Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race - Day 15 - Life at an angle

A little piece of me wants to ask the person who designed the boat’s galley: what were you thinking?! A small part of me thinks I’m not using the galley correctly. I cannot tell if I’m too tall for the galley or too short—am I supposed to cook on my knees? I understand my entire job is a job hazard, however on the scale of job hazards, it is the galley that scares me the most.  “Life on board is much like living on a mountain, on skis,” Sally said. “And you have to cook, eat, sleep, and work on this mountain. It’s not easy.”

 

Imagine boiling kettles on this mountain, and the mountain moves left and right, up and down, and then pouring the boiling water into a food pot. You end up having way too much faith on a slippery pair of wet shoes—the only thing preventing you from catapulting into the empty bunks below with the boiling water.

Ahh life at an angle—it is certainly not easy. At first, you fight it—nothing seems to work the way you want it to. Whatever you do though—don’t fight it, as the boat will always win. Regardless, everything is a mission. “I probably burn more calories getting from bed to the food pot. It’s not easy and it’s exhausting!” Stacey said with a smile.

“It’s a pain in the butt,” Annie said, “I have to pull my bunk up so high and I still feel like I’m going to roll out.”

Down below, we’re living at a 20-30 degree heal which makes life a little challenging as everything seems to take just a little longer. That’s why organization is key. We have our life in little pockets and bags throughout the boat; our sunglasses are also organized and hung out of the way.

Organizing your clothing bag is also essential for when we’re in any sort of conditions. At home, it’s easy to rip apart your closet to look for that warm sweater; out here, it’s not possible.

If you're organized, and you’re wearing shoes with good grip, well then you’re winning most of the battles inside. And, in all honesty, despite the fact that it is white knuckled cooking, I wouldn’t want to cook in any other galley—after all, the view from this kitchen window is incredible!!

P.S. - Britons: don’t forget to change your clocks this morning! My iDevices all changed without me knowing and it has confused me all morning!! (www.teamsca.com)