Member Spotlight: Carl Frey

Carl Frey is one of PSPG's cherished cooks. His creations have provided nourishment for volunteers and crew on Gazela during workdays, while underway on training sails, and even down in Chester (i.e. Sparlandia), where the limitations of an outdoor space without a galley provides its own type of challenge. Braving the winter weather and logistical puzzles, Carl sets a great example of a Good Shipmate by showing up when needed, not just in fair weather! Learn more about him in the interview below:

Carl and his delicious pasta primavera on the Gazela

How did you hear about the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, and when did you start volunteering?

In the winter of 2025, I was walking along Penn’s Landing and saw Gazela sporting a placard reading ‘volunteers wanted.' I climbed the gangway and met Kelsey who welcomed me to join the crew.

What is it that keeps you coming back?

I like the diversity of the Gazela crew – young and old, new and experienced, people from all backgrounds.

What's your background with boats?

A friend owned a Rhodes sloop in need of repair. He knew I had woodworking experience and asked me to help work on his boat. The process of replacing rotted planks kindled a chronic affliction regarding boats. Since then, using wood and epoxy I built seven small wooden craft – canoes, rowboats and kayaks. I served as a guide on the historic Lightship Overfalls in Delaware and have spent hours helping restore Gazela.

What would your dream destination be to sail the Gazela?

I don’t need a destination, only the journey.

If the voyage had a soundtrack, what would be some must-have songs on the playlist?

My usual playlist slews heavily to jazz and blues which do not usually conjure up scenes of the sea. For a voyage, perhaps, Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic.

What’s something people would never guess about you?

When I worked for a living I spent 41 years as a chemist chasing aromas, working for international corporations providing flavors and fragrances for global consumer products. The industry flowered in the age of wooden ships that brought spices from the Far East to the West. The aroma industry has moved on from wooden ships, but I have stayed.

Let's talk about being Ship’s Cook. You trained me to use the galley and cook for a bunch of hungry people. I still have so much to learn, and you’ve definitely got this art down to a science! What pathway led you to be a cook on the Gazela?

Patrick put out the call ‘Anyone want to serve as cook?’ It took no more than that. Volunteer operations always have a list of mostly mundane tasks on the to-do list. I’m up to help on any of them, if I feel capable. I do some cooking and a lot of baking at home so I stepped up to fill a gap on Gazela.

How is cooking different in the Galley compared to on shore? What is the most challenging part of this work, and what makes it worth it?

Cooking on Gazela presents challenges – the stove takes a bit of getting used to. It can crap out at a crucial moment – time to call for Engineer Bob! You need a back-up plan for ingredients and even water sometimes. And you can forget about divining the headcount expected on any given day!

What seem to be the all-time favorite dishes? What is your favorite dish(es) to make?

This crew likes to eat out of bowls, so I make stews or soups and it all just disappears. In the warmer months I forget the stove - I'll serve sandwiches of all types with cold fruit or ice cream bars for dessert. I’m always on the hunt for something new that I can prepare in the confines of the Gazela galley. Quite a bit of what I have made on Gazela has comprised a first time effort for me. So far I have not heard any calls to toss the cook over the side.

What else do you do in your free time? You've told me you have a writing group. Is there anywhere we can find some of your work to read? Can you tell me more about your relationship to writing or about that group’s activities?

I had the good fortune to have the chance to retire on my own terms and on my own schedule. I volunteer as a newsletter editor for a division of the American Chemical Society and have written and published 2 novels – Caldonia Cafe and Formula for Disaster as well as several short stories. I recently had a short fiction piece published – Google Instant Noodles Literary Magazine and scroll down to Our Own Fredo.

I am a member of the Rehoboth Beach Writer’s Guild, a non-profit writing group and participate in their twice-weekly free-write sessions involving writing to a prompt (could be anything, like ‘All hands on deck’). Writers get five minutes to pour out a creation. The intention is not to create a masterpiece but just put words together, words that you might incorporate into a longer work. I am currently working to start a free-write group here. Call me if you want to participate.

What are some of your favorite pieces of writing?

I like fiction with lots of dialogue – Elmore Leonard, who wrote many crime and western tales such as Get Shorty and Hombre. For non-fiction - John McPhee (Looking for a Ship) and Farley Mowat (Never Cry Wolf).

With your scent/flavor expertise, is there a favorite scent or flavor that you love? 

Early in my career I had occasion to explore the chemistry of nutmeg oil - it’s rather unique - and since then it has become a go- to ingredient in my kitchen and the Gazela galley

Thanks for your words Carl, see you on the water soon!