Funny or Interesting Stories from the Galley

[Andrea]

What has happened in the galley that was so funny or outlandish that you have to share the story?

[Kevin M. Morton]

I taught myself to sail coming out of the harbor at Long Beach as I was setting out to singlehand my new (to me) Hunter 27. I hadn't been able to balance the helm, and I had no autopilot, so the tiller required a constant hand to keep the boat on course. Ever try to boil eggs on a non-gimbaled stove, holding onto the pan with one hand while reaching through the companionway to hold the tiller with the other? Not an easy trick for a FNG! lol

[Andrea]

Wow! That would have been a picture!

[Richard Mansfield]

o.k Here is one of my funny galley stories. We have been in the Bahamas for about 5 weeks and as you may know Fish and chicken are abundent. Red meet is very costley if you can find it. My mate asked what I wuold like for dinner and I said meatloaf would be good. When I sat down for dinner without giving it any thought I started to eat meatloaf.I dawn on me that we are eating meat I said where we get the meat? The answer came from the can of cornbeef hash. To which I never ate because well you know. I must say the meatloaf that night was very good.

[Cameron & Leighia]

One of my more memorable galley stories (and being a chef on private Yachts I have a few) but back in the younger days, I worked as a Deckie/Chef aboard a 61ft Oyster doing charters through the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays. We had a French gentleman and his mistress onboard for 2 weeks, catching fresh fish and going to the local spots for fresh oysters and spoiling them rotten. My cooking skills were still pretty immature, and the guest asked for his steak to be cooked blue. So I got the skillet really hot (unfortunately there was no Aussie barbie onboard) and threw the steak in to sear it, Well the flames shot up, since I had marinated it in some rum and I panicked "Not wanting to turn the galley into the ring of fire' and threw the skillet with steak into the dish water sitting in the sink to extinguish the flames. Well I only had 2 steaks thawed and he never tasted the "Joy" after I finished dressing it.

[Peter Kafer]

Like most cruisers in the Caribbean, we found that "lobster" is fairly easy to get. Of course, the "lobster" you get in the Caribbean is not like Maine lobster but is really "langouste" or rock lobster. anyway, we obtained a couple of nice fresh, "just caught this morning lobsters." Now we have cooked and relished many a Maine lobster and the preferred method of cooking is to plunge them into a pot of boiling water, seasoned or not. Well, we brought a pot to boil--no mean feat on a Force 10 stove. I took one of those "just caught this morning lobsters" and plunged him/her/it into that cauldron of boiling water. He/she/it would have nothing to with it and jumped right out of the pot and skittered about on the cabin sole. Well, we recaptured him and plunged him into the pot and slammed the lid on. OK, one "just caught this morning lobster" ready for consumption. Now time for the other. 1) plunge into boiling water, 2) lobster jumps out of pot, 3) catch lobster and plunge into pot and slam lid on pot. Melt a little butter, cut up a lemon. A bit more exciting than the usual meal prep, but delicious nonetheless.

[LOLA]

This really made me laugh Peter.

[Andrea]

I cannot imagine what it was like to have a lobster jump out of the pot and run around in the galley! It sounds like a scene from a cartoon. Very funny!

Did you catch the lobsters or get them on shore? I have heard that it is fairly easy to catch them yourself but always wonder how. Let me know and thanks for sharing! ;-)

Andrea

[D Wogaman]

I have not had my lobsters jump out, but I have had crabs from the Chesapeake Bay get out. It was a mad scramble trying to keep the ones in, to stay in, and the ones that were crawling around, back in. Yikes! I did not want any toes pinched.

When we were in Annapolis Maryland we saw a tee shirt that I fervently wish we had purchased; but because we have scads, did not. Picture this: Crab pot on the stove with steam issuing forth. Crab held with tongs, about to be plunged in. Caption read, "How's the water, Bob? Bob???"

That tickles my funny bone every-time I think about it.

D Wogaman
SV SOUTHERN CROSS