How much food do we bring? We brought 795 kilos (1653 lbs)of food supplies and 942,5 litres of water on the Sea Stallion, when we departed Roskilde on the 1st of July. Besides, we have a reserve supply on the escort ship "Cable One," upon which we have taxed a little - primarily rye bread (a Danish specialty) nescafé, apples, syrup and vacuumpacked meat which have to be used now.
After 11 days, 8 of which in harbour, 61 people have eaten quite a bit. We have taken good advantage of the possibility of borrowing a car and shopping in a supermarket, so we will bring 650 kilos (1433 lbs.) on our trip across the North Sea.
Acrobatics under deck. It is often an all-day project for 3-4 people to provision the Sea Stallion. 2-4 hours of shopping, then registration of the supplies in kind and quantity and finally distribution of supplies for the 6 rum (groups of people on board) and stowing all the common provisions away under the deck. The last task often requires all the stock of food supplies to be "excavated" from the bottom of the ship, requiring intricate acrobatic maneuvers. Everything has to be packed very securely and waterproof, for only a small hole on a bag can result in destroyed food. Yesterday we had the pleasure of a torn bag of pasta. We had to pick up everything from the bottom of the ship, because tainted food rolling around is not a good thing.
What do we eat at sea? Breakfast is the same. From 18 litres of water + 10 litres of coarse rolled oats + müsli a solid porridge is cooked, whick is eaten with butter, syrup, raisins, peanuts, cinnamon or marmelade. It gives the body warmth, energy and sustenance and helps keeping the stomach working. We have 48 kilos (106 lbs.) of porridgemixture for the next 7-10 days.
Lunch is whole grain rye bread, specially made (and donated) by Kohberg. We have 90 packages of 18 loafs for a week. Fillings are typically canned such as pâté, mackerel in tomato, tuna etc., smoked and dried meat, salami, humus. We have fresh cucumbers and tomatoes when in harbour and 1-2 days afterwards, as they have a limited life under our circumstances. The same for diary products, but we do bring whey cheese (a Norwegian specialty) and butter. Stuff for variation like mayonnaise, remoulade and similar are very popular. People eat a good deal of fat products. Probably because the body spends a lot of energy keeping warm when you're outside all day - even though we're constantly wrapped up in our hot woolen clothes.
The supper we bring for the North Sea are following:
Sausages and potatoes with celery and freezedried parsley and cauliflower (eaten in fair weather - that is calm weather where vegetables can be sliced). Bayonne ham + pasta or rice / canned vegetables, or cabbage salad (fair weather). Premade thaisoup + dried meat + polar bread (very delicious Norwegian product - tastes crispbread but is soft and light) (foul weather). Canned casserole ("skibberlabskovs") + rye bread. 3 x Dry Tech Tur-food. Aluminum bag with freezedried convenience foods, just ad water. Eaten from the bag (really foul weather). And then 20 kilos (44 lbs.) of dried, smoked beef and 18 kilos (40 lbs.) of logan bread, which is survival food as well. Logan bread consists of whole-grain flour, syrup, butter, dried fruits and nuts, chocolate and coconuts. It is a very concentrated mixture of whole grain bread and fruit-/nutcake. It doesn´t get bad for months, tastes good and supposedly you will never tire of it.
In between meals. For this we have 44 kilos (97 lbs.) of carrots and 36 kilos (79 lbs.) of apples - that is only 4-5 of each per person a week, but we don't have room for more. Ideally we should have at least 1 carrot and 1 apple per person a day. This is the kind of refreshment that makes a great difference at sea. And when feeling nauseaous or seasick, this is what can be eaten most easily. In our "Night Box," as it is called, we have coffee, tea, cocoa, soup- and bouillon powder, crackers, chocolate, raisins, peanuts, fruit bars, sweets, liquorice etc. The night box + the continuing supply of hot water helps you keep warm, as well as the energy level and spirits high. But the sailing experiences and comradeship does that as well, most certainly, it is probably these that makes us work so hard. The food just keeps the "engines" running and everything funnier and more comfortable.
We're ready... now we just want to be off.
Solvej.