How to Cook on a Boat...sail fast eat well!

Strawberry Delights

2011-08-19T16:00:00.008+01:00

In England, the strawberry season is well underway and these succulent little tastes of summer are cheap to buy in the markets or supermarkets. So, to take advantage of the best of the season, why not make some quick and simple strawberry treats. You can get the kids involved too.

To make strawberry chocolates, first put a pan of water on the stove and place a heat-proof bowl on top. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Break some chocolate into the bowl to melt gently. We prefer dark chocolate with 70%+ cocoa solids but use whatever you like. White chocolate works too.

While the chocolate is melting, rinse, drain and pat dry the strawberries. Leave the stalks intact. Discard any berries which are not firm.

When the chocolate has melted, dip each strawberry - leaving the top uncovered. You may need to use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries as you get to the bottom of the bowl. Draw straws to see who gets to lick the bowl at the end!

To set the chocolate, place the strawberries upside-down on a wire rack. If you haven't got a wire rack, try the rack from the oven and cover with cling film. Alternatively, scrunch up some aluminium foil, place on a tray and set the strawberries in the depressions. Leave for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to start setting then place in the fridge to harden. This takes about 30 minutes. Tuck in as soon as the chocolate has hardened. The end results are cheaper than a box of chocolates and more healthy too. You can also serve them as an after dinner treat or as part of a cockpit or pontoon party - if you can resist the temptation to eat them all yourself!

Should you find yourself with a glut of strawberries, a simple and quick dessert is strawberries with Greek yoghurt served with chocolate shavings. Wash the strawberries, slice off the tops and cut in half. Put one dollop of Greek yoghurt into the centre of a small bowl. Arrange the berries artfully around and on top of the yoghurt. Use a speed peeler or sharp knife to shave some chocolate over the top. Done in about 5 minutes.

PS The strawberries used in this post were from Kent and cost £1 for 2 punnets (cartons). This quantity made 4 desserts and about 2 dozen chocolates.

Seafood Barbeque with a difference

2011-07-31T18:23:00.005+01:00

Howtocookonaboat is organising a barbeque on the beach in a couple of weeks and went along to Jun Tanaka's Seafood Barbeque event today at the Chancery Court Hotel in London for inspiration.

Held in the courtyard of the hotel, the day couldn't have been better: hot, sunny, blue skies - a perfect summer's day. Plus a cool soundtrack playing in the background before the start. Greeted with a glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne - one of our favourites - howtocookonaboat had front seats to watch the demo.

Jun started off with rosemary smoked mackerel with fresh horseradish sauce. This was of particular interest as mackerel is the predominant catch when we're out fishing so we're always looking for new ways to cook it.

Next up was blackened salmon with cucumber and yoghurt which doesn't sound particularly appealing but think cajun cooking and it's the spices on the outside which become dark - the fish is moist and succulent on the inside.

Then it was onto creating foil parcels of loveliness for the barbeque. 'En papillote' is a standard technique which we use all the time on board to cook fish, but this is the first time we've seen this used on the barbie. Jun cooked mussels with coconut and lime leaf and red mullet with chorizo, tomatoes and paprika this way.

But the dish with the biggest 'wow' factor for us was the scallops with orange and ginger butter. With only a short preparation time then 5-6 minutes on the barbeque, these are so simple to do and taste absolutely divine!

We also discovered how to make flat breads to cook in a flash over the barbie.

After the demo, everyone got to taste these creations together with an assortment of fresh salads. Suitably inspired, we feel an early morning trip to Billingsgate Market coming up and there will definitely be no 'bangers and burgers' at our next beach barbeque!

PS Jun used a gas fired barbeque for his cooking. We use a portable Cobb barbeque with charcoal.

Island Tomatoes

2011-06-14T09:31:00.004+01:00

As the 80th Round the Island Race kicks off next week, I thought it timely to write about some of the produce from the Isle of Wight.

Despite sailing around the coast of IoW for many years, the interior is a relatively unexplored place for me. However, tomatoes from Brian Morlee's farm in the Arreton Valley have started to filter through to my local greengrocers, so it's not been necessary to catch a bus from Cowes to the interior stock up.

The loose tomatoes, vine tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are burtsing with flavour. Open a bag of Island tomatoes and, unlike many supermarket varieties, they smell of tomatoes. Maybe this is due to all the sunshine and the fresh sea air.

Scandelicious!

2011-06-13T16:50:00.005+01:00

One of the challenges for provisioning for a long cruise is how to keep bread on board. One answer is to bake it yourself but an easier way is to buy Scandanavian crispbreads. These originated in northern Sweden and Norway where flour-milling was feasible only in the spring and autumn when the millstreams contained enough water to work the mills. However, storing 6 months of flour was impossible so prompt baking of bread that would keep was essential. The solution was the thin, dry crispbread with its virtually unlimited shelf life.

Crispbreads are ideal for using on board either as a snack or part of a lunch. We're talking actual Scandanavian crispbreads here, which are full of flavour, not Ryvita which in our opinion has as much taste as cardboard. For snacks, eat with a slice of cheese such as HUSHÅLLSOST - a round and mild tasting cheese - or with cream cheese plus a few slices of cucumber. For a more robust lunch, serve with Sill Dill (marinated herrings with dill) and Sill Lok (marinated herrings with onion), boiled new potatoes and sliced beetroot. All these can be sourced from jars or cans.

Alternatively, for a de luxe version, serve with smoked salmon or gradvalax if available. These items are usually vacuum packed which make them ideal for on board. Remember to store in a cool place.

As a special treat, if you are at anchor, a shot of ice cold vodka or aquavit is a superb accompaniment.

Smaklig måltid!

It's Pancake Day!

2011-03-08T08:14:00.003Z

Or Shrove Tuesday to be more exact. Whatever you like to call it, today is the day for perfect pancakes. Click here for our recipe for the pancake mix. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and the secret is to let the batter stand for about 30 minutes before using.

Our secret weapon is the 'boaty' frying pan which cooks really evenly and makes great rectangular pancakes. Sometimes, I nick this off the boat and bring it home if I want to make pancakes for Beef Wellington as the shape is just right for this dish.

Whatever you add to your pancakes - enjoy.

Pot Noodle: gift of god or spawn of satan?

2011-02-28T18:06:00.005Z

The Pot Noodle snack first made its appearence in the UK in the early 1970s. It was quite an innovation at the time and the ritual of adding boiling water and seeing it come alive was a big departure from processed cheese sandwiches for lunch. 'Chicken and Mushroom' was the one to go for...probably because that was the only option at the time.

Now, a 90g Pot Noodle is available in 19 different flavours including 'Original Curry', 'Southern Fried Chicken' and 'Christmas flavour'. The 21st century version of 'Chicken and Mushroom' contains: dried glucose syrup, chicken flavouring, E635 (which is 4 times stronger than monosodium glutamate) 4g of salt, another 10 E numbers and a sachet of soy sauce.

On the positive side, they are very light in weight and therefore seem to find their way into the ship's stores of many racing yachts. All you need to do in the middle of the English Channel or Celtic Sea is to boil a kettle, add boiling water and a few minutes later, you can tuck into something hot. A quick survey of my regular sailing buddies revealed nothing good to say about the actual eating experience and the case against the Pot Noodle is as follows:

"the only good thing is the hot water" - Juno
"I had one forkful and had to throw the contents overboard" - Pure Magic
"a pot full of chemicals which has no place onboard" - Freelancer
" good for creating a percusion section during a crew sing-song but little else" - Just for Fun

Special protection for Cornish pasties

2011-02-23T09:27:00.004Z

Cornish food manufacturers have won a nine-year battle to win special protection for their most famous snack - the Cornish pasty. This means that any products made in Devon, Wales or the rest of Britain are now banned from being called Cornish pasties.

From now on, only products made in Britain's most south-westerly county will be allowed to be called Cornish pasties. As well as this geographical restriction, there are other elements to consider. Products that include carrots and which are crimped on the top – rather than the correct Cornish style of on the side – will be banned too from claiming to be the real deal.

The ruling, issued by the European Union, puts the Cornish pasty in a select group of products including Champagne and Parma Ham, as well as 42 British specialities such Kentish Ale, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Arbroath Smokies and Cornish clotted cream.

We love proper Cornish pasties and always buy some at Rowes Bakery when we're in Falmouth. These are very different from the pale imitations seen in the large supermarkets so hopefully the supermarkets will have to have rethink now and consider buying their supplies from smaller producers who are located in Cornwall.

London Boat Show 2011

2011-01-06T17:34:00.002Z

Our first publication, 'Recipes from the Little Ship Club Galley' will be on sale on stand C85 at this year's London Boat Show at Excel from 7 to 16 January.

If you are visiting the show, do drop by and say "hello".

Tim Tams and Tea

2010-11-29T18:11:00.005Z

On a recent sailing trip on Juno, the Aussie bowman introduced us to Tim Tams - a chocolate biscuit from Australia. Apparently, 1 in every 2 households (presumably in Australia) contains a packet of Tim Tams and around 35 million packs are sold each year.

For the non-Aussies on board, at first sight, Tim Tams appeared to be identical to the British McVites's Penguins and indeed the concept is the same. However, Tim Tams are 'double-coated' with chocolate and this could be source of their strength in the Tim Tam Tea challenge. The rules of the game are to bite off each end of the biscuit and then suck hot tea through the centre before the whole thing collapses into the bottom of the mug. The winner is the person who can draw tea through the biscuit in the fastest time. (You don't have to drink all of the tea by the way).

For the next round, we substituted Penguins for Tim Tams and were disappointed to find that they crumbled too quickly and unfortunately weren't up to the job.

So thanks Dutchie for bringing Tim Tams on board and idle moments afloat will never be the same again.

Day Twenty-six : the final leg

2010-10-04T15:14:00.003+01:00

Just after midnight, we slip our mooring and depart Dittisham towards the entrance to the River Dart. The storm has blown through although the sea is still choppy. With a decent breeze behind us, we make the tidal gate at Portland Bill and are abeam the Needles by 1400. We're back in the Beaulieu River by 1630 and the sun is shining again. But after 950 miles there's no time to relax as we have to change over from cruising mode to racing mode for the British Classic Yacht Regatta which starts tomorrow.

Once most of the jobs are done, we relax with a well earned G&T in the cockpit and have a simple supper of pasta and tomato sauce.

Day Twenty-four & Twenty-five : still storm-bound

2010-10-04T15:03:00.004+01:00

The weather forecast is still grim, so we decide to sit tight in Dittisham. Half the crew head back to London and I check into the Red Lion Inn for the evening. Outside, the clouds race past and the rain starts to lash down. At the Channel lightship, gusts of 52 knots were recorded that night with a wave height of 4.5 metres.

Next day's forecast is for SW veering W 5 to 7 occassionally 8 with sea state being rough and occasionally rough at first. So it looks like we'll be sailing the day after.

Day Twenty-three : storm-bound in Dittisham

2010-10-02T18:58:00.003+01:00

We clear off the Town Quay by 0830 (because you have to make way for the ferries which operate during the day) and motor up the River Dart towards Dittisham. Gales are forecast in sea areas Plymouth, Portland and Wight so we're heading in land to avoid the storms over the next couple of days. After finding a mooring, we do some jobs then go ashore for a wander. We discover the Red Lion Inn and stop there for lunch: hake for some, sea bass for others. It's all delicious and very well priced but not the same as catching it ourselves. But we still hadn't caught any sea bass anywhere so paying for it was a justifiable option at this point. Finish with 'thunder and lightening' ice cream which is vanilla ice cream with pieces of honeycomb mixed in.

After a leisurely wander back to the boat, some of the crew still have room for an afternoon tea of scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Needless to say that nobody is particularly hungry at supper time, so a light salad with cheese and crackers fits the bill nicely.

The weather is looking truely awful now and we are very glad we are tucked up in Dittisham rather than making an night passage towards Portland.

Day Twenty-two : Falmouth to Dartmouth

2010-10-02T18:36:00.005+01:00

After a very quick shop for scones, pork pies and cornish pasties from Rowe's Bakery, we cast off. Starting with one layer of clothing is a little misguided as when we round St. Anthony's Head (see photo opposite), showers mean that the full wet-weather gear is deployed again. We see 3 dolphins south of Dodman Point, after a lunch of warm cornish pasties and baked beans, and pass south of the Eddystone Rock at 1530. The weather is fair at this point but the clouds are building along the fronts behind us.

As we approach the entrance to the river Dart, the weather is fair and some smoked salmon needs using up so we make some canapes to nibble before we change course for Dartmouth.

We tie up at the Town Quay and decide to give the galley a night off. Instead, we eat at Rockfish which was opened this summer by Mitch Tonks just down the quay from his flagship restaurant The Seahorse. Here we feast on local crab salad - absolutely lovely! But the highlight of the evening was meeting Mitch himself and having an in-depth discussion about the mystery 'cod' we caught off Baltimore. Really wish I'd taken a photo of the mystery fish before it was prepared for cooking but that would have meant the rain ceasing. So we have to make do with a verbal description and Mitch comes to the conclusion it could have been a Pollack.

Time for a quick nightcap and the Dartmouth Yacht Club and a check on the weather. More storms forecast, so it' s uncertain if we'll continue eastwards tomorrow.

Day Nineteen to Twenty-one : Across the Celtic Sea

2010-09-20T17:32:00.004+01:00

After a morning of rain, the skies finally clear. We decide to set off for Falmouth tonight as there appears to be a weather window for the next 36 hours before more gales kick in.

This means a trip in the dinghy over to Castletownshend to reprovision for the passage from the only store in town. Chicken salad wraps and ham and cheese sandwiches are prepared for the crossing and after these are done, there's not a lot left to do but wait until it's time to depart in the evening.

Dinner before we weigh anchor, is a store cupboard stand-by of wild mushroom risotto.

Then, it's time to depart and once out of the shelter of the harbour, the sea is still moderate to rough after the storms the previous evening. After a bumpy start, the swell subsides further out in the Celtic Sea and we make good progress, hitting the tidal gates for Land's End and the Lizard spot on.

We arrive in Falmouth 38 hours and 210 NM later and the sun is shining! After the first hot shower in what seems like days, I check the ship's stores and write a new shopping list for the crew to do a quick shop. Barrie and Nicola return with a lobster, some crayfish tails and some hand-dived scallops from Arwanack's. The lobster is already cooked, so is served as a starter with salad - delicious! For the main course, the crayfish and sauted scallops are combined with a little vegetable stock and white wine then served with linguine. What a treat!

Day Eighteen : Sherkin Island to Castletownshend

2010-09-20T17:15:00.005+01:00

Today, the plan is to sail about 25 NM from Sherkin Island (see photo) to Castletownshend with the LSC yachts, drop anchor and have dinner at Mary Ann's. However, the wind is light and right on the nose. Despite tacking at regular intervals, we make no progress so eventually give in and switch the engine on - the coastline is very rocky so this is for safety reasons.

As we approach the entrance to Castletownshend, the rain lashes down again and the wind starts to blow up. Everyone decides that is now too rough to launch the dinghies to go ashore, so the evening at Mary Ann's is cancelled. Instead, we have sausage, baked beans and new potatoes at anchor.

Now, we need to decide if we press on towards Kinsale or head across the Celtic Sea towards Falmouth tomorrow - weather permitting.

Day Seventeen : Around the Fastnet Rock

2010-09-10T16:42:00.005+01:00

We don't usually eat out for breakfast but today we made an exception and walked through the country lanes to Rolfs Country House on Baltimore Hill. A change from our usual muesli on board, we had sourdough bread and a full "Irish" plate of eggs, sausages, bacon and black pudding (looked identical to a full English to me).

Then back to the quay to await the delivery of the repaired mainsail and hoping it would arrive in time for us to depart as planned. The rain gathers momentum and visibility turns quite poor as we motor out the harbour entrance and set sail for the Fastnet Rock. Frustratingly, the wind is right on the nose and as it's quite a rocky coastline, we feel it's safer to proceed with the engine on.

After Clear Island, we lose sight of land in the mist and set course for Fastnet. Last year, I raced out here in the Rolex Fastnet Race and never saw the Irish coast as the lighthouse is a mark of the course and is rounded to port before setting course for the Isles of Scilly. Thus, I hadn't realised how close the Irish Coast actually is to this famous light house. As we approached, the waves were crashing against the rock and the rain intensified. Once round the rock, we headed back towards Baltimore and did some fishing in the harbour entrance hoping to catch that elusive sea bass before heading in. 5 mackerel and 1 unidentified pollack-type fish later, we still didn't have any bass so packed up the lines and headed towards Sherkin Island.

Tonight, we were supposed to meet up with the other crews for a beach barbeque but with the weather raining stair-rods, understandably this was postponed. Instead, we gutted our 'pollack' and stuffed it with the fennel leaves (picked from the Iles of Scilly) lemon, onion and parsley before baking for 45 minutes and serving with new potatoes, carrots and white wine. There was more than enough for 4 people and it was absolutely delicious - whatever it was.

Meanwhile, in England there is a heatwave.

Day Sixteen : Baltimore

2010-09-10T16:15:00.004+01:00

Wind and rain give way to sunshine for our lay day in Baltimore.
The mainsail is collected by courier for repair then we visit the one and only grocery store in town - Gala - and stock up with provisions from a rather limited choice. Prices for basics, such as cheese, are even more expensive than in Crosshaven and again we are left wondering how local people manage. Strangely, there is a wide selection of newspapers and magazines available in French and German as well as English but we find out later that there are well established French and German communities here.

We walk out of town, past abundant bushes of fuschias, towards the headland to get a close-up of Lot's Wife which we missed yesterday from the water. There is an amazing micro climate on the cliffs with marsh plants, such as sedges, on the top of the hills which is quite unusual. We spot some people fishing from the rocks below and wonder firstly, how they got down there and secondly, if they have caught any sea bass. So far, we haven't caught any sea bass but are hopeful that we will before our voyage is over.

Dinner tonight has been arranged at "The Lookout" so a shower is required and some fresh clothes found for the occassion. Showers are at the local pub - Jacob's Bar - and cost 3 euros a time. For this price, I'm expecting Bulgari soap and fluffy white towels, but the showers are in the store room and the tile are cracked and quite dirty. The water is hot and runs for as long as you want so at least it doesn't cut out after 3 minutes or anything. There is no Bulgari soap or fluffy white towels.

About 30 people from the Little Ship Club convene for drinks at The Lookout and we all enjoy a decent meal. Despite consuming a large quantity to fish over the past few weeks, I go for the salmon and mackerel salad to start, followed by the local cod.

Day Fifteen : Glandore to Baltimore

2010-09-10T15:48:00.003+01:00

Gale warnings are given over the radio so we depart Glandore before the weather closes in. It's only 17 NM to Baltimore, so we should get in before the gales hit this area. Forty-five minutes out of Glandore, the visibility deteriorates so we stay well offshore to avoid the numerous rocks which pepper this coastline.

The entrance to Baltimore is tricky to spot as the cloudbase is right over the cliffs. It should be really easy as there is a massive white day mark - "Lot's Wife" - on the eastern side of the approach (see photo). However, today it was hidden and therefore no use whatsoever.

As we wiggled through the entrance, swarms of kids in dinghies were zipping about - oblivious to the rain and having lots of fun. Baltimore is a major sailing centre and there are several schools here which run summer camps for children. After managing to avoid mowing down several of the Lasers, we found our way to the town quay and rafted up in the pouring rain.

The key objective now was to get the mainsail repaired. Bizarrely, there are no sailmakers in Baltimore and we eventually found one in Goleen some 20 NM away who would pick up the sail and repair it.

Tonight we eat ashore at the Jolie Brise Restaurant. I chose the local Galley Head prawns which were absolutely tasteless as they were practically still frozen. At the other end of the scale, the white wine we ordered had not been chilled so had to be sent back. Verdict: avoid.

PS: photo above of Lot's Wife was taken the next day when it wasn't raining.

Day Fourteen : Crosshaven to Glandore

2010-09-10T15:38:00.005+01:00

Finally, we cast off and leave Crosshaven towards Glandore. The scenery is stunning as we sail westwards passing Daunt Rock and Galley Head. It's still quite blustery and on the final approach to Glandore, the mainsail rips. Fortunately, it's near the foot so we reef down and carry on.

After 9 hours sailing, we pick our way through the tricky approaches, leaving 'Eve' to port and 'The Dangers' to starboard. It's very shallow in places and the anchorage at Union Pier is quite crowded but we find a suitable spot to drop the hook. Afternoon tea is taken somewhat later than usual - at 1830 - on account of the earlier bumpy passage. Out come the fishing lines and the catch of the day is 1 mackerel and several small crabs which are returned to the water.

Dinner tonight is chorizo with butter beans and a little rice. This is very quick to do - about 20 minutes.

Day Thirteen : Still in Crosshaven

2010-09-10T15:28:00.004+01:00

We're still in Crosshaven as the forecast for sailing to Kinsale isn't looking very good. Another day in Crosshaven means we'll have to skip Kinsale, which is a pity as this town is considered to be the gastronomic captial of County Cork, and go on to Glandore.

So instead of sampling a Kinsale restaurant, we have Sunday dinner on board with all the trimmings using the lamb chops bought yesterday from Kidney's. I make roast potatoes for the first time on a boat much to the delight of the crew. Served with carrots, broccoli and red wine gravy, our dinner goes down a treat.

Day Twelve : Crosshaven, Ireland

2010-09-06T18:12:00.006+01:00

Today, we focus on provisioning as this is the last chance before heading westwards. First, we visit Crosshaven Farmers Market in the Village Square which is held on Saturdays, 10am – 2pm. Here, we sample local cheeses at Cheese Please and buy a good selection. We chose St Killian - a Camembert style cheese - for lunch today as it's quite ripe and may not survive subsequent days' sailing. As a 'keeper', we go for Mount Callan - a traditional mature Cheddar - which we think may stay the course, except it's so delicious, it may disappear quite quickly. Wicklow Blue - a mild, creamy blue-veined cheese - has to be tried and we're intrigued by the venison salami so we have to have some of that too.

Next, we call in at the local butcher who - believe it or not - is called Kidneys.
Shopping here is the total antithesis of buying meat in sterile plastic packaging from supermarkets. It involves a lot of chat, careful selection from the meats is on offer and waiting patiently while it's all prepared. We opt for a rack of lamb, which is converted into chops, and a dozen rashers of bacon. Everything is wrapped in greaseproof paper and then we're relieved of rather a lot of Euros - quality does not come cheaply in this part of the world! We're left wondering how local people can afford to buy their groceries. It's not just the Sterling-Euro exchange rate - these prices are genuinely steep! Still, the only competition is the local supermarket and we wanted to give Kidneys a try.

After a marvelous lunch aboard in the sunshine, two of our intrepid crew are dispatched to Lidl's in the afternoon to do the provisioning of the dry goods. Here, the prices were rather more reasonable and goodies included brioche with creme patisiere.

Once everything has been stowed, we smarten up for dinner at the Royal Cork Yacht Club which is the oldest yacht club in the world. I enjoyed a silky vegetable soup followed by pan-fried salmon with a plate of 3 desserts to finish. Yummy!

Day Eleven : Crosshaven, Ireland

2010-09-06T17:49:00.003+01:00

Another lay day in Crosshaven, so we take a short sail over to East Ferry on the opposite side of Cork Harbour to do some exploring.

Tonight, we enjoy a drinks party at Salve Marina. What we thought were just going to be 'nibbles' turned out to be almost a full-scale buffet prepared by the owner's daughter. It was hard to resist homemade delights such as smoked salmon on soda bread, delicious cocktail sausages coated in barbeque sauce and bit-sized vol-au-vents. This didn't leave a lot of room for dinner, but we valiantly made our way to a local pub which many had said had a good reputation for fish. We managed to bag a table and ordered the ' turbot' which seemed very reasonably priced. When the plates were served, we were somewhat mystified by the fish on the plate which looked more like a small plaice than a turbot. Nonetheless, whatever had ended up at our table was delicious and the hand-cut potato wedges were a great alternative to deep-fried chips.

Day Ten : Crosshaven, Ireland

2010-09-06T17:22:00.004+01:00

Today is a lay day and we meet up with other crews from the Little Ship Club to visit the gardens at Lisselan in Clonakilty. As well as rare trees, the spectacular rock garden and the extensive Rhododendron garden, the Fuschia Gardens are a particular highlight. We were given access to the walled fruit and vegetable gardens and invited to pick strawberries and raspberries from the bushes.

Then it was time for afternoon tea on the terrace with sandwiches, fairy cakes and homemade scones with strawbery jam from the estate.

After such substantial fare, we opt for a Mexican themed supper on board of freshly prepared guacamole with red bean and red pepper salad.

Day Nine : Crosshaven, Ireland

2010-09-06T17:11:00.004+01:00

We arrive in Crosshaven 24 hours after leaving Isles of Scilly. After a much needed shower in the Royal Cork Yacht Club, our safe arrival is celebrated with a drink at the bar. Appetites for the Celtic Sea crossing were not voracious and the pre-cooked sausages from yesterday have been untouched. So tonight, bangers and mash with onion gravy are on the menu.

As dinner is concluded, the wind howls through the rigging and the rain lashes down. It seems we timed our passage just right!

Day Eight : Isles of Scilly to Crosshaven, Ireland

2010-09-06T16:49:00.004+01:00

After all the preparations have been finished, we finally sit down for a hearty brunch of bacon, spinach, poached egg on an english muffin. For the passage across the Celtic Sea to Cork, sausages are prepared for a snack on the way and chicken ceasar wraps stored in tin foil so people can help themselves when on watch.

We depart New Grimsby Sound at 1400 for the 135 NM voyage. This is possibly our last weather window for a few days as strong winds are forecast by the end of tomorrow. It's a bit bumpy to start - with short, confused waves - as we leave the Isles of Scilly but the sea settles down as we get into deeper water. Although we depart in fair weather, as the day progresses we can see the weather fronts clearly defined by the clouds on the horizon.

Lots of ginger nut biscuits and dark chocolate for the ladies' watch through the night.

Day Six & Seven : Falmouth to St. Mary's & New Grimsby Sound

2010-08-08T14:38:00.010+01:00

After another consultation with the weather oracle over an espresso in 5 Degrees West, we decide to sail overnight towards the Isles of Scilly. This gives us more time to complete final preparations, last minute provisioning and have a final shower.

Lunch is a Nicoise style salad served in the sunshine with herb flat bread. Then it's onto preping the pork tenderloin and flageolet beans for tonight's dinner so that it's just an assembly job when we're underway.

We depart, as planned by 1800, and it's smooth sailing down to the Manacles. Once round the corner, the swell coming in from the Atlantic starts to build as we head towards the Lizard. Luckily, doing all the prep this afternoon for tonight's meal paid off but it was still a challenge to plate up without everything escaping from the bowls. By this time, the wind has backed and is firmly on the nose, so we have to motor sail towards St. Mary's.

On night watch, we discover that plain chocolate (70% cacoa) and Foxes ginger biscuits eaten together are a terrific combo, especially paired up with a steaming hot cup of coffee - guaranteed to keep you going.

The hours slip by and very soon, through the emerging daylight, we see the outline of the islands. We pick our way through the rocks and shallows to have a look in Port Cressa to see if there is anyone achored there that we know. 'Silver Tide' is anchored there but either they're still asleep or gone ashore as there are no signs of life.

Onwards then to St. Mary's and here most of the Little Ship Club yachts have spent the night. It's extremely crowded so we thread our way through the moorings and eventually find a free mooring buoy. After catching up on some sleep, we blow up the dinghy and head towards the quay.

Lunch is in the Bishop and Wolf which has enticed us in with the promise of fresh crab sandwiches as proclaimed on a blackboard outside. Alas, there is no crab today so we have to 'make do' with smoked salmon or Atlantic prawn sandwiches which turned out to be delicious.

Afterwards, I'm keen to see what can be foraged from the shoreline in Port Cressa, so walk up the road and onto the craggy beach. Here, there are limpets aplenty on the granite rocks. In Madeira, limpets are a traditional hors-d'oeuvre - the "lapas" are placed in sizzling garlic butter and become perfectly cooked in the time it takes to get from the kitchen to the table. As the ship's stores are well stocked at the moment, I don't fancy giving the limpets a try. Walking away from the shore I find a plentiful supply of wild fennel and sea chard by the embankment. This is definitely worth collecting for use over the next couple of days.

Reluctantly, it's time to stop beach combing and head back to the dinghy (there are no water taxis). While we've been ashore, the swell from the SW has really got going and we're rocking and rolling on the mooring. All agree that we're not going to put up with this all night, so after afternoon tea, we pick our way through the rocks and shallows towards New Grimsby Sound. Everyone else has had the same idea but we find a spot to anchor by 2000 and the fishing commences while dinner is being prepared.

The plan was to have a light supper of melted goats cheese on ciabatta with rocket but the arrival of a large pouting on board meant a quick change of plan. While the pouting was being gutted, celery and carrots were sliced into strips to be stir-fried with red onion. The fish was so fresh that, despite being now headless, it was still twitching and flapping about in the pan. Adding a little olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley and salt, the pouting was loosely wrapped in tin foil and bunged in the oven for 25 minutes. Filets were served with the stir-fried vegetables and were absolutely delicious. Followed by the goats cheese salad then plain chocolate with a dram of whisky on the side, supper turned out to be not so light after all.

Day Five : Fowey to Falmouth

2010-08-06T18:23:00.003+01:00

A relatively short hop today from Fowey to Falmouth and again there is high pressure and sunshine. We drop our mooring line at 0730 and hop the headlands to St. Anthony's Head and the approach to Falmouth. It seems very busy here, with yachts - classic and modern - streaming out of the harbour, after a few days on quiet moorings but this is an important stop as it's the last chance we have to stock up on provisions before setting sail towards the Isles of Scilly.

After the recent instrument refit, the depth sounder clearly needs calibration as we steer towards the Town Quay with the depth reading - 0.6 metres, which is somewhat disconcerting! As the larger yacht in front of us didn't go aground, we figured we were ok to keep going.

For lunch, we had a quick round of ham and cheese sandwiches before dividing up tasks and heading into town for food, a replacement gas canister and internet access to get the latest weather so we could decide if tomorrow was going to be a good window for heading towards the Isles of Scilly. Falmouth is an ideal pit-stop for provisioning: as well as a large supermarket, there are bakeries, fishmongers and one of the best hardware stores in the country - Trago Mills.

After supplies of food and boaty bits are on board, it was time to welcome a new crew member and get ready for dinner at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Here, we met up with other yachts from The Little Ship Club for a pre-dinner contest with the model yachts powered by fans in each corner of the indoor pool. Then it was up to the second floor with a stunning view of the harbour as the sun went down and a dinner of tapas, fillet of Cornish beef with dauphinoise potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables followed by fruit salad. The tapas selection included scallops wrapped in parma ham, which were absolutely devine. Next, the beef was fantastic - tender and succulent - but the fruit salad was disappointing.

On our way back to the Town Quay, we noticed that Rick Stein had opened a fish restaurant since we had last visited the museum. Here, mackerel were being sold for £8.50, so at this price we reckoned that we'd caught £85 worth so far. Better keep those fishing rods going!

Day Four: Dartmouth to Fowey

2010-08-04T15:30:00.006+01:00

Another hot and sunny morning. We depart the Dartmouth early and head towards Start Point with the fishing lines out, hoping for some sea bass near the rocks. Several fishing boats were bobbing along, so the area looked promising. However, we didn't catch a single tiddler going along the coast here but we did see many cormorants and a common seal on the rocks below the lighthouse. Further up the coast, we did eventually catch 5 mackerel of Hillsea Point and kept 3 for dinner.

Onwards towards the River Yealm to for lunch - our last stop in Devon. After negotiating the tricky approach, we drop the anchor in soaring temperatures and enjoy Greek Salad to complement the Mediterranean atmosphere. It's tempting to stop right here and not continue to Fowey but we resist and crack on westwards. There was lots to see on the way as a naval exercise was in progress - hopefully no live ammunition was involved this time! Warships on the horizon did not deter us from our afternoon tea of fresh scones - bought that morning in Dartmouth - clotted cream and strawberry jam.

After passing Looe and Polperro and some amazing Cornish coastline, we arrive in Fowey in the early evening and take the opportunity to fill up the water tank which has lasted well so far. Mackerel and lemon baked in foild with roasted tomatoes and new potatoes.

Day Three: Portland to Dartmouth

2010-08-02T15:22:00.007+01:00

High pressure meant a clear sky early in the morning in Portland Harbour. We dropped our mooring at 0600 to catch the tide for the inner passage around the notorious Portland Bill. Here, the Portland Race is caused by the meeting of the tides between the Bill and the Shambles sandbank about 3 miles SE. Strong currents break the sea so fiercely that from the shore a continuous disturbance can be seen and even large vessels are at risk of breaking up if sucked into the Race. Fortunately, we have timed our westward passage well and have fair tide accelerating us past the Portland Lighthouse.

Here, the water is teeming with mackerel and we quickly catch 7 in quick succession: 5 keepers and 2 small ones returned to the sea. We haven't had breakfast yet, so the fresh mackerel - with thei iridescent skins - are quickly gutted and filleted. Into a pan with a little butter and a squeeze of lemon and a twist of freshly ground black pepper, the fish are ready to serve on wholemeal toast within 15 minutes of being caught. The light, delicate flavour of fresh mackerel bears no resemblance to the stronger flavour of the same fish bought in the supermarket.

After such a lovely breakfast, lunch was simple cheese on toast.

Arriving in Dartmouth, we stocked up with fresh provisions, then joined up with friends on 'Lazy Life' for pre-dinner drinks then went en masse to "The Frying Pan" fish and chip shop for a take-away fish and chip supper to eat in the cockpit back on the Town Quay under a blue sky.

Day Two: Solent to Portland

2010-08-02T15:02:00.008+01:00

The morning is sunny with a distinct lack of breeze. After the last shower for a few days, we cast off and head for the Needles. Underway, muesli with banana and strawberries is munched for breakfast. Muesli is the driving force on 'A Day at the Races' and no morning would be complete without a big bowlful of the stuff. We like the Dorset Cereals varieties and some of the own-brand luxury packets from most supermarkets. I'm not very keen on Alpen - in fact I don't like it all. It's like eating mouthfuls of sawdust and is overly sweet.

Still no breeze, so we continue motor-sailing towards Portland with chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and a small glass of beer. Just as we're finishing eating, a safety vessel from the firing range comes alongside and warns us that there is live firing practice today. We alter course slightly to avoid the practice area and arrive at the entrance to Portland Harbour just after 1600, picking up a mooring buoy just before 1700.

Local dinghy racers start whizzing by our mooring and we have a grandstand view from the cockpit of the local sailing clubs' evening racing. In 2012, this area will be really buzzing as the Olympic sailing events will be held here. After the racing, it's time for linguine with bolognaise sauce washed down with a glass of chianti.

We plan the next day's passage and turn in under a warm summer sky.

Day One: preparing for a long summer cruise

2010-08-01T17:49:00.006+01:00

Preparations are underway to get ready for a long summer cruise from the Solent to the West Country, Isles of Scilly and Southern Ireland. I draw up a shopping list for the ships stores for all the heavy items that can be taken down by car as we'll be in some fairly remote places, so canned food, bottled water, beers and wine needs to be bought now.

There's time to get ahead of the game and cook two meals in advance at home: lamb and prune tagine and bolognaise sauce. Sharp knives and other culinary instruments are selected from the home arsenal and packed carefully for the voyage. Also, a selection of herbs and spices which we'll need along the way.

After a massive session at the supermarket, the car is bursting at the seams with all the provisions and it takes three trolley loads to move all the provisions down to the boat. Eventually, a home is found for everything and after changing from the racing sails to the cruising sails, we settle down to lamb and prune tagine with cous cous and a courgette & carrot salad with sesame seeds. Plus a nice drop of Rioja as a reward for all our hard work.

Now, 'A Day At The Races' is definitely in cruising mode as the waterline sinks 2 cm more than usual with all the extra gear on board. We check the weather and all looks good for an early morning departure the next day.

Food Galore at St. Vaast

2010-06-07T16:09:00.014+01:00

From a recent cross-channel sail, here are some samples of the food galore at St. Vaast-la-Hougue on the coast in Northern France. For more about our trip to St. Vaast click here for the full article.

Devine croissants and truly brilliant brioche.
The cafe we visited did not serve food for breakfast but recommended a boulangerie nearby. After a quick detour and armed with still warm croissants and brioche, we returned to the cafe for a cup of coffee.

Here is a mobile wood burning oven at the start of the market. Legs of pork and lamb were gently roasting on the top shelves with chicken and sausages on the bottom shelf. The aroma was amazing!

Nearby was a stall selling horse meat. I unknowingly ate this once and it was delicious. The meat looks amazing but as a former horse owner, I'm a bit reluctant to buy some.

Beautiful fresh white cauliflowers picked that morning from the fields.

Various duck products: pates, confits and a type of foie gras.

A wide variety of soups including lobster bisque, crab bisque, langoustine bisgue, seafood soup or bouillabaise, mushroom, chicken and celery.

We've all gone crackers!

2010-06-02T17:42:00.010+01:00

When I first started offshore racing, there always seemed to be couple of packets of Jacob's Cream Crackers on board which remained unopened, if not intact, on our return to port. Were they on board to ward off evil spirits or be thrown overboard as an offering to Neptune? Apparently, the idea was that crew, who were feeling a little green around the gills and couldn't face the prospect of a square meal, could sit in a dark corner and nibble on said crackers to quell their queasy stomachs. What's wrong with ginger nut biscuits then? Jacob's Cream Crackers remind me of those daft drinking games people play when they are teenagers e.g. who can eat the most JCCs in 2 minutes and stuff. So thumbs down for JCCs.

JCCs have been around for centuries and I was only thinking the other day, what has happened to TUC crackers? Well, Tony Turnbull writes in the Times:

"We chanced upon the ideal biscuit, one I hadn’t consciously eaten in 20 years. I didn’t know that they even still made TUC crackers, but those golden yellow, pin-pricked octagons turned out to be the original crowd pleaser — sweet enough not to be entirely savoury, but cheesy enough not to be sickly; not so crumbly as to splinter over the seats, but thick and dry enough to drain the saliva from your mouth and render you mute. Some say that they are named after the Trades Union Congress (a billboard providing the inspiration when the cracker was launched in the UK), others that it stands for The Unique Cracker..."
Source: The Times - April 22, 2010

So, TUC are still alive and kicking but not much in evidence on board.

Ritz crackers? Only seen them in the last couple of years as part of the canape selection (with Primula cheese spread - how 70s!) at the British Classic Yacht Regatta but what do you expect on wooden boats which have 'character' instead of modern galleys.

What has become the cracker of choice is Jacob's Savours. We can't get enough of them on Juno or dry land. Kate started the trend by buying the Sea Salt and Rosemary version and it's been a slippery slope since then - once the box is open, there is no going back until the last one is demolished! Jennifer describes the Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt "as addictive as heroin". Mind you, she says that about Tiger bread too. I too am hooked and have neglected my trusty Nairn oatcakes (rough or smooth milled) as of late in favour of a Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt thin with cream cheese and a slice of fresh cucumber but sometimes I can't wait long enough to put something on top. This is no hardship, as the crackers are just as delicious on their own.

This isn’t a definitive analysis of the most popular crackers on board boats and more research needs to be undertaken this summer.

Gas or Bisto: key decisions on Eowyn

2010-04-13T10:26:00.007+01:00

Eowyn is a 40ft Hallberg-Rassy currently sailing in the World ARC event and is on passage towards Tahiti at the moment with Graham Payne and Mike Birch on board. Before departing on this leg of her world tour, her last post describes Eowyn's approach to cooking on board.

"We take it in turns to cook. Our styles are different but the common denominators are garlic, onion and ginger. Our most important 'British' ingredient is gravy and we are getting through the Bisto rapidly, onion gravy being the favourite. Propane is in short supply as we may not get our bottles filled until the end of April, so we must always economise and avoid recipes which use a lot of gas. Of course, bread is made in an electric breadmaker and we use the Remoska electric cooker for cake baking. We have to run the engine for these devices and the watermaker so diesel is another precious resource to conserve along with the propane and Bisto."

Wonder if they've caught any fish yet?

Juno's first offshore race

2010-04-11T16:55:00.004+01:00

Charles has just splashed out on a brand new X34 named Juno - a mean lean racing machine built to win! After a couple of outings in the Warsash Spring Series - Juno is currently in first place in her class - the plan was to race in the Junior Offshore Group (JOG) series over the Easter break. JOG had arranged two races: one from Cowes to Cherbourg and rather cleverly from Cherbourg to Cowes. Unfortunately, storms and squalls with even more bad weather forecast meant that the outbound race was postponed by 24 hours.

Our provisioning plan was for breakfasts and lunch on board plus two evening meals whilst on passage - the aspiration being that we would be enjoying 'fruit de mer' and other tasty plates on the other side of the Channel. To conserve provisions, we had dinner at the Victory Inn in Hamble village on Thursday night. The 'legendary' beer-battered fish and chips with home-made tartare sauce was devine and the steak and ale pie went down a treat too. Prices are reasonable but beware: the portions are BIG! Foredeck, mast and pit still managed to have room for dessert and opted for banoffi pie or maple syrup & pecan pie served as an individual tartlet.

With the postponement still in force on Friday, dinner was courtesy of the local chippy as an early night was called for before racing on Saturday and there was still a lot to get ready.

Saturday morning came around quickly and we set off to the start line near Cowes with the pre-cooked bacon and sausages warming in the oven before serving in bread rolls. After a great start, the weather deteriorated and there weren't many takers for the chicken salad wraps which had been so carefully prepared the night before. Not too many cups of tea were had either, although several attempts were made. Must remember to pack the thermos flask in future.

After a 14 hour squally crossing, we made it into Chantereyne Marina and as soon as everything was lashed down and secure (more storms forecast for overnight) we had a hot chocolate with a couple of Minstrels melting in the bottom finished off with a splash of single malt whisky. Then it was time for Kate's spaghetti bolognaise served with garlic and herb flatbreads. Juno's oven is brilliant - the temperature can actually be controlled and things heat up when you expect them too. The L-shaped galley and the nav desk are both protected by padded coverings which a) stop the brand new woodwork from getting scratched (which was the original intention) and b)reduce the bruising when you are hurled against either station (a positive unintended consequence).

As we'd lost a day, the start of the race back was on Sunday morning but we decided to scratch and cruise back giving us time for lunch at Cherbourg Yacht Club before departing. A smoother passage back meant that we could now avail ourselves to the treats in the snack locker, actually eat a chicken salad wrap and have Mark's chicken curry with saffron and cardomon rice en route.

Arriving in the small hours of Monday morning, Juno was put to bed and we had a 0300 feast of Wenslydale and Apricot cheese with crackers washed down with the wine which JOG had provided in lieu of a reception the previous day.

Finally, muesli followed by bacon and sausage in bread rolls for breakfast before the final tidy up and departure.

Frostbite Racing

2010-03-15T14:33:00.007Z

Last weekend was the final race in the Little Ship Club's Frostbite Series. Although not actually freezing, the temperature was not far off during Friday night. To combat these cool temperatures, our menu for the weekend on A Day At The Races was:

Friday night
Onion bhajis with raita dip
Kedgeree with spinach plus garlic flatbread
Lemon cupcakes and tea

Saturday morning
Muesli with banana
Blueberry or chocolate chip muffins

Saturday lunch
Lamb koftas in soft tortilla wraps served with plain yoghurt
Baby plum tomatoes
Cucumber slices

Saturday evening
Prize Giving Dinner ashore at the Max Aitken Museum, Cowes - Isle of Wight

Sunday morning
Muesli with banana
Blueberry or chocolate chip muffins

Sunday lunch
Vichysoisse soup
Bacon rolls with melted emmenthal cheese

Plus we had some rather sinful donuts during the race which probably need a 3-day offshore race at least to work off, not to mention the lemon cupcakes and choc-chip cookies too. Could mean a new set of sailing kit soon - a size larger!

However, there was lots of leaping around on our approach to Cowes Yacht Haven on Saturday afternoon as, due to an engine problem, we had to sail into our berth. Maybe it was a good job we had those donuts afterall!

PS
A Day At The Races came first in the LSC 2009/10 Frostbite Series

Tarte Tatin

2009-11-29T17:39:00.008Z

There are many variations on the classic tart tatin and here is one way of creating a tasty tart on board. Everything is prepared in one pan which should be suitable for putting in the oven. I use a 24cm non-stick frying pan with a metal handle for this.

Ingredients

For the tart
1 pack pre-made puff pastry (thaw if frozen)
Some plain flour for rolling out
6 large eating apples (Cox's are good) peeled, cored and cut into halves
10g unsalted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar

For the caramel
50ml water
100g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter

Method
* Heat the oven (190C / mark 5 at home, high on the boat)
* Dust a clean smooth chopping board with flour and roll out the pastry until it is about 2-3mm thick, and wide enough to cover your pan, using an unopened wine bottle if no rolling pin is on board
* cover the pastry with cling film and leave somewhere cool for about 30 mins

* To make the caramel, add the sugar and water to the frying pan and let the sugar absorb the water
* Put the frying pan on the hob, bring to a rolling boil then simmer until it turns golden brown
* Stir in the butter and take off the heat

* Arrange the apple halves cut side down in the pan and fill in the gaps with any left over wedges of apple, leaving as little space as possible
* Cut the butter into cubes and dot over the apples
* Place in the oven for 5 mins then take out and spread the melting butter over the apples with a flat knife then sprinkle over some caster sugar
* Return to the oven for another 30 mins or until the apples are partly cooked

* Take the pan out of the oven and place the pastry over the top of the apples
* With a knife, cut around the rim so that the pastry becomes round, then tuck the edges in at the side of the pan
* brush wih a little milk and return to the oven for about 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown
* Once cooked, remove from oven and leave under the sprayhood until barely warm so that the caramel can set.

* To release the tart, use a knife and go round the side of the pan to release the pastry.
* Put a large dinner plate over the pan and turn upside down, holding the plate and pan together

* Slice and serve with double cream or creme fraiche

Serves 6-8 people
Suitable for in harbour or flat calm sea

Cooking on board - the Clipper Round the World Race

2009-11-25T21:51:00.005Z

If you think provisioning for a week's cruising and cooking at sea is tough, spare a thought for the galley on the yachts in the Clipper Round the World Race. Here are some food-related extracts from their blogs.

Dawn Evans on Sprit of Australia says

"Steal your pets eating bowl. All meals are consumed out of lovely green plastic dog bowls. Next time you prepare your favourite pets’ meal swap your lovely porcelain for their bowl. Try eating your first course then swill it out and have some pudding. Lovely."

"Visit your local supermarket, buy high quantity of chocolate bars, heat in oven, in wrapper, attempt to eat when cool. Chocolate snacks are in abundance aboard Spirit of Australia. How lovely you may think. A cup of tea and something sweet. However no matter how carefully and nicely packed penguin cake bars, fudge bars and Crunchies may be when it comes to eating them they have been reduced to a pile of sticky mush. We have taken to sucking chocolate out of wrappers - not a good look but one that needs practice."

Orla Mellett on Cork took charge of provisioning in Rio...

"A fresh fruit and veg run is the last run we do before we hit for sea and having learned from our experiences on Leg 1, we stocked up on loads of citrus fruits, melons, apples, cabbages, onions, garlic, carrots – anything that we think will go the distance. With the galley rammed full of all this fresh produce, the last couple of days have seen us enjoy fresh veggie soup (yes, that’s the rustic unblended homemade variety Mama!) and pineapple and melon desserts – Not too shabby, eh!"

"Cork’s crew are feeling extremely detoxed and healthy at the minute as a result. Long may it continue!"

"Regardless of how prepared you feel, you will inevitably forget something or fail to meet everyone’s expectations. Thankfully, we have a crew here on Cork that seem to eat pretty much anything that’s put in front of them, without a grumble (well, at least not in my ear shot!), which makes what could be a thankless and soul destroying job, one of the most rewarding on the boat."

Award! The Alexander Catering Rose Bowl

2009-11-13T20:10:00.003Z

howtocookonaboat.com has been awarded the Alexander Catering Rose Bowl for creating and publishing "Recipes from the Little Ship Club Galley". After being presented with this beautiful silver trophy by Commodore Rupert Wallace(Royal Navy), we only had the trophy in our grasp for a couple of hours during the prize-giving dinner at the Little Ship Club. Sadly, when dinner ended, we had to give it up to the trophy cabinet but Julie & Caroline will have their names engraved for posterity. And we get to keep a medallion as a souvenir.

It was a total surprise to us and we just hope that "Recipes from the Little Ship Club Galley" continues to sell well.

Pimp My Beans

2009-09-15T13:35:00.007+01:00

Baked beans are a store cupboard staple onboard but on their own can be a bit boring so why not try adding a couple of ingredients to jazz things up?

Ingredients
1 can baked beans
half a chorizo
2 good pinches of paprika (Spanish is best)
drop of oil (whatever is in the galley)
freshly ground black pepper
toast (optional)

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Lightly fry the chorizo and add the paprika, stirring well
3. Sling in the beans and add a little black pepper
4. Serve on toast

Preparation time - 5 minutes
Serves 2

For more recipes click here

Hang on to your hats!

2009-05-09T14:45:00.011+01:00

The crew of Cassiopeia - chartered from Fairview Sailing - had provisioned efficiently for our week’s cruise by ordering on-line and arranging delivery to the marina. Everything was still in the crates when we arrived which cut down the amount of ‘lifting and shifting’ dramatically with an added bonus of the crates fitting neatly into the storage space on our Bavaria 37 thus reducing the need to unpack everything.

Sunday night in Hamble kicked off with pitta bread and houmous starter followed by Greg’s chorizo casserole with pasta which was really simple to prepare and very tasty. Monday night found us moored in Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport, next to Dee Caffari’s Aviva, where Toby prepared a hybrid chilli con carne from kidney beans and haricot beans which was much appreciated after a fast sail down from Hamble.

Following a beat towards Cowes on Tuesday morning, which include a hi-line recovery exercise with Coastguard Rescue, we moored up in the Medina river for an excellent lunch of sausages in pitta bread accompanied by succulent cherry tomatoes and rocket in the cockpit. After a blustery afternoon's sailing, with winds gusting over 30 knots, we headed for shelter at Bucklers Hard in the Beaulieu River. Here, Neil prepared an onion salad starter, cooked us pork in disguise served with mashed potatoes and carrots and served up a cheesecake which set us up nicely for an after dinner walk along the river path to the Master Builder for a nightcap.

The forecast for Wednesday was still F6/7 so we abandoned our original plan to sail to Poole. Instead, we put 3 reefs in the main and sailed into Christchurch bay then onwards to the fairway buoy. Plans to have cornish pasties and beans for lunch were abandoned when the gas ran out and with rough seas giving 3-5m waves, we opted for a quick cheese sandwich instead. Returning to the Solent at about 8 knots, we headed for Yarmouth with the wind whistling through the rigging. Tonight, the galley had the night off and we eat ashore at Salty’s instead.

With the south-westerly wind still blowing a hooley, we stormed up the Solent to Wooton Creek then dropped the anchor in the shelter of Osbourne bay for lunch of cornish pasties and beans – this time cooked with a full gas canister. After practicing anchoring and MOB under sail, we headed for the relative calm of East Cowes marina and Neil’s sweet and sour chicken with rice. Neil had used a whole chicken which he jointed. The extra chicken pieces where cooked in the oven, with a special marinade of tomato ketchup and brown sauce, to have as a midnight feast when we returned from night sailing practice later on.

During the week, we eat mainly cereal and toast (courtesy of the electric toaster when on shore power) for breakfast varied with bacon butties one day and a full English breakfast on the last morning. Lunches were simple sandwiches or heated sausage rolls / pasties supplemented by a cup-of-soup - ideal for sailing in strong winds and moderate to rough seas.

PS no hats were lost overboard!

Photos by Toby Denham

B&B on the water

2009-03-30T21:07:00.003+01:00

Out on the water for the first time this year on B&B - not a bed & breakfast but a Dehler 36SQ. Our skipper and host provisioned for a chilly sail which turned out to be quite sunny. To keep us warm inside, Brian prepared Heinz Chunky Vegetable "Big Soup" and sausage rolls for lunch. Very warming and filling and faster to prepare than sandwiches! Then for dinner, he prepared the yotties favourite - spaghetti bolognaise but with portobello mushrooms for extra taste. No wonder my sailing clothes are feeling snug.

Cork Week 2008 with Anticipation

2008-10-05T17:53:00.005+01:00

My first experience of Cork Week Regatta was this year on Anticipation - a Beneteau First 40.7 owned and skippered by Pete Newlands who is based in Cowes. We set off from Cowes after a day's delay due to adverse weather and made slow, bumpy progress out West. After pulling into Dartmouth [due to technical problems and exhaustion] we set off again in better weather - passing the Lizard and Land's End out into the Celtic Sea.

This time I wasn't involved with the provisioning and it was interesting to see how Leanne went about it. There were 11 mouths to feed on the outbound delivery trip and Leanne cooked several meals for us to eat on the journey. These were made from fresh ingredients and frozen in a large tin foil tray. This meant that the food was more transportable and all we had to do was choose our meal, let it defrost and just pop it in the pre-warmed oven. Once most of us had stopped hanging over the rails to feed the fishes [i.e. after Dartmouth] we enjoyed pasta bake, mild green Thai chicken curry and spaghetti bolognaise - and managed to keep it down this time! Saving the tin foil containers also comes in handy as these can be reused for roasting vegetables or cooking bacon and sausages for breakfast.

Arriving in Crosshaven just over 4 days after departing Cowes, one enterprising crewmember managed to find a bottle of wine and a case of beer despite it being 3 a.m. in the morning. This didn't last long but was a welcome arrival drink as we don't drink alcohol on passage.

After a brilliant night's sleep, we spent the next day making sure everything was in good order for the start of the racing. There was some time off in the afternoon and rather than just succumb to the fast food stands, Wil and I walked to the Farmer's Market in the village to have a look around. Here were enticing stalls of local produce where we nibbled our way around then settled on some mackerel pate, homemade fishcakes, dinky little round courgettes, bright red peppers, succulent tomatoes and salad with nasturtium leaves. Armed with a bottle of high quality olive oil and a nice bottle of wine, we headed back to Anticipation. As everyone else was content to brave the fast food stands, we had the yacht to ourselves. Wil is a genius in the galley so all I had to do was open the wine and have a stab at making Melba toast to go with the pate. Delicious!

In the following days, we were totally focused on racing, winning all 9 races in our class!!! We did take a litlle time out to visit some local restaurants during the event. Then it was goodbye to a successful Cork Week and back to Cowes. This time, the weather was favourable and we made it the return passage in less than 48 hours.

Fast Cruising: Falmouth - Dartmouth

2008-10-04T17:01:00.005+01:00

On the morning of our first fast cruise from Falmouth to Mevigissey, hardly a breath of wind stirred across the starting line outside Falmouth but once passed St Anthony's Head the breeze picked up, the spinnaker was hoisted and A Day At The Races surged ahead! We anchored under sail outside the harbour entrance to Mevigissey and after a lunch of chicken and avocado wraps we weighed anchor using the power from the sail only and blasted across to Fowey.. Mooring up off Pont Pil, we had dinner on board Vectis Secundis with Kate after pre-dinner drinks in the cockpit. The scenery is stunning here and we were quite content to view Fowey from this aspect. Next day, we did take the water taxi across to have a coffee at the yacht club and go exploring. There are some fabulous food shops in the town mostly selling local produce. Fowey is famous for its mussels so a few kilos were purchased from FoweyFish for a moules marinere back on board to be enjoyed that evening.

Then it was off to Plymouth the next day for dinner at the Royal Western Yacht Club overlooking Queen Anne's Battery Marina. Before setting off for Salcombe, we visited the market in the city centre and bought some scallops, prawns and monkfish for a seafood spaghetti on board. On arrival in "The Bag", our haul from Plymouth was quickly turned into a magnificent feast with a little cream added to the seafood for a touch of luxury. Our final leg from Salcombe to Dartmouth dawned grey and blustery and we raced eastwards towards Dartmouth in next to no time. Our final evening in Dartmouth saw torrential rain but that didn't deter everyone from putting on their evening finery for dinner at the Royal Naval College. After dinner, the fast cruise prizes were awarded and A Day At The Races won her class and was joint overall winner with Fioreun, a much larger Beneteau.

A Few Days in Falmouth

2008-09-29T19:55:00.006+01:00

We arrived in Falmouth a few days before the start of the Little Ship Club West Country Cruise which attracted over 25 yachts from all points of the compass.

Falmouth is a real hub of activity for all things nautical. With several marinas, the National Maritime Museum and lots of sailors - both local and visiting from far flung places [more of that later ...] We moored up near the Town Quay which was only a stone's throw away from the bustling High Street with its fishmongers and cafes. Also nearby, were the best showers I've encountered for a long time ... constant hot water and a shower cubicle the size of a small room to yourself. Beats going for a shower next to the car park in Dartmouth!

The day after we arrived,the Falmouth working boats were racing in the harbour under grey skies and gusty conditions. We braved the elements to sail out for a grandstand seat and were rewarded with the magnificent sight of these wooden vessels going full pelt with their bright coloured topsails on show. Also racing were gaffers "Jolie Brise" and "Alice" in full flight.

After a private dinner at the National Maritime Museum on Saturday and fish 'n' chips on Sunday, we decided to buy a crab the next day to eat on board. We bought our crab from Arwenack Fisheries in the High Street. Here, the crabs are delivered fresh each morning, cooked for 20 minutes in boiling salted water and are ready to be sold by 10 o’clock. It took a bit of effort to prepare but the results were worth waiting for. Click here to go to recipes and click on crab salad to find out how it's done.

One unexpected event happened: I came across two friends who had just returned from crossing the Atlantic in a Twister 28 called "Pouncer". Spying the aforementioned "Pouncer" one afternoon, there was no mistaking this was Jane & Charlotte from Greenwich. After leaving a note, Jane turned up later for a cup of tea and a good gossip. Arriving in Falmouth was their first landfall since Bermuda and they were having a rest before pressing on with the final leg to Greenwich.

Reluctantly it was time to go and head off into the east but the rain had stopped and a fair breeze blew to take us and the rest of the LSC fleet towards Dartmouth.

Day 5 - A Day at the Races: River Yealm to Falmouth

2008-06-18T15:59:00.003+01:00

We slip our mooring at 0730 in brilliant sunshine and weave our way downstream. Again, the northerly wind does not materialise so we're forced to motorsail towards St. Anthony's Head.

Mackerel lines out again but no bites this time.

Arrive Falmouth 1700 and treat ourselves to fish & chips with a bottle of chilled muscadet.

Day 4 - A Day at the Races: Dartmouth – Dittisham – River Yealm

2008-06-18T14:54:00.006+01:00

Setting off in bright sunshine, we cast off from the Town Quay to motor gently upstream for breakfast at Dittisham. Finding a free buoy, we moored up for cereal and croissants in this beautiful stretch of the River Dart. Reluctantly, we slipped our buoy and turned around to motor downstream towards the river entrance and onwards towards Start Point. After Prawle Point, there wasn’t much breeze, so we paid out the mackerel lines and motorsailed towards the entrance of the Yealm River. There was great excitement when two mackerel took the bait and we reeled them in with great care.

On arrival in the Yealm River, we motored slowly amongst the moored yachts looking for our friends on Bagheera – a Bowman 40. Finally we found them well upstream and rafted alongside for a drink and supper. It was almost like “Ready, Steady, Cook!" as both galleys were in action racing to complete at the same time so both crews could sit down together.

Bagheera came to the finish first with their steak casserole made with diced peppers, onions and tomatoes served with new potatoes whereas I’d opted for Sharon’s sausage casserole in red wine with mustard mash – somewhat tricky on a classic yacht with hardly any work surfaces to use.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t caught enough mackerel to feed everyone and two small fish were enough for 4 as a starter. Baked in foil with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime, after 15-20 minutes, the mackerel tasted sublime served on fresh wholemeal bread and butter. But we took our sausage casserole and mustard mash over and the two crews had a very convivial meal washed down with red wine and followed by cheese and biscuits. To end, David - the owner of Bagheera - made fresh coffee in his vacuum cafetiere. A great piece of kit if you can find one.

Then it was time to cast off and find our own buoy for our overnight stay with a wee dram of Famous Grouse whisky to finish before turning in.

Day 3 - A Day at the Races: Portland Harbour to Dartmouth

2008-06-18T14:53:00.003+01:00

Another early start to make sure we catch the right tide for the inner passage past Portland Bill. You have to pass close to land to avoid the notorious race and it seems that you could reach out and touch the lighthouse itself as you pass. Breakfast was on hold until we were safely clear and on our track towards Berry Head. As well as muesli today, we had wholemeal toast – courtesy of the grill on the Force 10 oven – with Barrie’s homemade marmalade.

After breakfast, we set up the spinnaker expecting a broad reach down to Dartmouth on account of the forecast northerly wind. As soon as we were ready to hoist, the wind backed to westerly again so we had to put the kite on hold and go back to white sails. Motorsailing for most of morning :-( we eventually found some wind we liked after lunch as the clouds closed in and precipitation was evident over the land. Just as we reached the entrance of the River Dart, the heavens opened and it was time to find a good excuse to go below!

On arrival in Dartmouth, the clouds parted and the sun came out again so steaming gently, we joined the melee of yachts jockeying for position to moor up on the town quay. After a couple of overnight stays at anchor, we needed to replenish our stores. We found that the Co-Op store had been turned into a M&S food which delighted the guys onboard. Whilst the range of pre-packed food is good at M&S Food, it is difficult to find basics - such as flour and HP brown sauce - so another trip was required to find the Spar.

When we returned from our provisioning expedition, Dartmouth was in full swing with yachts arriving from all points of the compass. On Bryn Mawr – a Southerly 110 - the crew were getting ready for a barbeque on board. Chris & Jan Humphrey [Skipper & First Mate] were joined by their friends Sally & Phil Johns {Bosun and Cabin Boy, not necessarily in that order] and were preparing some wonderful ingredients to pop on their clip-on barbeque. They had arrived earlier that afternoon and bought Tiger Prawns from the local fishmonger and meat and vegetables to make their own kebabs. Also, Phil had marinaded some chicken pieces in white wine vinegar, tomato sauce and sliced fresh chillis – it all looked amazing!

Day 2- A Day at the Races: Hurst Point to Portland Harbour

2008-06-18T14:52:00.001+01:00

After a quick breakfast of muesli and fresh fruit, we weigh anchor and depart at 0645 with a good northerly breeze and sunshine. For lunch, we stopped in stunning Lulworth Cove for sandwiches: salami, ham, tomato with mayonnaise on wholemeal bread – yum!

Then onwards towards Portland Harbour where we picked up a buoy and had another supermarket ready meal: this time, Chicken in a cream sauce with fresh broccoli and new potatoes. Ready meals have improved considerably over the last few years and are handy if you’re short of stowage space as we are on A Day at the Races . She was built in 1966 for Sir Owen Aisher and designed for offshore racing rather than gentle cruising. Originally named Yeoman XIV, she is built of teak and has recently been re-varnished and re-painted so is looking rather splendid at the moment.

Day 1- A Day at the Races: Beaulieu River to Hurst Point

2008-06-18T14:51:00.004+01:00

Our first leg of our passage towards the West Country was a short early evening sail on the ebb tide down to Hurst Point so we could catch the next tide out West early the next morning. After dropping anchor in the bay behind Hurst Lighthouse, we had moussaka and fresh carrots for dinner with a glass of South African merlot.

The moussaka was a supermarket ready meal but fine for eating on board as it only took 25 minutes to heat up in the oven so the only preparation was slicing the new season carrots to steam gently on the hob.

Mussels on the beach

2008-06-11T08:42:00.004+01:00

Last week, Jen and I escaped to the beach for an "al fresco" lunch. We took a large stock pot, pre-sliced carrot and onion, a sprig of thyme from the herb garden, a little butter, fresh bread and some chilled Muscadet. The mussels we bought en route to the beach so it was simply a matter of washing them under the cold water tap on the promenade, scraping off any barnacles with a pen-knife, pulling the beards off and washing them again. Note that any mussels which are open at this stage should be discarded.

Using a small camping stove and stock pot, we heated up the butter, fried the onion and carrots for a couple of minutes then added the wine, mussels and herbs. After a few minutes and a couple of turns, the mussels were open* and ready to enjoy in the sunshine! With a glass of Muscadet and fresh tiger bread - divine!!

* any mussels which remain closed after cooking should be discarded.

Tasty One

2008-05-28T18:42:00.009+01:00

Plans to sail across the channel to St. Vaast were hastily revised in the light of the news that French fishermen were blockading various ports on the northern coast of France over the Whit Bank Holiday weekend. Plus the forecast for a rather nasty low over Cherbourg didn't help matters, so we decided to take the line of least resistence and sail on the south coast of England.

Our Dufour 425 - chartered from Hamble Point Yacht Charters - was actually called "Hasty One" but given that every time we called up a marina for a berth, they kept calling us "Tasty One" plus the usual focus on gastronomic delights, she was quickly rechristened. Tasty One was just 2 months old and equipped to a high standard in the galley. She had a 3 ring gas hob with auto ignition so no fiddling around with matches or gas wands this time, plus she had a grill which meant we could have proper toast for breakfast. One thing we didn't use onboard was the microwave although I can see the benefit if people were in port on shorepower and either didn't have time or didn't have the culinary skills to prepare meals from scratch. We still needed the large cooking pot which I always carry in my kit, as most pans on charter boats are not up to the job of cooking up enough for 8 people. With a cafetiere on board too, we could have decent coffee too - so all was right with the world.

Having geared ourselves up for a Friday evening departure for France, sitting in a pub in Hamble seemed a sin especially as the early evening was sunny with light breezes [q.v. forecast for heavy thundery showers]. Instead, we cast off for a short sail towards Haslar to find out how Tasty One could perform under sail. As our expected arrival in Haslar was for last orders at the Lightship, we had dinner underway. Urszula and David prepared Tim's Salmon and Salad Surprise with potatoes in between tacks...and very good it was too! See our website for the recipe. As it transpired, we enjoyed the sailing so much that we stayed out later than planned and heard the bell for last orders as we were approaching Haslar Marina. Nevermind, there were some emergency beers and wine on board which were originally for our arrival in France before we stocked up in St. Vaast.

Next morning, with the wind freshening and some fluky gusts kicking off, we set sail for Cowes but having wind and tide working together in harmony, we pressed on towards Yarmouth for a mid-afternoon arrival. And what a good move that was! By 1700, the whole world was trying to find a spot in the harbour to avoid the gales which were forecast for later that day. We managed to bag a table at Salty's for dinner and a birthday celebration. Despite the disappointment at not being able to set sail for St. Vaast, we did indulge in delicious oysters for starters despite there not being an "R" in the month. The guideline for not eating oysters in summer months is because this is when oysters reproduce and during this stage of their life, they have a "milky" appearance and are not as palatable.

Following on from our oyster binge - one plate was not enough! - we opted for fresh crab, lobster, mussels and cod from the menu all accommpanied by enormous bowls of chips which never quite reached "low tide". If you've never been to Salty's, you need to know that after the eating has ceased, audience participation in singing and dancing on the table is mandatory. Not all requests will be accepted - 80s elctro pop is usually met with a sneer - but we did manage to shape some of the tunes played. If that's all too hectic, you can pop up the road to the Yarmouth Yacht Club and gate-crash a wedding party and have a very civilised coffee and calvados before catching the last water taxi back to the boat.

Despite a bit of rain overnight, the really bad weather hadn't kicked in and with hardly any wind on Sunday, we set off towards Poole after a breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. After the obligatory pictures of everyone passing the Needles, we had brie on sesame seed rye bread with anchovies and olives as hors d'ouvres followed by Italian Tuna and Cannelloni Bean Salad with new potatoes whilst listening to Bob Marley, bobbing along in the sunshine near the Fairway Buoy in our own personal Sargasso Sea. Any thundery storms were well away from us inland and the secondary low from the French coast was taking it's time to get going. So we concentrated on light wind tactics and crawled along at 2 knots or less until we found a little more wind off Anvil Point.

Entering Poole Harbour, we chose to head for Cobbs Quay Marina for some shelter - even though this meant a bit of a faff waiting for the bridge to rise - in case the forecast was right this time and the gales kicked in overnight. Although we'd had a good lunch, thoughts turned collectively towards steak and chips and the restaurant at the marina delivered. Whilst eating our dinner, the wind suddenly increased several forces and our planned early morning departure through the 0730 bridge lift looked in jeopardy.

With the wind howling through the rigging at 30+ knots and the rain lashing down, our early morning departure was abandoned. Three crew members had to leave to take the train home so that they could be back by the evening. This was not without drama as the storms had caused problems with the railways and replacement bus services had to be put in place so it was a long slog back to civilisation.

Eventually, we cast off mid-afternoon to sail back to Hamble and had our emergency meal of pasta and pesto while we waited for Poole Bridge to open. Again, the forecast was totally wrong and the predicted winds of F3/4 turned out to be more like F6/7 as we beat our way across Christchurch Bay towards Hurst Point and the Solent. Fortunately, we had some pre-prepared rolls handy to keep our energy levels up and the valient crew managed to keep the tea and coffee coming between squalls.

Finally, we arrived back at base just as the wind eased about 0100 on Tuesday morning. All in all, a great weekend, lots of challenges - both in the galley and on deck - and great company. We managed to eat nearly everything on board including the emergency rations.

If you would like to share your Bank Holiday experiences, do add your post too!

Blue Skies and Good Breezes

2008-05-22T10:42:00.014+01:00

Finally, the spring storms abated in early May and the crew of Freelancer - chartered from Fairview Sailing - were blessed with sunshine for 5 consecutive days! Starting off in Hamble with Wil's Maxi Shepherd's Pie [enough to feed the proverbial five thousand] and baked beans we sailed to Bucklers Hard in the Beaulieu River. As the Master Builder was closed, Patience prepared an amazing Chilli con Carne which was much appreciated after a great day's sailing.

There was a bit of excitement the next morning as our engine overheated within 10 minutes of casting off and steam issued forth from the engine compartment. The genoa was unfurled in an instant and fire extinguishers prepared in a flash. After weaving our way down river under sail, we spotted a pontoon which gave us the chance to sail into the wind and slow down enough to make an emergency stop. Having ascertained that our engine was not about to burst into flames, in true "how to cook on a boat" style, we put the kettle on for a cup of tea and served up the ginger cake while we waited for Sea Start to arrive. A broken impeller was the culprit and Nick from Sea Start soon sorted this out.

In the afternoon, a great sail over to Yarmouth, Wil's fish stew for dinner then a little night sailing under the stars. After a bit of a lie-in the next day, we caught the tide down to Poole and squeezed into a very tight berth - next to a Sunseeker motor cruiser the size of a house - in Poole Quay Boat Haven. Here Tim prepared mussels for starters followed by poached salmon and salad surprise.

An early start the next day with freshening breezes meant we arrived near Lymington about lunchtime so carried on towards Cowes despite an exacting sail across from Poole. All the chefs had the night off tonight as we walked, under a stunning sunset, to the Woodvale pub in Gurnard village.

Our last morning with Freelancer dawned misty and windless. So after some more MOB practice near Osbourne Bay, we headed back towards Hamble where the mists lifted to reveal another blazing hot day.

Wil's super-sized Shepherd's Pie

PS There were only four of us on board

Another Place

2008-04-17T10:02:00.009+01:00

Another Place is a massive installation on Crosby Beach - just a few miles NW of Liverpool - that consists of 100 cast-iron figures by Antony Gormley who is probably best known for his sculpture "Angel of the North". The ghostly life-size figures - moulded from the artists own body - are dotted along three kilometres of the Crosby shore: sparse in some areas and becoming more congregated as they reach the sea front, so onlookers can catch the detail of those near and the shadow of sculptures in the distance out to sea in one eyeful. It's certainly a spectacular sight - especially at low tide.

So what's this got to do with cooking on boats? In my twenties, I lived in a flat overlooking this beach and the Welsh mountains in the distance. Braving the northerly winds for walks on the beach, there wasn't much marine life in evidence at that time. Today, wandering amoung the iron men, I was delighted to see evidence of razor shells, also called razor clams. I first ate razor clams whilst sailing in Brittany and had never seen them on the menu in England until recently. Razor clams can be stir-fried, chargrilled or steamed like mussels: which ever way you cook them, they are delicious! If you're thinking of gathering some for yourself, wear a thick glove - like a gardening glove - as the shells really are razor sharp. Also, you need to be quick as they burrow down into the sand in an instant. Alternatively, you can dig for them. Best attempted at low tide on beaches washed by clean seas and where there is a thriving population - only take what you need.

I'm going to have a go at catching some in a few weeks when sailing in the West Country

Sir Robin Knox Johnson on the rocks!

2008-04-03T20:35:00.005+01:00

On Tuesday, I was fortunate to have dinner with Sir Robin Knox Johnson [as one does :-)] and he told me the story of when he and Sir Chris Bonnington sailed in the Arctic some years ago. They had visited Reykjavik and had been presented with 2 cases of Finlandia vodka. This was duly stored in the locker behind the heads - safest place apparently. As you can imagine, there was no shortage of ice so when the two intrepid explorers fancied a shot or two of vodka, all they had to do was reach over the side and chip off a bit of ice from a passing iceberg to add to their glass. Apparently, the the ice was so cold that the vodka fizzed and gave off vapour. Also, the water frozen in the ice was probably in excess of 10,000 years old!

Vodka on the rocks will never be the same again!

Spring Series Racing - Week 3

2008-04-01T14:34:00.004+01:00

Finally, a perfect afternoon on Sunday after racing was postponed on Saturday due to rough seas and imminent gales.

On Friday, we had "Ramsbottom Hotpot" - not the part of the lamb which is used in this recipe but the name of the town in Lancashire where I created this luxury variation of the traditional hotpot for a hearty meal when I lived there for a couple of years. Now adapted for cooking on a yacht, this uses leg of lamb instead of the more traditional neck of lamb. As the gales howled through the rigging in the shelter of Haslar Marina on Saturday night, we had Taglietelle Bolognaise to keep our spirits up. A trip to the Light Ship for a post-prandial libation also helped.

Following a full English breakfast on Sunday morning [no exploding ovens this time], we set off at best speed for the start line at Gilkicker only to find that the morning was a real drifter with no wind at all :-( After some spinnaker practice, for the first time this year, jackets and scarfs were abandoned and the crew stretched out to catch some rays while we waited for the wind to come our way. Finally the wind filled in and we had a great race with great sail trim, great spinnaker work and a great finish [i.e. not last :-)]

We grudgingly made our way back to base wishing there had been another race as we really had the bit between our teeth but we'll have to wait until the summer now for the next racing round the cans in the Solent.

PS No pictures of the Saturday squalls as they're not very photogenic.

Just 4 Fun - Easter 2008

2008-03-25T10:26:00.006Z

Thursday
Plans to sail overnight towards the West Country were quickly downsized in ambition due to the forecast of northerly gales for Friday and Saturday. With the wind howling through the halyards, we settled in on "Just 4 Fun" and enjoyed
Pascal's Ultimate Risotto followed by a trip to the Victory in Hamble Village.

Friday
Squalls of icy rain rattled through Hamble River in the morning with gusts of over 30knots in the marina. Definitely a day for a Full English breakfast and a walk around the village followed by a leisurely read of the papers. By the time we had Quiche Lorraine with Salad, some patches of blue sky had appeared and the wind had dropped off a fraction. Watching the wind speed and the time between squalls like hawks, we cast off for a short sail up and down the Hamble then poked our noses out into Southampton Water for a couple of hours. The Solent was practically deserted and our valiant crew remained cheerful despite the short hail storm. After blowing away the cobwebs, we returned to Port Hamble for Champagne and Cake to celebrate Xavier's birthday followed by dinner at the Whyte Hart in Hamble and another trip to The Victory.

Saturday
North force 6 to 8 decreasing force 5 later, squally wintery showers, sea state moderate to rough: we were not going to be going far today! Plenty of time for Pancakes and fresh coffee then. It was looking like we were never going to leave Hamble - although there are worse places to be storm-bound - so another morning of long showers [hot ones in the marina facilities, not wintery ones!], reading the papers and Carrot & Corriander Soup with freshly baked bread rolls. We hoped to have a short window in the weather to zip across to Cowes in the afternoon and finding a gap in the gusts, we flew across the Solent and surfed into Cowes towards East Cowes Marina for the night. Tonight we had Smoked Salmon canapes on Poilane bread, Cruidtes with sour cream dip followed by Xavier's Souffle Surprise.

Tempting as it was to stay in "Just 4 Fun's" warm and snug space-heated saloon, we braved the elements to go to West Cowes to meet up with friends who were in the vicinity. The Anchor was heaving as there was clearly more action happening indoors than on the water today and we had to tear ourselves away to catch the chain ferry back to the East side.

Sunday
The forecast was only for a mere force 5 to 7 [ocassionaly force 8 in the East] although the squally wintery showers were still in evidence.
After a breakfast of Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon, we set off towards Lymington. Once the first squall had passed through, blue sky appeared and we had a cracking sail down to Hurst Point where we stemmed the tide and had our lunch of Bacon, Gruyere Cheese and Spinach Muffins. A short hail storm in the afternoon, with hail the size of tic-tac mints, did not diminish spirits and we moored in Lymington Yacht Haven for Sharon's Sausage & Mash Special followed by a digestif in the bar at the marina.

Monday
Where had the wind gone? After 3 nights of howling gales, the marina was a picture of peace & tranquility. We'd have to get all the sails out today! After a quick Continental breakfast, we cast off before 0900 to make the most of the flood tide. The breeze did freshen once we re-entered the Solent and we had a fast sail down to Beaulieu River with Sharon getting the top helm's score of 9.6 SOG on the way!

We didn't have time to sail all the way up to Bucklers Hard as we needed to be in Southampton water before the tide turned. After a chilly sail back to Port Hamble we warmed up with Cornish Pasties and baked beans before setting to work putting the boat to bed. One last thing needed to be done: the annual Great Easter Egg Race. This year's winner was Sharon who won by several lengths.

So, even though we didn't sail very far, we had a great time: good food, good company and exciting sailing!

Spring Series Racing - Week 2

2008-03-17T21:37:00.007Z

For our second outing of the series, we had a different yacht, different engine problems, different menu - a pattern is forming! Friday night's feast was bangers with red wine onion gravy and mustard mash accompanied by a drop of Hardy's Cabernet Sauvignon. Next morning, a continental breakfast was in progress as the engineer swapped batteries and tried to breath some life into our very dead engine.

Eventually the engine was coaxed back into life and we finally got going - after negotiating the Port Solent lock - towards the start. We made it by a whisker and were concentrating on getting a good position on the line when another yacht overtook us with an almost naked man standing on the bow in a lime green "Borat" suit! Unfortunately, I'd left my binoculars below but resisted the temptation to look without the aid of magnification as this was clearly a diversionary tactic calculated to put all lady helms off their stride ;-)

Despite the stiff breeze, the willing crew managed to make tea and coffee at regular intervals probably motivated by the temptation that it was significantly warmer below decks as the wind started to shift to the north.

We raced unscathed but had to return to base as the engine was still playing up so we had to forgo the night life of Haslar for another night in Port Solent. Saturday night's dinner was Thai Green Chicken curry with basmati rice and naan bread, plus a couple of beers to help wash it down. Not a scrap was left which certainly makes the washing up easier!

Sunday morning saw the galley in full swing for full English Breakfast and sandwich making for lunch whilst the engineer tweaked the engine yet again. Fortunately, the oven didn't explode this week, so we had sausages with our bacon and eggs this time.

Today was a team record for the number of teas and coffees served as it was bitterly cold. I've never seen such activity in the galley as crew took it in turns to make a hot brew and there was never anything left in the sinks for long as it all got washed up very quickly.

Our aspirations for our third outing at the end of March are to:
- have no more problems with the yacht and therefore leave on time
- put our foot on the pedal and not be last :-)
- make sure we don't miss our afternoon tea and cake.

Spring Series Racing- Week 1

2008-03-11T12:17:00.010Z

Our first racing of the season took place in between the gales and storms which lashed the UK this weekend. Fortunately, we were in the shelter of the Solent and not far from Portsmouth but with 2 reefs in the mainsail and a scrap of headsail, we were taking no chances!

Friday night's dinner was tortilla chips and dips for starter then home made chilli con carne with rice, served with Rioja - a very nice Campo Viejo Crianza 2005. Preparing in advance certainly cut down on the washing up!

The weather windows during the day were favourable and we even managed our customary cup of tea on the downwind legs of the races although we missed out on Saturday's lunch. This was due to our attention being diverted to diagnosing engine problems as we were getting ready for our approach into Portsmouth. Anyway, who needs an engine when there are sails and plenty of wind? Instead, we asked permission to sail into Portsmouth harbour and made it into Haslar Marina to sort out the problem.

For Saturday night we had home made Greek Lemon Chicken with new potatoes with a choice of Hardy's Carbernet Sauvignon or Semillion Chardonnay which went down well with the crew after a blustery day.

Next morning, there was a bit of excitment as the oven on our chartered yacht exploded! Well, it was more of an implosion as the glass part of the oven door shattered and ruined the cumberland sausages we were all looking forward to for breakfast. Not certain what the cause was: perhaps it was a production fault or maybe some of the holes on the burner were blocked leading to a small build up of uncombusted gas although the gas alarm didn't go off. So we made do with bacon, egg and tomatoes baps for breakfast and very nice they were too!