Crew's Views from
Andrew Jackson

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July 26, 2000

Over the past four months, I've gradually loaded up my available bilge space with canned goods and staples, and I got a big order of produce and dairy in Halifax, so I feel more or less ready to set off across the Atlantic. Or do I? The reefer's full, the rotter's full, the freezer is more or less full, but my God, the way these cadets eat sends shivers down my spine! When I'm on land buying food, it looks like more than we could ever eat, but out here at sea it all looks like the barest morsel. Whenever I come down the companionway, one is peeling a banana or hunkered down in front of the snack locker, sorting through the Skittles and peppermints for that last elusive Snickers bar, or slathering a hunk of bread with peanut butter and jelly. I didn't know how good I had it when our guest crew members were retirees. Of course, the vegetables are holding out a lot better than before.

And since there's no place to buy more food, there's no point in worrying. If worst comes to worst and we subsist the last two weeks on spaghetti with artichoke hearts and green chile, so be it. Actually, that doesn't sound bad.

And we've got a line over the side, so maybe we'll catch a nice mackerel or tuna. I remember how the frozen cod in my restaurant days always said, "From the icy waters of the North Atlantic." Well, that's where we are now, so it's only a matter of time.

Exotic foods are one of my favorite parts of being on Pride II. I picked up some lichis in Halifax and the crew didn't know what to make of them, although some Dutch sailors from the Eendracht viewed them with delight. On a more local level, I bought a little bag of dulse. It's a kind of dried seaweed they eat in these parts. The locals rake it out of the water in Grand Manon and dry it on the beach. As to what to do with it, why you can "eat it right out of the bag," it says here, or "chop it up and sprinkle it on your salad," or maybe a "tasty nutritious dulse, lettuce, and tomato sandwich." "Though carefully inspected," warns the package, "please check for hidden shells." Hidden shells are an excellent source of calcium.

That's it for now. See you next week.

Andy the Cook

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