Eating aboard

Ah, pigging it then, no serviettes.
What do you need serviettes for? Kitchen paper works just as well. :)

In harbour I will buy meat to cook , but only having an electric cool box restricts what fresh food I can carry. Part of my problem is I like to eat rather than cook. Also I can sail up to 16 hours a day, so sailing is my priority. This means I can reach places that others struggle to get to. 95% of the people wanting to sail to the Isles of Scilly from the Medway never get there, a couple of years ago I did it in 6 days, stopping every night, with a day off on the way. I need to eat, but can be too tired to be a chef. Bottles and cans are my main source of food whilst sailing (plus chocolate). I enjoy the sailing and once at my destination will eat out so I can relax.
 
Start by emptying the home fridge of fresh food etc into a cool bag, transfer into boat fridge, check onboard dry goods supply, nip up to the Co-Op to complete larder and fridge, go cruising - then buy fresh ingredients along the route as/when needed/available.

The only things out of tins are, say, chopped tomatoes, tuna, etc; out of packets rice, pasta, porridge oats, etc; out of jars marmalade, mayo, mustard; salt crystals, pepper grinder; double-walled s/s teapot, coffee-press, fruit-bowl, nakd chews, Swiss chocolate, etc.

Why eat crap just because yer sailing?! ;)
 
Maurice Griffiths recounts in on of his tales of setting off on a week end cruise with a string of sausages and a loaf of bread and some tea late augmented with butter and eggs from a farm all seemed much easier then ,what food do you take for a weekend cruise?
A weekend cruise, the plan would probably be to eat a main meal ashore.
But quite likely pre-dinner drinks and nibbles for several people.
There is always tinned and dried food aboard 'in case', sometimes the planned pub for dinner is crowded and it's just nice to eat in the cockpit.
Tuna-pasta surprise, curry, whatever we find.
If we're planning to eat aboard, then maybe a pack of frozen meat defrosts during the day.
A frozen pre cooked meal from home will do the second night if kept in a cool box.
We eat a lot of veg and sometimes eat vegetarian, same as ashore.
Cheese is the main essential!

A bag of ice from the supermarket has immense barter potential on many pontoons.

Breakfast is usually muesli and coffee.
Bacon or sausages usually only if there's enough of us to trough a whole packet in one meal.

One trip last year we made pizzas on pre-made bases.

Some of the best meals aboard are simple things like buy bread and dressed crab ashore, crab sandwiches in the cockpit for lunch. Better than waiting for a table at the olde tea shoppe.
 
Tonight Im mid way through a one pot chicken and leek dish with some garlic, mushrooms and broccoli. As my wifes work takes up a significant portion of the saloon, Im keeping it simple in the small bit of galley Ive got left. :)
 
Some of the best meals aboard are simple things like buy bread and dressed crab ashore, crab sandwiches in the cockpit for lunch. Better than waiting for a table at the olde tea shoppe.
Very true. The Baltic equivalent might be herring in dill/mustard/curry/anything under the sun sauce on rye bread, or a fischbrotchen with matjes herring. When we were twelve, on the Broads,, my father couldn't even boil an egg, so my twin sister and I would have to cook, with our school friends. We discussed this recently and the only food we could remember was fried Spam. At least it beats Fray Bentos.
 
Here in the Galician rias they call it Tortilla sailing,make a big tortilla pleanty of salad,fresh bread and vino and coffee,the morning breeze is light so maybe motor sail to the islands there the tortilla is consumed,followed by coffee etc,pleanty of wine.Then as the afternoon brisk northerly builds its up anchour and a brisk sail under Genoa to Vigo!
 
At home we nearly always cook from scratch, so it tends to be the same on the boat. Until recently we only had a cool box (actually a converted locker, lined with 2" PUR foam). We would load up with frozen packs of mince, chicken, etc, and eat them in order of how robust they are- chicken first, sausages last. We could get at least five days of fresh meat this way.
It can be hard to find good quality frozen meat to replenish our stocks, but sometimes you get a nice surprise- e.g. the community shop in Assynt which had a freezer full of local venison.
Eating off the boat isn't much of an option for us as we spend most nights at anchor somewhere remote, and simply don't have the option.
It can be useful to have fall-back options, of course- filled pasta is a favourite, as is pasta and pesto.

A few years ago we had run our stocks down to half a loaf of bread and a bottle of sweet chili; serendipitously, a passing fisherman gave us two lobsters. Things have a way of working out.
 
The one thing I heartily dislike on a boat, is double dipping into jars of foodstuffs, disgusting habit that contaminates foodatuff & can cause it to deteriorate quickly, making it a health risk on long trips.
 
Maurice Griffiths recounts in on of his tales of setting off on a week end cruise with a string of sausages and a loaf of bread and some tea late augmented with butter and eggs from a farm all seemed much easier then ,what food do you take for a weekend cruise?
The key bits are breakfast cereal, milk and coffee plus fruit. After that we tend to use the Tesco or similar " meal for 2 for £10" type deals. Or the local pub since SWMBO dosnt like not tying up to a quay at night. Anyway, if you go away for a break, where is the attraction in eating home cooked food?

No booze is permitted unless tied to a quay - you never knw when you might have to up anchor and move.
 
Cruising with my Dad, culinary sophistication extended to having cutlery with your baked beans. Now we eat no differently on board than we would at home. I like to cook, even though 1970's British Galleys can be restrictive. 'Couple of years ago we installed a tree burner range with oven and grill to help out. Cruising in France of course is heaven for provisioning.
Under way, we occasionally have a prefab soup, when the crew isn't feeling too green - the French make pretty decent ones in Tetra packs that stack neatly and tightly. Otherwise it's fresh and from scratch all the way.
Then there is of course the "cave de vin" in the bilge to keep the CG low.
 
It changes. Last year it was lots of mushrooms fried in olive oil and butter and 3 egg omelette. No bread.

Or 'American style' fried (butter) cheese sandwich - slice cheeses (two types) with olives, sun dried tomatoes, and pesto.

Wettabix and Almond milk.
 
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