Tips for Cooking on a Boat – Meal Planning Tricks

 

Tips for Cooking on a Boat – Meal Planning Tricks

It’s always thrilling for me to cook and eat at sea, but it does come with its unique challenges. Issues such as limited food storage space and restricted elbow room can make preparing and serving food on a boat an interesting experience, to say the least.

The good news is that with a little bit of planning and common-sense preparation, you can cook and serve food and refreshments on board a boat like a pro.

Below are some handy tips that I have accumulated over the years to help make cooking and preparing meals on a boat much easier; hopefully, they’ll help you as much as they’ve helped me!

 

Tips for Short Trips

For these types of trips, extensive planning is not necessary, as the voyage length is relatively short and the boat will usually not be equipped for cooking.

My food choices for one-day trips will typically consist of snacks, beverages, and other food items that are prepackaged, spill-proof, and require little to no preparation.

* Before the voyage begins, be sure to give your passengers advance notice of your food and refreshment plans. List everything you plan to bring, and offer guidelines for others in terms of what they should bring in order to prevent duplication.

* Pre-made, individually wrapped sandwiches (whether with meat or veggies) are always a good choice. Be sure to label them appropriately, and if possible, have them pre-cut to reduce messiness.

* To provide a quick boost of energy and relief for growling stomachs, bring along plenty of individually-sized, pre-packaged snacks and sweets such as protein bars, trail mix, granola bars, etc.

* Pre-packaged fruit smoothies are an excellent choice for a nice, refreshing snack, as they can save space and alleviate potentially messy preparation.

* I normally bring assorted fruits as well, but when I do, I make sure to pre-peel any fruit that needs peeling, and then I store all fruits in resealable plastic bags. If I’m feeling extra organized on a particular day, I might even create individual fruit medley bags for each passenger.

* While it is very important to have plenty of beverages on board to keep everyone hydrated, bear in mind that these liquids can add quite a bit of weight, and they have the capability to affect the balance and handling of the boat. To conserve space and reduce weight, try using a large jug of water (2.5 gallons or more) with a spigot instead of bringing several individual water bottles on board–just remember to furnish your passengers with an ample supply of cups or tumblers!

* Store any recyclable trash in a large, sturdy plastic bag, and store the bag in an unused locker or bait well. Dispose of all trash when you get back to shore.

Tips for Extended Trips

* Make the best use of your dock time (or time at anchor) by preparing salads, sandwiches, or other menu items during that time.

* Be sure to check with each passenger regarding food allergies or diet restrictions. You don’t want to wait until you’re out on the water to find out that your trail mix is triggering someone’s peanut allergy!

* Ideally, meals should be hearty and filling. Try thick, robust soups (a very popular choice), or various stews and pasta dishes.

* Double-check the galley before you decide on your menu items, as certain types of appliances (e.g., microwave ovens, toasters, coffee makers, etc.) may not be on board due to power restrictions.

* Don’t forget utensils! Charter yachts may not always come equipped with the full range of utensils that you’ll need.

* Prioritize your food consumption by using the perishable foods first and then progressing to the canned food items as the voyage lengthens.

* Serve healthy snacks (e.g., energy bars, fruits, trail mix, etc.) between meals.

* Keep in mind that the combination of food and/or fuel odors with the movements of the boat can bring on motion sickness, even in highly experienced sailors. Have some motion sickness tablets (or wristbands) available, as well as motion sickness bags. Also, don’t forget to include stomach-soothing medicines like Pepto-Bismol!

Safety Equipment Onboard

* Similar to the in-flight safety presentation on commercial airliners, you should have the boat owner or charter representative conduct a safety briefing with all of the boat’s passengers to ensure that everyone knows how to operate the galley equipment, as well as where fire extinguishers and emergency shut-off valves are located.

* Make sure you have a good understanding of how gimbaled stovetops and other safety hardware works so that you can keep pots and pans from shifting while the boat is underway.

* Keep sharp utensils in secure locations, as an unexpected boat movement can send them airborne.

* If you’re buying meats, fruits, seafood, etc., in foreign ports, be sure to closely examine the food to ensure that it is safe and edible.

* Dispose of any meats, vegetables, or fruits purchased in foreign lands before entering U.S. territorial waters, as they can result in fines or even vessel quarantine.

Disposing of Non-Organic Trash

* Crush cans, bottles, and boxes to conserve space.

* Once you’re on the dock, make sure to dispose of your recyclable trash responsibly.

Conclusion

I’ve been on boating trips where proper food preparations were made, and I’ve been on outings where food considerations seemed to be an afterthought. Let me tell you, the former is always better than the latter! Follow the food preparation tips outlined above to ensure that your next voyage will be safe and thoroughly enjoyable!

Click here to read more about provisioning for a boat trip

Do you have some tips for cooking on a boat? If so, would you like to share them by leaving a comment below, I’ll love to hear your feedback:)