Excerpt from Ships log: #6.
With two thirds of this passage complete already I have been reflecting upon the gargantuan task of provisioning and meal planning and the learning curves in relation to food as our voyage has progressed. Any professional sailor responsible for provisioning will have felt the nagging fear that there simply isn’t enough food for the duration, no matter the level of planning. Add to that the unknown variable of how much the crew will consume (this can vary massively) and the whole management of stores concept becomes an epic undertaking.
We consume the meats first in order of safe storage, starting with chicken then moving through the pork and beef and relying on the trusty cured sausages to keep things interesting further along. Vegetables most certainly have a hierarchy in terms of longevity with cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes lasting longest. A good old fashioned coleslaw is always well received in latter days and is a refreshing option in the heat of the tropics.
Keeping the snack cupboard refreshed and making sure the day fridge has plenty of lunch options are daily considerations alongside topping up the breakfast cereals and rotating dry stores from the less convenient parts of the boat to the more accessible areas within the galley. Cooking for 11 people in this heat with a following sea is a constant workout and on average requires two and a half hours for a decent dinner prep. The dangers of boiling water and hot oil are ever present and traffic through the galley needs careful management.
This is just one of the many aspects of running a safe and efficient boat but given that on a sailing boat, the crew are the engine, providing healthy, nutritious and varied meals is a vital component that is often overlooked.
As each day passes the task of being creative gets trickier and the notion of reaching a restaurant becomes more and more enticing. Not long now!
~ Emily | Mate on FALKEN
It’s Thursday, April 17th, and we have been at sea for nearly 10 days straight. Over the last 58 hours, the winds have tamed down along with the seas. It’s a really comfortable ride. The rains at night have stopped, while the cloud cover during the day has provided a welcome relief from the high noon sun.
Steering Falken has become a meditative pleasure. It takes little effort to keep her sails full and maintain a steady course of 255. During watches, the crew gathers and talks with each other to pass the time. We have bonded and relationships have formed that will continue well after the voyage has been completed.
Last night, the conditions were ideal. Under the full moon, the clouds separated, and the southern cross became visible. Ted saw a shooting star. Falken has kept steady pace with the one Main reef, wing-on-wing configuration. We have traveled over 200 NM per day. Udo holds the speed record of 17 knots when a gust coincided with an enormous wave. Falken works tirelessly, carrying us downwind.
At this point, fatigue is setting in. We are living on a boat that’s in constant motion. We have watched during 17 shifts and steered at least that many hours. Some of the shifts have required us to manage through difficult conditions and driving rain. It takes tremendous effort to move about, go to the bathroom, make a meal or do the dishes. At this juncture the passage is wearing on all. The sea is beautiful, and the conditions are ever changing. But all we see are endless waves and swells. We long for land.
Our 6 to 9 PM watch was a real challenge until we put a second reef in the Main. We had trouble maintaining Falken’s balance due to the high wind and pitching of the waves. The poll tended to bang loudly when the jib backwinded. Things settled once the 2nd reef was in. The captain lost his cool and tended to yell “We can’t have that.”
~ Kim (Crew)
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