# Apprehensive Newbie



## KTMCD (Jul 30, 2009)

I am happy you are all here! I am a newbie First Mate, love sailing, love the water, minimally experienced sailor whose husband just bought a boat (28 foot). I am interested in tips for equipping a galley and not dying of anxiety about what we just did. I know I will love the experience but need to get over the anxiety of what feels like a monumental decision. Tell me this a great move in middle age! Any help appreciated!


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## Soontobecruiser (Mar 15, 2008)

Congrads on your new boat. The nerves will wear off before long. We went from sailing 16-18' sailboats to sailing a 36' sailboat on weekends evenings and vacations. After your first couple of trips your confidence in you and your boat will improve. We are trying to work our way up to cruising a 40+' cat.

As far as the galley goes are you planning to cruise, liveaboard or be day trips, weekend trips, and vacations?


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## KTMCD (Jul 30, 2009)

Day and weekend trips to begin--eventually plan to do cruising down the east coast. Thanks!


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## rikhall (Feb 7, 2008)

KTMCD shares good advice. "_*Day and weekend trips to begin*_"

Take ready to eat food. Buy a whole BBQ chicken (if you eat chicken) and it can be good for lunch and supper.

Bread and cheese and meats are also great. Take lots of "comfort food".

There were days when we went out to the boat on Friday after work, had supper on the boat, had wine etc on other boats moored close by, slept, had breakfast and then had a short day sail. Getting back in time, in the light, to secure everything and go home.

Take little steps until you feel good with them, then expand your horizon a bit at a time.

And remember - nobody yells! You are doing it for fun, so it should be fun for everybody.



Rik and Linda


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## jldooley (Aug 1, 2007)

hi, 
I like to cook the frozen bertolis italian food once a day they make a good boat meal with no prep, they stay pre frozen in my cooler for about 24 hours. little wine, cheese , french bread this 2.5 star meal equates to a 7.5 star meal on the boat 
2. grapes & other fruit and lots of snacks.
1. i cook on the boat and try to pamper my wife makes her trip more injoyable. making my sailing more enjoyable. 

what do I know?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

" I am interested in tips for equipping a galley and not dying of anxiety about what we just did. "
Buy life insurance and a good comfortable PFD, then the rest is all little stuff.

Although, personally I'd say any money spent on good foul weather gear and boat shoes will be among the best buys you've ever made. If you can stay warm and dry--you'll be a happy boater.

How much galley do you have on a 28'er? Typically, one burner and no oven, so it helps if you can think of "meal in one" and for longer trips, cook things at home, deep freeze them, and use the food as ice in the ice box until you take it out to eat.

Before you bring anything aboard, ask yourself, is this going to pack/stow/clean well? Can it perform more than one job? How easy is it to break when you drop it?

Take your time, make your selections slowly, and browse older threads on the different sailing forums. You'll find there's a lot about galleys and cooking under way, including sections on the magazine web sites.


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## Soontobecruiser (Mar 15, 2008)

We grill a lot on our boat, but then again we also grill a lot at home. Be careful of murphys law when grilling. If there is little wind and you break out the grill be prepared for the most wind you will have all day.

Good insulated cups with lids are great. We also found some deep bowls that work well for serving things like fruit.

We always keep crackers and graham crackers on the boat. It is always good to have extra snack food on the boat just in case you end up being out longer than you anticipated.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Prepared, snack-y, or finger foods are great - we live on things like hummus, cheese and crackers, and cut-up fruits. Think simple: sandwiches for lunch with cold cuts or tuna salad.

For starters, try equipping with unbreakable melamine dishes & plastic cups from Target, you don't really need the high-priced stuff from West Marine till you know what your priorities are for your personal style. Buy soup bowls twice as deep as you normally would and fill them only 1/2 full so there's room for the food to slosh around if its a little rough and not end up in your lap. Ditto for cups, don't fill anything to the brim. 

Leave aboard a small stash of pantry-type food that doesn't need refrigeration and is ready in a flash in case you get in late: canned soup or stew, pasta and sauce, minute rice (substitute your favorite here). And a bottle of red wine for sunset - it doesn't need refrigeration either!

Happy sailing!


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## Melrna (Apr 6, 2004)

There are a few schools of thought on preparing meals on board a boat. 
The first one is called camping out! This is where you bring foods and kitchen hardware like one is camping out in the woods. This can go from prepackage food stuff, prepared meals from home to cooking over the grill. Most bring snack stuff and lots of drinks. 
The second one is called, Same old same old.. Here people cook and eat on the boat like they do at home. The galley has most of the same utensils as at home. Some better because of the environment of cooking on a boat. Best advise here is don't change for the sake of change. 
The last one is what I call the Entertainer. Here one cooks better than at home because of the social network on the boat, docks and yacht clubs. Great food is prepared for the potluck, social gatherings or just to enjoy great food in a great environment.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i have lived on board since 1990--all sized of boats and some power ones as well as sailing ones--lol--i cook on board just like i did on land in apartments lol---i use propane and sometimes i even have an oven LOL....put into your galley that with which you personally are comfortable so you continue to enjoy the boat and cooking on it.....there is nothing magic about boats galleys---if you arent comfy in your own kitchen, then you wont like the boat----when on a long passage, finger foods are great if you cannot cook because the weather is active--LOL--make sure the stove has the boat pot holder devices made to keep the pots and pans on the stove top..LOL--nothing works well without those--and make sure it is gimballed so it moves properly in the seas an doesnt splash you....a cutting board over the sink is a good thing--there is never enough room in a boats galley for proper cooking--must augment and become imaginative---LOL--have fun....i have even made bread in my galleys...is easy--is just like a land home--and i donot live on land ....i live on my boat full time and cruise....


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## Undine (Jan 26, 2008)

Start slow is the best advice. I'm a lake sailor about to start on the coast! For the lake boat we started with lots of sandwiches and precooked food, also raw veggies and fruit. Supplement that with a few have-on-hand items which can be eaten straight from the package w/o refrigeration. Be certain to have plenty of drinking water! (not just soft drinks or adult beverages) For our "delivery trip" of the new to us old boat, I precooked breakfast food. This included french toast and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch was roll-up sandwiches and fruit. As we had no AC and it was July in FL, we ate cold cereal with milk for supper. And we had crackers and spread and raw veggies with our sundowners. It was adequate for 6 days of travel. When we arrived at the new marina we had a great lunch at the restaurant - no sandwiches!


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## therapy23 (Jul 28, 2007)

A stainless steel thermos.........or two.


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## Undine (Jan 26, 2008)

OK, this is a semi-hijack of your thread. There is one thing you need to concentrate on in the very beginning. Learn to sail/motor the boat well enough to get to help in an emergency. Yes, this is do as I say not as I did! I was lucky, Hubby had his incapacitating injury at the dock. It could have happened in the middle of the lake. If it had I probably could have motored back to the marina, but I didn't know how to start the outboard. The first thing I did when we bought the big boat was learn to start the motor!


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## CGMojo (Jul 6, 2007)

*It's Your Boat Too*

Read Suzanne Giesemann's great book, "It's Your Boat Too"---you're not a galley slave, you're the Executive Officer and First Mate! Suzanne is an old friend, a retired USN Commander, and a great writer. She and Ty, her retired USN Captain husband, have a great relationship, live aboard, and have sailed extensively. She has a regular column in Blue Water Sailing magazine that is funny and very informative.
Enjoy your new boat!


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## ODaySundance (Jul 16, 2009)

*What I do use..*

We bought our O'Day 27 last fall. It has a very large galley (I'd rather have more cockpit space now that I've had the time to experience such an oversized space on a small boat).
I am the captain  and the cook.
I hand over the tiller on a regular basis to make sure everyone is watered and fed, and I usually enjoy that task very much. I took a lot of time stocking the galley, but here is the list of things I use all the time:

corkscrew/bottle opener
Knives (essential for the limes, cheese) you can get a good ones with sleeves from discount stores
plastic (reusable) wine goblets
melamine plates
cutting board (if you can find one that doubles as a sink cover - even better)
stackable serving bowls
one skillet
one camp griddle ($5 at the mart)
two burner propane stove (about $15) (I have an gimbaled old Homestead alcohol stove/oven that I haven't taken time to work on)
I save all my plastic grocery bags for garbage (store in a kleenex box)
one box large garbage bags
ziplock bags in multiple sizes
stainless steel mugs with lids
"lil sucker drink holders" (AMAZING)
Propane Match
tea kettle
sponges

Last galley must: portable speakers and an ipod/iphone/mp3 - 
your guy will love watching you prepare food and dance simultaneously.

I ditto the idea on non perishables (tuna/soup)
The frozen prepared bag dinners I have kept frozen in the bottom of the icebox for 48 hours
wasabi peas... yum
Pancakes are a breeze with the shakable pancake mixes, just add water!
You can buy bacon in a package that doesn't need refrigeration.
Extravagant snacks.. forget it.. I just spent the evening wishing I had purchased premade foods
stick with cheese/crackers/grapes, just vary your cheese selections to keep it interesting

Most of all, have fun. We try to keep all the food/drink stuff to non-critical moments (too many spilled drinks while trying to get underway or docking), when everything is even keeled and we're all chillin'.


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