| Living on a sailboat in the Caribbean was a way of life | | | | also came in handy at times. We did not miss much in |
| for 8 years. Sailing from Trinidad and Venezuela in the | | | | the food department living on a sailboat. |
| south to the Virgin Islands in the north. We had a ball | | | | Whenever we cooked out we used a very small grill |
| and lived very well. | | | | attached to the stern rail, fueled by a small propane |
| One common question was where did you eat? | | | | container. Some used charcoal but it is not a good idea |
| Simple answer was 90% of the time we ate on the | | | | with the dinghy and its gas tank around. |
| boat. Hard to believe that a small galley on a 35 foot | | | | Our boat, an Island Packet 35, had a very nice feature |
| boat could put out such great food but it did. We had | | | | for dining. When the wind was up we ate below. The |
| turkey on Thanksgiving and bread made from scratch | | | | table below folded away against the bulkhead. Lots of |
| at any anchorage we chose. | | | | room during the day. A dropdown table for the |
| Now we modified the 90% rule when we docked at | | | | evening meal. One Thanksgiving we had 6 hungry |
| Puerto La Cruz in Venezuela or in Trinidad. The | | | | people below for a memorable meal. |
| restaurant food was so cheap we ate out practically | | | | Most commonly it would be the 2 of us and we ate up |
| every day for lunch. By cheap I'm talking 2 full meals, | | | | top off another teak fold down table in the cockpit. |
| some beer and tip for less than $10. Living on a | | | | We had a division of labor on the boat the mate was |
| sailboat is a cheap way to go I tell you. | | | | the cook and the captain was the dishwasher. We |
| The street food was especially good in Trinidad, rotis | | | | used fresh water very sparingly to do the dishes. |
| (a doughy burrito with chicken) and doubles (chickpeas | | | | Fresh water was a valuable commodity on board. We |
| and ?) were our favorites. We never once got sick. If | | | | had 90 gallons which lasted us 2 weeks. A daily |
| you don't take advantage of the local cuisine when | | | | shower apiece, drinking water and the dishes. The |
| traveling, and not just to the Caribbean, you are missing | | | | average American family uses 400 gallons a day ...that |
| out. | | | | would keep us going for 9 weeks. |
| On board the galley contained a three burner gimbaled | | | | So living on a sailboat was not only a lot of fun, it |
| stove, with an oven big enough for the Thanksgiving | | | | meant eating well. So if you are contemplating giving |
| bird and the bread pan. The oven ran on propane, we | | | | this lifestyle a try...bring an appetite. Enjoy. |
| had two 5 gallon tanks on board. A pressure cooker | | | | |