sailboat galley

Yachting World

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Boat galley accessories: essential cooking tools for cruising sailboats

• Nica Waters
• April 7, 2022

After 30 years trying out various boat galley accessories, long-term cruising sailor Nica Waters offers her top recommendations for kitting out your sail boat's kitchen with a few tried and tested items from our Tech Editor Fox Morgan's Dehler 36 galley…

A well founded boat galley with just the right accessories for your food prepping style can make life on board an absolute joy.

Nica writes “We recently rebuilt the galley on our 28’ cutter, Calypso , the boat we’ve owned and cruised intermittently on since 1992. This time, using the wisdom gained over the past 30 years, we incorporated more usable storage areas, installed a large undermount sink, and even splurged on Corian counters.”

“As we moved aboard in April of 2021, we made sure that the galley items we brought with us are all ones we love and use frequently. After all, having the right tools makes cooking even more of a pleasure.”

The Marine Tech Editor, Fox Morgan loves their linear galley as it is especially well organised with just the right bit of kit in just the right places.

“Working in a confined space with limited storage, it’s a balancing act to make sure you have enough galley kit on board and don’t lack things that would make your life easier. Being judicious about what comes aboard can pay off handsomely both in terms of organization as well as the sense of space. For example, despite being a self-proclaimed cutting board addict, I had to be honest and realize that most of the time I use the same board over and over. I don’t need to take 15 on the boat! Almost everything needs to serve double duty; almost nothing is single use.”

If you’re just setting up a galley on the boat, here are some boat galley accessories you might not have thought of…

Boat galley accessories – knives

At the core of a good galley is its knives . You do not need to buy a complete knife set, which often include a number of knives you don’t need, but rather buy individual ones.

A 9” (or 7”) chefs knife, a serrated blade for cutting bread, and a smaller paring knife are essential; the next one I’d get is a long bladed boning knife for filleting your fresh catch of fish.

Find knives that fit your hand and feel good; some people prefer heavier ones while other people like light blades. Stainless steel blades will dull faster than carbon steel blades, but carbon steel blades will rust. Ceramic blades hold their edge for a long time but are notoriously hard to sharpen.

ZWILLING Chef’s Knife, Blade length: 20 cm, Wide blade, Special stainless steel/Plastic handle

A chef’s knife is an absolute must, ideally you’ll have more than one of these. As a boat galley accessories go, this is an area not to be scrimped on. Buy good quality. There’s a chance it will also be used for cutting and trimming lines on deck at some point too.

Price £63.84

Buy Zwilling paring knife from Amazon.co.uk

Shop for Zwilling knives on Amazon .com

ZWILLING Twin Pollux Bread Knife, steel, Silver/Black

A bread knife is one of the staple boat galley accessories, you might be cutting bread with it… sometimes it’s useful lashed to a pole for lopping a rope off your propeller too. Make sure you buy a good one of these!

Price £30.95

Buy Zwilling bread knife via Amazon.co.uk

Ceramic Blade Paring Knife with Sheath 

Tech Editor, Fox Morgan says “Onboard Boogie Nights there’s two paring knives. One steel the other is ceramic and 9 times out of 10 I’ll reach for the ceramic blade. It is light and I like the white blade. It is SUPER sharp and I have already sliced the tips of my fingers off when not paying attention chopping an onion one day while distracted and chatting with my co-skipper. The blade protector stays in place and the knife lives in the cutlery drawer with other stuff. It’s a few years old now but still sharp and still my first choice from the drawer. It’s also great for slicing mooring lines for splicing or repairs. watch out for the super sharp blade really near the handle though. That can catch you out”

Food prepping in the cockpit on a very hot day. Ceramic paring knife in hand. Look carefully, they can be difficult to see with their white blades. They do come in brighter colours, I would recommend trying a bright colour for safety.

Price: £16.99

Buy Ceramic paring knife from Amazon.co.uk

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Having chosen your knives, you need to have a place to store them safely, and a way to sharpen them. One of our galley upgrades was a pair of magnetic knife strips which we’ve attached to the underside of the deck in the galley area.

under counter magnetic strip – doubled up for extra security

You do need to make sure these powerful magnets are placed far from any compass or autopilot. We have two strips so the knives are secured in two places along the blade. Our stainless steel knives hold well, which is an indication of the quality of the stainless steel they are made from. (note from Tech Ed: beware that some stainless blades are not fero-magnetic due to their metal composition. So double check this if buying new blades and intend yo hang them safely on magnets.)

MIU France Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Bar, 15-Inch

Price: £32.87

Buy the MIU France Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Bar on Amazon

If you store your knives in a general cutlery drawer, be prepared to sharpen them even more frequently as the blade edges will be .amaged and dulled by contact with other utensils, although some knives do come with blade protectors that slide or clip onto the knife blade to keep it tip top and to avoid accidental injury when reaching into the cutlery drawer.

A knife sharpener can range from a simple whetstone all the way up to an electric knife sharpener ; our preferred tool is an easy-to-use hand sharpener that guides the knife to the correct angle.

WORK SHARP Guided Field Sharpener 

Price: £32.95

Buy Worksharp field sharpener via Amazon.co.uk

Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Kn ife Sharpener

Price: £217

Buy Chef’s Choice electric knife sharpener from Amazon.co.uk

Though this item possibly fails the ‘multi-use’ test, a Microplane zester is another must-have cutting tool in Calypso’s galley. Coming with its own guard, this slender rasp-style grater makes quick work of ginger, garlic, and parmesan cheese and stores flat; it’s also relatively easy to clean since you have access to both sides of the tool.

Microplane Zester Grater Black for Citrus Fruits, Hard Cheese, Ginger, Chocolate, Nutmeg and Truffle from The Premium Classic Series with Stainless Steel Blade

Price: £18.30

Buy Microplane Zester via Amazon.co.uk

Buy the Microplane zester on Amazon

Boat galley accessories – tongs

Everyone has their own preference as to tools to use to turn food in the pan. While spatulas and spoons, forks and even chopsticks all have their place in the galley, I can’t speak highly enough of these locking tongs .

OXO Good Grips Tongs – 12 inch

We have two pairs as we use them so much. One might be in use at the stove, turning meat or stirring pasta, while the other is being used to toss salad. I find the 12-inch size to be far more versatile than the longer ones, and personally find the silicone-tipped ones go gummy too quickly. Just be careful if using these with a nonstick pan surface.

Price: £27.99

Buy OXO 12-Inch Stainless-Steel locking tongs on Amazon

Colourworks Mini Tongs

These Mini tongs are useful in so many ways around the galley. You can pull a hot packet of wet food out of the the boiling pan with them or give a small pot a stir or flip your bacon with them. These fit into places where the larger tongs do not. Silicon tips can also help to preserve nonstick if you have that on your pans. Tongs of all shapes and sizes are considered one of the most essential boat galley accessories.

Price: £3.49

Buy Mini tongs from The Range

Boat galley accessories – blenders

Rounding out the hand tools category is an immersion blender .

When I lived on land, I used my beloved Cuisinart food processor almost daily. Space and power constraints on the boat mean it can’t come with us cruising, but I really did want something that could do some pureeing and fine chopping tasks.

A good galley alternative is an immersion blender. This stick blender does require an electrical outlet nearby, but fits into small spaces and larger pots with ease.

We call it the boat motor; it makes a lovely smooth vegetable soup as well making quick work of frozen fruit and yogurt for a smoothie.

The accompanying small bowl and blade means that smooth hummus and other luxuries are possible on board.

You can buy kits that come without some of the extra attachments (we in particular question the masher attachment), but they’re more expensive.

Braun MultiQuick Hand Blender

As used for over 10 years on the Tech Eds boat, this tried and tested hand blender has been pressed into action offshore many times, whipping up cake batters and chopping tomatoes and anything else we care to throw at it. One of the best value for money items ever introduced to the galley. It’s powered from a small inverter. Though, sometimes cake making goes a bit awry… sense of humour required when this happens. Thankfully we were moored up when this happened. This Braun hand blender was the secret weapon used in the great Atlantic bake-off during the Azab 2019 race.

utter carnage in the galley as the frosting went for a flyer.

Chocolate and Guinness cake, the SV Boogie Nights signature arrival cake, once we got the frosting in the right place it was utterly delicious and a doddle to make thanks to the little Braun gizmo.

Buy the Braun hand blender via Amazon.co.uk

Buy the Braun 4-in-1 Immersion Hand Blender on Amazon

Best pots and pans

Made-in stainless clad saute pan.

On board, I tend to cook with an eye toward cleanup. Like most cruisers, we’re water-conscious, and one way to minimize water use is to create fewer dirty dishes.

One-pot meals are a good way to put this mantra into practice. A surprise favorite pan for this is a stainless steel 3.5-quart saute pan (if we were a family of 4 still on board, I might like a larger version.)

This straight-sided skillet goes from stove top to oven flawlessly; the tight fitting lid for it means it can also work to cook rice or pasta. Watch for a handle that’s short enough to fit in the oven.

Price: £123.99

Buy the 3.5 quart Stainless Clad Saute Pan on madeincookware.com

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Inox Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker with Long Handle, 5 Litre / 22 cm

Pressure cookers are another conservation tactic, working to save on cooking fuel as well as time spent in the galley. The premise behind these pots is that they cook foods at a higher temperature by applying pressure, meaning that cooking takes less time.

For example, if we decide at 5 pm that we’d like black bean soup for dinner; the pressure cooker takes beans from dried to yummy in half an hour. This pot doubles as my largest mixing bowl as well as a regular, non-pressurized pot for pasta.

Unfortunately, the Fagor brand we use has been discontinued, but this recommended one has been in use on my friend Behan’s boat for the past ten years.

Price: £132.53

Buy the Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker on Amazon

Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Smart Cooker, 5.7L – Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté Pan, Yoghurt Maker, Steamer and Food Warmer

If you have the electricity and storage space to spare, multi-cookers (essentially, electric pressure cookers with a few other bells and whistles) are all the rage in the United States. I’ve never used one but have yet to meet anyone who is not wildly impressed. Many boats are shifting away from propane as a cooking fuel especially as lithium batteries are becoming more widespread, and a multi-cooker is a favourite boat galley accessory for cruisers with an electric galley.

Price: £69.99

Buy the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker on Amazon

Tefal Ingenio Essential Non-Stick Pots and Pans Set, 5-Piece, Starter Kit

The Tefal Ingenio pans are also a boat galley favourite as they can go from stove top to oven to cool box and back again with their removable handles and clip lids to stop spillage.

The Tech Ed writes “These have been in use onboard SV Boogie Nights for around 8 years now.

Tefal Ingenio pans, with quick release handle removed for better balanced pans when sailing offshore. Stackable and versatile. An excellent investment for the galley.

The small frying pan is looking a bit tired because it get’s the most use but the clip handle, lids and pans are still going strong. The good thing is that you can buy the pans individually so you can make your own set that suits your particular galley needs. The handles are easy to find, often in European supermarkets too.”

Price: £56.99

Buy Tefal Ingenio starter kit from Amazon.co.uk

Best of the rest

Other favorite boat galley accessories and tools are personal: there’s the wide-mouth thermos I use to make yogurt, the citrus juicer I bought in an eclectic hardware store in the Dominican Republic, the French Press coffee maker we use every morning.

Zulay Metal Lemon Lime Squeezer – Manual Citrus Press Juicer

If lemons and Lime are your thing, then much like a garlic press, you’ll love this and it will make life just a little neater. Cocktails and cooking are a little bit better with a dash of citrus. The boat galley accessory you never knew you needed…

Buy Zulay lemon squeezer via Amazon

CLASSIC LEGENDARY FOOD JAR | 1.0 QT

A robust food flask with a wide mouth. Its ubiquitous design can be seen around the globe in the ditty bag of anyone who travels or wants to travel relatively light but head away from it all. This isn’t just a boat galley accessory, but a trekking and hiking accessory too.

Buy Stanley food flask via Amazon

Frieling USA Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker with Zero Sediment Dual Screen

If you’re a coffee lover then a decent press will really enhance your mornings. Avoid glass and go for something sturdy, reliable and without consumable parts, such as paper filters. The dual mesh inner keeps the coffee grounds away from your cup and you’ll have enough in this press for more than one cup.

Buy Frieling stainless coffee press via Amazon

Luci Solar String Lights + Phone Charger with 100 Lumens

One special tool, although not a galley-specific item, that has immeasurably improved our dining life at anchor is these Luci string lights . Solar powered, they clip easily to our bimini top and provide light and ambience for dinners in the cockpit.

My husband was skeptical at first and now is the first person to reach for them when the sun starts to go down!

Buy Luci Lights via Amazon

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated sailing page for more marine products.

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Yacht Cruising Lifestyle

Everything fun you can do from your yacht

Setting Up the Perfect Boat Galley

March 19, 2021 by Travis Turgeon Leave a Comment

Living on a boat comes with countless challenges, but few can cause more frustration than a poorly designed galley. It’s tough enough to cook a great-tasting meal that everyone enjoys in a standard kitchen, but managing that in a swaying, confined space with limited resources can make you want to hurl yourself overboard. A perfect boat galley is well-designed, highly functional, and safe to use. Below, we cover everything you’ll need to know to make the most out of your space.

The Boat Galley

Boat galleys vary in a ton of different ways. Size, layout, storage, proximity – the list goes on. Each boat will require a slightly different setup than the next, but certain features are beneficial across the board.

Boat Galley Basics

Boat Galley Location

From cooking and cleaning to remaining mobile and social, the location of a galley can dramatically impact your culinary experience at sea. The galley should be accessible from both the cockpit and saloon, well ventilated and in an area that is less prone to boat roll than other areas. Placement at the foot of the boat’s companionway is ideal, as it satisfies the three considerations mentioned above. Those with multiple roles on the boat will enjoy this location as they make trips above and below deck. Each boat will have a different setup, though, so be sure to consider the specifics for you and your crew. What works for some will be less than ideal for others. 

Boat Galley Layout

The shape and layout of your space will dictate how you set up your kitchen and arrange your boat galley accessories. Three standard layouts for a boat galley exist – Linear, L-Shaped, or U-Shaped. L-Shaped and U-Shaped galleys are more commonly found on offshore cruisers, as the design provides more support and security when the boat is rolling. They also keep spaces and cooking accessories nearby for a busy evening as the lead cook.

While these confined layouts are more suitable for safety and convenience, they reduce the overall ability to be creative in the kitchen. Less space means you have to be more mindful of the equipment you’re using, as well as how many dishes you can prepare at once. It would be best if you determined your galley’s layout by evaluating how many people are on board, how often you’ll be cooking during open-water passages, and how creative a cook you are in the first place. 

Functionality  

Gimballed Boat Appliances 

A gimbal is a single-axis support system on which objects pivot to stay level, even when their surroundings are not. Having gimbaled boat appliances is essential to cooking safely, especially when making long passages in inclement weather. The most common boat appliance to mount on a gimbal is a stove and oven. Gimballed boat appliances are lockable when not in use, so you can use the equipment as usual when at anchor or docked in the marina. 

Logical Refrigeration Placement

While modern boat galleys are becoming more logical in their design and layout, there are often things that leave us scratching our heads when looking at older vessels. Unfortunately, one of the most common issues we see is the placement of refrigeration and freezer units. Whether due to space restrictions or simple neglect, we see these cooling units installed near engine rooms, ovens, or in areas with minimal ventilation. For obvious reasons, placement in these areas will drastically reduce energy efficiency and drive up costs. When looking to buy a used boat or renovate your existing galley, make energy efficiency a primary consideration.

Boat Galley Convenience Features

Double-Basin Sink

While this is, of course, a subjective opinion, many offshore cruisers prefer to equip their boat’s galley with a deep, double-basin sink. Deeper basins offer a few advantages, although not every person will see them as essential.

The main advantage is the ability to soak your dishes without worrying about water overflowing when the boat rolls. However, if you’re only cooking for a few people, you can manage this with a shallow sink as well. The selling point for most is the double basins. With two basins, you can use one for washing and draining while the other serves as a soaking station. After all, efficiency is the name of the game in such a small and limited cooking space. If you aren’t using one of the basins, you can increase your counter space by placing a fitted cutting board or surface over the second basin. Depending on the meal, you may require more space or an assistant in the kitchen. 

Locking Cupboard, Drawer, and Oven Latches

Installing lockable latches to anything with a swinging door or a sliding drawer is the best way to prevent things from coming open during a passage. Not only are you risking breaking your kitchenware, but you’re potentially turning ordinary household items into dangerous, high-speed projectiles. These latches are cheap, easy to install and provide peace of mind for a more relaxed journey.

Vertical Cupboard Dowels

Another infinitely helpful boat galley accessory is vertical dowels, installations to keep glasses in place and prevent breakage. You can also use dowels to stack plates and bowls, although most find the best use for them to hold their precious wine glasses and beer mugs. Ensure you won’t be drinking your wine from plastic cups by installing these boat galley accessories in your cupboards.

Wall-Mounted Racks

Having wall-mounted racks in strategic locations around the galley can help the chef stay organized and uncluttered without sacrificing accessibility for items like oil and spices. If your wall rack doesn’t have a security band or horizontal dowel to keep items secure, you can easily install a bungee cord to keep things from moving around. 

Boat Galley Safety Features

Grab Rails and Handles

When it comes to the boat galley, you need to consider safety a top priority. If not, you’ll quickly find out why this is such a pressing matter. One of the biggest threats to a cook is the prospect of being tossed across the galley. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is by having handles and grab-rails within reach, although some prefer tether systems. The debate will likely continue through eternity, but most long-term cruisers seem to prefer handles and grab-rails as it keeps them mobile in case of emergency. 

Tether System 

Depending on who you ask, tether systems that hold a cook in place are extremely useful or extremely dangerous. Most seem to think they are more dangerous than beneficial, but those with knee or back injuries may find them invaluable in keeping them stable and safe in the kitchen. When cooking on a boat during a rough passage, being tied in place directly in front of hot liquids, fire and pans can be dangerous. If any of those things spill in your direction, burns and bruises are sure to follow. Handles and grab-rails are a common alternative to tether systems, but debates on a better design can become heated depending on who you ask. 

Boat Galley Upgrade Considerations

Another method to improve refrigeration efficiency is to create an “organization plan.” Installing shelves and drawers will help with organization and space efficiency, and using color-coded labels can help with the quick identification of any item.

Hand and Foot Pump Faucets

Using your freshwater supply to clean dishes is far from economical, so installing a hand or foot pump to the faucet is a great way to minimize the use of your limited resources. Cleaning your dishes with seawater is not only easy, but the resources to do so are completely free. You can arrange hand pumps and foot pumps however you prefer, but a common method is to hook a hand pump to freshwater and a foot pump to seawater. Just clean your dishes with soap and saltwater, and give a quick rinse with fresh water to conserve your onboard resources. You can take the conservation efforts a step further by filling a spray bottle with fresh water to rinse dishes. Although a hand or foot pump uses minimal water, a spray bottle uses even less. 

Stainless Steel Boat Appliances

Everything from your kitchen sinks to refrigerators and stovetops is subject to deterioration from salt while at sea. Most new vessels come equipped with all stainless steel appliances for just that reason, but certain models cut costs by supplying the galley with boat appliances made of other materials. If you have boat appliances or kitchenware constructed with anything other than stainless steel, it’s worth considering an upgrade. By spending money on items constructed with high-quality material now, you can avoid higher-cost replacements down the road. 

Boat Galley Lighting

Poor lighting in your boat’s galley can create a dull and uninspired atmosphere, so upgrading your existing lights to LEDs can help liven the mood. Apart from your mental health, LEDs are far more efficient than standard bulbs, which reduces long-term energy costs. Consider installing additional lights to areas above the sink, stove, or countertops. Some LED lights can switch from red to white light, which is beneficial when setting the appropriate mood. 

Port / Hatch Enlargements – Ventilation

Your boat’s galley is the space that needs the most ventilation – for comfortability, safety, and health. When cooking on a boat with propane, it’s crucial to have a well-ventilated kitchen space. Natural gases tend to be denser than air, which means that the gases will “fall” beneath the lower deck if a leak goes unnoticed. Once below deck, the heat can cause combustion to occur, endangering everyone on board or near the boat. Improper use of propane has killed and injured many cruisers in the past, so be sure to prepare appropriately if you decide to use propane as a fuel source. On that note, install gas monitors for further protection. 

Galley Cookware and Accessories

With a small amount of planning and preparation, cooking on a boat in a small galley can be enjoyable. Some of the most important considerations to make are the essentials and non-essentials for kitchen cookware and boat galley accessories.

Boat Galley Essentials

Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are the perfect answer to your multi-purpose needs in a boat kitchen. With the steam vent left open, a pressure cooker serves as a standard pot for all daily meals you would prepare in a kitchen at home.

Closed, your cooking time decreases drastically, making those long-haul passages in inclement weather nothing short of a breeze. Although most people who venture into the cruising lifestyle don’t have a ton of previous experience with pressure cookers, the learning curve is exceptionally shallow. You can master it in nearly no time. 

Nesting Pots and Pans

Dual-purpose kitchen cookware covers all of your bases without stocking up on too many unnecessary items. Further, having nesting cookware is the key ingredient in keeping storage space efficient and uncluttered. Simply put, nesting cookware cascades in size, allowing you to stack each item inside one another. Once you clean them, stack them together, and viola – efficiency at its finest.

Tin Foil and Freezer Bags

Two of the most challenging items to find in foreign countries, whether in the south Pacific or the Caribbean, are heavy-duty tin foil and freezer bags. Keeping your perishables fresh and delicious becomes extremely difficult without the proper boat galley accessories, and these two items are at the top of the list. 

Anything and Everything Silicone

Silicone products are a full-time cruiser’s best friend, making life easy in a variety of ways. Silicone mats allow you to bake without using oil or parchment, are easy to clean, save on storage space, and provide slip-resistant surfaces for any area in the galley. Collapsible mixing bowls and measuring cups are unbreakable, light, and space-efficient. 

Almost all silicone kitchen items can serve multiple purposes, as they are heat resistant, soft, and have gripping properties. Not only are silicone products highly functional, but they are also stylish and colorful – bringing even the dullest of kitchens to life. 

High-Quality Knives

Having just a few high-quality, sharp knives on board makes a world of difference for the seasoned chef. In this case, quality over quantity has never been so important. Stainless steel material is the go-to in saltwater environments. High-quality knives make it easy to serve multiple purposes without sacrificing storage space or functionality. 

Boat Galley Storage

Living on a boat will turn even the messiest of us into overly neat and well-organized human beings, but this only happens through trial and error without proper direction. Luckily, information is right at our fingertips these days.

Dry Storage

Storage Hammocks

Keeping dry goods such as fruits, vegetables, and spices in a storage hammock is a great way to conserve your cupboard space in the boat galley. Storage hammocks are just what you would imagine them to be. They are small, mesh nets that hang as a hammock does above your sink or stovetop – just try to keep them out of the way of cabinet doors and drawers.

Many experienced boat cooks keep the essential items here for easy access and quick use while preparing meals. The hammock swings just slightly when sailing through rough seas, but they are far from a nuisance if you install them in an ideal location. 

Rotating Cupboard Shelves

Instead of pulling out every spice jar to reach the back of the cupboard, install a rotating shelf to make life easier on yourself. Emptying your whole cabinet during passage is a huge inconvenience, and keeping everything secure can become a hassle. You can install rotating shelves as multi-tiered vertical fixtures, so you can use each shelf to organize in a sensible way for your galley. 

Refrigerator Storage

Knowing What Needs Cooled

Not all foods need cold storage for safe consumption. Having a good understanding of which items in your kitchen need cooling will save you space and energy, so familiarize yourself with the requirements of the foods you keep onboard.

Grains, rice, flour, fruits, vegetables, and many other items sealed in jars don’t need cooling for healthy consumption. Follow this LINK for estimated keep times of various food items commonly held on a boat.

Top-Loading Refrigerator 

Generally, top-loading refrigeration units are open and empty spaces without bins or trays for a personalized organization. When people first try to figure out the best way to organize their cold foods, they often just stack things wherever seems easy and convenient. For most, this leads to developing bad habits that ultimately cost them money as they continually reduce their energy efficiency. We recommend using dividers, trays, and compartments to organize. Over time, you will learn to optimize your storage space – making life less stressful in the galley.

Freezer Storage

Color-Coded Mesh Bags

Having a storage system for your frozen goods is the best way to minimize the time that the freezer door stays open for unnecessary reasons. A standard method for doing this is to have color-coded mesh bags to store frozen items. When looking for fish, poultry, vegetables, or anything else, having a color system reduces time spent fumbling through storage looking for something specific. 

Freezer Placement

When buying a new or used boat, your cooling units will likely already have a home. If you’re planning to replace or upgrade your freezer, however, install it below the waterline for a lower ambient temperature – this will help with energy conservation, especially in warmer locations like the tropics.

Keeping Pests Under Control

Cardboard and Paper Labels – Cockroaches

Cockroaches are among the biggest nuisances on a boat, especially when stocked with long-term provisions. Small spaces between cardboard mesh and underneath paper labels are the ideal breeding ground for cockroaches – the reason behind most boat infestations. Some cockroaches species carry egg capsules inside their bodies, and before dying, they release dozens of offspring. Getting rid of cockroaches is extremely difficult if not identified promptly. When provisioning, your best bet is to entirely remove any paper or cardboard from every item before placing your goods into storage. Once you remove the labels, use a permanent marker to indicate the contents of the container. Instead of using cardboard boxes as storage, invest in hard plastic tubs and trays to minimize the otherwise continuous battle. Air-tight bins and plastic bags are low-cost and efficient in keeping cockroaches at bay.

If you find yourself with cockroaches scuttling across your floors, you need to act quickly. While there are dozens of strategies for clearing your boat, each will require a different approach. Some cockroach species are easier to eradicate than others, and it seems that everyone has different results with the same methods.

Your best bet is to employ several of the following simultaneously:

• Cockroach Gel-Bait
• Poison Powders
• Fumigation When Necessary (this method requires you to vacate the vessel for 48 hours and remove any cookware, cutlery, and utensils beforehand)

Air-Tight Plastic Storage – Weevils 

Weevils are another common onboard pest, and they can be majorly destructive to your provisions. Food items such as rice, nuts, flour, and beans can become infested quickly if not correctly stored in air-tight plastic containers. These foods act like magnets for weevils, and they are the perfect breeding ground for their nearly unnoticeable larvae. Even when treated with pesticides, things like flour provide the ideal habitat for weevil larvae to flourish.

If you are unfortunate enough to open up your grain or flour containers to find weevils, there are a couple of tried and true ways to get rid of the infestation. For flour, simply microwave the product for five minutes or longer, or bake it in the oven at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes. After heating, let cool before storing in an airtight plastic container and store with bay leaves to repel future weevils. For food items such as grains or nuts, you can place them in a deep freezer for several hours to several days. For the freezing method, you need to have a freezer that reaches temperatures well below freezing. 

Keeping Clean – Ants

Whether on land or at sea, ants are among the most common pests in a kitchen environment. Sugary drinks, crumbs, and unattended spills are all reasons for ants to come aboard, so clean diligently everywhere on the boat – not just in the galley. You should take preventative measures before you ever see a single ant on the boat to ensure that a full-blown infestation doesn’t occur. Once ants make their way on board, you need to eradicate the problem at the source.

Preventative measures include:

• Creating Barriers on Dock Lines (Petroleum Jelly)
• Strategically Placed Ant Traps and Poisons in High-Risk Areas
• Whole or Ground Cloves Placed Near Sugar Containers
• Keep Sugars, Syrups, Honey, etc. in Sealed Plastic Bins

You can manage an existing ant infestation in various ways, although using several of the following methods at once is e asy and effective:

• Poisons (Borax and Sugar Mixture)

Galley Cookbooks

The Boat Galley Cookbook: 800 Everyday Recipes and Essential Tips for Cooking Aboard, by Carolyn Shearlock 

The space is tight, the ingredients are limited, and you just caught a fish you’ve never even considered preparing before. The boat-friendly recipes and tips in this book are sure to help out any long-term cruiser in the galley, but especially the unseasoned, first-time liveaboard chefs. In some parts of the world, chickens come whole, fish come uncleaned, and you need bones for your broth. Making bread and yogurt can also be a daunting task with limited resources. Taking raw, simple ingredients and turning them into full-blown authentic dishes inspired by cuisines worldwide is easy with this galley cookbook. Make sure this book is onboard – you’ll find plenty of uses for it. 

Feasts Afloat: 150 Recipes for Great Meals From Small Spaces, by Jennifer Trainer Thompson

This book addresses one of the biggest problems with cooking on a boat, and it mentions it directly in its title – limited space. While other boat galley cookbooks try to create complex recipes with unusual ingredients and specialized cookware, this book takes a different approach – bringing you straightforward, easy-to-cook meals without sacrificing taste or quality. You can cook a new boat-friendly recipe from this book every day for nearly half a year, although you are sure to find a few weekly staples along the way. The printed, high-quality color photos inspire the boat chef and create a mouthwatering appetite for everyone on board. If you only keep a couple of cookbooks on board, this should be one of them. 

* For a complete list and description of our favorite books to help you plan, prepare, and execute a life of cruising, follow this LINK !

Galley Tips and Tricks

• Before preparing a meal, take out every ingredient you’ll need and situate them in a way that will maximize workflow. Fumbling through your cramped and limited storage becomes frustrating when you need something at a moment’s notice.
• Decide on the items you find most useful, and make sure you have them with you – even if it means sacrificing a bit of storage space. If you eat vegetables with every meal, you can reduce the time spent in front of your cutting board by buying a heavy-duty hand dicer. If you’re a skilled fisherman and eat seafood often, having a vacuum sealer can be a lifesaver. Tailor your kitchen equipment directly to your needs, rather than using the “blanket method” for preparation.
• If you don’t have silicone mats, use damp towels to prevent plates and bowls from sliding across surfaces. You can take this idea a step further by applying a small amount of rubber cement to the bottom of plates and bowls. Once dried, few materials will grip surfaces more tightly. 
• Wear a full-length apron to ensure that you won’t suffer burns if hot liquids spill as the boat rolls during passage.
• Old tube socks serve as excellent protection for precious wine and liquor bottles. Some will choose to invest in proper fixtures to make sure breakage does not occur, but you can just as easily prevent this from happening with towels and socks. 
• When preparing freshly caught fish, the smell on your hands may linger for hours or even days. Washing your hands with vinegar is a sure-fire way to get the odor off right away. 

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How to organize your galley for maximum efficiency

"An organized galley is the heart of a boat, where you'll be preparing meals, storing food, and spending quality time with your loved ones. Discover tips and tricks to maximize efficiency and make meal prep and family time a breeze."

How to Organize Your Galley for Maximum Efficiency

Sailing the open seas with your family is an incredible experience, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. One of the most important aspects of living on a boat is ensuring that your galley is organized and efficient. After all, the galley is the heart of your boat, where you’ll be preparing meals, storing food, and spending quality time with your loved ones.

In this article, we’ll explore various tips and tricks to help you organize your galley for maximum efficiency. We’ll cover everything from storage solutions to layout ideas, ensuring that your galley is a functional and enjoyable space for your family.

Assessing Your Galley Space

Before diving into specific organization tips, it’s essential to assess your galley space and determine what you’re working with. Consider the following factors:

• Size: How much space do you have in your galley? This will determine the types of storage solutions and appliances you can incorporate.
• Layout: Is your galley an open or closed design? This will affect how you organize your space and the flow of movement within the galley.
• Appliances: What appliances do you have or plan to have in your galley? This will impact your storage needs and overall organization.

Once you have a clear understanding of your galley space, you can begin to implement organization strategies that will maximize efficiency.

Storage Solutions

One of the most critical aspects of an organized galley is having ample storage for all your cooking essentials, food, and dishware. Here are some storage solutions to consider:

1. Utilize Vertical Space

Maximize your galley’s vertical space by installing shelves, hooks, and racks. This will allow you to store items above countertops, freeing up valuable workspace.

• Shelves: Install shelves above your countertops to store frequently used items like dishes, cups, and spices. Adjustable shelves are a great option, as they can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different-sized items.
• Hooks: Use hooks to hang items like pots, pans, and utensils. This not only saves space but also makes these items easily accessible.
• Racks: Install racks on the inside of cabinet doors or on the wall to store items like cutting boards, baking sheets, and lids.

2. Opt for Stackable Containers

When it comes to storing food and other supplies, opt for stackable containers that can be easily nested together. This will save space and make it easier to find what you’re looking for.

• Food Storage: Use airtight containers to store dry goods like pasta, rice, and cereal. These containers will keep your food fresh and prevent spills.
• Dishware: Choose stackable dishware like plates, bowls, and cups. This will save space in your cabinets and make it easier to access your dishes.

3. Use Drawer Organizers

Drawer organizers are a simple yet effective way to keep your galley organized. They can be used to store utensils, spices, and other small items.

• Utensil Organizers: Use adjustable drawer organizers to store your cutlery and cooking utensils. This will keep your drawers neat and make it easy to find what you need.
• Spice Organizers: Store your spices in a drawer organizer to keep them organized and easily accessible. Opt for a tiered organizer to make the most of your drawer space.

4. Incorporate Multi-Functional Furniture

When space is limited, multi-functional furniture can be a game-changer. Consider incorporating furniture that serves multiple purposes, such as:

• Folding Tables: A folding table can be used for meal prep, dining, and even as a workspace. When not in use, simply fold it up and store it away.
• Storage Benches: A storage bench can be used for seating and also provides additional storage for items like blankets, linens, and extra dishware.

Galley Layout Ideas

An efficient galley layout is crucial for maximizing your space and ensuring a smooth workflow. Here are some layout ideas to consider:

1. The Work Triangle

The work triangle is a classic kitchen layout concept that can also be applied to your galley. The idea is to create a triangle between your three main work areas: the stove, sink, and refrigerator. This layout promotes efficiency by minimizing the distance between these areas, making it easier to move between tasks.

2. The Galley Layout

The galley layout is a popular choice for boat galleys, as it makes the most of limited space. This layout features two parallel countertops, with appliances and storage on both sides. This creates a central aisle, allowing for easy movement between work areas.

3. The U-Shaped Layout

If you have a larger galley, consider a U-shaped layout. This design features three walls of countertops, appliances, and storage, creating a highly efficient workspace. The U-shaped layout also provides ample storage and counter space, making it ideal for families.

Additional Tips for an Organized Galley

Here are some additional tips to help you maintain an organized and efficient galley:

• Label Everything: Use labels to clearly identify the contents of your containers, drawers, and cabinets. This will make it easier to find what you need and prevent items from being misplaced.
• Keep a Minimalist Mindset: When living on a boat, it’s essential to be mindful of the items you bring on board. Stick to the essentials and avoid cluttering your galley with unnecessary items.
• Clean as You Go: Make a habit of cleaning up as you cook and put items away immediately after use. This will help maintain a tidy and organized galley.

Organizing your galley for maximum efficiency is crucial for a comfortable and enjoyable sailing experience. By implementing the storage solutions, layout ideas, and additional tips discussed in this article, you’ll create a functional and organized space that will make meal prep and family time a breeze. Happy sailing!

Cooking Onboard

Provisioning, Meal Ideas, & Galley Gear

Boat galley & cooking on a boat.

In this section, you’ll find everything you need to know to outfit your boat galley and start cooking delicious meals aboard.

We have gathered essential information for equipping your boat’s galley, stocking your vessel with provisions, and preparing delightful onboard meals.

Learn how to find great galley equipment, prepare meals with minimal fresh ingredients, and store food for the long term.

Guide to Cooking on a Boat

View our six steps to making delicious meals on your boat. Here you’ll find tips on how to meal prep, provision, store food, and more.

Cooking Onboard a Boat

Browse guides for making delicious meals on the water..

Best Nesting Pots with Removable Handles for a Small Kitchen

In a small kitchen, every inch of counter and cabinet space is necessary. In tiny homes, RVs, and boats, our kitchen and galley gear is especially crucial to cooking successfully in a small space.

Practical Guide to Sailboat Provisioning

Provisioning for long-passages can be daunting. But even when coastal cruising, it can be a mission to get to the store. The better you stock your sailboat, the longer before you’ll need to plan a provisioning trip.

5 Simple Ideas for an Amazing Breakfast on a Boat

Breakfast is a big part of living onboard. It’s a relaxing time at anchor and one of the most peaceful parts of the day.

7 Easy and Versatile Meals on a Boat

When I first started cooking on the boat, the galley was a wreck after every meal. As with all aspects of transitioning to life aboard, it takes time to find your groove.

Sailboat Galley Equipment List: Essentials for Meals Onboard

Cooking in a sailboat galley is quite different than a spacious kitchen with land life conveniences.

How to Make a Delicious Vegetable Broth from Scraps

The temps have been dropping here in the southeast. And nothing says fall quite like a big steaming bowl of soup.

Ready to learn more about living on a boat?

For tips on boat gear, cooking onboard, cruising full-time, and more – check out our guide.

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The Galley: Where Form Meets Function

Ps asks cruising cooks and chefs: what makes an ideal sailboat galley.

Cooking a great meal in a cavernous kitchen outfitted with every imaginable culinary device can be difficult enough, but doing it in the confined space of a sailboat presents greater challenges, some the result of ill-conceived galley layouts.

But what makes up a dream galley for cooking underway? To find out, Practical Sailor interviewed full-time chefs working aboard sailboats as well as cruising sailors who have experienced first-hand the challenges of putting together a meal in a pounding sea. (For links to our past tests of the galley gear described below, check out the online version of this article.)

In the book “Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts,” published in 1987 by the Technical Committee of the Cruising Club of America, the authors noted that before 1970, a galley was located anywhere on a boat. Since then, however, the most typical location has been next to the aft companionway, where it is less susceptible to violent pitching motion and makes it easy to pass food from the galley to the cockpit.

Most of the galley chefs we spoke with agreed that the best place for a galley is amidships or aft. A galley too far forward takes the brunt of foul weather, turning utensils and appliances into safety hazards.

“Being forward is tough,” said full-time sailing chef Jade Konst of Vancouver Island in British Colombia, Canada. “You are constantly bucking the waves.”

She recommends outfitting a galley with cupboard shelves that pull out on sliders or have a rotating lazy Susan, making the contents easily accessible. All cupboards should have locking latches to ensure that they don’t come open unexpectedly, and a pegboard system of vertical dowels helps hold mugs and cups in place, she added.

Other suggestions from the chefs: more counter space; wall-mounted racks with fiddle rails to keep spice bottles safe but accessible; and fiddles around preparation counters that aren’t so high that it’s difficult to chop ingredients (chopping at a steep angle can lead to wrist pain).

Our chef-designed ideal galley also would feature grab rails or handles bolted to the galley ceiling, bulkheads, and at strategic places near the stove. Galley stoves must be gimballed and have pot clamps. We recommend beefing up the standard, tab-style gimbal brackets on boats that voyage offshore. (Learn more about bulletproof stove brackets and our top picks for galley ranges in the July 2007 test report.) The oven doors should be secured with a heavy metal bar that can be lifted to access to the oven.

Professional galley chefs prefer stainless countertops because they are easy to clean and are impervious to scalding from hot pans, but they are a rare find on cruising sailboats. However, an integral counter-top butcher block—or a set of smaller cutting boards stowed in a latching wall rack—are galley necessities.

None of the chefs interviewed use a webbing system or restraining belt to secure themselves near the stove in heavy weather; however, some form of a tether system for the cook is always a good idea, in our opinion.

The cooks overwhelmingly preferred double-basin sinks that are at least 8 to 10 inches deep to ensure dishwater and dirty dishes stay in place. This also allows washing in one side while rinsing in the other, minimizing water usage.

Sinks located on the centerline are ideal because they will drain on either tack, whereas outboard sinks tend to become useless on one tack. Deep stainless sinks also offer a good place to rest hot pots to keep the contents from spilling.

The well-equipped cruising boat should also include a manual galley pump , or saltwater foot pumps ( PS , Oct. 1, 2002 ). They help conserve freshwater and come in handy if the electric water pump fails. ( Practical Sailor’s test of electric freshwater pumps appeared in the May 2011 issue.) And if water purity is a concern, we’ve done a series of articles on testing, treatment and filtration, and all of them are compiled in our four part e-book series, Onboard Water Treatment, Storage, and Production .

It was collectively pointed out that sailboats are primarily designed by men, many of whom do not cook and have only marginal interest in what goes on in the galley. As a result, many galley designs are afterthoughts. For example, several boats Practical Sailor examined had a pass-through galley design, which made things particularly difficult during meal preparation. On one such boat, foot traffic was an ever-present nuisance because the V-berth was located on one end of the galley, the main saloon on the other. This led to abundant exclamations of “excuse me, excuse me” as crew and the cook maneuvered in tight quarters. On the same boat, the doors of the front-loading freezer and refrigerator opened into the narrow passageway, making it impossible for anyone to get by until the doors were closed.

Ventilation was also a hot topic among those who regularly slave over galley stoves. All recommended installing electric fans, a hatch, or at the very least, a dorade.

The Social Galley

Recent yacht design has emphasized placement of the galley so that the cook(s) can socialize with those in the main saloon. On a small boat, where dinner might be service for four, this arrangement can work nicely. But some chefs would rather concentrate on making dinner instead, and waiting until dinner is served to join the conversation.

“There’s a lot of movement when you are under way,” explained chef Jane Ireland. “Add people to that, and it can be like a game of Twister in here.”

Megan Puorro, a Texas native working as a full-time onboard chef, said, “There are times when I don’t want to socialize. I want to make dinner. It’s nice to be off to the side where if I want to join in, I can. But when the pressure is on to get a meal on the table, it’s a better arrangement when the galley isn’t on full display. ”

When it comes to safety, the cooks each had their own harrowing tale of microwave ovens, toasters, and coffee makers transformed into projectiles in rough seas. The rule: If the appliance isn’t built in, make sure it gets bolted down or otherwise secured while underway. This is a good practice even for lighter-weight kitchen gear like trash cans.

One of the more important safety items in a galley is the dry-chemical fire extinguisher (Class B, ABC, or B CO2). Putting water on flaming grease will only spread the fire, so keep an extinguisher close at hand and train crew how to use it before the need arises. And don’t forget to have a fire blanket. As we described in our test of popular galley fire blankets , these are one of the most effective tools for dealing with a galley fire.

In some galleys we toured, a magnetic strip was mounted on a bulkhead near the food-preparation area to hold sharp knives. Most cooks agreed that while the setup is convenient, the blades could shake loose in foul weather and pose a serious hazard. We don’t recommend this storage method.

You can add efficiency to any galley with the help of a few appliances and accessories. Some favorites include an electric rice cooker, stainless-steel pots and pans, a pressure cooker ( PS , December 2010), cast-iron cookware, nesting cookware ( PS , April 2009), a thermal cooker ( PS , September 2012), and collapsible bakeware ( PS , December 2009).

Konst explained that a rice cooker frees up a stove burner, and if the burner flames keep blowing out, the rice can still be cooked. Boat chef Susanne Akerlumd suggested investing in stainless pots and pans with thick bottoms and snug-fitting tops—they can withstand the rigors of service on board, and tight lids keep contents from spewing all over the cook.

While a pressure cooker can save you time and cooking fuel, nesting and collapsible cookware save valuable storage space. Another storage option the cooks suggested was packing baskets with foodstuffs (plastic shopping baskets work well) and stacking them on unused bunks, secured with a line or lee cloth. Hooks can be used to hang bags of food. A few small food lockers are better than one large locker, where digging is required to find what you need and the contents scramble when the boat is sailing to the lee.

Interestingly, the cooks we interviewed had quite different opinions of what constitutes ideal galley refrigeration. Despite the inconvenience of having to lift the lid and dig deep, some professionals and most cruisers adamantly preferred top-loading freezers, contending the food stays colder for longer. Others criticized top-loading freezers, saying they attract counter-top clutter that must be removed before they can be opened. However, front-loading fridge/freezers have their downside too: They have less insulation and are real energy hogs when away from shore. (Find out more about galley refrigeration in our June 2009 review of ice-box conversion kits .)

The chefs agreed that the most important design feature of a galley is having the stove, sink, refrigeration, and food prep area in close proximity. In home design, it’s known as the 10-foot kitchen triangle, a concept that can be downsized to function on a sailboat.

Konst suggested boat designers create and test a galley mock-up before installing it. “The biggest question should be: How does the galley work under sail? Anybody can cook a meal with all of this equipment when the sea is calm.”

Chef Hakan Norberg summed up the necessity of intelligent galley design: “Food and sailing go together. They should be the same in importance.”

• Install a Water Saver

• Easily accessible oven and stovetop.
• Securely latching drawers and cabinet doors.
• Cabinets fitted with lazy Susan rotating shelves.
• Several small to medium storage lockers.
• Top-loading refrigerator and freezer.
• Twin-basin stainless sink at least 8- to 10-inches deep.
• Ample ventilation.
• Generous counter space.
• A slow-swinging, well-ballasted gimballed stove with pot clamps.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Has PS ever reviewed/tested galley ventilation systems like the hoods most people have in their homes. I know there are marine companies that have made them for boats. If you have please refer to the article so I can look it up. Thanks for being a big help making our boats better and safer!

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A Sail Boat Galley Layout for Offshore Cruising

A practical, seagoing boat galley is a vital element in all good cruising sailboats. And it's not just the quality and layout of the individual components that make up the galley, but also where it's situated in the boat itself.

Some people enjoy cooking on a sailboat. I don't - eating's more my thing.

For me, anyone that can conjure up a nourishing meal on a pitching, rolling boat is a treasure beyond value and should be cherished unreservedly.

And anything that can be done to make his or her life easier is likely to bring rich culinary rewards.

An efficient galley is a good place to start, the principal requirements for which are...

A Good Location for the Boat Galley

The location should be well ventilated and easily accessible to both the cockpit and the saloon. The common arrangement is for it to be at the foot of the companionway, and this has much in its favour.

This part of the boat is less prone to violent pitching, there's good natural ventilation through the companionway and hot food and drinks may be easily passed up to the cockpit.

There's not a lot you can do about the rolling, but the cooker should be gimballed on its longitudinal access which will largely take care of that.

Some centre cockpit boats that have a linear galley in the passageway linking the after-cabin to the rest of the boat, on the basis that there's not much else you can do with the space.

This is a less successful arrangement than those that have an L-shaped galley with the cooker and sinks in the conventional place, and only the work tops and refrigerator tucked into the passage way.

Another common location for a linear galley is forward, opposite the saloon seating.

Not the best place for it in my view - it's just too far from the main hatch.

The chance of getting a full mug of tea from the galley to the cockpit in anything of a blow is pretty slim.

Ventilating the Boat Galley

The cooking process, for those of you that aren't familiar with it, produces a deal of steam and heat which will create condensation and encourage the dreaded mildew.

An opening portlight or extractor fan above the galley will go a long way to relieving this unwanted side effect, if the ventilation provided by the companionway is insufficient.

A Good Working Layout for the Boat Galley

The three main units - cooker, sinks and refrigerator - should be close together so that the cook can reach all three without having to move more than a step or two, which is more easily achieved with a U-shaped or L-shaped galley than the linear arrangement.

A restraining harness should be rigged to secure the cook in close to the cooker when it's on the windward side of the boat, and there should be a stout metal bar across the front of the cooker to keep the cook from accidentally falling onto it when it's to leeward.

But beware! When secured by the harness, the cook has nowhere to go if he spills a pan of hot liquid, and many serious scalds have occurred this way. In boisterous conditions, it's a sound idea to wear a full length waterproof apron, or the lower half of your foulies.

There should be an adequate worktop area, with 3" (75mm) high sturdy fiddles, and a heatproof area to put down a hot pan.

Stainless steel sheet should be fixed to protect adjacent cabinetry and the hull side outboard of the cooker, as these surfaces can get very hot.

A good boat galley will have stainless steel dual sinks - one for washing, the other for draining. They should be deep enough (150mm to 200mm) to retain plates, and to prevent spillage when the boat rolls.

And it's no bad idea to have both a freshwater and a seawater supply at the sink. Just remember which is which when you're filling the kettle!

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Sailor & Galley: An Uplifting Breakfast

• By Linda Morris Childress
• July 23, 2024

I heard a loud splash at the end of the dock just as I hit “brew” on the coffee maker.

It was 0630. We were docked stern-to on Poros Island, in Greece’s Saronic Gulf. I was in the galley aboard Stressbuster , our Atlantic 70 cutter, setting up for breakfast. All was silent behind the closed cabin doors. It appeared that our charter guests, two fun-loving Australian couples, were sleeping. 

I popped up the companionway to see what was up outside.

Nothing was up, but something large was down—and it was in the water heading toward our stern. I realized the shape was human before it hit me: It was one of our humans! Evidently, one guest had risen early and gone walkabout.

Swimming in busy yacht harbors in Greece is a no-go; our guests knew this. The stream of creative ­expletives from the easygoing Aussie in the drink confirmed my hunch: His morning swim had not been intentional. Also, he was fully clothed. 

My husband, Kostas, the ever-vigilant captain, materialized beside me. “Pete, you OK?” he asked, offering a hand as Pete climbed our swim ladder. 

“No. I mean, yeah, I’m fine, mate, but I’m a bloody idiot,” he fumed. “I was awake early, so I took a stroll. I was looking around instead of down and walked straight off the bloody dock. And I had this in my pocket,” he said, holding up a sodden wallet. He flung it down in disgust. 

“Never mind,” I told him as I ducked below for a beach towel. “We’ll dry it all out.” 

“Crikey, I’m bloody embarrassed,” he went on, shaking his head. I assured him no one else had seen—we were the only three people awake on the dock. As I balmed his bruised ego, I sent silent thanks skyward that no other part of him had been injured. 

While Pete rinsed off with the deck shower, I fast-walked to the bakery for extra bread. I had something in mind that was guaranteed to soothe his soul.

When I was growing up, my mother’s go-to remedy for anyone in a mood in the ­morning was caramelized cinnamon toast. The aroma alone launched us out of bed and to the table.

When I returned, he had followed my advice and spread the contents of the beleaguered wallet under the dodger to dry. His wet shirt dripped from the lifelines. He’d poured ­himself a coffee and sat on the sun bed, sipping morosely. “I guess I should wake everybody up for breakfast,” he said with a loud sigh. 

Crikey. The man was, as my mom used to say, in a mood.

“Relax,” I replied. “And leave it to me.” 

When I was growing up, my mother’s go-to remedy for anyone in a mood in the morning was caramelized cinnamon toast. It also worked to rouse dedicated ­sleepers. The aroma alone launched ​us out of bed and to the table. “Just what the doctor ordered,” she’d chirp as she put the platter in front of us. I’ve made her toast ever since, in a mood or not.

In the galley, I got to work. Minutes later, the heavenly scent of toasting butter and cinnamon filled the boat. I looked at my watch: 3, 2, 1…

Cabin doors flung open. The sleepers had launched. “What are you making ?” they asked in full chorus, rubbing their eyes. “Oh, my God. It smells good!”

While everyone helped themselves to coffee and continental breakfast fare, I finished the toast and put the platter on the table.

As they ate, I heard yawns and “yums.” Then the group went silent. 

I glanced up. All eyes were on Pete’s wife, Olivia, who was poised over the toast, snapping photos. “Lynda, I’m posting everywhere about our American cook in Greece who makes this unbelievably brilliant cinnamon toast,” she said. “You’re going to be famous in Oz.”

I laughed. Fame didn’t interest me, but Pete’s mood did.

“What do you think, Pete?” I asked. 

“I reckon this is the best bloody cinnamon toast I’ve ever eaten in my life,” he answered, lifting his coffee mug in my direction. “And this morning in particular, I’d say it’s justwhat the doctor ordered.”

He was grinning from ear to ear.

Caramelized Cinnamon Toast

• 1 /2 cup salted butter, plus 1-2 ­ tablespoons for pan 
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 8 slices bread
• 1 apple (optional)
• Sprig of fresh mint (optional)

Note: For large bread slices or more ­servings, double the recipe. Save extra sugar-cinnamon mix for future use. You can use any type of bread, but I prefer fresh. The texture is firmer, and it absorbs butter better. 

Use soft butter or soften stick butter until easily spreadable. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly, then spread out evenly on a dinner plate. 

Spread softened butter over both sides of bread slices, then dredge each side in sugar-cinnamon mix. Set aside. 

Briefly preheat a large nonstick pan over low-medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. As soon as butter melts, add bread slices, three or four at a time. Toast over low-medium heat for about 1 or 2 minutes per side, moving toast around in pan to absorb butter. Toast until sugar caramelizes and bread begins to brown, being careful not to let butter or sugar burn.

Serve warm on a large platter with optional garnishes of sliced apple and a sprig of mint. Dust platter with additional sugar-cinnamon mix.

Cook’s Notes: Using salted butter is critical to counteract the sweetness and get a slightly salty-sweet taste. White sugar is best for quick caramelizing. This is a great way to use day-old fresh bread.

Difficulty: easy Prep time: 15-20 minutes Can be made: at anchor or underway

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