Galley checklist for a passage
Everything around the food — gas, safety, gear, stowage and water — to tick off before you leave. For the food itself, use the provisioning calculator.
Stove and gas
- Gas bottles full, plus a spare
- Gas locker drains clear, regulator and hose checked
- Gas alarm tested
- Stove gimbal free, pot clamps or fiddles fitted
- Lighter and matches in a dry box
Safety in the galley
- Fire blanket within reach of the stove
- Fire extinguisher by the companionway
- Galley strap or bum-bar for cooking underway
- Heat-resistant apron or oilskins for rough-weather cooking
- First-aid kit with burn dressings
Cooking gear
- Pressure cooker or a deep pot with a locking lid
- Two can openers (one manual)
- Non-slip mats for the worktop and the table
- Lidded tubs for leftovers and make-ahead meals
- Thermos flasks for night watches
- Sharp knife and a board with a lip
Stowage
- Fruit hammock with air around it
- Everything in lockers wedged so it can't shift
- Heavy tins low and near the middle of the boat
- Fridge: cold before loading, nothing warm put in at sea
- Labels on frozen portions (dish and date)
Water
- Tanks full and the water tasting fresh
- Sealed emergency water stowed apart from the tanks
- Watermaker serviced, if you have one
- Foot or hand pump working as a back-up
Before you cast off
- Menu for every day, with spare days
- Shopping done per the list, receipts checked against it
- Perishables to eat first marked
- Seasickness remedies aboard
- Crew diets and allergies written down
A general checklist — your boat, its equipment and your safety rules come first.