Celebrate the Dad in your life with one of these nautical Father’s Day gifts. Happy Father’s Day!
For the sport dad.
For the fishing dad.
For the dancin’ dad.
For the gadget dad.
For the luckiest dad.
I grew up on the water, and I mean that literally. I was born in July, aka peak boating season in Rhode Island. Not the type to miss an opportunity to sail, my parents strung up a system on their C&C 29 where I swung around in a makeshift bassinette-like contraption all summer.
These days, both of my parents are active boaters, but it was my dad who instilled a love of boating into our family. He grew up in Warwick, RI and has plenty of tales of his youthful escapades. One of my personal favorites: the time he sailed with a friend to Block Island in his teens on a whim. Of course, this was with no charts, no motor, barely any wind. Just dumb luck. Oh, and he neglected to tell his parents. Some may call that dangerous, he called it an adventure.
The first time my dad passed on his love for boating was to my mom. When they started dating, he asked my mom to sail to Cuttyhunk for the weekend. She had never set foot on a sailboat but gamely agreed. Again, without navigation and no charts, they set out from Cedar Tree Point in Warwick. Of course, the thunderstorms started just an hour after departure. There were two lifejackets aboard, but they happened to be child-sized and no comfort to my mom, who was starting to get nervous. Somewhere around Tiverton, things really went awry when the sailboat ran aground. A helpful fisherman successfully pulled them off a shoal, but snapped a halyard in the process.
By now it was dark and they had no clue where they were. Hoping for the best, they threw out an anchor for the night. As the story goes, the night was terrifying and sleep was fleeting. But when the sun rose, they woke to a gorgeous clear day with picturesque Fogland Beach in view. Somehow, they continued (chartless!) to Cuttyhunk. They made it, and it was there my dad received his first nautical chart from his friend Seth. Armed with the knowledge that maps of the ocean existed, my mom was hooked.
And soon I would be too. My sister and I spent our childhoods sailing Opti’s at Conanicut Yacht Club and selling blackberries to boaters moored at Dutch Harbor Boatyard. Much later, for my dad’s 50th birthday, my mom surprised him with a weeklong bareboat charter in the BVI. It is still, hands down, the best vacation I’ve ever been on. Not just for the location, which, of course, was incredible. It was because my sister and I (surly teens, to say the least) got up with the sun and spent every day laughing, snorkeling and dancing with our parents, who turned out to be pretty cool after all.
There would be more boats as we grew up. A tiny inflatable with a 2.2 HP Mercury outboard that I learned to drive at age six. An uncle’s loaned Boston Whaler. A Moody 34. A windsurfer. An aluminum rowboat from the sixties, with a motor to match. A work-in-progress Limestone. A Walker Bay. Kayaks. A beloved Najad 38.
I could tell dozens of stories about my dad and boats. Or about how my family is truly at our best when we’re all together somewhere on the water.
Every summer until I was about 13, our family took two weeks or so to cruise with our yacht club. We went everywhere: Fisher’s Island, the Vineyard, Montauk, Nantucket and a host of others. We’d raft more than a dozen boats together and spend the time swimming, playing games, cooking out. It was fun, exciting and absolutely exhausting.
Whenever the trip was over and we were on the way back to Jamestown, my dad would pull in the inflatable tender we towed and toss me and my sister in for a ride. We may only have been going five or so knots and yes, we were only trailing ten feet off the stern, but to a six and seven-year-old, it was absolutely exhilarating.
Even at that young age, we could tell this was our dad’s way of showing his confidence in us. He trusted us to be out there. He wanted us to try being on our own. I was always nervous at first, but those nerves never failed to grow into giddy excitement.
Fast-forward fourteen years: After graduating college, I was home for a summer, unsure of my next step. On a whim, I applied to be a stewardess on a Feadship in Annapolis, and to my surprise, I got the job. I was quietly apprehensive when I left because it would be the first time I was truly on my own. This time, there was no towline. I didn’t know where I was going or when I would be back.
But, thanks to my dad, I knew it would be fine. He taught me that nerves are just a precursor to excitement and adventure. And anyway, it was just another boat.
Thanks, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.
-Erin
Relax on the aft deck with a cool glass of this Ginger Grape Punch. Refreshing, sweet, and fruit-filled.
Ingredients:
2 cups seedless grapes, halved
1 orange and 1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 cups ginger ale
4 cups white grape juice
8 oz. vodka (optional)
Directions:
Fill a pitcher with fruit. Top with ginger ale, grape juice, vodka, and stir well. Pour punch into four ice-filled glasses. Enjoy!
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2018
This quick and easy Hot Dog Bar serves four. Add more or less depending on how many show up to enjoy your boat!
Ingredients:
4 pork, chicken or turkey sausages
4 hot dogs
8 hot dog rolls
Optional Condiments:
Mustard
Relish
Ketchup
Pickled jalapenos
Pickle spears
Chili (canned or homemade)
Quick Sauerkraut
Creamy Coleslaw
Onions, tomatoes, cheese, bacon bits (from the salad bar)
Fry or grill sausages, turning frequently, until golden brown and cooked through (10-15 minutes). Boil, sauté or grill hot dogs until heated through (4-5 minutes). If you wish, heat hot dog rolls on the grill or in the oven until warmed.
Place sausages and hot dogs on a platter and hot dog rolls in a napkin-lined basket. Guests can construct their own dog or sausage creations with the condiments of their choosing.
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2018
This quick and easy sauerkraut is delicious as a topping on sausages or on its own. Recipe serves for, so be sure to double if serving a crowd.
Ingredients:
3 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp. apple juice
⅓ Tbsp. caraway seeds (optional)
⅔ Tbsp. salt
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and seal edges. Microwave on high 4-5 minutes. Let sit covered for 15 minutes and then refrigerate; reheat for serving.
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2018
This creamy coleslaw is a great accompaniment to any outdoor grilling dish. It is especially good with summer meals like hamburgers or hot dogs. Best served cold.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. buttermilk, sour cream or Greek yogurt
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
Directions:
For dressing, mix the first seven ingredients well in a small bowl. Place cabbage and carrots in medium bowl and blend. Add the dressing, toss well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2018
Let everyone but Dad serve themselves with this simple menu suited for a day out on the water. This summer salad bar will serve four, so feel free to add and adapt to your preferences.
Ingredients:
6 cups chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced radishes
2 cups diced cucumber
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped sweet peppers
1 cup black or green olives
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled blue cheese
1 cup bacon bits
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt or buttermilk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or one clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. each dried dill, chives and parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
(make ahead of time and refrigerate):
Directions:
Put chopped lettuce in a large bowl. Put ranch dressing in a separate bowl and place in the middle of a platter. Place salad ingredients around the bowl in rows for guests to self-serve.
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2018
For Father’s Day, celebrate the dads in your life with a zesty Tex-Mex menu! All recipes serve four.
½ cup Mexican or other beer
½ cup lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt and pepper
2 lbs. skirt steaks (may also use chicken, shrimp or pork tenderloin)
2 large sweet peppers
1 large onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
12 foil-wrapped, flour tortillas (warm) Optional extras: shredded cheddar, chopped scallions, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado
Mix first four ingredients and marinate the steak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the peppers into 1/2-inch-wide strips; cut the onion in half and then into thin slices. Place vegetables into a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic.
Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat for a few seconds. Add peppers and onions, and let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook for two more minutes. Repeat until vegetables are softened and charred in spots. Grill steak to desired wellness.
Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain. Serve with onions and peppers, warm tortillas and accompaniments.
2 Tbsp. oil
5 cups sweet corn
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chili powder
¼ cup queso fresco, cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. lime juice Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally 4-6 minutes until corn is charred. Turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve. Rapido Guacamole 2 ripe avocados,
2 ripe avocados, mashed
¼ cup of your favorite salsa
½ tsp. each, salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Mix all ingredients, spoon into a festive dish and serve with salted tortilla chips.
½ tsp. chili powder
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 lime, quartered
2 ½ cups tomato juice
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¾ tsp. black pepper
4 dashes of hot sauce (optional)
4 lager beers
Pour chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt on a plate; mix evenly. Moisten the rims of 4 glasses with a lime wedge, then dip each in chili-salt mixture. Add a few ice cubes to each glass. Mix the next six ingredients with the remainder of salt in a pitcher. Pour equal amounts into the glasses, top with beer and serve.
½ cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup cocoa powder, plus more for coating pan
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 300˚F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and dust with cocoa powder. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt, cayenne pepper, then eggs. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let pan cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the cake onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar.
