Provisioning for Food and Drink

We’re all about maximizing our time on the boat, so that means eating onboard. If that’s your preference, then you’ll find a few insights below.

Provisioning – When in the Mediterranean region we have my friend’s car to do provisioning. For overseas trips, we’ve rented a car for pre-boarding transportation. Upon arrival we ask the charter company when we can get access to the boat’s refrigerator or other available refrigeration and plan our provisioning accordingly. Sometimes provisioning requires multiple stages with non-refrigerated items purchased initially, followed by fresh foods before shoving-off.

Food – We generally provision for 3-4 days of fresh foods. When purchasing meat and fish plan meals considering that chicken and fish spoil quicker than beef and pork. Something frozen for the last day of the cycle is a good idea, we like frozen calamari when possible. For fruit and vegetables, select different levels of ripeness. Also, keep in mind that salad generally is the first to spoil while apples and cabbage tend to last the longest. Add some canned goods (chicken and tuna), pasta, and pasta sauces that can be the base of a meal in case food goes off or provisioning becomes difficult.

My friend Lisa is a great cook and she brings along small plastic bags with some of her special spices. Let me tell you, with this small, light addition, she makes some fantastic meals. She even pulled off an Indian curry for a British guest’s on-board birthday celebration.

Drink – Here’s our guideline for liquids based on our alcohol consumption and extensive use of bottled water. This guideline is used for the initial provision and supplemented as necessary during the trip.

Water – 1.5L non-carbonated/p/d & 1.5L carbonated/4 p/d

Juice – 1.5L/4p/d for breakfast and cocktail mixers

Wine – 1 bottle/2-4p/meal

Beer – 2 cans/p/d (we tend to be light on beer)

Spirits – 1 bottle each of Rum, Tequila, Campari /4p/wk (for traditional sundowner)

p/d – person per day

Other Staples – Some off-beat staples to consider that can make life on board a bit easier: Aluminum trays for food prep; Plastic food bags to organize and marinate foods; ice cube plastic bags; sanitary/baby wipes. Additionally, if buying charcoal for a grill, do not get Mesquite charcoal as it will spark a lot more than normal charcoal.

Refrigerator Organization

Since we try to sail as much as possible and never spend a night on the dock, we try to keep the refrigerator closed as much as possible. Liquids are used to absorb the cold with beer kept on the bottom of the refrigerator with 1-2 days of wine, juice, and carbonated water near the cooling element. Meats and fish are organized based on when they will be eaten. The refrigerator is resupplied with liquids before leaving the anchorage every morning.

Other Advice: Before Departing  Living Aboard  Sailing Stuff

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