Meals on a Passage

We left Beaufort, NC yesterday afternoon at around 2:30 with a plan to arrive at Cape Fear sometime between 9 am and noon. About an hour before dinner time we turned the oven on and put a casserole in to heat. Before I left home I made a few casseroles and froze portions for two in small aluminum loaf pans. Of course, since the freezer on Breeze On is barely big enough to hold a couple of ice cube trays, the meals eventually thaw. We have had the casseroles on each of the two overnight passages we have had so far and it is a really convenient way to avoid trying to work in the galley when the boat is bouncing and rolling. The remaining casseroles will have to be consumed soon since we don’t yet have a weather window to cross to the Bahamas. Before we are ready to leave I will prepare some more for our passage. 

Before my night watch begins I clip a bag of snacks to the dodger frame. That way we don’t have to root around in the galley in the dark for something to eat and disturb the person who is trying to sleep. We each usually have a hard boiled egg with salt and some kind of orange during our night watch. The orange is our favorite snack and I usually wait until the last hour of my watch to eat it. Before we start out we also fill a 3 liter insulated thermos full of ice water and lash it in the cockpit. That makes it really convenient to stay hydrated. Breakfast is a bowl of cereal and coffee for each of us. 

The relatively light wind and downwind sailing angle meant we had to motor most of the passage yesterday. Although we both prefer to sail, I have to admit there are some advantages to motoring. The night watch is easier without having to focus intently on the sailing angle and make constant adjustments to avoid unexpected gybing. Also, since the motor serves as a white noise machine for me, I find it easier to sleep on my off watch time. 

Breakfast time. 

Close up of my new slippers. I love them.