after all, to keep water out. Through-hull fittings are counter-intuitive at best. This meant there was no particular reason to think about plumbing the sink in. We discussed having it drain to a bucket, and then in a spirit of parsimony thought, why not just use a bucket?
Well, there are reasons, chief among them that the depth of a bucket relative to its width gives you a very deep and narrow sink indeed, and makes it hard to imagine washing anything larger than a teacup. Since we don't expect to travel with teacups, this seems like a limitation.
Here is the elegant conclusion to the sink discussion.
It's a canning kettle, and we got it at the Home Hardware store in Nanaimo for around $25. A similar-size marine sink lists online for about ten times that, but lacks the handle. Admittedly, the marine sink typically would be permanently installed in the counter-top and wouldn't need a handle. There it would be, glowing in all its stainless steel glory, fed with water by its $60 foot pump via an $80 faucet. And in most cases, plumbed in to a through-hull fitting.
Our sink will be installed in the countertop, with a cutting board to fit over it when it isn't in use. Identical systems will provide salt and fresh water -- that is, we'll put either salt or fresh water in it. Carrying it up and down the companionway won't be onerous. It has a good strong carrying handle, and a single side handle for emptying.
We are pleased.
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