My first dinner on board was top rate. The cook made pork chops, stuffing, gravy and apple pie. The only thing more wonderful than the people you meet on the river are meals cooked by the best chefs around. My father and brother, both captains for many years, both believed that cooks were an integral part of the crew and they provided a calming presence, especially the ladies. Often the deckhands would sit in the galley sharing a cup of coffee and conversation either on a break or waiting to start their shift.
On this particular trip the cook was a man who had been a cook in the military for many years. He was quick with a witty remark and was a favorite cook on many boats. There was always something sweet to go with the coffee, either pie or cake. Meals on a towboat are large and dessert is served at lunch and dinner.
My Mom was a great towboat cook and was well respected. Most Captains will tell you that the cook has the hardest job on the boat. The mate wakes them at 3 a.m. and breakfast must be cooked and served by 5:30 a.m. so the crew getting ready for the 6 a.m. watch can eat and be at their posts to relieve the crew coming off. The second shift of men will sit down a few minutes after 6:00 a.m. and enjoy their eggs any way they want as well as pancakes, sausage and gravy over homemade biscuits and all the meat they could handle. The coffee pot is always full and the mate will lend a hand when the cook is busy to make sure a fresh pot is brewing.
Lunch is more like a big dinner and is served starting at 11:30. Pie or cake would have been baked between breakfast and lunch and the dishes, pots and pans all scrubbed and put away between meals.
Dinner on a towboat holds with traditions. The meal is served family style with large platters of meat, bowls of vegetables and potatoes. Iced tea is brewed and set out in a large pitcher. Much like a meal at home, the Captain has his place at the head of the table. For dessert there will be left-over delights from the earlier meals plus another pie, cobbler cake or treat baked in the afternoon. After the dinner dishes are cleaned and put away, the cook may sit for a short spell and then be in bed early to be ready for another 3:00 a.m. wake up.
During the day the food was inventoried and grocery lists had to be prepared. Anytime someone from the company was headed for a boat they would check with the cook to see if there was anything they needed to bring. There were also river stores which would take your order over the radio and then bring it out on a small yawl. The crew could also add an item or two to the list and have cigarettes and such delivered with the groceries.
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