Food storage and preparation on board

The first three days out of Tenerife were dreadful. Not only did we have storm force winds, but the quartering sea behind us had a very uncomfortable motion. One crew member was too ill to function, and the other two of us felt well below par. We were well provisioned, but even the simplest meal was beyond us. Heating a can of beans, which was as much as we could manange, meant a series of dives from the cockpit, each with increasingly shortened objectives. Find a can and throw it in the sink. Find a saucepan and jam it on top of the stove. And so on.

Constant canned food can become unbearable

After three days human life returned: but our freezer had packed up and all our carefully chosen delicacies were thrown overboard. For the next 3 weeks we ate meagre canned foods, the only relief being the discovery of Tesco's bread mixtures, which were delicious!

Since then I have always given a lot more attention to provisioning, whether for a trip of a couple of days, or a voyage of several weeks.

Equipment

The basic equipment you need is a stove, preferably with an oven, mounted on gimbals and with adjustable fiddles-bars to hold pans in place on top of the stove. If you choose saucepans, frying pan and kettle of the same diameter base then all will fit snugly without adjustment.

Do you really need a fridge or freezer? For up to 3-4 days cool boxes costing a few pounds each will suffice. Rather than using cool blocks, freeze plastic bottles of water or fruit juice, and perhaps freeze other contents if they are not for early consumption.

Bread, vegetables, bacon and so on can be stored for quite a while in a bilge locker, cooled by the sea outside. Insulate the sides and lid to improve the effectiveness. You can use the sea more directly for cooling - bottles can be cooled by hanging overboard in a string bag - also a very good way of washing dishes without using water!

If you do have a fridge or freezer make sure you have the power needed to run it; if at all possible, gas should be considered.

Food

So what of the food itself? Prepare in port and eat at sea if you can. You need to compromise between high eating and ease of preparation - but many dried or tinned meals are quite acceptable. The delectable Pot Noodle is a firm favourite when no-one wants to be stuck below. As with mugs, always place them in the sink when filling from a hot kettle to avoid spills and burns.

With fresh vegetables and fruit, avoid washing them before departing - they can go mouldy. Even filthy potatoes can be washed before use by shaking in a saucepan with the lid on and several refills of seawater. Be aware that some fruits are more suitable for voyages than others; citrus fruits and apples travel well, bananas less so.

Probably the best tip is to have your own container of your favourite spices, sauces, pickles, jams etc to spice up otherwise mundane foods. Don't leave it on board between trips though, as it can go mouldy.

And remember, you can always fish - or even grow herbs and the like on board!

See the linked articles below to hear more of Ian's cruising escapades, from his channel crossing preparation (or lack thereof!) and his tips on crew selection.

	Ian Nixey

Ian Nixey has over 30 years of sailing experience. His sailing career was kickstarted in the Army, when he was ordered to go on a helmsman's course by his Commanding Officer who had just purchased a 27' sloop and needed someone to crew for him. Since then he has graduated from dinghies to owning a cat ketch and sails regularly on a friend's 31' Colvic motor sailer, mainly around Ireland and Scotland. He has crossed the Atlantic as crew on a 42' Moody, is a qualified Yachtmaster Offshore and wants to sail round the world. He lives in London with a cruiser on the Thames at Marlow and a 45' cruiser in a hire fleet in France, which he and his wife intend to cruise through the European canals for a year after their retirement.