Posted by Maya
on 1/10/2009, 6:58 pm, in reply to "Re: BBS2009 - too late?"
216.134.199.6
Sheila:
Hi! 2008 was my first BBS and I was in full agreement with your sisters. Honestly, I don't cook at home...ever...so why would I go on vacation to cook?? As a matter-of-fact, after a 2007 vacation in Barbados that included a cook/housekeeper/laundress for our rental, I had considered never vacationing without a cook again!
That being said, I agree with the posts from Joan and Cap'n Paul. The cooking is not a huge deal, particularly considering the fact that you're not really doing anything other than relaxing on the boat when meals are being prepared. You're not missing out on any action on shore/elsewhere.
On our boat, we typically did a hot breakfast (some kind of egg dish, turkey bacon, maybe grits, toast, etc.). Lunch was pretty much every man for himself, and each team/pair had one dinner to prepare. So, we basically just rotated cooking duties for breakfast and dinner. Occasionally leftovers were available, so that was one less meal to be prepared.
The only downsides are: #1, cooking on the boats w/o AC--you have to close the windows to cook on the gas stove so the wind won't blow out the flame and it gets HOT very quickly. #2, washing dishes (cooks on our boat were responsible for cooking and cleaning up after the meal they prepared). I am a wash-with-the-water-running type of dishwasher, but you can't afford to waste water like that on the boat.
All of that being said, as a person who never cooks and prefers to use disposable plates/cutlery so as to avoid dishwashing at home, cooking duty was probably the least significant portion of BBS. It's one of those things you just do and get over with. You won't spend all day doing it and you may get a few new recipes along the way. 
As for cleaning...I do that more often than I cook, but didn't sign up to clean on vacation either. However, while the boat is spacious enough for everyone, you're still sharing it with ~7 other people. So, things get messed up quickly...but things are picked up just as quickly if everyone is conscientious. Of course, some people are more like "neat freaks" than others and they tend to do more of the picking up because they'd go crazy otherwise. However, for the most part, cleaning consists of throwing away mostly empty bottles/cans, moving flip-flops/cameras/iPods/books/whatever out of the common areas and putting them back where they belong, etc. High traffic areas of the boat will get a bit messy, so other than cleaning up after meals, cleaning floors in those areas is probably the most "strenuous" cleaning you will do. Oftentimes that just involves running a mop or old towel across the floor. No one is preparing for a military inspection -- it is vacation after all. Most cleaning is done to maintain a level of comfort and enjoyment for everyone on the boat. And, again, as you're typically sailing for a few hours a day, you may find that a little light cleaning gives you something to do...after your 2nd or 3rd nap of the day.
Enjoy!
Maya
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