Rations for rough weather

[sarabande]

following up my biscuit thread, I wonder what food people prepare or have ready for those nights when it is hissing down and too rough to cook ?

Is it always Mars Bars ?

[MoodySabre]

Sandwiches and soup in a flask.

And Mars bars

[Liz_I]

Generally a good 3 day stew kept in the pressure cooker. Prepared beforehand of course. I stay topsides and the 'crew' who never gets seasick attends to the reheating

Sandwiches made up and kept in the fridge and of course lots of muesli bars and nibbles.

[Seajet]

Take 2 Jacobs cream crackers & lightly butter - or use Primula cheese spread in a tube, place reasonably thick slice/s of strong cheddar between as a sandwich.

A few of these should see one through but beware they should not be left too long or they'll go soft; about 4-5 hours tops - along with cup a soups, if necessary made with hot water from a flask.

Shortbread is good, especially for anyone feeling a little queasy.

Also useful in lumpy conditions, the type of small mineral water bottles with a nozzle to suck on.

I wouldn't normally use energy drinks like Red Bull, but they may be useful in heavy conditions - IF one is sure those conditions won't go on for too long.

[oldvarnish]

I am firmly in the Cup-a- Soup camp, but I'm expecting someone to come up with a puree made from a Fray Bentos pie.
Thinking about it, not a bad idea.

[LittleSister]

I have a copy of the 1963 'Yachtsman's Week-End Book', which has a series of menus and recipes for different sea states. The suggestions include:

Scale No. 5 - Sea very rough: Swell long and of moderate height.

BREAKFAST:
Rice Crispies
Kedgeree
American Dry Hash

LUNCH:
Lentil Soup (not tinned!)
Portuguese Fish
Irish Stew
Oatmeal Pudding

TEA:
Buttered Toast

DINNER:
Marrow Soup (again not tinned!)
Curried Prawns
Egg and Ham Pie
Anglesey Duck

Scale Number 9 - Sea confused: Swell confused.*

BREAKFAST:
LUNCH:
TEA:
DINNER:
Dry Biscuits
Tiller Soup (packet soup with a few vegetables thrown in and heated for 20 mins)

* 'Certainly at this state of the proceedings "prayer and fasting" becomes the order of the utmost importance if the yacht is still at sea and underway within the meaning of the Order in Council. If, however, her Master has in the past made a well digested meal of the laws of tropical revolving storms and has in the present made research into the weather portents on pages 70 to 94 of this book then presumably he will be in harbour, safe and snugly, and can revert to the harbour menus which range from Scale 0 in the inner gate-locked basin to Scale 5 in such delectable spots as the Dover Wick.'

[Searush]

If it's just a one day passage or so, have a load of different finger food available. Pies, fruit, any choccy bars, Ginger biscuits are good for seasickness. A flask of soup &/or coffee is good. Crisps, fingers of raw carrot, celery, quiche slices, coocked sausages, goujons of anything. Just think buffet food - stuff that needs little or no prep & easy to eat. Cooked chicken drumsticks/ wings is another easy to eat snack.

For hot food, (if you have someone prepared to cook it) you can't beat sausage sarnies passed up from below, each sausage cut in half with a slice of bread folded over it, have sauce in a squeezy bottle for those who need it & maybe a fried sliced onion.

[colhel]

following up my biscuit thread, I wonder what food people prepare or have ready for those nights when it is hissing down and too rough to cook ?

Is it always Mars Bars ?

Depends what pub I'm in

[prv]

Pasties.

Cold meat cut into chunks in a big pot, with a blob of chutney or similar chucked in as well (but not mixed up) and some baguette rolls stood up in the pot to be torn into chunks and combined with meat and chutney. Basically sandwich materials when everything's moving around too much to make sandwiches. The pot can be lashed to something handy in the cockpit (not in rain though )

Pete

[Moxon]

I have a tiny boat on the Thames so it is never too rough to cook. However I want to suggest you do a google for 'John West light lunch'. These things are foil packed and do not require refrigeration, (full of preservatives?), and include a plastic fork.

I've used them when hiking and even eaten them at home and find them o.k. for a quick feed when circumstances or time are against me. My wife tried one and hated it! Sub 300 calories but if a yachtsman needs more calories they could eat two.