Cooking on a windy day is never easy but in a sailboat the added slant when well-heeled makes an interesting challenge for even a seasoned boater.  Since I am the chief cook on this vessel, I suffer most when the skipper decides (unbeknownst to me below deck) to hoist sails when I am in the midst of meal preparations.  I have to stop whatever I am doing and hope my ingredients don’t careen across the counter onto the floor (which has happened more than once) while I frantically rush around to put the cabin in sail-fit shape; latch the cupboards, put the jade plant in the head’s sink, fruit basket on the floor, books stowed, water pitcher and tea kettle placed into the deep galley sink.  Mind you, that all this occurs at an impossible slant, grabbing with my free hand onto any handhold nearby to keep me from slamming into whatever is stationary.  In my sweetest voice, (not) I remind Tim to let me know when he notices a perfect wind and then decides that the genoa MUST be unfurled at that particular time on an especially stormy day.

     Then back to the galley where the finishing touches happen with my body at an angle either near or far from the targeted preparations.  I flip the lever on the stove to disengage it so the gimbal can freely swing keeping contents in the pot and not on the floor.  Opening and closing cupboards can be either effortless or agonizingly difficult depending on which way the boat is heeled. I won’t use knives nor open the refrigerator at this point.  It just has to wait until another time. Most lunches are prepared ahead of time so all that is needed is assembling.  We eat a lot of wraps, home-made soups, fresh fruit, veggies and if possible, a cup of tea to finish the meal. Tim is not as conscientious as me regarding all things nutritious and will frequently add to the meal a good portion of Fritos, Cheetos or other snacks he has squirreled away.  Bad Tim.

    Of course, when it comes time to eat, the skipper joyfully manages to even-keel the boat.  Funny how that happens.