Galley

Cooking a great meal in a cavernous kitchen outfitted with every imaginable culinary device can be difficult enough, but doing it in the confined space of a sailboat presents greater challenges, some the result of ill-conceived galley layouts. But what makes up a dream galley for cooking underway? To find out, Practical Sailor interviewed full-time chefs working aboard sailboats, as well as cruising sailors who have experienced first-hand the challenges of putting together a meal in a pounding sea. The report looks at the ideal location and for the galley, counterspace and ventilation needs, sink and stove must-haves, storage tips, and safety concerns.

Practical Sailor contributor Jonathan Neeves-a bluewater cruiser living aboard his Lightwave 38 catamaran in Australia-has used thermal cookers for 30 years and says that he would never sail without one. In this article, Neeves reviews the Thermos-brand thermal cookers that he uses on board for cooking stews, casseroles, soups, desserts, and other dishes. The thermal cooker is a large, stainless vacuum flask containing one or two fitted saucepans. The insulation traps the heat in the food and uses it as the heat source for cooking the dishes. Using thermal cooker saves cooking-fuel (or power) and allows sailors to safely cook a meal while underway-without constant stovetending or worry over spilled pots-even in foul weather, when slaving over a galley stove can prove challenging and dangerous.

The galley may be the last place you’d expect to see new technologies, but our tour last year aboard the custom Fastwater 52 cat Ice Wars (Inside Practical Sailor, June 2011) introduced us to a new way of onboard cooking. Rather than a standard oven, Ice Wars was outfitted with only an infrared oven that was small enough to stow in a galley cupboard. Intrigued—and a little skeptical—we decided to have a go at using one of these new-age cookers to see whether it was a functional and practical galley tool.

The galley may be the last place you’d expect to see new technologies, but our tour last year aboard the custom Fastwater 52 cat Ice Wars (Inside Practical Sailor, June 2011) introduced us to a new way of onboard cooking. Rather than a standard oven, Ice Wars was outfitted with only an infrared oven that was small enough to stow in a galley cupboard. Intrigued—and a little skeptical—we decided to have a go at using one of these new-age cookers to see whether it was a functional and practical galley tool.

Any thoughts on how to get the “spark” back in the burners on our Force 10 stove? The ignition sparkers on all three burners are, at best, sporadic. I’ve gotten some basic info from the factory, but it hasn’t helped. The ignitor’s battery has been replaced, the ends cleaned, and what I thought might be the issue—stove grease—has been taken care of.

Cooking at sea has never been easy and is usually looked upon as a dull, but necessary task. Nothing can spur the queasy stomach to open rebellion more effectively than going below to a hot, stuffy galley to prepare , ugh! - food. Why would anyone in his right mind try to prepare a meal at a 30' heel while the rest of the crew enjoy a sail on deck? The term, 'slaving over a hot stove', takes on new meaning. Yet, the cook is a vitally important member of the ship's crew, and it is not an easy job. Whether on a delivery, rac­ing or long distance cruising, a non-stop passage on your boat means no nipping out to buy that missing ingredient: there are no supermarkets at sea! So remember, the moment you leave the dock you'd better be sure you haven't forgotten anything. If you like acronyms, here are two secrets to success that you can remember: The Six P's, and MAMAS Theory.

The modest mug, basic in shape and function, finds its way aboard all but the most elegant or the most rudimen­tary of vessels, because it is so useful. Equally at ease with soup or stew, cof­fee, tea, or chocolate, bread sticks, spoons, or even flowers, it serves faithfully in rough water and smooth. While almost universally carried aboard boats, the stowage of mugs varies as much as their uses. On some boats they rattle about in the galley sink, while in others they may be neatly nested in a drawer, hung from hooks, or (best of all) resting in proper racks.

Galleys on American production sailboats have come a long way in the last 20 years. We particularly remember one 40' cruiser-racer by one of the country’s most famous designers, whose galley consisted of a two burner countertop alcohol stove, a miniature sink, a few lockers, and an icebox: if you put 100 pounds of ice in it, it managed to keep small quantities of food at slightly below outside temperature for a few days at a time. Today, thank God, you’d probably find a better galley on any 30-footer.

Of course, everything on a boat is a compromise, and so it is with propane. It has two nasty traits that must be dealt with: Propane is heavier than air, which allows the gas to collect in the bilge in the event of a leak; and propane is explosive when it collects in such places.

Letters to Practical Sailor, January 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Sailing non-profits, wind gens, pressure cookers, wood finish and mildew remover.