One benefit of having a lot of time off between watches is the relaxing pace of life. Another is the chance to get to know the other crew in a way that’s not possible on land.
The biggest benefit, though, may be that everyone has time for cooking, which is one prerequisite for delicious meals. When time to cook is combined with the unbelievably huge food storage onboard (NDS Evolution has 4 refrigerators, not including the dedicated wine fridge, and three freezers), the result is that we have been eating like royalty.
Alejandro spent several years in Italy, and he now prepares a variety of pastas that rival any we’ve eaten in restaurants. We’ve reeled in 4 fresh tuna from the trolling lines behind the boat, so we’ve enjoyed sashimi, sushi rolls, seared tuna, and mojama (fresh tuna marinated in soy sauce for 24 hours, sun-dried for 72 hours, and the sliced wafer-thin). And Angie keeps a steady stream of fresh-baked breads flowing.
Because everyone is on a different watch schedule, breakfast is a solo affair. But the entire crew eats together for lunch (usually the biggest meal of the day) and dinner. There’s often an Argentinian malbec or Chilean carmenere served with the meal, or we are sometimes lucky enough to have Francisco whip up a pitcher of Chile’s national drink, the pisco sour.
Life is good aboard NDS.
