The Critical Path

                                                           

   
                                 Critical Path en route to Isla Mujeres, Mexico
                                                                  2005


    Critical Path is a Beneteau Sailing Yacht, 50 feet in length and owned by Bill Dooley of Sarasota, Florida (see Dooley Mac Construction). Dooley frequently races the boat and in 2003, with a crew of nine competed in the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race. Roger Marquis my brother-in-law (and qualified to captain up to 100 tons) and I flew into Montego Bay on February 14th to meet the boat. We were part of the return crew of six taking the boat back to Sarasota. The Pineapple Cup winner that year was Zephyrus V, covering the course from Miami in 2 days, 23 hours, 5 minutes and 57 seconds. With sail troubles Critical Path required five days and a few hours. Dan Sagan, an architect and exceptionally talented sailor, was the navigator for the racing crew and now captain for the return. The cruise was to be a casual ten days with a stop in Cayo Largo, a wannabe socialist resort off southern Cuba.
     I would prepare the shipboard meals. Call me "Cookie".
     In a cramped Montego Bay grocery store I purchased some provisions for the cruise. Standing in front of a counter examining freshly slashed meat I heard someone say, "Those are the finest steaks in . . . " I never heard the last word - it could have been in the "universe" or "Jamaica" or "this meat box". But I thought the best and purchased six steaks.
     For cooking on boats I have three general rules: (1) Wash hands frequently - the crew likes to see that - find it reassuring. (2) Have an abundant supply of orange juice, lemons, limes and cabbage - I have read the Patrick O'Brian novels about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. There will be no scurvy on boats in which I cook. (3) The mess deck should be spotlessly clean between meals.
    Breakfasts and lunches are simple to prepare. The race crew cook knew what he was doing - one food locker was full of left over, packaged muffins, rolls, doughnuts and crackers. The refrigerator contained a few pounds of cold cuts and eggs. So "breakfast" sandwiches were served in the AM, (Captain Sagan liked to make the coffee) and more sandwiches with chips and pickles at noon. The cocktail hour was a challenge - serving food with drinks is an absolute necessity - so having a variety of  hors d'oeuvres tests one's creativity. Still I did not serve my favorite appetizer - mushrooms stuffed with smoked oysters. A beautiful woman had given me the recipe for "Seduction Mushrooms" years ago. But I feared their destructive moral impact on six lonely men  slowly voyaging in the Caribbean. (Recipe below*) Dinner might be freshly prepared - on this and other cruises my favorites include baked turkey breast with stuffing and cranberries; sausage and peppers; sausage, chicken and peppers; pasta with anything; Cowboy beans and every one's default dish, chili. Other dinners come directly from the frozen food locker.
    The night before entering Cuban waters I strapped myself in front of the gimbaled stove and fried the steaks. I served them with a fresh pasta salad and Kaiser rolls. My steak was delicious if a tad chewy. But I mislead - in truth the steaks were tougher than Kevlar or even fillets of Superman. The crew however was forgiving and rumors of retaliatory punishment greatly exaggerated.
     We sailed into the harbor at Cayo Largo flying the flags of the Conch Republic (aka Key West) and the United States. Cuban authorities took no chances with this American crew - over our three day visit representatives of nine government agencies examined us, our papers and the boat. Unsatisfied with the efforts of one drug sniffing dog they came back the following morning with a different dog - same result, no illegal drugs. We ate ashore frequently. I remember a lobster the size and consistency of a small tractor tire. Dave, a member of our crew was mugged visiting a bar one evening. He escaped by jumping into an unattended minibus and driving away. Stopped by Cuban police he was returned to the Critical Path with facial cuts and lacerations. The next morning detectives came aboard, chatted amiably with our victim and then departed. Shortly there after we loosed our lines and our visit to this lovely vacation paradise near the bottom of Cuba - a hideaway for errant tourists, apparatchiks and commissars ended. Critical Path eased away from Cayo Largo and back into the Caribbean.
    Twenty miles off Boca Grande Florida, in darkness and a squall Critical Path was sliding through a choppy sea. Strapped in I had just checked a large pan of baked lasagna - now bubbling along the edges. At that instant Critical Path connected with a shoal and the hull struck bottom with a thud. This was followed by a cascade of seawater down the ladder from the cockpit. I was deeply troubled about the lasagna possibly spilling and messing the oven - potentially a miserable clean up job. I turned off and secured the stove. Another thud - the boat's engine was operating at maximum rpm and screaming. The fear was that the hull would crack open. Another thud - Sagan hollered down to Dave at the chart table, "Send out a Mayday!"  Dave fresh from service on a nuclear submarine asked him to repeat that and Sagan did. "Send out a Mayday!" Critical Path then transmitted a distress message that the Coast Guard and US Tow received. My first Mayday - it lead me to think less of lasagna and more about myself. I sized up an additional exit through a hatch above the salon. For about forty-five minutes in rain and darkness Critical Path crabbed about on a shoal seeking deep water - and finally the boat righted itself - maybe ascending to heaven feels like this - the problem was over. At about the same moment a boat from US Tow arrived. Having sustained damage to the rudder and props we were guided to a safe anchorage near Boca Grande. At 9:30 that night I served a dinner of baked lasagna, a loaf of seawater flavored bread and the last two bottles from the boat's wine locker - chardonnay. It was a superior meal enjoyed by all.

*Seduction Mushrooms: fresh mushrooms with stems removed; sauté in butter; stuff with smoked oysters; cover with sauce composed of horseradish, mayonnaise and Tabasco sauce; broil a couple of minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with iced vodka.