Aug 22, 2013 | Flotsam
Limited space and concern for power usage are the big factors on a boat
when it comes to refrigeration.
Some boaters use only camping coolers with blocks of ice.
Some use actual refrigerators with freezers.
We split the difference and have a little of both…
Just 1.7 cubic feet capacity but it serves our needs,
works like a dream and isn’t the usual energy hog.
There is another model – DZ50 dual zone – part refrigerator, part freezer
but do we really need a supply of Haugen Daz?
Polar Bear 24-pack
we usually put either a block of ice
(even when the ice has melted, the water doesn’t leak through the cooler)
or a jug of water that we have frozen at home or at the club
before leaving and it really does keep things cold for 2-3 days.
We use it mainly for drinks – beer, wine, juice, bottled water.
A word about egg refrigeration and limited space…
…Coleman Egg Holder
François has often told me that as long as I rotate the eggs each day,
they don’t need to be refrigerated.
My reaction – euuww!
But I read a recent post from the
Boat Galley that confirmed it can be done.
I marked one side of the container with Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
and the flip side with Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
This way whichever day was up was the current day – a good reminder that it had been flipped.
Because I still didn’t believe it could be done, as an experiment,
I placed just 4 eggs in the container and rotated it each day for a week.
Now, if the egg had gone ‘off’ I would know as soon as I cracked it.
and to my surprise when I went to make breakfast after 7 days
the eggs didn’t jump out of the shell or the pan
and our omelette tasted just like all my other omelettes – delicious.
I have seen the light!
Now we have gained an extra 4″x6″x2″ in our cooler.
This item sort of fits with the topic of refrigeration and space
…Coghlan Egg Holders
but have seen them at
Amazon.com for you online shoppers
I use 2 to keep boiled eggs which I do refrigerate.
If I keep food in little packages,
I can stash them here and there amongst other larger containers.
Now, time to go turn my eggs…
Aug 21, 2013 | Flotsam
Over the past year I have read several boat-related books
provisioning, galley meals, one-pot cooking,
even about camping and RV life…
…my favourite galley book…
It’s filled with lots of useful tips and recipes.
I’ve also perused countless blogs for ideas – too many to list
Some really appealed to me…
(the simplicity of grilled veggies and BBQ, moonlight cocktails with delectable appetizers)
Some not so much…
(all you need is a good can opener)
The reality of our limitations onboard
(teeny galley, limited space)
has forced me to dial down my dining expectations quite a bit
putting me somewhere between gourmet feasts and the can opener.
Some say it isn’t important to have a provisioning meal plan.
Some say it’s essential…
the latter appealing to my Kat sensibilities.
I could make a meal plan from here to infinity and beyond – no problem.
I find so many yummy looking recipes and want to try them all,
right now!
I have tried to distill what is necessary,
what is possible,
what is practical.
So here’s my plan of attack:
Determine number of days onboard
Make the menu plan
(Kat’s Rule of Thumb: number of days + 20% contingency
(weather, navigation, just plain having more fun than expected can increase time away)
Make list of ingredients
Shop for necessities
Chop, grind & cook as much as possible at home base
Package in portions
Things to be frozen in freezer at least 2 days in advance of departure
Just a few days left before our next adventure…
I think I need a bigger spreadsheet…
Aug 20, 2013 | Flotsam
“Arranging the journey was so difficult.
Getting home again was much easier.”
–Thor Heyerdahl
OK so we aren’t real live-aboards
(although in my Kat dreams we are)
We have never been more than 3 days without land comforts such as
electricity,
hot showers,
a toilet that doesn’t make us feel as though we are on a roller coaster.
(we have a good story about that one but without an accompanying picture
it wouldn’t have the same ‘impact’)
But in our brief time without creature comforts
I have distilled my list down to two limiting factors:
Water
…as from
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
‘water water everywhere’…
surrounded by the stuff…
but we still need a drop to drink…
I have calculated that we need
1) 4 litres of drinking water per day,
keeping in mind the importance of a splash or two for our evening scotch.
We have an 8 litre camping jug which we fill with ice and water before leaving.
and the rest we keep as bottled water – some kept in the cooler, the rest stashed below in the hold.
We can get away with less if we include juice in our calculations
or we could drink less which would change the calculations for head pump-out
but in the hot weather hydration is ultra-important.
2) 2.5 gallons every 2 days for washing up (we carry 3 – 2.5 gallon jugs onboard)
we could stretch the 6-day limit if we are careful.
I have read that the two things people don’t bring enough of is water and paper towels.
It seems like such a waste but paper towels are necessary
for wiping the dishes to remove the bits of food before washing and we do use a lot of them.
And a great help in conserving water is using
a spray bottle of water with a touch of vinegar to rinse the dishes.
3) our solar shower gives us a good 4 showers
with a dip in the lake or river in between should be sufficient…
Pump-out
we should be able to go
(no pun intended – well not really)
about 1 week before needing a marina with sanitary facilities
Conclusion:
our limitation away from shore
6-7 days
