‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’: Chef Ben Shares One Crazy Thing Sailing Yacht Chefs Sometimes Have to Do
Chef Ben Robinson from Below Deck Mediterranean shared insight into what chef Adam Glick may be facing on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Both Robinson and Glick were the yacht chef on Below Deck Med. Now the chefs have something else in common — they both have been a chef on a sailing yacht.
Bravo recently caught up with Robinson and asked him if he had any advice for Glick. While he said Glick didn’t need any advice, he did share one crazy thing he had to do when he was a sailing yacht chef. Previews for Below Deck Sailing Yacht already show that Glick has a few new challenges he didn’t face on Below Deck Med.
One big change is that when the sails go up, the sailing yacht goes on a tilt (called heeling), which means pots, pans, and food can go flying in the kitchen. So what did Robinson say he used to do when the sailing yacht would heel?
Robinson used to tie himself to the stovetop
Robinson revealed that when he was a chef on the largest sailing yacht in the world he would have to tie himself to the stovetop because the boat was heeling so drastically to the side. “Sometimes at 45 degrees,” he describes. “It’s tough. You’ve actually got to tie yourself to the stovetop in order to not fall into the sink!”
Sailing Europe suggests that sailing vessels order a “gimbaled stove that stays horizontal as the boat rocks back and forth.” What is a gimbaled stove? According to West Marine, “the stove can swing back and forth on two pivot points so it tilts and remains level even when the boat is not. This helps keep pots and pans from sliding around while the boat is heeling or moving. Powerboat stoves are generally not gimbaled.”
Even so, sailing yacht chefs must be cognizant of the food and tools in the kitchen. “Everything has to be locked down,” Glick learned and shared in a Bravo digital original. “My trashcans, knives. Tomatoes will just roll right off the countertop. This is not a stabilized vessel.”
Robinson was the chef on the largest sailing yacht in the world
Robinson shared he was the head chef on Athena, the largest sailing yacht in the world. He worked on the majestic sailing yacht before Below Deck, which had a crew of 28.
The 300 foot (plus) super sailing yacht took four years to create and is actually for sale for a cool $45 million, according to Superyachts.com. Athena cruises at a faster speed than most motor yachts at 19 knots when it is at sail.
Athena can accommodate up to 10 guests in the five-bedroom space. This includes a master stateroom, one room with twin beds and three rooms with double beds. The sailing yacht also features a number of lounge areas, both inside the yacht and on the deck.
Although a little smaller, Parsifal III is a 180-foot luxury sailing yacht that will be featured on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Parsifal III can accommodate up to 12 guests, plus has similar amenities as most of the motor yachts featured on Below Deck.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht premiers on Monday, February 3 at 9 p.m. / 8 p.m. central only on Bravo.
