Cooking aboard a yacht

Posted on September 28, 2018

Nautitech 40Unless you have added a hostess to your package (or you have arranged the Off The Grid team to do it for you), you will have to take care of food supplies. The first thing to decide is how much food to take aboard with you. We advise that you make a rough estimate of how much food each person from your party (don’t forget the skipper and/or hostess) will eat in a day’s time, multiply it by the number of days of your sailing holiday, and then add a bit extra, just in case (better to have to much than not enough!). Bear in mind that if your holiday takes place in summer perishable food tends to go bad somewhat faster, so the above estimate should be done only for non-perishables. We advise you to buy perishable food every other day or whenever you are in port and have a fresh food store at your disposal. If you are unsure of whether you’ll be able to restock during your entire sailing holiday, then make sure your non-perishable rations last for a longer period of time. Feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions, we are happy to help!

When it comes to drinking water, we advise you to bring 2 litres per day per person. We know this seems like a lot, but spending prolonged periods in the sun will get you thirsty. Don’t forget other types of drinks as well, such as coffee, tea, soda drinks, soft drinks, beer, or any other type of liquor you might enjoy having during your holiday.

A good way to prepare everything you need (and a bit more) is to plan your meals ahead. Think of what you usually have for breakfast (bread, butter, marmalade, pate, salami, different spreads, cereal, eggs, milk, orange juice, fruit, etc.), lunch (pasta, rice, meat, spices, potatoes and other vegetables) and supper, and be sure to bring a variety of groceries that will satisfy everyone’s taste and food preferences. Of course, you wouldn’t want to forget snacks between meals which are many people’s favourite (especially children’s), so bringing along some candy, chips, snack bars, biscotti, or dried fruit will come in handy.

Another important thing to remember before venturing on a sailing trip is that cooking in a kitchen on a boat is by far more difficult than cooking in your own kitchen back home. The most important difference is the kitchen’s size: the one on the boat is incomparably smaller, has fewer utensils and a limited workspace (for food preparation and washing up), so simple dishes tend to be better. Also, you have to keep in mind that cooking is often done while at sea and the kitchen moves and heals together with the vessel, so safely storing all kitchen utensils, especially knifes, using non-slip mats and avoiding food that requires a lot of chopping is the best way to go. Finally, make sure your crew is familiar with how to safely handle the stove and its power source.