After a busy spring, and sailboat chores supplanted by Day Sailer chores (yes, we’ve increased our fleet to three boats, not including dinghies!), we had a lot of work to do before going off shore, before spending any quality time on the sailboat.
When school got out, I spent the first several days catching up on house chores while Peter got started on some of his projects. Peter’s list: rebuild v-berth, uninstall old holding tank, install new one, install AIS system, install refrigeration, the list keeps growing. My list: clean the sailboat inside and out, provision and get all the little “necessities” that make a trip feel like vacation.
I write this as we motor-sail to Block Island with Peter still finishing his list!
We decided not to rush the refrigeration as it’s an involved job so that was off the list early in the week. That meant provisioning would have to be either items that do not require refrigeration or another solution.
Items that work well on a sailboat without refrigeration: apples, oranges, cabbage (not lettuce), potatoes, onions, garlic, hard boiled eggs, beef jerky, hard cheeses (Gouda, Manchego, Pecorino…), those cured meats that Europeans have on their counters or hanging from the ceiling (Chorizo, Jamon de Serrano, Prosciutto…). And of course, there’s dry grains and canned goods (chili, tuna, artichokes, tomatoes, beans...). Canned goods are used after fresh foods, but I’ve come up with some pretty tasty combinations that are my go-to meals on the boat: Mediterranean Tuna & Chick Pea Salad and my chili always get high ratings.
Because we love to have good fresh meals, at anchorage and while moving, and because fishing seems like such a violent way to have dinner--at least in theory as we've never actually caught one!--I decided to experiment with dry ice this time. I asked the butcher to put meat items in vacum sealed bags and then froze them. The dry ice is in one cooler which is acting like a freezer—you only open it once or twice a day and everything in there is still frozen solid. I am defrosting chicken breasts now for dinner.
Provisioning also means enough fresh drinking water—I figure on a gallon a day and then know I’ll pick up some along the way if need be. (Hint: individual Nalgene bottles help us monitor water intake to ward off dehydration!) Soda is not normally in my fridge at home, but on the boat, a ginger ale or coke is a welcome treat. Other drinks include: Gin & Tonics and Rum & Ginger ale (w/ a dash!)—for cocktails at anchorage—and wine in red & white for good meals.
The necessity of ginger ale cannot be overstated! In addition to ginger ale, any boat I’m on needs saltines. I’m not plagued by actual seasickness but it’s peaked up the companionway at me a few times and as a result I always stock these two items. This trip, I found Trenton Oyster Crackers and as long as the horseradish lasts, we feel like we’re at the Oyster House in Philly! Any plain dry cracker will do a lot to chase away the queasies. On a recent tip, I also stocked ginger chews, just in case.
So with everything well-stocked, we left the dock and have been working ever since to get it all stowed away before we hit big waves. Everything is now in it’s place—the cans in the galley locker, the fruits and vegetables on the shelf, the coolers tucked under a comforter…Oh! and there’s a watermelon in the chain locker—thanks to Lin Pardey’s hint. I plan to read her book while I’m out here for more good ideas about stowing away provisions (wine in the bilge?) and general cooking underway tips.
I think part of being a good team on the boat is being a good team for preparations. Peter builds, installs electronics and fine tunes sailing hardware, while I look for the sturdiest cheeses and prewash produce. It works!
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