When I got into my 20s, and began to entertain on the boat without my parents, I kept things pretty simple. It was easy to please my recent college graduate friends with beer, soda, and chips. As I have gotten older my food interests and entertaining style have naturally matured. Until recently my entertaining style had also become more complicated.

At my most extravagant and disorganized state I was bringing out all sorts of dips and luxurious cheeses in their own packages with what began to approach something like 10 bags and balancing a cooler on my head. My husband could never understand why we had so much stuff and still not have everything we needed. There is nothing like an injury on the boat or forgetting the spreads for a sandwich to dampen what seems like a great get-together on an ideal summer day.

As time has gone on, I have learned how to make entertaining easier, less chaotic, more fun, and reduced chances for stubbed toes and other thoughtlessly made injuries.

There is no right system, but for me it now only takes a matter of minutes to get ready for a boat trip and still come across as a high-class hostess.

Foremost, all of my basic boating gear that does not always stay on the boat gets stored at home in the same area. I have a few canvas bags with pockets on the inside and outside for easy compartmentalizing, a wine bottle bag with glasses and a cork screw inside, a cooler for food, a cooler for drinks, a few towels, and rain gear.

I no longer serve bruschetta and messy main courses. Instead I go for light appetizers, finger food, and/or individual pre-made sandwiches. I find grilling can be easy, but there are scorching, humid days when I do not want to be standing near a hot grill.

When filling up the food cooler I now put my cheeses, dips, and other provisions into individual plastic containers. The containers all fit better in the cooler than bringing bottles and cans in all different shapes and sizes. I also find that freezer packs are neater than ice in the food cooler because the packs do not mix with the food like water generated from melting ice.

On the boat I place the items in the containers on a tray. It is much easier and cleaner on the boat to pop off the lids than to take food out of the original packaging on the boat and re-package later. When serving all the food on trays it all stays in one place and can easily be put down below or covered when an unexpected storm passes through.

Packing up the food and gear is now a cinch. When I get home from a boating trip all my gear goes back in the same spot so I am ready to go in a matter of minutes. More importantly, my husband and I do not bicker about getting out to the boat.

For more information about boating, environmental matters, and other water-related activities throughout the Oyster Bay area you can email the author at Jaime.VanDyke@gmail.com or reach her at 946-9464.