Page 23 - Leisure Living Magazine May 2019

Chef On The Water
Continued from page 21
managing the galley of a racing sailboat: “I have been planning and preparing onboard meals and stocking the galley for sailboat races for more than 25 years,” says Suzanne. For nearly all of those years she has dated Skipper Val A. Saph, who along with his nephew Val C. Saph owns “Rowdy”, a 1989 Thomas 35 at Port Huron Yacht Club. “Rowdy” has represented the yacht club in the Bayview Mackinac race since 1990, taking first in its class in 1991, 1993, 2007 and 2018. Most of the “Rowdy” crew have sailed together for many years, know the boat like the back of their own hands, and have been consistently well-fed by Suzanne.
“Cooking for a sailboat race is a little challenging at first, as you have to know your crew,” Suzanne explains. “Some may have health issues, allergies or a dislike for onions. Our sailors enjoy spicy dishes and so my one hot meal a day could be a pasta dish, jambalaya, a stew, etc. I make those types of meals individually with Seal-A-Meal bags and boil them on the galley stove” adding, “we are lucky to have a stove and an oven.”
Interior space on a racing yacht is extremely limited as is weight. Although there is generally refrigeration of some kind, there may not be a stove or an oven. If a galley cook is fortunate enough to have a stove, it is usually gimbaled, allowing it to move with the motion of the sailboat. Brewing a fresh pot of coffee is made easier by stove brackets which hold the pot firmly (well, somewhat firmly) in place as the boat heels. “Rowdy” offers taller than average brackets to securely hold the coffee pot, because, says Suzanne, “You just cannot live without a good coffee pot, and hot coffee is a must during a race. Last year, the crew had to sit on the rail with no breaks in pouring rain and large waves for 16 hours, but it was worth it because we won first in class in 2018.”
The crew of “Rowdy” devours three meals a day and snacks throughout the day and night. She also includes 40-50 sandwiches. “My egg salad sandwiches are a must. They go first. I might also do a roast beef or ham and slice it for sandwiches.” Suzanne buys inexpensive white buns as she has learned that the cheaper the bread the longer it lasts. She posts a menu in the galley and stacks the meals in the refrigerator over ice, in the order that they are to be eaten. Snacks include chips for the
salt content, candy, beef sticks, power drinks and water. All meals are planned to be eaten on the rail, using paper products. With the boat slicing through waves on a substantial heel, eating can be a messy process, but sailors get it done. “That’s why you wear your old, stained shirts on a race!” Suzanne exclaims. And what about the “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”? Her answer is, “We are out to win, and because things happen so fast, no alcohol is allowed until the sails are down.”
While a race onboard “Rowdy” wouldn’t be the same without Suzanne’s culinary and organizational skills, her contributions go far beyond the galley. “A lot of people hear all about the crews racing, but there is a lot that goes on before and after the race,” she points out. “I have spent many years on crews taking boats back to the club after races. There are also sails to be picked up and organized, general boat cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.” These days, Suzanne blends her love of sailing with power boating by way of a Grand Banks 42 which she and Val keep in Florida. She loves to work on the boat, including engine repair and maintenance. In spite of a large, well- equipped galley, Suzanne still plans menus when entertaining, especially while cruising to isolated anchorages deep in the Everglades. “If I find that I don’t have an item I need out there, I’ll just have to improvise”, she says. And that, my friends, is the kind of attitude that has served mariners well through the centuries.
May you all have fair winds and following seas this boating season!
Suzanne’s Famous
Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe
- One dozen boiled eggs, cut up with an egg slicer with lots of angles
- Mix with green onion, celery, plain mustard, Hellmann’s mayo and a bit of Miracle Whip
- Refrigerate overnight, spread on hamburger buns and add lettuce
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