Boat Food

 I'm a boater. When I was married, we got a boat when the kids were little. I wasn't a big fan of it, as I spent most of the time holding on to the kids to make sure they didn't fall out, and I had to pack up everything while their dad did all the driving and fun stuff. Let me tell you, packing food for a family of four (plus guests) wasn't easy. Once we got to the beach, or just out on the water, I would break out the grill and cook up burgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc. It made a mess, and was a lot of work. But to be honest, a burger tastes soooo much better on the beach than it does in the living room. And, my kids loved it. So, I did it. Over and over again, because that's how moms roll.

Once the kids got older, I enjoyed the boat more. But, my ex-husband and I had different views on how we should spend our time on the boat. He liked going fast, going fishing...always being on the move. I liked going over to the sand bar, anchoring, and just chilling out in the sun. Eventually, after years of arguing about what to do on the boat, I simply got my own. Have you ever heard of his and hers boats? Me neither!

Anyway, I've mastered the art of boating. My kids are older now and don't join us. They'd rather sleep in or play xbox or hang out with their friends. So, I go with my friends. And I've realized that even though a burger tastes great when on the sand bar, the amount of work that goes into cooking while boating is too much. I'm out there to enjoy the boat, not work. If I'm alone, or just with someone who goes with me a lot, I don't put much effort into food. Maybe a granola bar, some fruit, chips and chicken salad. It's more about feeding than dining, for the most part. But other times, particularly if it's with a group, we do dine. Everyone brings a dish that is compatible with the beach. This is where I discovered that watermelon salsa is the BOMB.  One time, I par-boiled some Italian sausages at home, and we put them on skewers and browned them over an open fire on the beach. Then, we collected those large, white sea clam shells and used them as dishes! We were CRUSHING the beach food life that day!

OK, full disclosure: we didn't brown them, we burned them. But just a little bit. 

A few weeks ago, I tried something new with eating and boating. I took my boat across the bay to Wellfleet, which is about at 30 minute ride. We used a transient slip (something I'd never done before) and ate dinner at a restaurant called "The Pearl." The food was OK, but it was the experience that was so awesome. Something about arriving by boat, and using a dock I'd been apprehensive about using, just made the dining experience spectacular. It just goes to show, it's not always about the food.