The Boat Galley

Any new venture involves new language; shortcut the learning curve with this episode! Links VHF radio (on Amazon):  https://amzn.to/2xnAPRY Storm Tactics (on Amazon):  https://amzn.to/2L21hlZ FastSeas weather routing site: www.fastseas.com Sponsor:   SeaTech Systems , offering cruiser-tested solutions for weather and communications. Whether it's satellite, wifi, cell, or SSB, SeaTech's packages ar...

  Can you use all the systems on your boat? Someday, you may have to. Can everyone else aboard also use everything? If there is more than one person on board, systems have to be planned so that everyone can do every function. Carolyn Shearlock explains why this is critical and what they've done on their boat to ensure that everyone can handle everything if need be. Sponsor: SeaTech Systems, offeri...

Boat ovens are notorious for baking unevenly -- one part of an item will be burned while another part is raw. Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley Cookbook, gives a quick solution that will make a huge difference . . . at a very low cost! Links to Items Discussed Pizzacraft 12x15 Rectangular Baking Stone (Amazon): https://amzn.to/2IIN7K1 California Pizza Stones — custom cut to your exact s...

How many times do I have to rearrange things before I get it "right"? Why isn't it obvious where things should go? And why is it that what seemed like such a good idea last month isn't working now? These and so many more questions play out as we try to stow everything on a boat. With ten years of cruising and living aboard full-time, Carolyn Shearlock has some pointers. Sponsor: Shambala Sailing A...

Naming your boat can be harder than naming your child. Experienced cruiser Nica Waters shares 5 tips to think about – and the story of her boat's name. Links: Who's On First (Abbot and Costello skit): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg Carolyn's blog post on boat names: https://theboatgalley.com/a-new-name-for-our-boat/ USCG documentation information: https://bit.ly/2IFEn3c Homer's The Od...

No one is immune to mistakes. But the big thing is how you handle it at the time, and what happens next. Carolyn Shearlock tells of her most recent screw-up and gives thoughts on what is and isn't helpful, and how you can (hopefully) avoid a similar mistake in the future. Sponsor: SeaTech Systems, offering cruiser-tested solutions for weather and communications. Whether it's satellite, wifi, cell,...

Watchkeeping is not just about ensuring you avoid collisions, it is about ensuring the boat is safe, the gear is working properly and the person off watch is sleeping well. To truly enjoy ocean passages, this is imperative.  But getting to sleep on a boat that is bouncing across a tradewind sea can be difficult. Join Lin Pardey as she describes a few of the tips that have helped her and those she...

Cooking on a boat is a bit different to start with but cooking while underway, particularly if conditions are "sporty," takes it a step further.  Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley Cookbook, gives 13 tips to make cooking on a moving platform easier and safer. Links: The Boat Galley Cookbook on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2KBkf2A Sponsor:  Solavore Solar Ovens . Cook with the power of the su...

If you're on the move, in a foreign country or even living aboard in a marina, how can you get your mail? Cruisers use a number of different strategies and with ten years of cruising experience, Carolyn Shearlock has used many and heard of others. Here, she tells the pros and cons of each. Link to her preferred mail service: St. Brendan's Isle Sponsor:   Good Old Boat  magazine. For 20 years,  Goo...

Maintenance is a part of boat ownership, and doing a bottom job is a regular item on that to-do list. Nica Waters details the steps they take to keep Calypso's bottom ready to sail! Links: Drywall screen on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2Gor0Ta Drywall pole sander head on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2wLSsdY Pole for drywall sander:  https://amzn.to/2IuiJPv Tyvek suits on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2ILr2cY P...

Planning to cruise outside your home country? You're going to need a Q flag. What's that? you ask. Listen in and find out when, why and how to fly yours. Link to buy on Amazon: Q flag on Amazon Sponsor:  Marmara Imports . Turkish towels and other fine hand-loomed, fair trade textiles from Turkey. Soft and luxurious, yet tiny to store and fast drying. View their selection at  marmaraimports.com  an...

We start cruising to have fun. And then stress can creep in as we're learning a whole new lifestyle. In this episode, Carolyn Shearlock discusses three simple things that anyone -- old or new cruiser -- can do to make cruising far less stressful.  Sponsor:  Fastseas.com  – making weather routing simple. Whether you are after speed or comfort, Fastseas will find the optimum route to your destinatio...

What do you get out of going to a boat show? Is it worth the expense? Nica Waters, fresh from the Annapolis Spring Show, gives three reasons for going. Links: Annapolis boat show: https://www.annapolisboatshows.com Cruisers University: https://www.annapolisboatshows.com/cruisers-university/ Ugo: https://ugowear.com/ Weems and Plath: http://www.weems-plath.com Sponsor:  Fastseas.com  – making weath...

How do you remember everything that you need to know for the day's trip? It's generally impossible for one person to remember it all, let alone give that knowledge to everyone who may take the helm. Helm notes make it easy! Carolyn Shearlock shares how to make them and what all to include so that all your trips will be safe ones. Sponsor: Fastseas.com Coupon Code: GALLEY2018 Music: "Slow Down" by...

Sampling the local food is a wonderful part of traveling. And food carts and street food abound — but is the food safe or likely to make you sick? Carolyn Shearlock has eaten from street carts not just in the US, but around the world: Mexico, Japan, Turkey, and all through Africa, South America, and Central America. The food is delicious and she's never gotten sick. She says she's not alone . . ....

Some people feel perfection would earning enough money to set off cruising without ever having to work again. Others put off cruising because they don't feel they have enough money to go. Lin Pardey shows how working along the way can get you out cruising sooner than you dreamed. Even more important, she shows how many cruisers felt their lives were enriched by the jobs they encountered as they vo...

Are you really constantly repairing your boat when you cruise? That's a big question for those thinking about the life, especially as so many people make jokes about "cruising is just fixing your boat in exotic places." To answer that question, Carolyn Shearlock listed every single repair -- large and small -- that they did while on a 4-month cruise through the Bahamas. Only one actually delayed t...

Cruising may not be  all   gorgeous sunsets in wonderful anchorages with your favorite beverage in hand, but when it happens, why not celebrate? Get together with new best friends on the boat next door (who you might never have met before) and enjoy the evening. In 10+ years of cruising, Carolyn Shearlock has learned a thing or two about dinghy drifts and she's happy to pass them on. Music: "Slow...

Provisioning isn't just about taking the food you eat all the time. Leave room for special ingredients! In this episode, experienced cruiser Nica Waters talks a bit about her provisioning philosophy and the importance of having special treats. Links to items mentioned in this episode: Northeast Kingdom in Vermont: http://northeastkingdom.com Galley tools and foods from Amazon: Microplane zester: h...

A windlass is an expensive piece of gear; an electric windlass isn't just money but also requires substantial electrical planning to ensure it gets adequate power. Carolyn Shearlock has sailed (on a charter) without a working windlass and both her boats have had electric windlasses installed by previous owners. She argues that not only is life easier with an electric windlass, it's also safer. Spo...

Carolyn Shearlock, author of The Boat Galley Cookbook and 10-year cruiser, lists ten of her favorite products to make cooking in a small, un-airconditioned, moving kitchen a lot easier. Links to products mentioned: Pur water dispenser/filter:  https://amzn.to/2Hze3et  (Amazon) Seagull water filter: https://amzn.to/2I2UpHu (Amazon) 4-Way Windscoop: https://www.cruisingsolutions.com/collections/wind...

The Lifesling (MOB retrieval system) is one of those pieces of gear that we certainly hope we never have to use, but if we do, it has to work perfectly . . . and instantly. Carolyn Shearlock tells how to check if yours is in good operating condition, lists potential problems and discusses how to fix them. Yes, both cruising boats she's owned have come with Linfeslings that had problems. If you dis...

You may think an inch is not that much space. When you're renovating a small boat, it's as good as a mile. Nica Waters talks about the joys of thinking small, and the vast worlds that open up with just an inch . . . Links to things mentioned in the show: Bristol Channel Cutter: http://www.samlmorse.com Lyle Hess: http://www.msog.org/yarns/lyle_hess_wb/wb-lylehess.cfm Sponsor:  Fastseas.com  – maki...

Trips from hell. They exist. Weather. Boat problems. Sick. Tired. Hot. Whatever the reason, some trips just don't go as expected. Ten-year cruiser Carolyn Shearlock explores some of the reasons and ways that she first, tries to avoid bad passages and second, deal with the problems that arise. The good news: future trips are likely to be a lot better! Sponsor: Fastseas.com Coupon Code: GALLEY2018 M...

For years, Lin Pardey has urged prospective cruisers to "go small, go simple, go now." Here, she relates how that seems to be changing the cruising experience for some, as they cruise out of season and off the beaten path. Pardey Offshore Sailing Video Series Sponsor:  The Boat Galley Guide to Storing Food without Refrigeration  Have truly great meals with fresh produce, meat, butter, cheese, eggs...