After we determined that we could put the Splendide below the saloon table, without sacrificing a lot of space, Rick set to work. He discussed a design with a contractor in Savannah, Georgia. He also contacted our boat manufacturer, St Francis Marine, in South Africa about where he might drill to accommodate the plumbing.

Cutting a Hole in the Saloon Floor

Then Rick fired up his jigsaw. He cut out the floor of our saloon. The noise and energy were fantastic! Noise! Noise! Noise! Sawdust was flying, and the jigsaw was pummelling.

In short order, we had a hole just big enough to accommodate our washer/dryer. Rick finessed the sides of the hole with a Multi Tool. I put duct tape on the sides of the Splendide to protect the glossy paint finish from the rough edges of the hole.

The deed was done. We lowered the Splendide into the hole. Rick tested the plumbing for leaks and the machine was set into action.

But we were not done.

Designing the Hutch in Savannah, Georgia

With a hole in the floor, we were committed. Rick met with a contractor to discuss our design requirements. Essentially, the washer/dryer was to be housed in a box, and mounted to prevent tipping. Our saloon table would be placed above the box, using some of the materials from the original table supports.

Design Requirements

The laundry hutch would:

• match our cherry finish, and conceal our washer/dryer when it is not in use
• have a sliding pocket door at the front (using a sliding track and removable hinges)
• a lipped door at the back (with a simple, push-button knob) to access the electrical outlet and water connections
• allow space for the protruding bits, like the door handle and soap dispenser
• have mounts to prevent tipping
• become the base for table supports

With a sliding pocket door, there would be less risk of someone kicking the door off – as can happen on a boat, especially with four energetic children. We considered using soundproofing for the box but that seemed to be overkill.

Creating a Template

Rick created a template of the saloon floor using a roll of brown paper. The template mapped out the area surrounding the washer/dryer. This saved our contractor from an hour-long drive to reach the marina where we were staying.

The Laundry Hutch Is Delivered

The first contractor delivered the laundry hutch in a shiny Mercedes van. He brought a cherry wooden cabinet but didn’t finish the hutch properly. Items left unfinished were:

• the wood was left raw in places,
• the door mechanism didn’t really latch, and
• the boxy shape didn’t allow the port table leaf to swing all the way down, as it had done previously.

We were not happy to leave these items unfinished but the basic design was sufficient to install the Splendide and go sailing. We would repair the woodwork issues elsewhere.

Installing the Splendide in the Laundry Hutch

Describing my experience installing our Splendide for the first time, I wrote:

Last night, as our kids slept, I was attempting to crawl behind my washing machine, inside a custom-built hutch that wasn’t properly finished, to help with a plumbing installation. As I felt my waist fold about me, and my knees bend in ways that I hadn’t experienced since I spent a summer in California with my husband in a two-person tent, I was incensed.

Sitting in the hutch, Rick heaved at the washing machine. If he had been successful in moving the unit I might have been decapitated in my desperate struggle to escape the hutch.

Finishing the Laundry Hutch in Chaguaramas, Trinidad

A woodworker at Powerboats Boatyard took on the project of finishing our laundry hutch. We were relieved; some tradespeople do not like fixing the mistakes of other contractors, preferring to work on something entirely new instead.

He shaved a corner of the hutch to allow our table leaf to fall nicely. He fixed the latch on the front sliding door. We had previously installed a 110-volt outlet in the laundry hutch. The woodworker said that we needed an electrician to remove the outlet. Rick was away, so Henry (age 8) took on the task. This allowed the woodworker to take the laundry hutch to his workshop and refinish it to a spectacular gleam.

Adding up the labour and materials, this is the most expensive piece of furniture we will ever own. But, if you continue to read on, you will see that the laundry hutch outlasted our Splendide.

Next blog post in the Laundry Afloat Series: The Splendide Fails and There’s No Fixing It