Eating at Sea

Work in Progress!

Another project to pass the time during Covid-19 lockdown.

Here are a few tips that might help.  

Introduction

It is important to keep well fed (and hydrated) whilst sailing, this can be difficult in a seaway or if you are not feeling well and can't face cooking. On the other hand I find that in good weather or whilst storm bound in a snug anchorage it is very easy to put on weight, about half a stone on my 2020 round GB trip 😕.

Practical considerations

If you have room and amps to spare an electric cool box (the very expensive ones generally use a lot less power) or better still a built in fridge helps a lot and gives the possibility of a cool drink on a hot day. My cool box was annoyingly noisy so is now kept in the forepeak so I can close the door on it.

If you have an oven and grill there are a lots more options but if you already have your boat you probably can't do anything about that. Stoves should be gimbled  to cope with a heeling boat, that works better than fore and aft gimbles. 

Be aware it is easy to use expensive gas at an alarming rate, on my 2 month round GB trip I used the oven a lot and went through 2 full bottles and fitted a third a couple of days from the end. Fortunately I had been able to replace one in Stromness (Sancerre has dedicated, vented storage for 2 bottles) but I now on long trips I carry a second spare cylinder in the starboard cockpit locker which fortunately is vented. 

Crash bar

Sancerre's Galley. The kitchen roll is not
in a good position, if it unrolls it is too 
close to the hob burners. Unfortunately
that was the only place to put it.

If at all possible put a crash bar in front of any cooking appliance, you don't want to fall onto it. Whenever practical do your cooking when the galley is on the lee side, that way if you spill anything it will fall away from you. On Sancerre it is also a convenient place to put a foot on going to the cockpit when sharply heeled to port.

Bum belt

I thought that on Sancerre I could wedge myself into position in poor weather, I was wrong, so the yellow strap goes behind me and clips to one of two pad eyes aft, one visible below the kitchen roll for working with the cooker, one to starboard of the hatch on the rare occasions that I am using the sink in a rough sea.

Work Area

This is often a problem on a small boat, a panel, preferably with fiddles, fitting on or over the cooker will help with prep or washing up but is not a lot of use when cooking. 

Cover(s) over the sink(s) if you have that luxury are far more practical, Sancerre's are teak on one side (as shown) and easy clean heat proof hard plastic on the other to take a hot pan if necessary. The lid of the food bin outboard of the sinks is the same.

Cup holder(s)

A great place to east or drink, in
the right weather!

Whilst cups can be balanced on the cooker or put in a pan on the cooker, it is much easier to make a cup of something if you have a handy cup holder. I have another in the cockpit within reach when standing on the companion way steps so that I can pick my cup from the holder I used making the drink and move it straight to the one top side.

Thermos cup

A Thermos type cup will keep your drink hot for longer and prevent burnt fingers at the cost of not being able to warm your hands on it. One with a lid is best and should reduce spillage. Make certain it will fit your cup holders!

Thermos drink and food flasks.

I confess not to using mine that often, I can make a fresh hot drink and heat up a tin of stew in most conditions but if several days of storm are likely the wise mariner, especially one who prefers home made food, will make up a batch of something, have one meal from it (if feeling well enough after the effort) and keep the rest for later.

Places to Eat

The Fiddles on my table are on the
small side and not removable but
its not really practical to change them,
But I have now added another inboard.

When sailing I will often eat in the cockpit to better keep a good look out, but sometimes that will be too uncomfortable so a table below is useful but it needs fiddles, preferably big ones that for comfort are removable in harbour.

Being am optimist on the quite, I installed a cockpit table for 2020, its great for eating when not sailing but with poor weather I did not use it for eating that often on my Covid-19 constrained two month cruise.

Food Storage

Will clearly depend on what is built into the boat and the type of food to be stowed. I have lots of small cupboards but at sea some are not that easy to get too and those that are, are generally filled with other items I might need at sea. 

So in addition to the electric cool box I have a standard cool box and a largish plastic storage bin with lid that I keep lashed to the starboard bunk. Ready use items are in a bin in the galley area and with the crockery.

Make sure you have lots of sealable plastic containers, you will need them for part used items, butter, cheese etc.

If carrying tins, try and stow them low in the boat but not where they could get splashed with bilge water as they will then rust out very quickly.

Equipment

A non stick frying pan that will fit on the hob - some advocate square ones, mine is standard. 

A cover or lid from another pan to cover the frying pan, that will keep the heat in and will help keep the hob and surrounding area clean.

Large and small pans with lids, trying for single pan meals is a good idea but you will often want to do some rice or other items separately.

A small Pressure cooker, which might double for one of the above (but be warned if used for stew or similar the curved in rim at the top and the valve make them a devil to clean) and I no longer take mine.

A deep baking tray and perhaps a covered casserole dish if you have room and an oven - I use the former but rarely the later.

Provisions

If you are going very long distances non stop in a small boat you will probably have to take a lot of freeze dried foods, in my view this is a very good reason not to do a trip like that! Freeze dried foods will, at a price,  provide all the calories you need in a reasonably balanced diet. BUT, in my view, they don't encourage you to eat. 

Some of the long life long life sachet packet "wet foods" have some texture and are better, especially the puddings, but although generally cheaper than freeze dried are still expensive - a single serving of Wayfayer Chocolate Pudding (410 KCals) being £4.50 at the time of writing.

I keep some of each for emergencies but prefer food I look forward to eating, that means mainly fresh goods and canned foods - the latter doesn't taste as good as they used to but can be perked up as they are prepared.

Clearly personal taste will be the biggest factor in victualling but to give some hints here is a list of stores based on what I take.

Perking up processed foods

I, and most I have talked to on the subject, find that free of sea sickness, food needs to be more highly flavoured than when on shore, fortunately you can improve processed foods with the same ingredients you need for fresh food. 

These are the main dual purpose items that I keep on the boat or store before going on any cruise over a few days:

• Good virgin olive oil.
• Red wine and malt vinegar.
• Dried Herbs and spices to taste, I take:
• Basil.
• Oregano.
• Thyme.
• Broad leaf & english parsley.
• Paprika.
• Black pepper corns for the grinder.
• Course ground black & red pepper.
• Chilli granules.
• Mustard, English and whole grain.
• Horseradish sauce.
• Garlic paste, I have given up on taking fresh as it gets messy with flakes of skin all over the place..
• Tomato paste.
• Curry powder to taste I take medium.
• Ginger paste or powder - mainly for curry.
• Heinz tomato ketchup (lots), also a back up if you run out of tomato paste.
• Salad cream, mayonnaise, ready made Italian dressing, 1000 Island dressing, Dark Soy.
• Brown sauce if you use it a lot (I don't), Lea and Perrins can help spice up some dishes (e.g. cottage pie)
• Onions are very important - its amazing what a bit of fresh union, probably with some garlic will do to liven up a dish.

Bread, Cake and Biscuits

Probably the biggest benefit of an oven is being able to finish off part cooked rolls and baguettes now readily available and which have a long shelf life, usually 4 - 8 weeks if you hunt around. Even a grill will allow you to extend the useful life of bread by turning into toast.

My problem is that bread and cheese results in significant over eating and weight gain 😒.

It is possible to cook bread on board, even in a pressure cooker but I have never tried.

Long life cakes can be surprisingly good at sea but I tend to eat far too many so take few or none.

Take some plain biscuits, rich tea are good, if case sea sickness takes hold this, or toast, may be the only thing you can cope with.  Sorry to go on about sea sickness, I only suffer occasionally but when you do feel rocky, perhaps after an extended period at the chart table, you need to have a plan.

Also biscuits, crackers, shortbread etc. as treats or to have with cheese, potted meats etc.

Dry Ingredients

• Spaghetti and other pasta.
• Cook in the bag rice - a lot easier and quicker than doing it from scratch.
• Lentils, dried peas, fruit etc. if you like them - I can't be bothered.

Canned Goods

• Tinned pies I find generally disappointing with very little meat but they can be tasty. Fresh pies often have a reasonable shelf life, often a week or two and are preferable. 
• Tinned meat of all types, personally I find tinned ham disappointing and poor value so tend to take Spam and corned beef to eat cold or to use in curry or hash. Also a selection of other meats such as steak in gravy - I'm still trying to find good ones!
• Meals in a can, the French make some good stuff, at a price. I buy a very good Boeuf Bourguignon Aux Légumes by Saurin, Cassoulets are also worth checking out.
• Tinned meatballs are a reasonable start on a dish if you can't take fresh but will need livening up.
• Frankfurters are very quick and easy to cook, just a few minutes in a pan.
• Baked beans.
• Soup (I don't take much in summer), those that you can drink from a cup as an alternate to tea and coffee and more robust ones you can use for a meal.
• Pasta (Spaghetti, Ravioli, etc.) in sauce.
• Tinned veg - often very disappointing, I find the only reliable one is sweetcorn and some types of beans. 
• Tinned tomatoes, I prefer whole rather than chopped as it is easier to control the amount of fluid in a dish. Veterans may well appreciate then as an obligatory part of a military fry up.
• Tinned fruit but be very careful with highly acidic ones such as pineapple and grapefruit - these days the tins have little or no lacquer to protect the steel and will fail quite quickly leaving a very nasty mess. If you do take them on a cruise remove them at the end or in the heat of a boat they will blow.
• Tinned rice pudding (or small pots when available)  - eaten cold with jam.
• Tinned custard.
• ??

Bottled Goods

Some will be available in plastic bottles which saves weight.

• Soy sauce.
• Picked unions.
• Branston, Gherkins and / or other pickles to go with all that cheese.
• Beetroot (vacuum packed is good but messy and can't easily be re-sealed if you don't eat the whole pack).
• Potted meat if you can find some decent stuff. France generally has the best but its expensive.
• ???

Fresh, preserved & long life goods

For the electric cool box / fridge

• Cheese - lots. That in wax can be quite good and lasts longer even out of the fridge but is expensive. I find it best to remove all or some of the wax a day before use to let it dry out a little. Best to try some before you leave to make sure you like it.
• Butter. I take salted and unsalted.
• Prepacked steaks, they usually have a good shelf life, come in smallish portions and are very flexible. I take sirloin or preferably rib eye, cheaper cuts will be OK in some dishes but are not as flexible.
• Pork and especially chicken are rather riskier and will certainly have to be used up quicker.
• Pâté.
• Meat balls (some have a long shelf life without refrigeration).
• Bacon. I don't usually bother with sausages, bacon cooks quicker and keeps better. Get at least most of it vacuum packed it may not be as good as that from the local butcher but it lasts far longer. 
• Burgers, but use them up quickly and make really sure they are cooked through.
• Gammon (pre packed) has a good shelf life in a cool box.
• ? 

Optional storage.

• Packed continental cold meat collections including Salami have a long shelf life.
• Prepacked coked meats.
• Whole Saucisson will keep for ages but you really need tomatoes to have with it and getting the wrapping off is a pain, but worth it.. 
• Potatoes, preferably small and / or new.
• Onions.
• Carrots.
• Tomatoes, I often use fresh instead of tinned but is can be a pain preparing them for some dishes.
• Cakes and biscuits as above.
• Lots of part baked bread.
• Salad.
• Eggs will keep for ages, scrambled eggs on toast, perhaps with bacon is a good standby and from time to time I hard boil small batches for salad or curry. Cook in bags for poached eggs can be a lot easier on board, especially at sea.

Warburtons"Toasty" sliced bread is not as good as a "proper" loaf but it stays usable for a sandwich for an awful long time and as toast until it goes green.

Miscellaneous

• Mini Mars bars.
• Fresh fruit.
• Banana's are good but ripen quickly and go off fairly quickly and all at the same time.
• Some varieties of apple keep for a long time, from late July I take "Discovery" from my own tree.
• Small, cartons of long life pouring cream (with a proper screw on top) can be useful when cooking.
• Shortbread (goes well with some cheeses).
• Honey.
• Jam.
• Dried potato in case you start to get desperate. 
• Freeze dried ration for when you are really desperate.
• Just add water custard powder.

Drinks

Tea and coffee drinkers who take milk (and those that must have breakfast serial) are in a bit of a spot, liquid milk when spilled quickly smells very bad and it can be very difficult to get out of nooks and crannies, but if powdered milk does not cut the mustard then UHT will need to be taken. 

I take cubed sugar stored in a plastic box, loose sugar seems to have a life of its own and gets every where. It also quickly gets contaminated with coffee etc.

Tinned or dried soups, even packet ones may be welcome on a cold night, are an option, plus Oxo, Hot Chocolate mixes, etc. Some like Pot Noodles, I have not tried one in donkeys years but they may now be better.

Having limited water storage I take large bottles of still mineral water for coffee and small bottles to drink, sometimes after cycling them through the cool box.

Wine boxes for use in harbour. A bottle of Islay malt for real emergencies or entertaining, I like it but rarely drink it on board; my bottle has been on board for close two years and should last out next season.

Setting out

The most likely time for sea sickness (here we go again) is in the first few days and particularly in the first few hours when there is lots to do, possibly below deck. And if its in the dark, especially in the Solent and other congested waters,  then staring at the plotter to check navigation and AIS contacts is an invitation to mal-de-mere. If unsure consider taking a mild anti sea sickness pill before leaving, especially single handed you need to have your wits about you so its better to be safe than sorry but do make sure the variety chosen does not make you drowsy, I find Stugeron (Cinnarizine) to be OK.

Be prepared, take things easy and try not to get a sweat up. Avoid looking at instruments and charts as much as is sensible for safety and have your food sorted before you leave so that you don't have to tempt fate by spending time in the galley before you have your sea legs.

Depending on the weather some sandwiches or salads might be appropriate, go for what you fancy but make it available to hand or at least quick and easy to prepare. One of my standby hot(ish) meals for the first day out is hot dogs, some fresh rolls, a tin of franks that will heat up in a few minutes. I frequently have them sailing away form the Needles fairway buoy, and it is now almost a ritual.

See also my page "My most frequent scratch made meals".