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Island BBQ  |
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Our ship was anchored near a small island close to the Bahamas and my crew and I were on our way to shore to prepare for a Tropical Island BBQ. We had everything you would want for a picnic: minute steaks marinated in olive oil, lobster tails, baby pork ribs, potatoes wrapped in foil, corn on the cob, fruits, chilled gazpacho. Lots of beer, soft drinks, wine. We were ready for the big party.
Soon the grill was fired up. A steel band was playing calypso music. We were waiting for the passengers, not all had arrived on the island yet.
It is always such a picturesque scene - the majestic ship in the bay; the blue cloudless sky; the palm trees on the endless white sandy beach. Soon you will get “Island Fever” and when you work, you feel at peace with yourself.
I just squeezed lemons, took some brandy, mix to this some olive oil in, some chopped cilantro and spicy jalapenos. I brushed the lobster tails with the rub. The smell was amazing. I glazed my lobster tails and I had my shades on and I was singing: “Don’t worry be happy.”
All of the sudden the weather changed. The whole atmosphere changed because of the rough sea. Tender service (smaller boats to transport from the cruise ship to shore) was stopped by order of the captain and then breaking news: We might not make it back. I had all this food shipped over and some of my crew was missing, and some passengers were still on the ship.
One tender on return to the ship was pushed back to the island after one passenger, an older man, was injured in between the tender and the gangway. We later saw the helicopter over ship for an airlift to Miami. The sun was setting and time was slipping away.
Now we were stuck on the Island. The cruise company’s management organized an airlift from a small airport on the Island and transferred the passengers from there to the Bahamas.
I had decided to stay overnight and take a chance to get back to the ship with the second officer in the morning. What a sight to be seen: The night sky was ink-blue and our ship was in full light still in the bay. Of course we shortened the night with cool beers and lots of lobster tails.
When I started out as Chef I never expected to spend a night like this on a tropical Island. The following morning the sea was still rough, but we made it back and they lifted our tender, complete with a bunch of hung over cooks, onto the cruisers deck.
A dangerous, but memorable adventure, while cooking on the seven seas.
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