Fresh-baked aroma
was a breadmaker. The power draw was less than we’d originally assumed, and we kept the batteries topped up by running the engine while the bread was in the baking stage. Kim and Simon Brown from Britican are also firm breadmaker fans. In fact, Kim says: “This is mandatory if you’re sailing around the world. Nothing is more spirit-lifting and comforting than the smell and taste of fresh bread.”
I couldn’t agree more. Of course, it’s entirely possible to make bread by hand, and many sailors do. However, we try to avoid having the oven on for too long as it not only uses up propane but also heats the boat up, so a bread machine makes sense.
Continuing on the premise that if we’re wellfed and caffeinated, we’d probably be quite content, we decided to buy a pressure-cooker. We didn’t purchase this until we’d been cruising for almost a year, but it was a game-changer. It lowered our propane usage by reducing cooking time and also prevented the boat from getting too hot. Another benefit was that it cooked the frozen, often quite tough, meat we usually found on the Caribbean islands in a way that actually made it tender and delicious.
However, a pressure cooker isn’t the only option. Behan and Jamie Gifford from Totem use a far more self-sufficient alternative: a solar oven. Behan says: “Point it into the sun and during peak hours the oven heats up to 200250°F (93-121°C).
“That’s kind of like having a crockpot on deck which slowly turns out a delicious meal over the course of the afternoon.”
It makes everything from slow-cooked meats, to cake, to sun-dried tomatoes. The only downside is its size.
Behan says:, “It’s a big box, it doesn’t collapse and it does take up a chunk of space. It’s got a special corner on deck where it lives, and we’d rather minimise what’s on deck, but there’s not another option.”
However, they reckon it’s a reasonable compromise for a cooking method that not only makes delicious meals, but also uses no gas.
Behan has another trick up her sleeve for provisioning when in remote areas. She cans her own chicken, meat and pasta sauces, among other things, and maintains that home-made canned meat tastes far better than store-bought. “I’m a former vegetarian, but everyone else onboard Totem are die-hard carnivores. Heaven forbid we have too many meatless meals!” she says.
They also have what she calls a ‘ridiculous little luxury’