ALL HAIL THE CHEESE BARON
As the sun sank, red deer came down to the shore to feast on the seaweed while seals swam alongside to look at us. The roar of stags preparing for the rut was carried across the millpond water. Warmed by the complimentary wine with the evening meal, our group soon gelled, helped in no small way by the magnificent sight of the Milky Way snaking across above us in the jet black night sky. After the excellent meal, our four crew came to join us – Martin, our skipper who has sailed these waters for many a year; Alisdair, our engineer, or “in charge of the rubber band” as he put it; Stephen, the Bosun; and Michael the Chef. Stephen and Alisdair also operated the tender that took us to and fro between the ship and shore, landing either on the beach or harbour pontoons.
T
his arrangement proved highly flexible. A quick phone call to the boat or just a wave from the jetty and they came out to pick us up. The tender was also available for fishing, laying creels and short exploratory trips along the coastline when the boat was at anchor. A favourite was to be dropped off by tender on one part of the coast for a one-way walk, being picked up again at the end.
Winter 2012-13 I WORLD OF CRUISING 61
Onboard meals are a real highlight. Chef Michael trained in Berlin and he produced some amazing meals from the small galley. And, as with Martin on the bridge, he is more than happy to talk about his area of expertise. His menu was freshly prepared each day to an extremely high standard, with local produce a feature of his menus, including fish, shellfish, lamb, beef and venison. Meals were served at anchor in a different idyllic location each day.
Breakfast was from 8-9pm, with morning coffee at 11 and lunch around 1pm. Afternoon tea was provided at 4pm with dinner at 7.30pm. Times varied a little depending on the activities and itinerary that day. The highlight of the day to us was the cheeseboard. Engineer Alisdair became known as the Cheese Baron for a fascinating presentation each night. There were 24 cheeses on board, with a different four offered every night accompanied by Michael’s home-made chutneys. There was a set menu each day for all meals but individual tastes and dietary
requirements were all catered for. Teas, coffees, soft drinks, fruit and snacks were available all day, while drinks
from a well-stocked bar were the only additional item to pay for throughout the cruise. House red and white were provided free with dinner. Limited storage space restricts the range of wine and beer on offer, but special requests can be catered for if known in advance.
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