Am I a "real" sailor now?

[laika]

What makes a "proper" sailor? Crossing the channel? Crossing an ocean? Surviving a storm? Surviving psittacosis? Reading this forum I've long been aware that there's one significant experience you "proper" sailors have all had which I haven't.

Fray Bentos. The dead animal contents were a bit of a blocker, but hey, it's 2020 now.

I just ate my first. I'm not down to the boat until wednesday so cheated and cooked it in a domestic oven. Is the under-pastry supposed to be that soggy? I have to say that the gelatinous "gravy" or whatever it's supposed to be was not appealing and I'm not loving the idea of another one but if the full initiation ritual requires me cooking and eating one onboard I'll do it.

 

[ctva]

You are a braver sailor than me. I’ve still to pluck up the courage to buy let alone try one, veggie or not.

Respect.

 

[Carib]

Not a regular menu item, but we tried one (non-vegan) recently and it was surprisingly acceptable - I suspect the taste improves in direct proportion to how tiring a sail you've just had and how much rum you've consumed.

 

[BenMurphy]

Fried Spam is also, I believe, a firm requirement.

Looks like there's a plant-based version coming soon too! World's First Vegan Spam To Launch As COVID-19 Spurs Interest In Alternative Protein

 

[ctva]

Our stock emergency food is Stagg Chilli, which is actually quite good or Pot Noodles.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

You're not a real sailor unless you have a skeg hung rudder ... or so I`ve been told ... never had the misfortune to eat one of those things.

 

[capnsensible]

Used to be that real sailors rocked up on a sun drenched place with palm trees, drank loadsa rum, slept with a native girl and got a tattoo. These days it's being out of range for your iPhone for ten minutes. ?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Our stock emergency food is Stagg Chilli, which is actually quite good or Pot Noodles.

We're rather fond of good quality tinned chicken in white sauce. Goes well in pasta or stir in some mango chutney and curry powder for coronation chicken.

 

[johnalison]

You are not a proper sailor until you have committed the contents of your stomach to the deep on at least one occasion. This may not be unconnected with the FB idea, of course. I performed the trick on a miserable X-Channel ferry called Cote d'Azur in the '50s, and not since, yet.

 

[prv]

There's buggerall meat in the "meat" versions, so the fake ones are probably the better option these days

Pete

 

[Biggles Wader]

Used to be that real sailors rocked up on a sun drenched place with palm trees, drank loadsa rum, slept with a native girl and got a tattoo. These days it's being out of range for your iPhone for ten minutes. ?

Two out of three so nearly there! I guess Im a bit old for a tattoo now though.

 

[capnsensible]

Two out of three so nearly there! I guess Im a bit old for a tattoo now though.

It's never too late. ?

 

[ProDave]

I thought the idea was they languished in a cupboard on the boat, the tin going rusty. Not as an item of food, but a badge of honour for visiting sailors to observe.

 

[laika]

You are not a proper sailor until you have committed the contents of your stomach to the deep on at least one occasion.

Crossing the ionian in 1988. Whilst I've felt below par on a number of occasions since I've been fortunate enough to manage to deal with it. Looking at the jelly left in the Fray Bentos tin whilst cleaning it to put in the recycling has made me a bit queasy though so perhaps I'll forgo this as a regular sailing repast.

Vegan Spam? Whilst "omnipork" has a definite ring to it ("More omnipork mrs Arbuthnot?") I recall detesting spam as a child so have no particular desire to consume a fake version.

 

[prv]

It's never too late. ?

David Dimbleby got one at 75.

Personally I'll give tattoos a miss because they're prohibited in Japanese onsens, which I'd like to go back to.

Pete

 

[RJJ]

Crossing the ionian in 1988. Whilst I've felt below par on a number of occasions since I've been fortunate enough to manage to deal with it. Looking at the jelly left in the Fray Bentos tin whilst cleaning it to put in the recycling has made me a bit queasy though so perhaps I'll forgo this as a regular sailing repast.

Vegan Spam? Whilst "omnipork" has a definite ring to it ("More omnipork mrs Arbuthnot?") I recall detesting spam as a child so have no particular desire to consume a fake version.

Well, I am happy to be the minority. Sailed from Oz to Falklands. Fray bentos considered a treat. We found they were better if you removed the pastry "lid" and cooked them as open pies, with the "lid" as a side dish. How sophisticated were we??

 

[northwind]

The only useful part of a fray bentos pie is the tin...
Never eaten one. The skipper on a sunsail rya course I went on proudly got them out of the cupboard , but we all decided to go to the pub instead.

 

[RichardS]

There's buggerall meat in the "meat" versions, so the fake ones are probably the better option these days

Pete

Fray Bentos means lean meat.

Richard

 

[Stemar]

If it did it wouldn't be the only liar around

"Fray Bentos is the capital city of the Río Negro Department, in south-western Uruguay. Its port on the Uruguay River is one of the nation's most important harbours."

 

[Biggles Wader]

Montevideo is(was) a better run ashore and across the estuary Buenos Aires better than either. I dont know what they put in the Fray Bentos tins but source material is best eaten locally with a fresh salad and pommes frites