Monday, July 14, 2014

A Day in the Life – Tuesday July 8. 2014


0600 – Knock on the door, it’s my wake-up call from Morten. Today he’s brought me a cup of Earl Grey tea (we agree Twinning’s is the best) which is a great start to the day!


0615 – I’m ready to go and out on deck with my tea enjoying the morning for a bit before work begins.

0630 – Down to the walk-in to get the bread that’s been rising overnight.  Nadia meets me there and we get the bread into the oven to bake before going to set the tables in the aft ship.


0707 – The tables are set and I’m back in the galley to take the bread out of the oven.  I have a few more things to get from down in dry stores and start some water boiling for oatmeal.



0725 – We don’t have a hot breakfast every day but today we do.  Giving the oatmeal a last stir before dishing it up.

 
0736 - The breakfast food is out and I’ve done a quick wipe down in the galley.  Time to eat!


0757 – Enjoying a bit more deck time before breakfast break is over.

0805 – Cleaning in the galley, the tilt skillet from the oatmeal needs washing and dirty dishes get taken down to the pantry.

0811 – Time to start baking cake!  It won’t be served till 1500 but we need time to let it cool before icing and this is a good window of time to get a head start.  There’s a birthday today and chocolate cake has been specially requested.

0830 – Realize I should have made more cake batter and mix up another couple batches to fill the pans.


0845 – Cakes are in the oven.

0850 – Carsten, Nadia and I have a quick meeting in the galley to discuss our plans for the day; what we’ll be cooking, extra jobs to be done, what we want our galley team to accomplish.

0902 – Meeting over, time to work on lunch prep; I begin by making egg salad and pasta salad from yesterday’s leftovers.


0926 – Several people have stopped by the galley to comment on the chocolatey scent!

0955 – Cakes are out, salads are made, I’m starting to cut vegetables for lunch.

1000 – Coffee time break of the aft deck!

1015 – Back to work.  Lunch is cold today but there’s lots to do, mostly slicing and chopping and bowling things up.

1046 – All hands are on deck to tack the ship.  The first time this summer we’ve had an all hands call that has included everyone on board.  We have a quick muster and go to our various stations ready to turn the ship through the wind.  The galley department is taking care of the fore coarse sheets (they’re right outside the galley doors so traditionally this is the cook’s job).



1120 – Tacking is done and we’re rushing to get the last bits of lunch prep done.  Everyone else is still working on deck and I know they won’t be done right at 1130 when lunch begins.

1200 – After getting a bit of the mess in the galley under control it’s time to eat.



1230 – Work with Nadia on getting leftovers put away.  Some of this is delayed as the crew are eating a bit later than usual due to the sail manoeuvers.

1300 – Muster on deck to get a race update and other announcements for the day.

1315 – Finish getting leftovers to the right places.  Nadia is working on filling up some of the many bowls of lunch items (sometimes we have 35 things on the table!) and I go up to the galley to work on icing for the cake.

1340 – Sifting icing sugar for the icing.  Almost done?

1400 – Begin icing cakes.



1420 – Nadia finishes icing the cakes while I get the bread dough ready.  We are 58 on board so I’m going to do 12 loaves.


1445 – Take the bread dough down to the walk-in and all the dishes down to the pantry.

1455 – Get the cake out on deck for coffee time.

1500 – Break time! I spend a bit of time out on deck with the crew enjoying cake and listening to a Danish (?) Happy Birthday song.


1515 – In my cabin to upload pictures to my computer and do a little blogging.

1630 – Go out on deck but don’t stay long as it’s raining a fair bit.


1650 – Visit Nadia in her cabin before we have to start work.

1700 – Time to peel potatoes for dinner.  We’re heeled over and rocking quite a bit so everything is taking longer than usual.  I’m bracing a foot against the garbage can to keep my spot at the sink while I peel. Every time I go down to dry stores I end up sea stowing something, from a cupboard that’s come undone or something that’s fallen off a shelf.  Wonder briefly why I thought working in the galley of a tall ship was a good idea.

1755 – Done potatoes and go to the aft ship to check on things there, end up sea stowing some items.

1825 – Help Carsten dish up the food for dinner.

1838 – Carry the last dish of food out to be served.

1905 – Sit down to eat.


1925 – Another couple minutes on deck before clean up begins.  It’s still raining and cold and I am amazed that I was wearing shorts just a day ago!

1950 – All the leftovers are put away.

2035 – Clean up is done and I’m taking food waste out.

2040 – Go by the crew mess to read an e-mail and find the deck crew there celebrating a great day of sailing with Cokes.

2050 – Put my name down on the “wake me if you need help setting sail/taking in sail/bracing” list.


2105 – Going to bed, have clothes out and ready for night watch if I’m woken.

1 comment:

  1. I really enjoy your posts. Was wondering if you were going to carry on.
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    ReplyDelete