Thanksgiving Aboard?

Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
In southern climes, such as in Florida and southern California, Thanksgiving weekend, being four days long, is a good time for a cruise if not having guests at home. One challenge is preparing anything resembling a traditional Thanksgiving dinner while at anchor, or on a mooring, on a boat in the thirties of feet LOA, perhaps even larger. Our ovens aren’t large and typically we have only a two-burner stove with a grill outside. How do you fix the bird? We’ve done Cornish hens as a substitute, deli turkey breast heated up on the boat with hot gravy, and Boston Market (chicken) w/ fixin’s picked up that morning, but never a whole turkey. For many years a Thanksgiving weekend cruise was the highlight of our fall cruising, even if only to another harbor, but we’re home today. How about turkey day cruising for others? Happy Thanksgiving!:)
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Happy Thanksgiving KG. I’m thankful we greeted each other and enjoyed an evening in the San Juan’s together. It was a glorious evening in Parks Bay. I wish you guys well. May music fill your home with joyful sounds.
John
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Happy Thanksgiving KG. I’m thankful we greeted each other and enjoyed an evening in the San Juan’s together. It was a glorious evening in Parks Bay. I wish you guys well. May music fill your home with joyful sounds.
John
Hi John,
The rendezvous with you and Terry at Parks Bay was the highlight of our charter cruise in the San Juans in September! We’re thankful for the friendship shown and shared, and the great advice and insights we received from the both of you on cruising the area, and of course for the SBO burgee, John—proudly flown until we returned the boat! Thanks for your good wishes, and to you and yours as well.

KG
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Patti and I had Thanksgiving on our boat at Hope Island a few years ago; a memorable occasion, it was. But alas not this year. A quiet pleasant one at home with the traditional trimmings and perhaps some FaceTime with our boys' families.

Happy Thanksgiving to your family. Wishing you the best of health and happiness. Our Parks Bay SBO rendezvous was special up to a point, then something decided to throw a wrench into the mix, at least for this member. Boo.

My PNW Cruise - 2020 video due to hit the box office soon. Cecilia looking pretty with Betty at the helm and Ray setting anchor. SBO burgee looks. sharp, thank you, John.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
You might try one of those smoked turkeys from one of the smokehouses like Burger's. They are pre-cooked so all you need to do is heat them. You could do that on a stove top with foil or on the grill. Maybe available in smaller sizes.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
You might try one of those smoked turkeys from one of the smokehouses like Burger's. They are pre-cooked so all you need to do is heat them. You could do that on a stove top with foil or on the grill. Maybe available in smaller sizes.
Thanks. I found that anything much larger than a Cornish game hen, including a small chicken, can be a fitting problem for our Magma (gas) kettle grill. The clearance between the top of the bird and the cover is generally too low. Also a 4 to 6-lb bird makes the grill assembly a bit “top heavy.” There’s a risk of losing the bird if the thing rotates over or droops downward, which I experienced once a few years ago. The rectangular grills might work better, but I do not wish to have a grill perpetually mounted as those typically are. There’s no room along the Bavaria’s stern rail for something of those dimensions anyway. I can hardly find room to mount the kettle grill among the other stuff back there. As it is, I mount it on the port-side gate rail. The port to the galley is right there where I stand, so me mate can hand stuff up. Very convenient:). There’s not much difference in shelter from wind whether on the stern or on the gate, etc. As the boat swings to and fro, it exposes the grill to the wind at either location.
 
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Nov 21, 2007
631
Beneteau Oceanis 34 Kingston, WA
We're not too worried about keeping things 'traditional'. I've moved and traveled a lot, and like the variety offered by the different regions. We HAD been planning to have Thanksgiving on the boat, but it's not quite ready to pick up yet... :( We will be grilling tuna steaks and opening a nice bottle of wine, and writing a sizable check to a local food bank today.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
We managed a wonderful turkey dinner while in an anchorage in Florida. High winds had delayed the opening of the next drawbridge to the south, so we asked our Canadian friends anchored nearby if they would like to join us for dinner. They offered to bring some of the fixings, and my wife measured the oven and managed to find a tiny turkey that would fit. We had a great dinner. When we commented that it was a little weird to celebrate Thanksgiving on a Wednesday since the bridge was going to open on Thursday, which made that a travel day, they replied that, "Hey, our plans are firmly fixed in Jello!". True cruisers!
 
Jun 11, 2004
1,621
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
Happy Thanksgiving.

We've several times gone to Catalina for Thanksgiving where the single restaurant puts on a pretty good spread. You can buy a full turkey and all the fixings for your group.

One year in Cat harbor I split a turkey and cooked it on our rectangular Magma grill. A tight fit. It came out great but all the drippings were a mess to clean up and no way to make gravy. Wouldn't do it again.

Gale warning this year so staying home for Turkey day. Maybe go over Saturday.

Stay safe if you are going to celebrate in a group!
 
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Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
“In preparing for battle [cruises?], I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.” D. D. Eisenhower
When planning a cruise, we always have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, etc. Once, while cruising around Cape Cod and The Islands, we joked that we were on Plan Q by the end of the cruise.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
I've never done it but my PO told me he did a turkey in the oven every thanksgiving while he was in the marina at Redondo Beach and did one in the harbor at Catalina one year.. He lived aboard and replaced the original Origo with a great Seaward propane range. I've used the oven to make biscuits, cornbread, and brownies etc over the years but I have not tried doing a turkey..
Hoping everyone is happy and healthy this fine day.
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,373
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
One year with a bunch of friends we anchored in a lovely bay, went over to the island and made an entire Thanksgiving dinner over an open fire. Back then I owned a reflector oven that would work for doing such cooking as a whole turkey with an open fire. I can't say if we drank more than we ate, spent most of the day and part of the night enjoying. I don't clearly recall getting back in the boat but sure remember waking up the next day on it....

dj
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Since we are talking "Memories" and Thanksgiving meals, there was a year that we rented a cabin in the mountains. It was 'rustic' with a stone fireplace. We got there on Wednesday during a snow storm. When we woke 6ft of snow had fallen. We took the turkey from the cooler (still frozen), Set it inside the oven to thaw then went out to play in the snow. Came in, checked the turkey, Still Frozen. Decided to try a slow cook roasting. Prepped the bird. Back in the propane driven oven. Set it at 250. Went out and played in the snow for 4 hours. Came in ready to finalize dinner.... STILL FROZEN. :yikes:

Oven had gone out. Tried all sorts of tricks to warm the bird... Tough old bugger right to the end. With a roaring wood fire we carved slices of meat from the outer exposed edges of the bird, and cooked it like hotdogs over the fireplace fire. Drank wine and enjoyed the experience. I think it was about 10PM by the time we got warm meat to share. :biggrin:
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
It used to be a tradition at Windjammers' YC in MdR to do Thanksgiving dinner however they could and it smelled WONDERFUL in Cat Harbor. Have not done that in decades.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Just started a project this Thanksgiving that has been on the back burner for years, plus a chance to watch home movies that have been boxed away. Several hours of super 8mm films of our early family starting in 1973. As we watch, I'm capturing them and dubbing our voices onto my camera and later will download to iVideo for editing and eventually to DVD for our children.

The 8mm projector that I have does not project very well so am on the hunt for a decent one to capture 8mm movies from 1962 to 1973.. My Dad's many hours of 16mm film from 1948 to 1962 I've already captured first to VHS then converted to DVD several years ago. So many precious memories of times gone past, a perfect time to spend with family a friends who have passed away, but fondly remembered.