a galley chef crosses the atlantic

Traveling is a big passion of mine and these last 2 years have been wonderfully insightful and eye opening. And despite not being on a salary, I do find that I need purpose; an occupation to keep me occupied with something beyond my indulgent quest to learn on the road. I do pick up projects as I go along, often not-for-profit-more-for-love projects. I’ve been a post tsunami conservation volunteer, solar powered lights postman, garbage recyclingevangelist, reiki and thai masseuse, CSR strategist, underwater scuba photographer, online TV presenter, race sailing crew and more recently; a galley chef.

Thus far the galley chef position has been the best earner and most enthralling. Doing something I love; cooking, while sailing across the Atlantic on a super yacht; Swan 82, has been quite the challenge but my soul seems to thrive in those challenging conditions. If its not knitting on a local bus in the Himalayas of India its trying to prepare dinner for 7 crew in a hot galley that tilts from side to side. Hence, cooking in a rocking kitchen is frankly an occupational hazard that takes some adapting to. I spent my first few days burping and tactically vomiting while breaking out in hot sweats as my sea legs adjusted and I tackled a few intense encounters with hot pans on stoves.

The Azures; most Westerly point

The trans-Atlantic crossing took us approximately 3 weeks with a 2-day stopover in the Azures to pick up more provisions, get refueled and shower without bouncing off walls. In terms of working the galley there were some essential learning’s that I’d hasten to share with anyone who wishes to take on such a crazy challenge.

Happy mate

Cook meals in advance

This is Galley Chef 101. The best meals are those that can be frozen then thrown in the oven. Do salad preparations in advance preferably the day before so that they stay fresh longer.

Smart Storage

Become friendly with Tupperware and plastic ziplock bags. They are awesome for storage. I recommend putting as much as possible in to containers to avoid a smelly fridge. Emptying and wiping down a fridge amongst giant swells and fatigue was my least fun job.

Recycling

This is really tough on a boat and there really needs to be more service at ports to accommodate recycling for boats. We separated the plastics and stored them on the boat to recycle at port. Sadly all other waste was thrown overboard.

Serving

Make sure food is laid out on tea towels the right tack round. This is a no brainer but essential to avoiding spillage.  Try to keep it simple and easy so that packing away and cleaning are painless.

Crack the whip

Being at sea is tough on the mind, body and soul. Some crew members may, in their weary states, forget to wash and dry their dishes. Ensure they are aware that this isn’t cool. A cheeky note from a kitchen device tends to do the trick.

Enjoy it

Being at sea away from land for a long time is testing on many levels; patience and compassion are two very favourable ways of dealing with what days at sea brings out in oneself and others. Reminding myself that what I was doing was rare and challenging kept me upbeat and appreciative.

Menu

I prepared food according to the preferences of my crew. I struck a fine balance between convenience, preferences and health.

Lunches

Lunches

• Wraps and buns with cooked chicken, hams, tuna mayo and cheese.
•  Fresh salads
•  Leek and potato soup
•  Chickpea, lentil and beanmedley
• Pasta, tomato, aubergine and corgette
• Pasta, Basil, mozzarella, pinenuts, sundried tomatoes, chili oil, pesto
• Cous cous with vegetables
• Risotto with mushroom, sundried tomato and cockles

Dips

Raita – natural yogurt, fresh lemon juice, chopped coriander, crushed garlic and chopped cucumber

Humous – Crushed cooked chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, black pepper

Dinners

• Chicken, chickpea and pumpkin curry
•  Aubergine curry
• Thai Green prawn curry
• Thai Red chicken curry
• Lasagne
• Spaghetti bolognaise
•  Spaghetti carbonara
• Spinach and ricotta pie
• Chicken, mushroom and bacon pie
• Tuna steaks in chopped tomato, onion with garlic and pepper
• Tuna stir fry with soy sauce

Desert

Cake mix, add rum and dried fruit. Naughty. Yummy.

Fishing

We caught 5 Big Eye Tuna within 48 hours coming in to the Azores. Everyone was incredibly excited and learned a thing or two about fishing. However personally, especially as a galley chef, I did want to iterate the fact that if the crew were keen enough to kill it, they might also be as keen to eat it, given it took up most of my freezer and fridge real estate(!) Thankfully Ptarmigan also donated one to a local orphanage in the Azores and gifted another to friends. Sharing’s caring.

All in all. A rocking experience and a wonderful way to travel. If anyone's interested in pursuing adventures at sea crew are required to have an STCW certificate and experience at sea.