The Boat Galley

Why should you add corn tortillas to your boat pantry? Well, they're nexpensive, ubiquitous, and long- lasting. Corn tortillas from the grocery store are fantastic!   Summary It's fun making things from scratch on the boat. But there are some great "cheater" staples. One of my favorites is corn tortillas. Why are tortillas a great pantry staple on a boat? They last a long time--much longer than wh...

When a named storm is forecast for your area, how long do you have to prepare your boat? Listen carefully for the tips few realize make the difference between being prepared and caught. Summary When your boat is in the path of a forecast hurricane, knowing how long you have to prepare is invaluable for good results. But you need some basic information to figure it out. First, understand that the N...

Sweet potato black bean tacos are the perfect boat recipe--ideal for when stores are slim. Versatile and easy to customize, one secret ingredient makes it really special.     Summary When your stores are low and fresh produce is scarce, sweet potato black bean tacos are my go-to meal. Adding one secret ingredient takes it from delicious to over-the-moon fantastic. We never tire of it. Beans are a...

Cruising in hot weather? Why not cool off by enjoying happy hour in the water? Here are a few tips to keep it fun and safe. Summary Our cruising grounds exposed us to frequent high temperatures, sometimes over 100 degrees F. How did we keep cool? With lots of swimming. And not just throughout the day but when socializing with friends during happy hour. Sitting in shallow water off the beach or off...

Grocery Shopping, Marquesas-style. Here are  three  things to know about restocking your food supply in the Marquesas. Summary Before we arrived in the Marquesas, I worried about the ease of provisioning groceries. Yes, everyone eats everywhere. However, I had heard that stores were mostly nonexistent, had few items available, and what was found would be expensive. What was the reality? First, you...

If you have to leave your boat, are you confident all is well aboard? You can be with the Roam Device, an affordable and easy remote boat monitor system. Summary John Herlig from The Boat Galley team recently installed the Roam marine monitor hub on his 1967 Rawson 30 sailboat, currently anchored in Florida while he is away from the boat. He found the installation and setup of the Roam device fast...

Everything you need to know about this cruiser-based, crowd-sourced, social app. We rely on it every day! Summary When you've arrived at a new anchorage, how do you figure out how to find necessities? Especially if you're out of range of The Boat Galley cruising guides? After all, there are places where cruising guides don't exist. Luckily I have a great resource to share.  Cruising is more than d...

I'm frequently asked for the best marine weather apps. Cruising the Florida coast and Bahamas, I've found a few favorites. Summary Apps are helpful. But don't forget to look out the hatch to see what's happening in your area.  If you need more information, here's what we relied on while cruising Florida and the Bahamas. Windy Windy is great for a color-coded, big-picture view of the wind, wave, an...

Here's why you should collect rain water on your cruising boat, even if you have a watermaker. And a few tips to tell you how to do it. Summary   Catching rainwater on the boat? Is it worth it even if you have easy access to water in your cruising locale? We think so. In the Marquesas, where we're currently cruising, we find taps providing water in every settlement's port. It's not always potable....

Some cruisers think galley straps are a great safety item. I disagree. Here's why. Summary An important feature of a well-designed cruising boat galley is safety for the cook--ensuring they aren't tossed around the boat in rough seas. Many cruisers think galley straps solve the problem. But I believe they can make things worse--particularly the ones I saw on my friend's boat. What are the major is...

When you need to do laundry on the boat and there's no laundromat nearby, one unexpected tool will make the job easier. Here are the steps to having clean laundry aboard--no washing machine required! Summary: As budget cruisers in the 1990s, we did nearly all laundry on board. Today, we intend to splurge on laundromats. However, not everywhere has them. Or the cost can be high, like in French Poly...

Preparing for surgery when you live on a boat? Then we have some tips to help from when my husband Dave had a hip replacement while we were living aboard Barefoot Gal. Summary So how do you make arrangements when you live on a boat full time and have to schedule a surgical procedure?  There are three components important to consider: 1) How long will it take for you to recover from your procedure?...

Distilling a  4200-mile Pacific passage into memorable sound bites  isn't easy. But certain experiences definitely stand out. Here are some favorite moments from our 33 days at sea. Summary  Sitting in a rolling anchorage is a great time to review Pacific passage highlights. After 32 days at sea and 8 hours heaving to so we could anchor during daylight there are so many epic experiences to reflect...

The answer to whether you should have a vacuum sealer on you boat is complicated. But hopefully I can give you a few ideas of what to think about before you decide for yourself. Summary Over the years, many readers asked me about vacuum sealers for boats. I had one aboard two different cruising boats. And although I liked mine, I still consider them a luxury item.  Here's what you should know if y...

Provisioning for a long passage is only one thing you have to do before setting out for distant shores. It's even more difficult when you're doing it in somewhere that's new to you. Here's how we managed the task on a 4-day timeline.  Summary We thought we had plenty of time to leisurely provision our boat before leaving for French Polynesia. We could focus on other boat tasks in the meantime. But...

A storm is headed your way and you have pets on board. Have you thought about what you need to do to keep them safe? Summary Storms require forethought when you live on a boat. But if you're cruising with a dog, cat, or other pet there are a few other things to consider.  You want to be sure belongings are well stored away. Even a big dog could be hurt or startled by something falling off a table...

What are the food logistics for a Panama Canal transit? With the potential for an expensive food delivery bill on the line, we give you the best tips to avoid a real budget buster.   Summary When we hired an agent to help us navigate our transit through the Panama Canal, we got a lot of answers. But the requirements for feeding the advisor who boarded to help us through the locks were vague. And w...

Good fans are a necessity when you're cruising in a hot climate. But which one will give you the most air movement for the fewest amps? Summary If you're cruising in the tropics, you'll want to know the best fans for living on a boat in hot weather. My choice is the Caframo, 12-volt, cage-free fan. It moves the most air using the fewest amps.   This fan offers three mounting options, giving you ma...

Moving onto a boat is one thing. Starting to cruise is another. And both have steep learning curves. Nica and Carolyn suggest tips for getting out of your comfort zone when making these big life changes.  Summary Moving onto a boat and beginning cruising has a steep learning curve. It's not just beaches and cocktails. The challenges of living on a boat include adapting to small spaces, difficult s...

The best galley gear takes up little room and can do more thn one thing. And the Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Mini Pot exceeds all expectations. If you have space for one more pot, this is the one I suggest. Summary This flexible bit of galley gear is worth having on your boat if you can make room for it. Wihile it won't replace a skillet or conventional pot, it may replace a tea kettle, vegetable steame...

Taking a 28' sailboat from the Atlantic to the Pacific takes some doing! Nica gives the first hand account transiting the Panama Canal, one of the world's most iconic waterways. Summary Yes, transiting the Panama Canal in a small sailboat involves logistics, paperwork, and lots of money. But it's also a unique visual and emotional experience. Completing the arrangements for a transit as an individ...

The best waterproof tablet case for a boat is expensive insurance--especially if you use your tablet for navigation or trip planning. But even if you just use it for playing music or reading do you really want to risk ruining it? Podcast Summary In recent years, tablets have become common on cruising boats.  We found ours useful for navigation, trip planning, reading, and more. But your tablet is...

Deciding how to divide cruising time between work and pleasure is a real conundrum.   Another joint podcast wherein we answer a fantastic question about life balance from a follower.   Podcast Summary No one starts cruising so they can work on their boat all the time. Yes, it's important to keep your vessel in good repair. But you also need to learn how to balance fun with boat work. But just how...

It's unlikely you have as much gear in your boat galley as you did in your kitchen on land. So what should you do if a recipe calls for a tool you don't have?  Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links): Provisioning Course - https://products.theboatgalley.com/products/provisioning-meal-pla...

A little background on the voices you hear each week in a rare joint podcast where we ask each other questions about our cruising, our boats, and why we got into podcasting together. Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links):   Nica bio -   https://www.fit2sail.com/about-nica     About Nic...