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[StartQuote] How about some AVR cooking? The folowing is an excerpt from my time on a 63' AVR with the Kearny Sea Scouts on my first cruise as the cook. First cruise – Day 1 So now I finally get to cruise! Saturday, August 11th 1973 would be our departure date. To the displeasure of the Captain and crew the 2 weeks before our intended cruise date my family and I were on a Pocono vacation. After a day early Friday afternoon departure from Tannersville Pa, and much to the disappointment of a summer romance and her family, I arrived back in town, quickly packed and headed to the base. Expecting comments and glares, I got them! Wanting to jump right back into the fray, I got all last minute dirty jobs, back in the bilges, cleaning the head and oh by the way I was volunteered to be the ships cook. The menu had been planned, a shopping list created, and off to the Shop-Rite. So how hard could this be? I’ve always accompanied Mom shopping growing up, was aware of bargains, generic brands, and family packs. After a grueling two hour shopping spree as this was our first ever cruise and had to buy everything from dish soap to pepper, pulled in at 2300 back to the boat. Everyone was still working on last minute details, adjustments and painting, I commenced to stock the galley and stow the groceries. Shortly after midnight we all geared down and would pick up at 0700 Saturday morning. I walked home for a shower and a few hours sleep in my own bed. After a hearty breakfast headed back to the base where I was promptly sent to the Arlington Diner for a breakfast run for the crew. An anticipated ETD (estimated time of departure) of 1200 we finalized all preparations for getting underway. Last minute engine adjustments and some trouble shooting on the boats generator, had difficulty starting sometimes. Sent on last minute errands for dry ice, block ice and items that were forgotten last night like toilet paper and cooking oil. I A few delays and we were finally off on our first ever overnight cruise. The long and tedious navigation thru all the bridges on the Passaic River gave me a chance to settle in and rethink the galley and menu, I wondered if I’d get seasick. Too late now, cruising south on Newark Bay past Roosevelt marina and around Bayonne thru the Kill Van Kull I got my first waterborne glimpse of New York City and rough water from ferry and tugboat wakes. Our destination would be a favorite anchorage just below Haverstraw New York on the Hudson River across Croton at Hook Mountain State Park. Just upriver of the flashing white 6 second, rip rapped platform tower. Not entirely sure if it was numbered or if it even was a channel marker as it was well outside the normal navigational aids. Arriving shortly before dusk and setting the anchor the generator was started and I commenced with the evening meal. Fried chicken was my first and I’ll never forget to this day! We didn’t have our stove/oven combo yet so it was electric skillets and an alcohol two burner stove. Canned potatoes and corn completed the meal with a salad, iced tea, and coffee. The alcohol stove sat on a short cabinet under the dish and cup rack just inboard of an opening in the counter where the oven would go later. Frying the shake and bake coated chicken in two electric skillets started out well with the first batch served to the senior officers and crew, As the first shift ate I started the next batch of chicken for the last shift. With all the skillets and alcohol throwing off heat I turned on out ventilation system that exhausted heated chicken smoke and supplied fresh air. The second batch of chicken for some reason wasn’t cooking the oil was not coming up to temperature. The skillet indicator lights were on and felt warm but not hot, the genset was cranking and the lights were normal but still the chicken wasn’t frying. As Skip got up from the mess table he walked over to the supply fan switch and turned it off, the skillets came up to temperature! The supply air blew directly down onto the countertop where the skillets were plugged in. The last batch was extremely greasy when finally done and it was my turn to eat with the crew. For some reason they didn’t want seconds. Clean up from dinner with assigned mess cooks took hours. To conserve fresh water dishes and appliances were washed in soapy river water and rinsed in fresh. We only carried two 60 gallon water tanks that were fed via a manual switched water pump. Dishes done, table cleared and deck swept the genset was shutdown. To maintain refrigeration I put in some dry ice next to the milk. Lounging about the decks it was time to turn in, the anchor watch was set. With three first timers the watches were doubled for on the deck training. Two hour watches from 2300 to 0700 were stood without incident. Day 2 “Zero seven hundred, Reveille, reveille, now up all hands, Reveille”. Sunday morning breakfast; cereal, toast, coffee and orange juice, start the genset nothing, rolls over but will not start. Skip and crew attempt repair with negative results. Ok we can still have cereal and orange juice. Set the table, wait a minute only one bowl and three spoons? “Who stocked this galley?” Broke out the cereal boxes, then orange juice, finally the milk - frozen solid! Never put dry ice next to any liquid, lesson learned the hard way. Brought the two blocks of ice milk on deck to let the sun melt them, two hours later! Thank you all for your service! [EndQuote]
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