Having done two passages on two different boats (
SV Berkana
and SV Sapphire)
-- in which
considerable time was spent in the galley --
I’ve learned the importance of a well-laid-out galley to both the mental/physical
health and safety of the crew and also the enjoyment of the passage.
There is nothing more nerve-racking than
trying to pour a hot (!) cup of coffee as the mug is sliding back and forth on
a slippery surface or more irritating than trying to sleep while improperly stored
provisions are banging back and forth in cupboards.
Then there is the balancing act of trying to
cook when the wind is blowing hard, you are heeled 25 degrees, and the boat is
bashing on the waves, and the only thing saving you from taking flight is a
well-placed galley belt.
On my first passage -- 23 days from Hawaii on SV Berkana -- I
learned from skipper Jim the importance of safely storing provisions so
they wouldn’t tumble out of cupboards or bang incessantly, and to have a map of
where the goods are stored so you could easily find them when needed. I also learned from Barb (skipper Jim’s
partner) the importance of meal planning and how to provision for a 20+ day
passage (which actually meant buying enough provisions for half more the number
of days, or 30+ days). I found that planning a menu of tasty, hearty meals
that could be eaten out of a bowl was the best and often the only way to go
given the weather conditions. If some of
these meals could be prepared (and frozen) prior to the passage, this makes life
in the galley more trouble-free, especially during the first few days of the
trip when you are trying to get your sea legs. Also, catching two tuna over the course of the
passage certainly made the meal planning (seared steaks, chowder, ceviche)
significantly easier for me.
Somewhat mistakenly, I came to believe/expect that all boats
were like SV Berkana and came with well-appointed safe galleys with non-skid
surfaces and safety belts to prevent you from going ass-over-tea-kettle in
those rough seas. So when it came to my second
offshore passage – 8 days (5 nights
offshore) to San Francisco on SV Sapphire – I was quite surprised to see that not
everyone was as fastidious about galley appointment and safety or storage of provisions
as Jim had been and had taught me to be. To be fair, although designed as an offshore
boat, SV Sapphire is a liveaboard boat and it was only planned to make a
“short” offshore passage (the skipper was moving to San Francisco). Part of the
issue with galley safety on Sapphire had to do with the galley’s layout. The
storage of pots/pans, spices/condiments, etc were located directly above and
behind the stove which meant that when cooking you often found yourself having
to reach across a hot stove for spices or another pot. This was extremely precarious at times when
the weather was bad. However, easy things
like putting down a simple non-skid surface so that dishes wouldn’t take flight,
or the installation of a proper safety belt, would have made my life easier in the
galley. Unfortunately, these were not
present, giving us a difficult time with sliding mugs, bowls and pots. Add to
this, the various provisions (especially canned goods) and plates etc were stored
such that they moved around, making for a considerable racket while crew tried
to sleep.
For the San
Francisco passage, I took on the responsibility for
meal planning, preparation, and making the shopping list of provisions. I made my galley life significantly easier by
preparing five days of frozen dinners – (i) smoked salmon pasta, (ii) beef chilli, (iii) beef
stew, (iv) pesto pasta, and (v) a chipotle ground turkey and bean chilli – for the “offshore”
portion of the trip. These meals could
be readily thawed and heated up without too much fuss and served along with a
salad or freshly baked biscuits (Bisquick is my friend). Like the other two crew and skipper, I stood
my watches but found it tiring given that the end of my watches often coincided
with meal preparation so I had less time to rest.
In winding up, here are my few simple tips for those planning
a passage (especially, those of you who are responsible for the galley):
- There
should only be one crew member primarily responsible for the galley. That does not mean that the other crew
members cannot assume some galley responsibilities, like cooking.
- Make
sure your provisions are properly stored so they do not shift. You may want to put down some non-skid
in the cupboards to stop tins from moving during the passage.
- Make
a map of where the provisions are stored so you can get to them easily
when you need them.
- Advance
meal planning and preparation can significantly reduce your stress level
during the passage.
- Provision
for 1 ½ times the number of days of the passage.
- Plan
hearty one-bowl meals than can be cooked and served in all
conditions. You may want to make
extra for warming up for lunch the next day.
- Ensure
you have a non-skid surface in the galley to prevent dishes from flying.
- Ensure
you have a well-placed safety belt.
Some additional comments from David:
- In addition to non-skid (e.g., Scoot-Guard), it helps if the galley countertops have some method of dividing them into smaller sections. This helps keep cups etc in place.
- The gimballed stove is your friend (and essential!) -- place pots, cups etc on it while the boat is rockin'. (It helps to have a flat section on the stovetop -- e.g., a griddle or partial cover -- for cups etc.)
- Consider stable places for cups/mugs in the cockpit too.
- Michelle made extra large batches of the pre-frozen meals; the leftovers were left in the pot on the gimballed stove and provided a quick & easy meal (breakfast/lunch) the next day.
- Pelagia has most of Michelle's suggestions; we are working on the others for next year's passages.
[There are many books providing good advice as to galley arrangements -- for example, books by the
Pardey's and Beth Leonard's
Voyager's Handbook, among others.]
