| West Wight Potter Owner's Home Port Technical Articles ____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ |
Cooking aboard a Small Sailboat
by
Anne Westlund
Anne Westlund's P-15 Peapod at Lake Powell
May 02, 2009
For five years I spent my summers aboard a West Wight Potter 15, Peapod and another four years I spent my
summers aboard my Seaward Slipper 17, Raggedy Annie. I have been aboard for three to four months each
summer in Lake Huron’s North Channel area, and have made three trips in the fall season to Chesapeake Bay
where I cruised for two months at a time. One spring I spent about seven weeks in the North Carolina Albemarle
Sound region with side trips up to Virginia as well. And, one spring I trailered to Lake Powell with Peapod for about
six weeks. That’s a lot of time aboard a small boat so I guess I can say a few things about cooking on board
without being a chef!
There are several considerations to make: Are you planning to eat hot or only cold meals? How are you going to
cook or heat water? What are you going to prepare food in? What are you going to eat out of and with? How are
you planning to store dry, wet and foods that must be kept cold? How much space do you have and how long will
you be away from a source of fresh water and foods? How do you plan to wash up the dirty dishes and how do
you plan to store the pots, pans, dishes, etc?
On my Peapod I used Rubbermaid bins for storage. They sat on the bunks during the day, with their weight evenly
distributed as close to the centerboard as possible. At night they could be put on the unused half of the bunk
spaces or outside. One was green and held food. The other was red and held dry clothing. One small blue one
was for the cooking tools. I found a butane/propane mix canister Peak I stove at Wal-Mart and that has been the
mainstay of my cooking apparatus. I had several different sizes of pots and pans made of stainless steel from
canoe and sea kayak camping for many years prior to buying Peapod, and I had a small non-stick fry pan. I had a
few cooking and serving spoons, a spatula and small cooking fork. I carried plastic flatware and basically ate out of
the pots as if they were plates or bowls. After a few years I did carry a plastic dishes set that I found in a camping
supply store. A plate is easier to eat out of when eating blueberry pancakes! I ended up with service for four since I
found myself inviting other boaters over for breakfasts! Don’t forget the bailing plug when you do this or your
happy guests will get wet feet!
On Peapod I kept foods cold by using the time-tested method of wet towels. I wrapped eggs, cheeses, hard fruits,
vegetables, bacon and lunch meats in wet towels that I faithfully kept wet. That package rested in the cockpit in
the shade as much as possible. I didn’t try to carry more than a few days worth of lunch meat. Cheese rarely went
moldy and if it looked like it might I wiped it with vinegar because wrapping it in cheesecloth soaked in vinegar
keeps mold away. Usually I ate it too quickly for that to happen! All foods were in plastic bags with air squeezed
out before wrapping in wet towels. I was able to buy smaller terry cloth towels at a dollar store and used those
white towels – white to prevent heat gain. Even on the hottest days things stayed cool if not really cold.
I did the same thing on Raggedy Annie to begin with. Then I succumbed to temptation and bought a five-day
cooler. I’m facing the third summer of cooler use and am questioning why I might continue that. It does cost more,
buying ice. And it does weigh more. The cooler is a good fit in the stern portion of RA’s large cockpit but the weight
there is not really helpful to good sailing, and with center mainsheet arrangement I don’t want to move the cooler
closer to the cabin. I am considering, very strongly considering, not using the cooler this season due to cost of ice
and boat performance. I plan to put the cooler in my Dakota and if I decide to use it I can, or not, as I please. I also
bought a butane chef’s stove such as is used at buffets and use it for cooking with the large pot or fry pan.
Some things you need to know. I don’t carry alcoholic beverages aboard ever. It’s just too risky sailing solo and too
costly. I’m just fine sober, thank you. I don’t drink colas or pop or sugary sodas, teas, coffees, etc. I’ve not used
cola since the mid 1980’s because it is just expensive and my body does better without caffeine! Plain water will
do? You bet. And, I was doing a lot of deep wilderness canoeing or sea kayaking at the time. Keeping heavy
beverages cold was a hugh lot of trouble and too much to portage. I went cold turkey and did away with those high
calorie expensive flavored water! Plain water has been just fine, cold or not, and no doubt has helped me keep
weight off as well as keep more money in my pocket for traveling.
On Raggedy Annie I have a set of dishes made of plastic, service for four. I bought a set of s/s flatware for $10 and
have that aboard, service for six. I continue to use the s/s pots and pans I used for camping and on Peapod. I also
carry a nicely sized, good, heavy fry pan with a lid, a pot large enough for a potluck concoction with a lid, and
cooking tools like slotted spoon, stir spoon, spatulas, cutting board, knives and forks. During the ice-with-cooler
years I have carried fresh meats with grocery stops every seven to ten days. If I buy chicken I cook it first. Any
“minced or ground” meat get eaten next and solid beef after that, then sausages and bacon. The order of cooking
goes from what spoils faster, even when cold, to what lasts longest! I don’t usually eat meat daily so purchased
amounts are small and frozen if I can find them. For lunch I usually eat fresh fruit, cheese and hard tack, which is
Swedish or Finnish hard rye breads, or crackers with cheese. I don’t often eat lunch meats. I usually don’t carry
ordinary bread because it doesn’t keep well. I do buy European style rolls if they are available and enjoy them for
sandwiches within a day or two so they don’t go moldy. I often eat small vegetables for lunch too. I buy tiny carrots,
broccoli, sugar snap peas, celery, etc. They keep well.
Breakfast can be a combination of my decaf coffee made with a French coffee press or tea, cereal bars, cold
cereal with tang on it or eaten plain out-of-hand plain, a boiled or fried egg and hard tack or a roll, or pancakes
with real maple syrup on them. Maybe a piece of fresh fruit or some jello that you can make with boiling water, stir
well and put a lid on it, set in the cockpit to cool overnight and no refrigeration needed. Supper can be any one of
the instant soups, meat, a cooked soup or stew, pasta combinations, or a raw vegetable with more cheese; some
fruit, dried fruits or whatever comes to hand. I use some tinned meats like tuna fish, chicken or turkey. I carry some
tinned fruits and vegetables aboard. I also use some prepackaged foods but in moderation due to additives. Some
days I eat more than other days. Some days I get lazy and don’t cook much. I use powdered milk for pancakes. For
snacks I carry breakfast bars, snicker’s bars, dried fruits and fresh fruits and nuts. I use a small thermos to carry
hot coffee or boiling water for hot cocoa or tea during the day. I make this up at breakfast.
This past season I added an s/s pressure cooker to my tools, a small teakettle, and a propane-baking oven. I didn’t
use the oven much but I did like the pressure cooker. It came in handy for the jam process. I’m planning on trying
the oven more this season and baking bread or desserts for potlucks.
A bucket, scraper, Joy dishwashing detergent in very small amounts and boiling water rinses seem to be the clean-
up system. Usually one drop of detergent is enough to clean off the dishes and flatware. I use boiling water to
sterilize food prep chopping boards and dishes. I drain them and put them to air dry on a clean towel that I dry in
the sun. I try not to let “grey water” into our pristine fresh waters in the North Channel. I usually take it ashore well
away from the water’s edges and pour it on the soils around plants. If I were in places where I couldn’t go ashore I
would put it in empty gallon jugs to put in a sewage system on shore.
Last season in August 2008, I got the bug to make jam. There are a lot of blueberries in the North Channel area
midst the rocks and trees. I had all I needed to cook with on the boat and bought jars and pectin when I
provisioned. Then it was the search for berries the bears or people hadn’t gotten to so late in the season. That
involved some interesting exploration into islands and anchorages I hadn’t visited before. When I had my two and
one-half quarts of berries I set up the system for the jam process. I washed, rinsed and poured boiling water over
the jars and lids, keeping the lids in the bowl of hot water and some hot water in each jar in a bath of hot water
until ready to be filled and capped. I make jam by the open pot method and don’t pressure cook it afterward. I
mashed the berries, added the right amount of sugar and boiled it all up, added the pectin and stirred, skimmed
and, one at a time, ladled the boiling jam into the now hot but empty jars, wiped the edges of the jars clean with a
warm, damp paper toweling and capped the jars. They were set on towels and covered. While I cleaned up I heard
the “pop” of the slowly cooling jars “set” down their lids. I had 8 half-pints of wild blueberry jam and ended up
giving it all away. I didn’t even get one! I will this summer though. You can bet on it. Move over bears!
Final words: NEVER, but NEVER, turn down an invitation to dinner (if it all feels safe and right to you)! I’ve met
some wonderful people by saying yes to a meal. Most of the meals have been on much larger sailboats (and a few
power boats). I’ve never had a bad one! And, I’ve never met anyone I didn’t hope to meet up with again over dinner
on their boat! Some of my best friends have come from such meetings.
Anne and Peapod at Lake Powell with Domingez Butte in background.
Photos by Bruce McCreary
by
Anne Westlund
Anne Westlund's P-15 Peapod at Lake Powell
May 02, 2009
For five years I spent my summers aboard a West Wight Potter 15, Peapod and another four years I spent my
summers aboard my Seaward Slipper 17, Raggedy Annie. I have been aboard for three to four months each
summer in Lake Huron’s North Channel area, and have made three trips in the fall season to Chesapeake Bay
where I cruised for two months at a time. One spring I spent about seven weeks in the North Carolina Albemarle
Sound region with side trips up to Virginia as well. And, one spring I trailered to Lake Powell with Peapod for about
six weeks. That’s a lot of time aboard a small boat so I guess I can say a few things about cooking on board
without being a chef!
There are several considerations to make: Are you planning to eat hot or only cold meals? How are you going to
cook or heat water? What are you going to prepare food in? What are you going to eat out of and with? How are
you planning to store dry, wet and foods that must be kept cold? How much space do you have and how long will
you be away from a source of fresh water and foods? How do you plan to wash up the dirty dishes and how do
you plan to store the pots, pans, dishes, etc?
On my Peapod I used Rubbermaid bins for storage. They sat on the bunks during the day, with their weight evenly
distributed as close to the centerboard as possible. At night they could be put on the unused half of the bunk
spaces or outside. One was green and held food. The other was red and held dry clothing. One small blue one
was for the cooking tools. I found a butane/propane mix canister Peak I stove at Wal-Mart and that has been the
mainstay of my cooking apparatus. I had several different sizes of pots and pans made of stainless steel from
canoe and sea kayak camping for many years prior to buying Peapod, and I had a small non-stick fry pan. I had a
few cooking and serving spoons, a spatula and small cooking fork. I carried plastic flatware and basically ate out of
the pots as if they were plates or bowls. After a few years I did carry a plastic dishes set that I found in a camping
supply store. A plate is easier to eat out of when eating blueberry pancakes! I ended up with service for four since I
found myself inviting other boaters over for breakfasts! Don’t forget the bailing plug when you do this or your
happy guests will get wet feet!
On Peapod I kept foods cold by using the time-tested method of wet towels. I wrapped eggs, cheeses, hard fruits,
vegetables, bacon and lunch meats in wet towels that I faithfully kept wet. That package rested in the cockpit in
the shade as much as possible. I didn’t try to carry more than a few days worth of lunch meat. Cheese rarely went
moldy and if it looked like it might I wiped it with vinegar because wrapping it in cheesecloth soaked in vinegar
keeps mold away. Usually I ate it too quickly for that to happen! All foods were in plastic bags with air squeezed
out before wrapping in wet towels. I was able to buy smaller terry cloth towels at a dollar store and used those
white towels – white to prevent heat gain. Even on the hottest days things stayed cool if not really cold.
I did the same thing on Raggedy Annie to begin with. Then I succumbed to temptation and bought a five-day
cooler. I’m facing the third summer of cooler use and am questioning why I might continue that. It does cost more,
buying ice. And it does weigh more. The cooler is a good fit in the stern portion of RA’s large cockpit but the weight
there is not really helpful to good sailing, and with center mainsheet arrangement I don’t want to move the cooler
closer to the cabin. I am considering, very strongly considering, not using the cooler this season due to cost of ice
and boat performance. I plan to put the cooler in my Dakota and if I decide to use it I can, or not, as I please. I also
bought a butane chef’s stove such as is used at buffets and use it for cooking with the large pot or fry pan.
Some things you need to know. I don’t carry alcoholic beverages aboard ever. It’s just too risky sailing solo and too
costly. I’m just fine sober, thank you. I don’t drink colas or pop or sugary sodas, teas, coffees, etc. I’ve not used
cola since the mid 1980’s because it is just expensive and my body does better without caffeine! Plain water will
do? You bet. And, I was doing a lot of deep wilderness canoeing or sea kayaking at the time. Keeping heavy
beverages cold was a hugh lot of trouble and too much to portage. I went cold turkey and did away with those high
calorie expensive flavored water! Plain water has been just fine, cold or not, and no doubt has helped me keep
weight off as well as keep more money in my pocket for traveling.
On Raggedy Annie I have a set of dishes made of plastic, service for four. I bought a set of s/s flatware for $10 and
have that aboard, service for six. I continue to use the s/s pots and pans I used for camping and on Peapod. I also
carry a nicely sized, good, heavy fry pan with a lid, a pot large enough for a potluck concoction with a lid, and
cooking tools like slotted spoon, stir spoon, spatulas, cutting board, knives and forks. During the ice-with-cooler
years I have carried fresh meats with grocery stops every seven to ten days. If I buy chicken I cook it first. Any
“minced or ground” meat get eaten next and solid beef after that, then sausages and bacon. The order of cooking
goes from what spoils faster, even when cold, to what lasts longest! I don’t usually eat meat daily so purchased
amounts are small and frozen if I can find them. For lunch I usually eat fresh fruit, cheese and hard tack, which is
Swedish or Finnish hard rye breads, or crackers with cheese. I don’t often eat lunch meats. I usually don’t carry
ordinary bread because it doesn’t keep well. I do buy European style rolls if they are available and enjoy them for
sandwiches within a day or two so they don’t go moldy. I often eat small vegetables for lunch too. I buy tiny carrots,
broccoli, sugar snap peas, celery, etc. They keep well.
Breakfast can be a combination of my decaf coffee made with a French coffee press or tea, cereal bars, cold
cereal with tang on it or eaten plain out-of-hand plain, a boiled or fried egg and hard tack or a roll, or pancakes
with real maple syrup on them. Maybe a piece of fresh fruit or some jello that you can make with boiling water, stir
well and put a lid on it, set in the cockpit to cool overnight and no refrigeration needed. Supper can be any one of
the instant soups, meat, a cooked soup or stew, pasta combinations, or a raw vegetable with more cheese; some
fruit, dried fruits or whatever comes to hand. I use some tinned meats like tuna fish, chicken or turkey. I carry some
tinned fruits and vegetables aboard. I also use some prepackaged foods but in moderation due to additives. Some
days I eat more than other days. Some days I get lazy and don’t cook much. I use powdered milk for pancakes. For
snacks I carry breakfast bars, snicker’s bars, dried fruits and fresh fruits and nuts. I use a small thermos to carry
hot coffee or boiling water for hot cocoa or tea during the day. I make this up at breakfast.
This past season I added an s/s pressure cooker to my tools, a small teakettle, and a propane-baking oven. I didn’t
use the oven much but I did like the pressure cooker. It came in handy for the jam process. I’m planning on trying
the oven more this season and baking bread or desserts for potlucks.
A bucket, scraper, Joy dishwashing detergent in very small amounts and boiling water rinses seem to be the clean-
up system. Usually one drop of detergent is enough to clean off the dishes and flatware. I use boiling water to
sterilize food prep chopping boards and dishes. I drain them and put them to air dry on a clean towel that I dry in
the sun. I try not to let “grey water” into our pristine fresh waters in the North Channel. I usually take it ashore well
away from the water’s edges and pour it on the soils around plants. If I were in places where I couldn’t go ashore I
would put it in empty gallon jugs to put in a sewage system on shore.
Last season in August 2008, I got the bug to make jam. There are a lot of blueberries in the North Channel area
midst the rocks and trees. I had all I needed to cook with on the boat and bought jars and pectin when I
provisioned. Then it was the search for berries the bears or people hadn’t gotten to so late in the season. That
involved some interesting exploration into islands and anchorages I hadn’t visited before. When I had my two and
one-half quarts of berries I set up the system for the jam process. I washed, rinsed and poured boiling water over
the jars and lids, keeping the lids in the bowl of hot water and some hot water in each jar in a bath of hot water
until ready to be filled and capped. I make jam by the open pot method and don’t pressure cook it afterward. I
mashed the berries, added the right amount of sugar and boiled it all up, added the pectin and stirred, skimmed
and, one at a time, ladled the boiling jam into the now hot but empty jars, wiped the edges of the jars clean with a
warm, damp paper toweling and capped the jars. They were set on towels and covered. While I cleaned up I heard
the “pop” of the slowly cooling jars “set” down their lids. I had 8 half-pints of wild blueberry jam and ended up
giving it all away. I didn’t even get one! I will this summer though. You can bet on it. Move over bears!
Final words: NEVER, but NEVER, turn down an invitation to dinner (if it all feels safe and right to you)! I’ve met
some wonderful people by saying yes to a meal. Most of the meals have been on much larger sailboats (and a few
power boats). I’ve never had a bad one! And, I’ve never met anyone I didn’t hope to meet up with again over dinner
on their boat! Some of my best friends have come from such meetings.
Anne and Peapod at Lake Powell with Domingez Butte in background.
Photos by Bruce McCreary
