During the month of
April, we're participating in the Blogging
From A to Z Challenge where every day (excluding Sundays) we'll be posting to
the blog . . . alphabetically. The overall theme we've chosen to tie all the
entries together is living aboard a boat and cruising – things
we've learned along the way: our thoughts, reflections, and tips for those just
starting out or who are interested in this lifestyle.
There seem to be two types of people when
it comes to provisioning: Those who hate it.
And those who don’t. I’m the latter. I love provisioning the
boat because it’s an opportunity for me to flaunt my anal-retentive side
in an environment that normally restricts it. But more than that, it’s concrete
evidence that a passage is about to take place: Every trip to the grocery
store brings us one step closer to dropping our lines and getting back to life
on the hook.
I’ve had my fair share of hits and misses along the way
and, believe me when I say, there’s plenty of advice on the subject out there –
from books to blogs. But, over the past fifteen years, I’ve come to realize
that provisioning is a personal experience and varies from boat to boat and
from passage to passage. What works for me in this time and in this place
may not necessarily work for somebody else and vice versa.
So, what works for me?
When we’re on the hook we don’t like to stop whatever we’re
doing only to sail off to the closest populated area buy groceries, so I fill
every available space with whatever non-perishables we may need over the course
of our cruise – whether it’s for two weeks or six months. It doesn’t worry
me if we don’t use everything I bought; because we live aboard, we will
eventually. Besides, I’d rather have too much than not enough – it’s a much
less frustrating situation . . . but that’s me.
Even with a more casual approach to provisioning, it’s
necessary to keep track of what we have and what we need. Several years
ago I started a list of things we use on the boat – everything from toilet
paper to tuna fish – and estimated how much we’d use over the course of our
cruise (spreadsheets work really well for this and there are several examples
available online but I like the one from The Boat Galley best). Throughout each season, I
take notes on which items we run out of and adjust the list. I used to go to
the trouble of adding locations (i.e. starboard side salon settee), but soon
realized that I didn’t need the extra information because I use the same
locations for the same items year after year.
What’s
on the list?
Everything and anything that doesn’t spoil and then
some. We’re currently based in the Pacific Northwest and spend close to six months of the year in Canadian
waters. Canada can be more expensive, so I buy everything I can before we
leave. But it’s not just a matter of saving money. It’s a matter of
saving time . . . and energy. When we’re out for the season, I do all of
the provisioning by foot and it doesn’t make sense to lug a five pound bag of
flour around when I can easily buy it before we leave. The only things we
have to buy when we’re in Canada are fresh vegetables and meats (but only after our
freezer, which holds four months worth, is empty). Oh! And, of
course, chocolate.
But just as important as what’s on the list is what isn’t:
things we don’t normally eat. When we sailed to Tonga years ago, I underestimated our ability to find fresh
produce and ended up with more rusted cans of green beans lying around (which
we NEVER eat) than I care to remember.
Now
what?
Once I have my list of things to buy, what do I do with
it? Some people like to attack it in one fell swoop. Not me. Over
the years, I’ve found it easier to provision over the course of several days,
breaking down my list to one store, filling a cart, lugging the contents home,
unloading them, repacking the items that need it, and stowing them. Even
this abbreviated process can take four to six hours and uses up most of my work
day.
There can be some anxiety associated with provisioning but,
honestly, it’s not rocket science. Unless you’re cruising around the world
non-stop, you’ll eventually have opportunities to buy more food, albeit at
significantly higher prices in some cases. You may not always find what
you’re looking for on the shelves, but that’s half the fun of cruising –
experiencing different places and cultures. It’s only provisioning, after
all. And, as long as nobody starves, it’s all good!
Here are a few tips compiled from advice we've received
over the years and our personal experience to help get you started:
Provisioning
- If you’ll be crossing a border, know what the custom
restrictions are.
- Know your prices. They vary from place to place. While
it’s more expensive to provision in
- Try not to provision any differently than you normally
eat and stock up on any specialty items that you like. You may not be able
to find them where you’re going or they may be expensive. In 2003, I saw a
can of refried beans on a shelf in
- If the item isn’t marked, don’t assume parity. I
spent CA$40 (US$38) one year on 12 cans of Coke and 2 pounds of hamburger
before I knew it – about twice the cost in an average Canadian shop.
- Buy fruits and vegetables at various stages of ripeness.
- Spinach has a longer shelf life than iceberg or romaine
lettuce and takes less space in the fridge making it easier to store.
- In many larger ports, grocery stores will deliver to the
marina or harbor. You can ask around or check your cruising guides
for local information.
- If you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to ask locals for help. One of our friends was in need of alcohol for his marine stove and couldn’t find any at the local hardware store. As luck would have it, another customer in the store had two gallons sitting in her garage that she wanted to get rid of. She drove our friend to her home, gave him the alcohol (free of charge), and drove him back to the marina. It was a win-win situation for them both.
Stowing
- I remove everything from its box and all dry goods go
into airtight containers or Ziplock bags. Insects like to lay their
eggs in boxes, which also hold moisture, and bags take up less space and
are easier to stow. They’re also more compact and take up less space
in the trash bin!
- Place similar items in the same area for easier access.
- Fruits and vegetables last longer if you allow air flow
– hammocks are great for this and the Green Bags really work!
- Bay leaves in powdered goods like sugar and flour can
help prevent weevils.
- Keep heavy items low and aft in the boat, if possible.
- Bilges are great for storing things that do better in a
cooler environment but don’t need refrigeration like cheese and butter. We
have a hydronic heating system aboard which carries piped hot water
throughout our bilges when it’s running so, unfortunately, we can’t use
them for storing any temperature sensitive items.
- If your bilges are deep and allow for a lot of movement,
storage bins are a great way to keep your provisions together and dry.
- Some people remove the labels off their cans. I
don’t. I’m able to store canned goods in “dry” areas rather than the
bilges, so there’s no need.
- Some people date their cans. Once again, I don’t. We
live aboard and will be using them within a year (as long as they’re not
green beans).
18 comments
Another small tip that work for storing:
ReplyDeleteEmpty water bottles make a really cheap and airtight containers for opened dry goods like sugar, salt, rice or flour.
Water bottles are an excellent idea. Thanks for the tip!
DeleteCheers, Stephanie
Ooh that would work for us too in the camper, thanks!
DeleteMars xx
@TrollbeadBlog from
Curling Stones for Lego People
Great post! Totally agree with the need for knowing prices ... I remember seeing $8 (yellowing, limp) broccoli in the Bahamas.
ReplyDeleteOuch! I like broccoli but not that much.
DeletePerfect Post for P! I'm working on a provisioning list right now so love all the advice. I was planning on just going once and getting it over with (I hate shopping), but I like the idea of going a few times (since we have a car at the moment) to make it more manageable. - Lucy
ReplyDeleteI made my first provisioning trip yesterday and ran out of room in the cart before I ran out of things to buy. It'd be easier to manage if David came with me but then it would take five times longer and we'd end up with more chocolate than food (although, on second thought, that might not be such a bad thing). Now all I have to do is put everything away.
DeleteProvisioning is one of my favorite topics because I love food and I love spreadsheets! I see a box of brownie mix in your picture. You definitely have your priorities straight! We use a lot of cabbage as our "salad green" because it lasts so long. I also like to have plenty of food onboard, whether we're at the dock or out cruising, just in case. I feel better knowing I have food stores on hand as one never knows when the zombie apocalypse or alien invasion will take place. It pays to be prepared.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Ellen | http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/2016/04/p-is-for-plane-nancy-drew-investigates.html
I like having a lot of food aboard too. It's just easier for me in the long run. I did have to ask David if he thought 12 packages of brownie mix for a six-month cruise was too much, but he assured me I got the number right.
DeleteIn preparing for our cruise last summer, I prepared and froze easy breakfast quiches, meatloaf, and a few other things. We loved having the easy meals. Quick clean up, too. I need to figure out the best way to store spices, though. I used a lot of spices, and they don't do well unless in airtight containers. I'm considering adding a rubber gasket to the lid of those square plastic containers Costco uses for their spices. I think i may be able to make it airtight. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I just used some ground ginger in a recipe today that I bought when were in New Zealand. It's in its original packaging and dry as the day I opened it. My brown sugar, on the other hand, could use some time in the microwave to dry out.
DeleteI loved provisioning, while on Irie, especially by myself. Except for hauling everything back from Panama City, into the dinghy, then up the stairs, onto the deck and inside. The organizing part is my favorite. Initially, I had big plans and drew a map of where everything was. But, since I only stored stuff in a few places according to an intuitive system, I tossed the list. It didn't help that I would consolidate over time and things got mixed up. After the stocking-up, a more fun activity takes place: eating it all over time. I love it!
ReplyDeleteA catamaran can definitely not carry as many goods as a similar sized monohull, so better planning might be needed. But, as you said... food can be found everywhere and we are totally fine consuming what is available in the locals' diet.
Liesbet @ Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary
That's really interesting . . . I had no idea that a catamaran has less storage than a similarly sized monohull. I always assumed the opposite was true (is that overall boat length and not square footage?). Like you, the most fun part of provisioning is in the eating! I love discovering treats I've hidden all over the boat 3 or 4 months later (if we had any willpower, I wouldn't have to hide things!).
DeleteA catamaran actually has a whole lot of storage (even our size, which was only 35 feet), you are right, but the problem is the weight. You cannot "overload" catamarans the way you can monohulls, because they are built much lighter and when too heavy, they become slow and sluggish (as we experienced crossing the Pacific) and if the weight is stored too much forward, they can flip easier.
DeleteLiesbet @ Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary
Great informational post. :)
ReplyDelete@magickislife from My Creatively Random Life
Thanks, Melissa!
Delete"...as long as it's not green beans." Exactly! We all have something like that! Great post, good information. And I second your opinion on the provisioning spreadsheet from The Boat Galley.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read how you do things, I'd definitely go for the more than you need approach if there's room, if nothing else having a choice and some security is nice.
ReplyDeleteWe live in the city now, so 24/7 access mostly but when we used to live in the middle of nowhere we could easily get snowed in for a few weeks at a time. A well stocked pantry was essential!
Mars xx
@TrollbeadBlog from
Curling Stones for Lego People