MENUS ABOARD PARADOX OF PLYM
What do we eat today ?
This is a recurring and unavoidable question that will concern the crew throughout the trip and will interest the reader, curious about how is treated the ordinary food on a sailboat at sea, and under what conditions.
The supply is a subject.
It means constituting food reserves for a given period according to several parameters :
- The number of people on board
- The tastes and needs of each
- Storage and conservation conditions on board
- Technical and logistical means for preparing meals
- Available budget
- Elaborate menus
- The number of days to cover
- The navigation conditions (more or less agitated, diurnal, nocturnal)
- The nature of the available supply stores (small grocery, medium or large shopping areas…).
- The means of transportation of goods between the store and the boat
- The culinary knowledge of the crew
- Weather forecast
The exercise, to be renewed several times during the trip, is complex and can put off !
Bruno and Christian will take this charge without displeasure, to the great relief of Patrick, full exercise captain and refractory to this kind of tasks, and Eric, rather specialized in seamanship, prince of splices, king of ropes.
Thus, a first large supply is provided before the departure from Soubise, taking advantage of the car and a very large commercial area nearby.
Breakfast : to start the day !
Coffee, Tea, Ricoré for the captain, milk, grapefruits of the quarte-master, fruit juices, jams, salted butter, buns, Chinese cake, sliced breads of all kinds …
Lunch or evening meals :
If calm sea : menus requiring cooking (gas plate and oven) and kitchen preparation , for example:
- spaghetti bolognese
- chicken wings and rice
- chinese soups
- salmon and spinach
- lentils with corn beef
- roasted chicken and stir-fried potatoes
- knackis and puree
If rough and stormy sea : bowls to enjoy in the cockpit :
- tabbouleh, quinoa, bulgur, rice
- pasta salad, olives, cherry tomatoes, paté
- green salad, tomatoes, peppers, sardines and mackerel
- country ham sandwiches, white ham, sausage
- crisps
Aperitif :
Sequence awaited by the crew as a reward for the efforts of the day, during which we only drink water (yes, it’s true !)
It is important to ensure the maintenance of a minimum and refrigerated stock to avoid any breakage.
Beer is the rule and we were able to test the productions of different countries :
- Belgian, the most full-bodied, tasty and titrated in alcohol
- French, not so bad with many varieties !
- Irish, the famous Guinness, only 4.2 degrees and very thick!
- English, disappointing but can be drunk in impressive quantities …
Wine, cider from time to time… a hint of rum for the Skyjo evenings !
The snacking :
When it is cold, during night shifts, during a break, and on all other occasions requiring a little comfort.
- Gala apples, bananas, grapes, Breton pancakes, biscuits, chocolate
- Sweets : We have instituted a happiness box filled with confectionery and other sweets (mini mint candies, caramels, English mixture, liquorice).
Naturally, we often had lunch or dinner on land and we have a good gourmet address book in Brittany, Cornwall and Ireland !