From
Lin Pardey
As I revised and rewrote each chapter for this third Edition of Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew, I came to realize that this may be my favorite among the books Larry and I have written. Each chapter brings back memories of wonderful encounters and experiences made possible only because we set sail to explore the world. I feel privileged to have had so many new sailing adventures years since we last upgraded this book in South Africa. From the mishap of loosing seven dozen eggs when we sailed out of Cape Town into one of the coldest currents in the world, to the joys of discovering new foods, new wines and new ways of entertaining in countries as diverse as Norway, and Argentina, every one of the past ten years and additional 45,000 miles of sailing has given me more food for thought (excuse the pun) and for inclusion in this new edition.

The question I know many owners of the two previous editions of Care and Feeding might ask is, should I invest in this new edition. For those who have the first edition, I can unequivocally yes, this third edition has twice the information, twice the number of words in it. If you have the second edition and have already been out cruising for more than a month or two, this third edition might not be a necessity. But for those who are still outfitting for their first foray offshore the new chapters and the updated information will probably save you a lot more money than the cost of the new edition. For those who have not had a chance to read this book I have included the table of contents and a copy of a review of this new edition written by an unbiased editor, one that does a good job of describing the goals of this book. (Of course I like the review or I wouldn’t put it here).

The Care and Feed of Sailing Crew, Lin Pardey with Larry Pardey, 3rd Edition, Paradise Cay Publications, www.landlpardey.com May 2006, 416 pages, paperback $24.95

   Since previous editions of Lin’s book have been around for years, many cruisers will be familiar with the editorial format. A 50 day passage from Japan to Victoria, Canada in 1979 provided Lin a base for discussing everything from menus to clothing, to choosing a fresh chicken, to dealing with port officials, to preventing sea sickness, to buying liquor abroad as well as the best material for underwear. The book, despite the title, is hardly a cookbook; rather it’s a primer on successful cruising. Certainly, anyone contemplating, or preparing for, off shore passages would want to read and then keep this volume aboard.
   Lin and Larry have been full time cruisers and professional sailors for some 40 plus years, it’s all that they do. They’ve learned a lot and a great deal of their wisdom appears in this book, where specific situations mix with general guidelines. As a bonus, Lin writes very well. She’s able to seamlessly tie one subject to the next in a style that seems like great conversation rather than reading a how-to-do-it text. By structuring the flow of information in and around the process of food preparation while experiencing the joys and travails of a very long passage, she provides the reader with a good cruising tale enhanced with a thousand useful tips. It’s a very clever trick!
   This edition of The Care and Feed of Sailing Crew offers expanded chapters of previous material, as well as discussion of new technology and gear. Tips vary from entertaining aboard to coping with money transfers. There are great tips on provisioning in foreign ports as well as a strong suggestion to only go a short distance before anchoring following a farewell party.
   Here are a few of the other tips: Fill your boat to the brim and re-supply every chance you get. Credit cards are safer to use than debit cards. Eggs can be kept up to 3 months without refrigeration. How you can determine which engine parts are likely to fail. Learn which plastic material makes the best water jugs. How Lin outsmarted weevils and learned to bake fresh bread. Find out which galley layout works best offshore. Rain water catchers – how to make the best kind. On board trash collection and dealing with "black water" in boats lacking holding tanks. Which cutlery and dinnerware holds up best. Standing watches, getting rest and using Dramamine as a sleeping aid. Really, the book covers everything from the value of "a little black cocktail party dress" to the safety of double sinks.
Finally, intertwined in the cornucopia of wisdom is meal after nourishing meal sure to lift the spirits of a weary crew. Those recipes and cooking tips alone make for a book of great value. All the other info is just priceless gravy.

Steve Bunnell

Stories written by Steve have appeared in Wooden Boat, Classic Boat, Northwest Yachting and International Yachtsman as well as 48º North. He races his Moore 24 throughout the Puget Sound and has cruised northwest waters when he owned a boat he could sit in rather than on.

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The Day Before

Day 1:	Storing Fresh Food

Day 2:	Cargo Capacity for Cruising
	Planning a Stores List

Day 3:	Shopping for Stores in a Foreign Country
	Cash and Cruising

Day 4:	Preparing for the First Few Days at Sea
	Reprovisioning as You Voyage
	Good Places to Reprovision

Day 5:	Cooking Ahead
	Special Provisions

Day 6:	On Weight Loss
	Buying Meat in Foreign Countries

Day 7:	Food for Thought
	Choosing and Keeping Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
	Fruits
	Vegetables for the Offshore Passage
	How Much Produce to Carry

Day 8:	To Ice or Not to Ice
	Hold That Cold!

Day 9:	Meal Schedules and Division of Labor

Day 10:	On Preserving Eggs

Day 11:	Wine and Liquor around the World

Day 12:	On Catching Rain
	Sweet Water from the Skies
	Water Jugs Afloat

Day 13:	Can Openers
	Water

Day 14:	Seasickness Prevention

Day 15:	Tips on Baking Bread
Day 16:	Galley Arrangements

Day 17:	A Good Stove, a Good Cruise

Day 18:	Health and the Cook

Day 19:	Keeping Clean
	An Unorthodox Idea for the Interior

Day 20:	Storage Arrangements

Day 21:	Cooking in Rough Weather
	A Rough-Weather Galley Table 

Day 22:	Instant Foods

Day 23:	Milk

Day 24:	Trash

Day 25:	Outfitting a Galley

Day 26:	Stove-Top Food Preservation

Day 27:	Catching Fish
	Taleisin's Fish Tales

Day 28:	On Catching a Gull

Day 29:	Paper Towels

Day 30:	On Cooking for a Crew

Day 31:	Perfect Tuna

Day 32:	Cooking for a Long-Distance Racing Crew
	Changes on the Racing Scene

Day 33:	On Sinks and Counters
	Galley Sink Upgrades

Day 34:	On Lighters and Matches

Day 35:	On Preserving Butter

Day 36:	Clothes for Offshore Sailors

Day 37:	Long-Distance Cheeses

Day 38:	Rattle Suppression
	Salt

Day 39:	Vegetarians Afloat

Day 40:	Galley Slave or Hero?

Day 41:	Another Fish Story
	Sleep

Day 42: Too Rough to Do Much Fancy

Day 43:	Don't Count Your Chickens

Day 44:	Bad Day for the Cook

Day 45:	Cook's Complaint
	Entertaining as You Cruise
	Special Stores for Entertainment
	Using Provisions Creatively for Entertaining

Day 46:	Recommended Reading for the Offshore Cook

Day 47:	Cook's Reward

Day 48:	The Official Word

Day 49: Landfall
	Customs and Agriculture Quarantine Clearance 

Day 50:	Last Day at Sea

Day 51: The Finale	

Recipe Index

Index

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