Seaman's crew series part I - Catering on board: Sailing without stress: How the crew is catered for en route

As banal as it may sound, sometimes it's the food alone that makes or breaks a crew's sailing day. The longer it lasts or the more energy-sapping it is, the more important a tasty and ideally warm meal becomes. This is just as true for crews on the regatta course as it is for cruising sailors.

Eating regularly at fixed times structures everyday life on board and marks small highlights to work towards. It is incredibly motivating when the smell of a delicious meal wafts up from the companionway and a glance at the clock tells you that there will soon be something on your plate.

Of course, the same applies to the harbour day. A hearty breakfast in the sun in the cockpit is just as much a treat for the soul as a meal in a restaurant or an evening around the barbecue. Especially at sea, however, eating can bring about relaxation in stressful situations and thus contribute significantly to stress-free sailing.

It is therefore important to designate responsibilities for catering in good time. If a crew member is willing to act as a permanent cook because he or she simply enjoys cooking, then it is simply a matter of fixed times and baking. If, on the other hand, the task is shared between several people, a plan should be drawn up so that there are no discussions when the crew is already hungry.

On smaller yachts, it has proved very useful to prepare a hot meal in advance. The chopped ingredients for the vegetable stew, for example, can be placed in a sealable pressure cooker on the gimballed cooker so that it only needs to be switched on in good time. Alternatively, a bag of dehydrated food, which only needs to be filled with hot water and provides plenty of calorific value. Or sandwiches can be made, fruit washed and thermos flasks filled so that instead of a hot meal there are at least snacks, hot drinks or broth.

In issues 6 to 12 of this year, YACHT is running a series on the subject of seamanship. In the opening piece in issue 6 we describe in ten chapters how stress can be avoided from the outset through conscious, prudent cruise planning:

1. general preparation

2. entry and exit

3. small crew

4. navigation

5. catering

6. night drive

7. poor visibility

8. heavy weather

9. at anchor

10. sailing with small children

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Seamanship: Series, Part 1, stress-free sailing (pdf)