Fleet 5 Rendezvous Bread

[Braxton]

Fleet 5 just had its fall rendezvous.   For our Saturday night pot luck I baked bread and several people asked for the recipe.   They may have just been being polite but just in case they really wanted it I'm presenting it here.   The recipe is designed so most of the work is done at home with pretty much only the baking done on the boat.   The uncooked dough can be kept in its loaf pans for several days if needed.

To give full credit where credit is due this is a recipe that I've adapted from one I found on the Seattle PI's web site.   (http://www.seattlepi.com/food/386357_bread05.html)  I adapted it to make it more boat friendly.

2 days before leaving for your cruise:

In a large bowl mix:   

3 cups lukewarm water

1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt

6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour or bread flour.

I use a large kitchen mixer to do the work for me.   Add the water yeast and salt, just let it stand a minute or two.   No need to proof the yeast or do anything fancy.   Then add all the flour at once.   Mix it until everything is well blended and then mix for 10 minutes more. (This is why I use the mixer).   No kneading is needed beyond this.

The dough may be more moist then experienced bread makers are used to.   That's OK, get over it :)

Cover with plastic wrap with some holes in it and stuff the bowl in the fridge for 24 hours.

1 day before the cruise

Lightly oil three 9 x 5 loaf pans.   Divide the dough into three equal parts and plop it in the pans.   Cover with plastic wrap and stuff the pans in the fridge.

day of cruise

bring the full pans with you and store them in the fridge.

day you want the bread

remove the bread from the fridge and let it rest at boat temperature for 30+ minutes.

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

put a shallow pan filled with water in the base of the oven.

bake the bread for 35-40 minutes.

The bread is done when it sounds slightly hollow when tapped on top.   The crust will (hopefully) have achieved a golden brown color but the color and texture of the crust can be dramatically affected by many factors such as: the temperature and humidity of your fridge, the actual temperature of your oven, the sea conditions during your sail, how many times you tacked, etc...

Serve warm with some high quality butter or olive oil.


Craig will be doing a full write up for Mainsheet about the rendezvous.   But here is one pic as a teaser for what fleet 5 does when we get together:

[Craig Illman]

re: bread. We were not just being polite!

Craig

[Stu Jackson]

....here is one pic as a teaser for what fleet 5 does when we get together

You stand around and make neat shadows?

[Ken Juul]

Braxton,
I like the large window in your connector between the dodger and bimini.  Mind has a much smaller window, probably only the middle third of the connector.  Feel blind with it in. Is the connector installed full time?  Mine is in maybe one trip out of 10 or 15, have a terry cloth envelope to store it in to keep the plastic scratch free.  Haven't figured out how to store a full width window, maybe roll it?

[Jack Hutteball]

Stu, notice the dress right dress of that formation... we got discipline... no rag tag outfit is Fleet 5

[Braxton]

Braxton,
I like the large window in your connector between the dodger and bimini.  Mind has a much smaller window, probably only the middle third of the connector.  Feel blind with it in. Is the connector installed full time?  Mine is in maybe one trip out of 10 or 15, have a terry cloth envelope to store it in to keep the plastic scratch free.  Haven't figured out how to store a full width window, maybe roll it?

The connector needs to be there whenever the bimini is up.   Without we don't have anyway to keep forward tension on the bimini frame.   We theoretically could run a line forward from the bimni frame to a place on deck but we don't have a deck attachment point for that and it would cut across the access point to get into and out of the cockpit.   The window is plenty large to easily see out of.    When the bimini is down I roll the window loosely and store it on a shelf.   So far it doesn't seem to have any ill affects from that treatment but getting a soft sack to store it in seems like it would help prevent scratches.   Maybe I'll sneak a 600 thread count pillow case away from the house :)

[Tom Clay]

We missed you Jack......and your right fleet 5 is so disciplined....LOL.

[Ken Juul]

Rolling it up sandwiched between a couple of old beach towels might be a better idea than the pillow case. 

I use a nylon strap between the dodger foot mount and the top end of the bimini forward frame to tension the front of the bimini.  Restricts access in and out a bit, but easy to get used to.

[Braxton]

I'd like to try that but it seems as if it would restrict movement to much.   I'll take a look at it the next time I'm on the boat.

[Ken Juul]

Been trying to find a picture.  I'll try to remember to take some this weekend.  You can experiment with various locations for a forward support with some light line prior to doing anything permanent.  I have also seen vertical stainless tubes from the coaming supporting the forward bow.  On my bimini the bow is too far forward for this, so I have to use the straps.  Also need to be concerned with interference with the primary winches.

[Ken Juul]

Found this one at home.  Vice Commodore Michael Shaner is sitting on the coaming, I'm standing.  As you can see, you still have to duck, but plenty of room to get in and out.

[Braxton]

Ah ha, the light bulb just went on.   I was thinking that you were taking it down closer to the base of the dodger.   I'll give your setup a shot.

[John Sheehan]

Our Bimini came with a couple of straps supporting it but they were in the way.  Replaced the straps with two stainless supports on each side.  One is horizontal and is where the furling line is hanging and the other is the short one going aft to the pulpit for the stern seat.  This has worked out very well for us and we are glad to get rid of the straps.  We can remove the center section of the bimini and everything stays in place.

Hope this helps someone.
John

[tonywright]

John, great minds...

We made the same change, using quick release pins to be able to still fold up the bimini, or tilt it forward when using the BBQ.

Tony