So I’ve been told I should write a post about the passage “that’s not just about the fish”. Which when I sat down to write is actually not that easy! I understand that the concept of cooking on a moving boat for 5 weeks with no access to shops or the internet sounds so alien to many people, but it has become so normal in the last year that I can’t really think of what to say that might be interesting!
It takes a good few days to get into the “passage rhythm” for sure, but once you are in the zone it honestly doesn’t matter if it’s a 7 day passage or over a month. We run with 6 crew on passages so watches are in pairs for 4 hours during the day and 3 hours at night each, with hours rotating on a 3 day cycle. I then, of course, have to fit in cooking around the watch schedule. So for example, a typical day on passage for me would go as follows:
05:30 – Go to bed after night watch
11:30 – Up to cook lunch for the crew
12:30 – Serve up lunch and start my 4hr day watch
16:30 – Finish my watch and either grab a few hours sleep, check the veg for decay or chat with the crew
18:00 – Start cooking dinner for the crew
19:00 – Serve up dinner
19:30 – Refill the snack box, fruit basket and fridge ready for night watches
20:00 – BED!
23:30 – 3hr night watch
02:30 – End of watch. Get out meat to defrost for following day and then back to bed (yay!)
08:30 – Up for my 4hr day watch
….and so it goes on!
If I’ve had a particularly difficult night – maybe I was needed to help out with sail changes at the end of my watch and so my rest period was shortened for example – then getting up to cook outside of watch hours can be really hard. To prepare for those days (or the days when you’re well rested but really can’t be bothered!) I usually pre-prep a bunch of meals and pop then in the freezer beforehand. Things like lasagne, cottage pie, pasta bakes, enchiladas, chilli etc. This then gives me the option to either dump it in the oven and go back to bed for an hour while it cooks, OR – if I’m feeling really lazy – leave it out on the hob defrosting with clear instructions of how to cook left out for whoever happens to be on watch at the time. In the last year I think I’ve only gone with the really lazy option twice, but the boys are always willing to help out if I ask.
Watching someone cook in a galley that tilts and turns all over the place is honestly a comedy show at times! Although our oven/hob gimbals (tilts to stay straight), the worktops of course don’t. I usually end up rolling a teatowel under whichever edge of the chopping board is lower and then chopping fast! When it’s really rough, I try to wedge myself into a corner so I don’t move about too much, thankfully our skirting boards are good for hooking your foot under to hold yourself in place!
As I said, once you get into the rhythm of it, it’s fine. More than fine really – I honestly love being at sea with this boat. However, when you know you are only a few days away from land MY GOD does time suddenly start dragging!! I am definitely appreciating being back on dry land, getting a proper nights sleep (when I’m not out abusing Pape’ete’s bars…) and being able chop something, walk away and come back to it still in the same place!
Hopefully this post fulfils Dad’s “write more about the passage” demand… I doubt it will!
Night night x