About The Boat Galley: Our Story, Team, and Experience

Passionate Cruisers Helping You Make Boat Life Easier

The Boat Galley started with one cruiser paying it forward. Today, our team shares the real-world knowledge and solutions we’ve learned to help you thrive on the water. Scroll down to see how it all began and how we’ve grown.

Where You’ve Seen Us

Our Story

2002

Carolyn Shearlock and her husband, Dave, buy their first cruising boat, a Tayana 37, and discover the steep learning curve of living aboard.

They cruise full-time through the Sea of Cortez, Pacific Mexico, and Central America until 2008.

2010

Carolyn starts The Boat Galley blog, intending to share just a few cooking tips for boaters. HA! What she thought would be 20 articles quickly snowballs into a full-time labor of love as the website grows into a trusted resource for cruisers worldwide.

And yes, that is what the website looked like way back then. 🤣

The Boat Galley Cookbook on a dock, celebrating its publication and connection to boat life.

2012

Carolyn and her longtime friend, Jan Irons, publish The Boat Galley Cookbook, packed with practical recipes and tips honed through years of cruising.

Photo of Carolyn Shearlock's catamaran, Barefoot Gal, anchored in the Bahamas.

2014

Carolyn and Dave buy their second cruising boat, a Gemini catamaran, and dive back into full-time boat life. As they explore the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, the blog expands to cover all aspects of living aboard, from gear and provisioning to the day-to-day realities of cruising.

Photo of Nica Waters (left) and Carolyn Shearlock, the team behind The Boat Galley Podcast, marking its launch.

2016

The Boat Galley Podcast launches with Carolyn and co-host Nica Waters sharing quick, actionable strategies to tackle the challenges of boat life and cruising.

As of December 2024, they've released over 760 episodes, with another one dropping every Monday.

Carolyn Shearlock standing next to a Cruisers University sign, representing the launch of The Boat Galley's online courses on the timeline.

2018

Courses make their debut, offering in-depth guidance on key cruising challenges. The first ones are expanded versions of Carolyn’s popular Cruiser’s University seminars, with team members adding additional offerings each year to cover more aspects of living on a boat.

2020

The Boat Galley expands into physical products, starting with the Ship’s Log and other tools designed for boaters, sold on Amazon.

Cover of The Boat Galley ICW Cruising Guide, marking its first publication for boaters navigating the Intracoastal Waterway.

2021

The ICW Quick Reference Guide hits the market, giving boaters a cockpit-friendly resource for navigating the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a runaway success, selling out in just nine months and paving the way for guides to other regions.

The All-Access Pass launches too, bundling all courses into one unbeatable offering that becomes a bestseller.

Icon symbolizing the launch of The Boat Galley’s online store for cruising guides, courses, and boating resources.

2022

The Boat Galley opens its own online store, bringing all guides, courses, and products under one virtual roof.

Today

The Boat Galley is powered by a team of passionate cruisers who’ve been there, done that, and want to share what they’ve learned. Whether it’s a quick tip, a comprehensive guide, or a product designed to make boat life easier, everything we do is about helping you focus on what matters—enjoying your time on the water.

Carolyn Shearlock, founder of The Boat Galley, with 17 years of liveaboard and cruising experience.

A Note from Carolyn

When I sat down to write the first article for The Boat Galley, I thought I’d share just a handful of tips about cooking on a boat.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would grow into this incredible community of cruisers, or that we’d be creating products, guides, and courses to help boaters around the world.

The joy of sharing what I’ve learned—and learning from all of you—has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I can’t wait to see what the next five years will bring!

What We Believe In

At The Boat Galley, we’re guided by a simple principle: create the tools and resources we wish we had when we started cruising—practical, reliable, and built to stand up to the demands of life aboard.

✔ Built to Last: Where it counts, we use ultra-tough materials—fully waterproof, greaseproof, petroleum-proof, and sunscreen-proof—ensuring your references stay in perfect shape through rain, splashes, dirty hands, and accidental spills. It costs more, but we believe in giving you resources that won’t let you down.

✔ Environmentally Conscious: From soy-based inks and wind-powered printing to offering online courses and downloadable PDFs, we’re committed to reducing waste and minimizing our footprint. We also use minimal packaging to further reduce waste.

✔ Made in the USA: Supporting American businesses matters to us. All but one component part is made in the USA, and whenever possible, we work with small and medium-sized businesses and women- and minority-owned companies. It’s about quality, community, and reducing shipping distances to stay environmentally friendly.

✔ Created by Cruisers, for Cruisers: Every guide, course, and resource comes from firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to live and travel on a boat. If it doesn’t meet the standards we hold for our own cruising lives, it doesn’t make the cut.

Above all else, we believe in helping you focus on what matters most: enjoying your time on the water.