The term galley comes from the Dutch kabuis, in the nautical lexicon it means "ship's kitchen" and indicates the space intended for the conservation and preparation of meals located inside the boats. The term galley also indicates, by extension, the provisions intended to be placed on board. It is useful to follow some guidelines in preparing in the best way the galley for your boat holiday and to live beautiful moments at the table, with delicious menus. The management of food for a holiday on a boat is different from a holiday on land, where the availability of supplies is continuous. In fact, at sea it is not always possible to moor in ports or disembark, and more often you want to stop in the bays, just to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere offered by nature; therefore, before setting sail, it is essential to have a supply of food, drinks and everything you need for the navigation period, except for any additions of fresh food on the days when you land. The possible menus that you want to prepare for the days to be spent on the boat must be thought out in advance; it will also be useful to check any intolerances or allergies among the crew members and organize dishes and quick foods, easy to prepare and eat while you are sailing. The amount of food must be calculated on the basis of the number of people on board, the duration of the cruise, the number of meals and snacks possible; first of all it is necessary to calculate the daily or weekly consumption of liters of water and other beverages. It is important to calculate with a good approximation the right amount of food, to have the right supplies when you are in the open sea and avoid having to land for avoidable re-provisioning. It is essential especially water: better to abound especially in summer (about 2 liters of water per person per day) because the sun and heat increases the need to drink liquids.
It is important to rationalize and better organize everything you buy. You can use a simple list, written on the table, before going shopping: it could be called a “galley check-list”, very useful for not forgetting elements that are essential on board.
Once the galley has been purchased, a wise placement of the foods in the available spaces will be useful to optimize their conservation and management. The first suggestion is to put the galley on board by placing, as far as possible, the foods in thematic or logical areas: breakfast supplies, savory foods, canned goods, pasta, etc. and above all putting the various elements of the galley on board with a precise procedure, described below: gather on board below deck all the friends who will spend the holiday on a boat with you; put all together and with great rationality and precision, together with friends on board, the various elements of the galley; whoever puts away an item says it aloud so that all the other friends listen to it and memorize the "type of object" and its "position"; this step must be performed for each single element that is placed in the pantry. What is it for: it is common to say that the boat "hides but does not leak"; during the holiday it will frequently happen to be in the situation in which a member will know where one thing is, but will not know where another thing is, which will instead be known only to others. By implementing this simple, useful and fun procedure, everyone will know the position of each element of the galley and everyone will be able to independently find everything they need, quickly and effectively. In the event that the people in charge of managing the galley are only some crew members, obviously, only these will have to follow this procedure.
It is preferable to purchase food in openable and resealable packages, including in plastic or paper (these are recyclable materials in the recycling); the glass is not recommended because it could break during navigation or in the natural rolling of the boat; some exceptions can possibly be considered for wines and other beverages for which glass is significant for their conservation quality, but the number of glass bottles on board must always be reduced to a minimum, and in any case storing them in safe spaces and lockers basses of the boat. It will be useful to have empty rigid plastic containers: for all packages that do not have a resealable package, once the package has been opened, the container can be used to be able to stow it without risk of spillage.
On the boat, all foods that do not need to be kept in the fridge are excellent, such as canned products: tuna, peeled tomatoes, peas, legumes, preserves, sauces. Dry foods, for example: packaged bread, crackers, rusks, bread sticks. These foods are important in case of seasickness, as savory biscuits and dry sweets help reduce the sensations of movement. Other salty foods that do not need to be kept in the fridge: capers, anchovies, dried fruit, dried tomatoes, seeds of various kinds. Moreover, salted anchovies are also a useful food against seasickness. Oil, preferably canned, pasta, rice, sugar, salt, jams, honey, tea, coffee, long-life milk, for which it is better to take the small, half-liter packs.
On modern boats there is always an efficient fridge, although not as big as the one at home and there is often no freezer. It is obvious that some elements must be kept in the fridge: spreadable creams, humus, pesto, butter, cheese, dairy products, cold cuts, etc. It is therefore recommended to bring not too much fresh food because it is usually consumed within a few days. Above all it will be preferable to buy small quantities of meat and fish, eventually buying them back during the holiday in the possible landings in local shops, along with other fresh food, including bread. Find out if the boat that you charter is equipped with a barbecue (as basic equipment or as an optional), in this case meat and fish can also be cooked on the grill, combining maximum taste and nature.
To make the galley on the boat, fruit and vegetables cannot be missing, which must be placed in a cool and ventilated place. Citrus fruits can be wrapped in paper so they don't touch each other. A great way to store fruit and vegetables, without taking up space in the fridge, is to take advantage of some low areas of the boat; especially where the hull is immersed in water, the temperature is low, despite the presence of sun and heat outside. You can therefore use all the low lockers of the boat for this purpose, first protecting the food in airtight bags or containers, or even in the spaces under the cauldrons. Only very ripe fruit and vegetables need the fridge, for longer-lasting storage.
In addition to the galley, it will also be necessary to equip oneself with soaps for personal care and detergents for cleaning the boat, purchasing strictly biodegradable products, and to be used in moderation, so as not to pollute the sea. Most of the detergents normally used in daily life are already biodegradable by law within a certain percentage. Also useful to have on board washable cloth towels and a tablecloth to prepare the table, plasticized and washable; napkins and paper rolls, toilet paper for bathrooms, sponges and garbage bags are very useful, in modest quantities and uses. Dishes, cutlery and glasses can be made of plastic, but rigid, washable and reusable plastic, in line with a necessary ecological philosophy of preserving the sea and land environment. Disposable rigid paper plates and cups are eventually allowed, as they are recyclable waste. In any case, nothing should never be thrown overboard; waste must be kept on board and unloaded in differentiated containers as soon as possible. Even organic materials must not be thrown into the sea, except offshore and in modest quantities; never in the harbor, as they would remain visible to other yachtsmen for several hours.
To clean quickly the tableware, you can use a net in which you store the dishes, anf than it should be placed in the sea at the stern well secured by a rope, then sailing at low speed. Obviously, in doing this operation it must be ensured that no one on board is using one of the boat's bathrooms at the same time! In this activity you will have a double advantage: the fish will be happy, and the dishes will be cleaned without effort and without wasting fresh water. Once you have finished, you need only a quick rinse of the dishes with the fresh water and some soap. To assist you in the process, you can use the net to store children's beach toys.
Also for personal hygiene you can use sea water in the transom, and then do a short rinse with fresh water. It is advisable to use a so-called "marine" soap. Many people mistakenly believe that marine soap has the property of being biodegradable, but by law all soaps on the market are biodegradable. Marine soap, on the other hand, has the main property of being easily rinsed with sea water, while normal soap is more difficult, using a sea soap, therefore, you can exploit sea water effectively. You feel like you wash with fresh water,without soap residues. We must try to save as much as possible the use of fresh water, to avoid frequent supplies, not always available in ports. And if the hired boat has a watermaker, greater quantities of fresh water will be available, without the need for refueling.
As for all other nautical topics, the Charteritaly staff is always available for advice on nautical issues as the galley, or to receive detailed information on the specific equipment of the boat or catamaran you want charter.
