ON MY ARIEL STARCREST AND TRITON STARCREST 2,I PROVISIONED BOTH PRETTYMUCH COMPLETELY BEFORE I LEFT CALIFORNIA.I GAINED MUCH EXPERIENCE FROM THESE VOYAGES AND I FEEL THAT I CAN PROVISION MY CURRENT BOAT TO LAST ONE PERSON EASILY SIX TO NINE MONTHS OR MORE.REMEMBER THAT I EXPERIENCED AN APPETITE LOSS WICH RESULTED IN MY LOOSING 40 TO FIFTY POUNDS DURING THE COURSE OF THE VOYAGES.I FELT LIKE I WAS LIVING OFF OF DOG FOOD...LETS SEE,HOW ABOUT SOME SKIPPY CHUNKS TODAY..ALSO WITH ALL OF THE CONSTANT MOTION IT IS EASY TO "LOOSE YOR LUNCH".YOU EAT OUT OF PURE NECESSITY...NO IMPULSE EATING. NO CONSTANLY CHECKING THE FRIDGE...TAKE A LOOK AROUND...MOST PEOPLE TODAY ARE SEVERLY OVER WEIGHT.WHEN I RETURNED ON MY FIRST VOYAGE NO ONE RECOGNIZED ME."HOLY poop LOOK HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU LOST!!! THOSE WERE MY FATHERS FIRST WORDS TO ME UPON MY RETURN.LIVING AT THE DOCK IS NOT LIKE BEING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.THERES NO STOPPING OFF FOR A BURGER,BUT SIRLOIN BURGER CHUNKY SOUP IS VERY MUCH THE NEXT BEST THING.TRY NOT EATING FOR A FEW DAYS THEN OPEN UP A CAN OF BEEF STEW.BELIEVE ME WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE REAL HUNGER PAINS YOU WONT NEED TO HEAT IT UP.AND THE INSIDE OF THE CANS ARE STERILE.SO WHEN YOU PROVISION FOR YOU TRIP...WALK UP AND DOWN THE FOOD ISLE AND REMEMBER...IF YOU DONT HAVE IT........
So what you're saying is to stock up a good variety of food, because there's no telling what is going to be appetizing, and what isn't?
I was reading Tristan Jones "One Hand For Yourself..." the other night, the part about how he provisioned. He seemed torecommend bringing staples, and making different meals up from that.
I knwo that I don't like to spend alot of time in prepping food prior to cooking, when I'm busy or under sail. At anchor, its a little different - you have more time, and the stove isn't heeled. :)
absolutely.and remember to bring more of whatever you favorite is.I happen to like creamed corn.and since canned food has a several year shelf life provisioning can start a year before you want to leave.you would be suprized how much storeage there is on many boats and remember that you can never have too much .if the boat seems to be a little below the intended waterline remember as time passes the provisions will be used.of considerable mention is water.its a good idea to keep water in several different containers.I filled some of the sparkletts bottles in starcrest 2s water supply in lahaina maui.as it turned out halfway home that water developed a rubbery sediment and rendered it undrinkable.I used it for washing only.if I had filled all of the tanks in lahaina it would have been disastrous.variety is tthe spice of life and believe me as bland as canned food may sound pound per pound it has the most foodstuff value.wal mart has ''great value'brand soups and the current price is about 1.36 per can.I can easily foresee storing literraly 5 or 6 hundred of these soups alone...that doesnot include canned fruits and vegetables.if you are not sure how much you will use in one day then try this experiment....during the course of one day eat only canned soups and veggies...see how well you do on land.i use about 5 or six differnt types of cans per day.do the math.if six cans lasts one day how long will 600 cans last....cut that in half if you have 2 people...in third if you have 3 and so on.then go to your kitchen table....raise both clenched fists above your head and with all of your might slam both fists down on the table repeatedly about 5 seconds apart.or have someone else do that while your trying to eat.that is an accurate simulation of sailing north from hawaii.do that fist slamming every 5 seconds for 24 hrs during a 5 day stretch.you should develope a whopping headache and real seasick type nausea.theres more to provisioning than canned goods.thrers all sorts of perishables that should be used first.then theres dried fruits nuts pastas but remember when youre 5 miles from the bottom theres no mikky dees.
Let's not forget the BEER. My Mac carries 1400 lbs of water ballast. I must have had another 1400 lbs of wine/beer below the the floor boards.
When I departed Lake Worth, FL, for the Abacos, Bahamas, I had no itinerary. Since I love remote areas I decided to stock up with essentials for an extended period of time. Beer costs $4 a can there.
I didn't bother with refrigeration of any kind while on the hook. I would often trade my warm beers for cold beers. I didn't even bother with ice. Ice is expensive, messy when it melts and you have to be near a source to replenish. When you have ice, you buy fresh food. Then you are forced to eat it before it spoils.
WINE, my beverage of choice. I buy in 5 ltr boxes. I remove the boxes and store the pliable bladders. :D
I knew there was a reason I liked you Sarah!
:D :D :D ;D
"I buy in 5 ltr boxes. I remove the boxes and store the pliable bladders".
Great idea, for that you get a karma point from me.... :D
You have made your contribution :)
I was wondering how to store those wine bottle. I'll keep a few of the good stuff on in rack, and keep the bags for everyday use, yo ho ho and bottle of merlot.
QuoteWINE, my beverage of choice. I buy in 5 ltr boxes. I remove the boxes and store the pliable bladders.
I remember someone here in NC was selling a 'bota' designed to suspend the bladders from wine boxes, so they could be hung up for use if stored as you suggeest.... I will have to find the link.
Great idea.
Just another reason to go sailing. To loose weight . I have noticed any time I cruise I loose weight. Cant wait to retire to living aboard so I can keep it off permanently LOL. I eat less because there is more to keep me occupied. That and the constant motion of the boat. You using muscles all the time when sailing. BUT I found going on a Royal Caribbean cruise reverses the process.(http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4d724b3127cce9f8b163fb00f00000026108AaNWbdu0Zs8)
I donot know how much I weighed before I left on my first crossing.but I remember I used to waddle and get short of breath.I used to pant much like a dog.I was near 200 pounds.when I got off the boat on the day I returned I went over to the electronic scales where the commercial fisherman weighed their catch.I was 147 pounds.I went from a weistline size 38 to a 33.most of it from the 41 days to get home.there was weight loss on the second return too.but that was only 34 days.It wasnt really from using muscle infact on a 26 foot boat theres not much walking room and my legs became atrophied from the knees down....this became apparent only when I finally got off the boat.basically it was a change in consumption habits.there was no "impulse eating'. at all.
sssooooo if I get the
Bayliner Buccaneer, and set up with only one bed area and a couch seat, ice box, and portapotty with large holding tank and every inche of useable space be filled with water bottles and canned food I should beable to really stay down in the islands for a right good time huh?
the buc has alot of room that could be set up for storages which is why I decided to include it in my desired boat list.
Bill
only if the bayliner buc is a mid 1960s era hand layed up hull with a full keel and internal lead ballast.and you wont need the porta potty, just a bucket
I don't think it's mid 60's but it is hand laid glass. I don't think it's a full keel, as I have only seen one that was, and this one is too cheaply priced...so my luck is not going to be that good. lol
that's a "sure thing boat" ....been there 3 years, and unwanted by the last owner, who gave it away to a guy who wanted the outboard. if I cann't afford anything else, atleast that one will be easy to pick up.....it's an easy way to get on the water. lol.
Bill
Hooked tuna .they dive deep ,they dont jump.mahi mahi.....they jump...they will spit the hook....but wait...they will hit the lure again.the neatest thing....once a tuna is brought along side its not uncommon to see another one rite beside it.out comes the gaff and with spurting blood all over the cockpit the fish is landed.then it gets secured to the sternrail platform where it is filletted whilst still flippin."I dont want to kill you I just want to eat you".is what I would say to it. the skeletal entrails get thrown overboard in a belly flop of blood.then the fillets are skinned and neatly chopped into cubes....real fish mc nuggetts......nevermind the fryin' pan....it gets wrapped in tinfoil with butter,onion various herbs of what-have-you-- "fish bombs"as I called them--and you never tasted fish until it was taken from the water 10 minutes ago.
Well, I got back almost a year ago from a 6 month "wander" from Pascagoula MS through the Bahamas, all living on the hook... whether you realize it or not, just being on a boat is constantly exercising your muscles... without realizing it, you're making constant balance corrections for the slightest motion of the boat, and even on a larger boat, you're more "climbing around" than walking around.. that said, I probably had the best eating habits of my life on the boat. While I'm pretty blessed that I never seem to gain weight, ashore (being a bachelor) I was pretty much fast food or chicken wings for every meal. But then on the boat, I would only eat if I felt hungry, and then it was usually from a can. But Dinty Moore beef stew on a cold and windy night at anchor sticks to your ribs better than the finest steak from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse... and for snacks, there were always apples or oranges available... much healthier than a jumbo Snickers and a Coke... I don't think I had a single soda in that 6 months... and for two people, it averaged less than $200/month and we ate very well. Fresh bread, milk, eggs, fruits and veggies. Of course my crew was a recovering alcoholic, so there was no beer or wine aboard... even cheaper!
Provisioning in Miami was the best. If you go to the neighborhood grocery stores, you'll find canned foods much cheaper than at the "big box" stores...
So now I'm looking for something in the 25-29' range and I plan to spend alternating periods of working here in the Keys and taking off to the islands until I need to replenish the kitty... I've already seen how cheap I can do it and still be comfortable...
btw- those "cheapskate" eating habits have stuck with me now that I'm back on shore... makes a big difference in the balance of the kitty when you're not forking over $$$ every day for eating out!
wow $200 amonth, for 2 people, sounds great...I wonder if that's 2 skinny people that aren't very active and spends alot time relaxing, or if it's for someone who is very active, there for may have more of an appatite?
lolololol
Bill
Well, I was very active... but it doesn't cost anything to fish, snorkel, hike, ride the bike around, and photograph everything (no film, all digital)... also, in St. Pete and Miami, I exchanged read books for new books, and in Bimini, there's a free lending library run on the honor system, so I didn't have to buy books...
I'll admit that I didn't spend much in bars or eating ashore... it was DEAD when I was there (right after Christmas)... so there wasn't much night life... but I had a great time...
LOL- we VERY seldom eat out anyway and NEVER spend a nickel in a bar, so those wouldn't be a big change for us.
I often caught fish when cruising, almost could count on one sometime during the day when in the keys. Excellent way to add to your stores.
I just tried some beacon that you don't need to refrigerate. it's precooked and is in a soft flat package. it requires a microwave to heat up, but I'm going to try and see what happens when if I toss it in a frying pan. lol.
I was planning on fishing as a sorce of some of my meals. might even learn to cook while I'm out there. lol.
ofcourse I don't eat out either, and unless Pixi Dust shows up in the horbor, I guess I better learn to cook. lol
Bill
Bill- I do like to cook, but only because I like to eat. :)
Adam- did you use solar for your power? How big was your battery bank?
I am getting my boat ready to take over after Christmas of this yr. to the Abacos.
How much water do you carry?
Did you have any problems finding diesal and water to refill?
We had a very low energy budget... basically just LED reading lights and 12v fans (when necessary)... and we ran the engine for an hour or so every few days... house battery was a bank of two regular gel-cell batteries..
Water wasn't a problem, but we never filled more than a few gallons at a time.. otherwise, I think they charged $.10/gallon... gas was easy to find, not so sure about diesel... take along as much gas as you can though, it was about double the price, everything else was about 30% higher...
I still think the $.10 a gal. is still a decent price considering the price of things.
Pixy Dust, I was thinking you were a west coaster. lol.
I think we need to load up and go raid Adam's refridge, and eat all his left overs and drink all his beer.. lol.
BILL
Nooo Bill, I am a FL gal. I agree. $.10/gal. great price. My little girl holds 50 gal of water but only 10 of diesal and I carry 2 - 5 gal cans. In the process of deciding whether to modify this or carry more cans.
I am pretty energy efficient too. I just got a 125 watt solar panel.. in process of figuring out mounting technique. I currently have 2 deep cycle battery bank, but will increase to 2 batteries soon, 2 house, 1 starter. That should work for my needs. I am pretty easy going on the energy draw.
I need to consider a solar cell charger. I want to go with a wind generator, solarcell, mini gas powered generator, grill, multi fuel stove, 6-8 6VDC golfcart batteries set up in 2 banks. that way I could use the gas powered generator to charge the batteries when there is no wind, or for emergencies. I figure with the multi fuel stove, and the grill, I can cook most anything, and the preasure cooker will really open up my options.
now if I could find out what time Pixie will have dinner ready.....lololololololol
I'll agree with the solar power- solar panels are really the way to go on smaller boats. Winbd generators aren't nearly as friewndly aboard our ( as we choose to call them) small cruisers. I had a wind generator on the mizzen mast of my tri- worked fine. BUT, onboard our Meridian 25, there just is NO place to put one, without hanging a whole bunch of poop off the stern. That I refuse to do. Also, a barbque on the stern rail is fine IF you are jusdt sailing local or short coastal trips, DON'T plan for one one the rail should you go offshore on a longer trip- sooner or later it'll get ripped off of there. Just too vulnerable sticking out affrt like that.
Likewise the cooking in the cockpit - that's a wonderful thing to do and we love to do so- but offshore, shou,d you get into some slightly heavier weather it ain't gonna happen. If you plan to cruise the boat, you NEED someplacve below where you can safely prepare hot meals in whatever seastate you find yourself, even if that meal is just a bowl of soup.
One more little bone- those batteries are sure HEAVY- make sure you have a boat large enough to carry them before you plan for them. Remember- every pound of "stuff" you shove aboard as part of the "needed" gear, is a pound LESS water and food you can tote.
yeah I figured to lose a little weight to the batteries, but I'll be single handed so that gives me a little leeway. I'll have a single burner prapane stove that uses a tiney green bottle, but that will be my back only. thanks for the tips about the grill. would they be ok for extended island hopping? I hate to have to remove it for every little jump. I plan on moving only when the weather is good, other wise I'll just stay around the island. as far as I know I will have plenty of room for supplies. if I take the bucc, I know I will have plenty of space, but I was looking at a seafarer 26, that's not quit as roomy, and I don't have a clue about the space on it. ofcourse it's priced right. lol.
Bill
lol- only the offshore jump and the weather can determine that.
Personally any time I go offshore on any passage I want the boat ready for whatever. So if it were me I'd stow something like a grill down below for any passage. Little thunderstorms can kick your butt with little or no warning- doesn't have to be a BIG storm.
oh yeah I figured that if the weather starts turning, I'll clean it and stow it in the cabin. the little single burner thing will need to be modified with a spring to keep the pot from sliding off during the rough weather, but I don't like to cook during rough weather anyway.
I found a 12 V.D.C. coffe maker so on those stormy nights, I could be happy with a hot bowl of water and some noodles. lol. there the best meal you can get on a cold day in rough water. and they are 5 for $1 here. you can get get beef, chicken, or shrimp flavored.
Bill
Does anyone have a shopping list that they use to get the boat ready for a trip? I am curious about what others choose to eat and how they deal with storage and lack of refrigeration (if that applies to your boat).
As an example, assume that you found out this morning that some previous plans fell through, and you can now take a month to go sailing. Your boat is maintained in good condition, and the boat itself is ready to go, but there are no consumable items on board. You have one day to put together what you need to spend 30 days on board. Note that you can stop in harbors and shop for more if you need it, however you will be sailing through some remote areas with no stores or services. The weather looks perfect tomorrow, your goal is to have the sails up with the morning wind.
Post your list here. It can be a shopping list, or a checklist of things to do before you take off tomorrow. The list can be general or it can be as detailed as you have time for.
Here is my first crack at it:
Fill gas tank (6 gallons)
2 – 5 gallon cans of gas
2 gallons mineral spirits (stove and lamps)
2 quarts alcohol (primer)
Fill water tanks
5 cases bottled water (3 or 4 bottles a day)
2 cases beer
2 cans of coffee
coffee filters
tea
10lb apples
5lb potatoes
2 bags carrots
2 bags onions
3 cabbage
6 red peppers
6 tomatoes
dried mushrooms
5lb instant brown rice
5lb raisins
5lb sunflower seeds
5lb rolled oats
3lbs split peas
3lbs navy beans
dried milk
5lb whole wheat flour
instant potatoes (add to soup)
2lb jerky
15 cans soup and stews, assorted
10 cans green beans
2 small pork loins (salted and/or smoked if possible)
8 boxes wheat thins type crackers
4 gouda cheese wax covered
yeast
herbs
salt, spices
brown sugar
olive oil
dish soap
shampoo (also use for washing clothes)
toilet paper
toiletry kit
first aid kit
Here is the general theory of cooking: for breakfast, mix rolled oats, sunflower seeds and raisins, and eat with coffee (this has been my daily breakfast for many years). For lunch, pea soup or bean soup including carrots, cabbage and onions. If i have time to make biscuits or bread, all the better. For dinner, many days would be canned soup or stew heated up with instant potatoes added. Other days would be rice and beans or leftover soup. Snacks are apples, crackers, jerky and cheese. The pork loins are for special occasions. Some of the amounts listed are in excess of what is needed, a lot of the amounts are just convenient package sizes to take advantage of bulk food prices.
Nice List!
There is a good list at www.atomvoyages.com on their recipe and provisioning page. Similar.
I hope I will be putting some of both these lists to work next month!
TrT
That's as good a list as any I can think of off the top of my head. The truth is, if the situation you describe happened to me, I'd be running down the supermarket aisles throwing stuff into a cart until it looked like I had enough for a week or so and then leave, figuring out what I really need on the way. You did say that I'm allowed to stop, right? The problem as I see it is that it is way too easy to overplan, and with a one day warning that is barely enough time to get basic stores stowed and everything ready to move. My laid back plan usually works ok. I just hope I don't forget the toilet paper.
Oh, which brings me to one of the stores I rarely see mentioned; but which I have been happy to have on my much shorter cruises.... Baby wipes. They're not just for babies, you know! When hands and face are dry and salt encrusted they are mahvelous. The aloe moistened ones feel nice on a sunburn. And when your bottom gets sore from sitting on a damp cushion (or no cushion) all day long, they are a small piece of heaven when used for their intended purpose.
Outside of that, throw in an ample supply of sunscreen, replace the beer with gatoraide or similar (not that I'm against beer, it just qualifies as a treat, not basic stores, for me), swap hot chocolate for the coffee, and butane for the mineral spirits, and I think it would get me going.
Actually, I usually have enough stores on the boat for three or four days at any one time; so I could probably just take off and figure it out later. I got in this habit after a day sail unexpectedly turned into a full weekend on Narragansett Bay one year. I got a little hungry.
Do you have a frig?
If you only have one day to shop you will have to rely on what is in the local stores. Without a BIG frig, that means dried or caned. One would hope that you have already tried some cooking on board.
To be happy, Make a list of what you are eating now and like. Find it in dried or cans.
Min space is 90 - 16oz cans and 30+ gal's of water plus cooking fuel. About 500 pounds. For one person.
If you're planning on going on a longer trip...one thing that is a godsend, and I got one for Christmas...is a vacuum sealer. Not only can you pre-cook meals and then vacuum seal them for fast, easy preparation...provided you have refrigeation.... it is very useful for sealing up perishable supplies...like toilet paper.
One of my friends used one to vacuum seal toilet paper, among other things, for an Atlantic crossing she did after removing the core tubes... that way she had dry TP all the way across. :D I've used it for packaging batteries, emergency electronics and batteries, and a dozen other things. The main issue you may have is size... the size of the vacuum sealing rolls isn't all that large...
A poor man's vacuum sealer is the ziploc bag. In the old hard-core backpacking days, we packed just about everything in them. You can squeeze all the air out pretty tight; if you do this in a warm room and use them in cooler weather, they are vacuum sealed. :)
We never did it with precooked foods, though, as carrying a refrigerator on one's back is less than fun, not to mention there was generally nowhere in which to plug it. ;)
ALL the zip locks we've used lately will leak air. Maybe the older ones were better, but don't try keeping liquids in one now a days.
We also use a vacumn sealer. Laura even seals spare sheets and pillow cases in those and they DO stay dry. Sweaters ,etc can be sealed in during summer time. Or even during winter if they aren't being used. Takes up LOTS less space that way.
Spark plugs, oil filters, things like that are great vacumn sealed
I know of many cruising boats that carry one for use while at the dock.
We don't usually use them for meals, since we don't usually have food on ice. The only exception is at the start of a longer cruise- we'll make up some meals, freeze them then bag them. The vacumn seal bags then work as boiling bags- no mess. Those we have the first couple of days out.
They will keep extra flour, rice, what have you, dry and safe from bugs also.
One other thing I think the vacuum sealer would be really good for. Dehydrated veggies... the big problem with dehydrated veggies is moisture contamination... and this would allow you to separate dehydrated veggies into smaller, managable portions, and prevent an accident from wiping out a sizeable portion of your food stores.
Folger's 'coffee bags'...cinnomin/apple oatmeal mix and small boxsf raisins.......start the day off right !!
QuoteALL the zip locks we've used lately will leak air. Maybe the older ones were better, but don't try keeping liquids in one now a days.
Yes!
It seems to me that ziplock bags on a boat (mine at least) ATTRACT moisture! I have had a couple of occasions where I had things in various types of zpilock bags collect moisture.(I used to buy the freezer bags, but tried a couple of those ziplock bags with the zipper).
I had a cheap 400w inverter in a locker with no higher moisture then the rest of the boat collect 1/2" of water in teh bottom ???
I like the vacuum sealer, and plan to take it with me.
Also gotta have:
Peanut butter
Honey (Top Quality)
Balsamic/Red wine/white wine vinegar - Just mix any of these w extra virgin for nice dressing
Canned smoked oysters
Whole wheat pasta
Bottle of nice single malt
Small boxes of wine - Don't know if you guys down south got em, but here in CAN you can buy three-packs of 250ml boxes of wine. The adult juice box - Nice when you don't have company and don't wanna pound a full bottle to yourself!
Cheers!
I'm also an oats eater. I enjoy raw oats with dry milk and raisins, add cold water and stir to make a really tasty cold cereal (although I also learned why horses fart so much eating raw oats...LOL) and in cold weather, hot oatmeal, but thin enough to pour into a big foam cup and sip on...a real warmer upper, and less to wash.
I also include "storm rations", some instant tea, instant coffee and some individually wrapped pastries of some kind...give some wake up energy during an all nighter. When things are tough you can just pour dry instant coffee in your mouth and chase it with water, open a Little Debbies with your teeth if you really can't leave what you're doing.
Quote from: CharlieJ on March 04, 2007, 01:50:01 PM
ALL the zip locks we've used lately will leak air.
Interesting. I have a ziploc bag containing some extra dry clothes that I put together before a hurricane was supposed to hit our location, oh about 7-8 years ago. It's still sealed up and laying in my closet. This was a heavy duty freezer bag, iirc.
Those vacuum sealers sure are cool, though; we've kicked around getting one. I'll have to mention to my wife how many of ya'll think so highly of them....
:)
We use ours all the time and not just for the boat.
Buy a family pack of meats and separate into smaller packs- freeze in vaccumn bags- no freezer burn.
Make beef stew or chilli ( or what ever) - cook up more than enough, fill a bread pan with some of it and freeze. Then pop it out of the bread pan like a big ice cube and put it in a vacumn bag ( DON'T vacumn wet stuff). Then when you want that meal, drop the whole bag in boiling water to heat- pots stays clean.
Just a few more ideas. I don't think we've discovered all the ways to use them really ;D
Edited for a typo correction
Quote from: Captain Smollett on March 06, 2007, 12:05:21 AM
Quote from: CharlieJ on March 04, 2007, 01:50:01 PM
ALL the zip locks we've used lately will leak air.
Interesting. I have a ziploc bag containing some extra dry clothes that I put together before a hurricane was supposed to hit our location, oh about 7-8 years ago. It's still sealed up and laying in my closet. This was a heavy duty freezer bag, iirc......
I have noticed that ziplock bags work much better at home then they do on the boat. ???
Another area that they consistently let me down is when I place something in a ziplock bag, and put it in a cooler. The ziplock bag often comes out with whatever it was supposed to protect in a marinade of cooler juice... :P
One other thing my friend does...that I will probably start doing... she bundles small parts, like the things needed to overhaul her outboard engine—spark plug, impeller, fuel filter—together and vacuum seals them as a kit. The vacuum sealing protects them from degrading or corroding....and they're neatly stored away.
Quote from: AdriftAtSea on March 06, 2007, 07:05:35 PM
she bundles small parts, like the things needed to overhaul her outboard engine—spark plug, impeller, fuel filter—together and vacuum seals them as a kit.
And from this post (http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php?topic=991.msg8820#msg8820):
Quote from: CharlieJ
Spark plugs, oil filters, things like that are great vacumn sealed
I guess great minds think alike!! ;D ;D
I forgot chocolate :o
spare teh lashes!
Nobody else willing to provide a list? It could happen to you, you know.
Skylark! You were right on spot with your list. Couldn´t see anything essential missing, honestly.
;D ;D ;D
Each boat bum among us could of course, change some bits and pieces here and there according to personal preferences. I would go for less canned food (keep a supply as emergency food though) and more vegetables and fruit and beans. Beans are great voyaging food. Stores long, provides lots of protein and other goodies and is quite easy to cook once you get a pressure cooker. (Recommended read: ¨Voyaging on a small income¨ by Annie Hill)
Hmmm, this shopping list is based on personal eating preferences. This is not a one size fits all list. For example, I think only Hollanders can eat pea soup every day. I'm sure that others have different tastes!
Also, those with fridges and freezers would have a different list. Not everyone will be happy drinking just water, coffee, tea and beer.
I got some good ideas from this thread, for example I forgot the vinegar to make oil, vinegar and herb salad dressing, which can be used with canned green beans, or cabbage and carrots to make a nice salad. The 15 cans of soup was really just to make sure I had food in situations where I could not cook a full meal. I'm sure there are better meals to cook, but a can of soup is convenient.
Quote from: skylark on March 07, 2007, 08:00:46 AM
Hmmm, this shopping list is based on personal eating preferences. This is not a one size fits all list. For example, I think only Hollanders can eat pea soup every day. I'm sure that others have different tastes!
Also, those with fridges and freezers would have a different list. Not everyone will be happy drinking just water, coffee, tea and beer.
I got some good ideas from this thread, for example I forgot the vinegar to make oil, vinegar and herb salad dressing, which can be used with canned green beans, or cabbage and carrots to make a nice salad. The 15 cans of soup was really just to make sure I had food in situations where I could not cook a full meal. I'm sure there are better meals to cook, but a can of soup is convenient.
Exactly what I tried to communicate in my posting too. Remember, english is not my native tongue, so I guess I can ¨sound¨ a little weird at times... and obviously I am a bit too ;D
BTW, this thread leads me to realize that for me; provisioning for a few weeks on the water, does not differ much from provisioning for a a week at home. Just multiply my purchases acoordingly to the time planned to stay out cruising. Plus some reserve/emergency stuff as convenience food (like the canned soups for instance) and then minus fresh meat, since I don´t want to have on board refrigeration.
For further clarification; I am sort of semi-vegetarian. Eat meat once or twice a week or so. Love fresh fish though :D
Skylark, upon further review you are right in guessing that some of us would provision very differently. In the real world (as opposed to just thinking about it) I would likely choose very little the same as what you chose.
There would be a difference in the way I pack for a one week cruise, a one month cruise, and a one year cruise. For a week I'd use my Coleman Extreme cooler for cold stuff. For one month I'd probably stick with prepackaged easy to make style foods. For one year (presumable out of the convenience of the U.S.A.) I'd move to a more "from scratch" style of cooking.
So, for a thirty day short notice cruise, I would run down the grocery aisles and pick up what looked appropriate. I suspect I would end up with something like this...
Fluids
- (20) Gallons water in tank will probably be used mostly for cooking and cleaning, and to supplement the bottled water if I don't manage to restock. Longer cruises would probably have this as a primary water source; but I mostly drink bottled water at home, and wouldn't expect that to change. It is far too convenient (and not too expensive in the short term).
- (4-6) Cases (12 - 20 fl oz bottles/case) of bottled water including flavored water.
- (1) Box of hot cocoa
- (1) Box of Tea (variety box)
- Maybe some powdered or canned milk.
- Chocolate milk mix to offset the not quite right flavor of powdered milk
Breakfast
- (1) Variety box of flavored instant oatmeal
- (2) Boxes of cereal (probably the generic bagged version of Frosted Mini-Wheats, Raison Bran, or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, although I would probably just take what looked good that day).
- (1) Box of ready mixed pancake mix. Or maybe those yellow pancake mix bottles, which take up more space, but are just spiffy.
Lunch
- (1) Large jar of peanut butter (the one that peanut butter snobs won't touch... Jiff).
- (1) Jar of grape Jelly.
- (2) Loaves of whole wheat bread (won't last the whole cruise; but would either be replaced enroute, substituted with crackers, or conceivably, if the weather keeps me in port, home made)
- (1) Box of Tuna fish packets (the kind in the nifty foil bags)
- (1) Box of concession packets of mayonnaise. (I've heard that unrefrigerated mayo in a jar doesn't necessarily go bad as fast as is generally thought; but why take the chance on a relatively short cruise).
- (1) Bottle of mustard (I've successfully taken mustard on backpacking trips without harm).
- (1) Package of American Cheese, which seems to last forever if kept reasonably cool (it melts if not kept cool)
- (1) tub of Promise spread or similar, which also seems to last fairly well if kept reasonably cool.
DinnerRaid the canned and foil packaged food sections!
- (4) cans chili
- (8) cans Boston Baked Beans
- (10) Flavored Noodle packages
- (10) Flavored Rice packages
- (4) cans stew
- (5) Soup (the thick "hardy" kind)
- (3) boxes of whole wheat pasta
- (6) small cans or bottles of pasta sauce (variety, tomato, meat, cream sauce, whatever looks good)
- (4) boxes Macaroni and Cheese if I can find a solution to the butter and milk requirements (I'm such a kid)
- Add several cans of canned meat products. I'm not really sure what is out there as I usually don't buy food this way.
- (5) Cans of pees.
- (5) Cans of corn.
- (5) Cans of green beans
Fruits and vegetables
- Small bag of Apples
- Stalk of Bananas
- Small bag of oranges or tangerines
- (1) onion
- (2) Potatoes
- (4) small cans of Fruit Cocktail
- (4) small cans of Pears
- (4) small cans of Peaches
Bread baking stuff (yeah right, like I am actually going to make bread. I'd probably skip this part except that everyone knows that
real sailors bake their own bread)
- (1) bag of flour
- Yeast
- Whatever else is required for bread (beats me, never done it)
Goodies (the important stuff)
- Nachos
- Salsa
- Pretzels
- Peanuts
- ginger snaps
- Fig Newtons
- Crackers or Wheat Thins
- Pudding in a cup
- Stick of Pepperoni
- Small stick of Pepper-jack Cheese.
Ready food for first day (so I don't have to worry about food on the hectic first day)
- (1) Box of donuts or muffins
- (1) Big sandwich from Subway or grocery deli
Miscellaneous
- (1) can Pam non stick spray
- (4) rolls Paper towels (the kind that lets you rip off only a very small sheet)
- (12) rolls toilet paper
- (1) box baby wipes (sheer luxury to a bottom sore with sitting on a hard or wet surface all day)
- (1) Dozen eggs
Alcohol (if time and space permits, low priority as alcohol is a rare treat for me, not something I frequently indulge in anymore)
- (1) 6 pack of beer (Sam Adams, likely) and/or hard lemonade (I find the hard lemonade's to be especially refreshing when it is hot out)
- (1) bottle of red wine (probably a Cabernet or Shiraz)
Frankly, I think this list will have me coming home with food. Maybe a lot of food. I won't starve. I do expect to stop periodically at different ports along the way to explore, eat the local fare, and to replenish perishables (I guess mostly bread and maybe eggs).
If the magic event occurs that would allow me to take such a trip, I reserve the right to completely change this list!
Do you really go through 12 rolls of Toilet paper in a month?? That seems awfully high to me... :D
Toilet paper is used for many things. Like checking to make sure you are REALLY hove-to. ;D ;D
For a 30 day trip, I might be inclined to shop much as I would at home. Block ice in the ice-box should last 2-3 weeks, so there would be some fresh (or frozen) meats in the mix at least for the first week. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, too (not a lot of canned). So, I'd probably take fresh fruit and frozen veggies - again for the first week or so.
Eggs coated with vaseline should be no problem for 3 weeks, so I would not worry about resupplying on them. The last week I would not need eggs. :) High fiber, low-processed sugar cereals for Becky and I and Cheerios for the children would comprise the latter breakfasts. We also like oatmeal or grits for breakfast sometimes (actually, cheese grits is Hunter's favorite breakfast only closely rivaled by Cheerios with raisins).
I would not even plan on hitting the 'more permanent' stores until the second half of the trip. Brown rice and either dried or canned meats (those tuna foil things ARE very cool...let me lump them as "canned" meat). Fixins for soups, too. Ditto the large jar of peanut butter; that's my usual lunch anyway.
Depending on where I was, I might plan to supplement meat with caught fish; I would not rely on this though. ;)
Would not NEED to bring any alcoholic beverages, but might bring a bottle of wine or two in case the mood hits Becky to sip some in the evening.
Quote from: AdriftAtSea on March 07, 2007, 09:14:37 PM
Do you really go through 12 rolls of Toilet paper in a month?? That seems awfully high to me... :D
The way I figure it, of all the things I could run out of, the one thing I ABSOLUTELY don't want to run out of is toilet paper.
Good point...that's one reason I generally recommend vacuum sealing the rolls...so that the reserves don't get turned into mush before it should... :D
More things to add to my list!
peanut butter
margarine
foil packs of chicken
other beef/fish/shrimp foilpacks
pasta
how could i forget mac n cheese
individually packed string cheese mozzarella sticks
eggs
box of wine
german sunflower rye bread (packaged)
instant mashed potatoes
ramen noodles
instant pudding
pretzels
peanuts
donuts to start the trip off right?
running out of toilet paper would not be good
One thing that worked really well for me is to add about 4 soup spoons of instant mashed potatoes to hot soup in the pot. In about 1 minute it turns to more of a meat and potatoes type of mix that sticks to the pot instead of slopping out. You can eat it in rough conditions without wearing it. Sometimes I get heartburn from eating canned soup and the potato flakes seem to make it more digestible for me.
Corn biscuits might be easier to make than bread. Flatbread (bread dough rolled flat and fried in a hot dry frying pan) is easier than loaf bread too, also known as pita or tortillia.
Thanks, this is really helpful.
I wondered when someone would mention ramen noodles. ;) Has probably kept more college kids alive than any other substance.
Quote from: Ol' Coot on March 08, 2007, 09:42:24 AM
I wondered when someone would mention ramen noodles. ;) Has probably kept more college kids alive than any other substance.
Back in my poor days Ramen noodles, mac and cheese (20 cents a box where I shopped) and for the occasional treat, hot dogs where my entire diet. It was less than than pleasant; but my limited funds went a long way and I never starved.
I should have thrown pop tarts on the list. I don't really like them that much; but they always seem to end up as a staple when I pack for any kind of trip.
Hello all:
The lists are all pretty much what we have as provisions. Our method for getting to the list may be a worthwhile addition to the discussion.
Proper prior planning prevents painfully poor performance!
We start our provisioning plan with a model, on paper, of the trip. We consider day sails and overnight pasages as requiring different meal plans. Using cruising guides, etc., we organise the plan around shopping ashore or stowing food for the quiet days in secluded anchorages. This way, we can plan the addition of fresh provisions to dry or canned staples aboard.
The plan results in a detailed provisioning list that is organized by day.
We then pack the food in plastic bags that are organized around the plan. Since the galley stowage affords enough room for a few days only, we have the "food bags" stowed elswhere. They are ready to bring out as needed. Each food bag has main meals and a few treats. Chocolate, anyone? It is fun to surprise ourselves with a special snack. Any recipies that are specific to the meal plan/food bag are kept with the appropriate pack.
We have such things as olive oil, vinegars, spices, coffee, tea, and condiments in the galley ready for any meal. On very long trips these things also get replenished from stores mid trip.
Don't forget lots of garlic!
Results? We usually over-buy. Offshore, two main meals and two snacks per day are about all we ever eat. I am fond of tea and may have five or six cups a day. Elizabeth is more a cracker snacker.
On our two week passage from Boston to San Juan this Fall, the meal plan had three major parts: early voyage home-prepared frozen meals and persihable fruits and vegetables, mid voyage durable fresh vegetables, and end voyage canned and dried foods. We had refridgeration but did not count on it working. We aren't meat eaters anyway which makes a big difference.
Anecdote: On a reverse sail, USVI to Portland, Maine, my crew condemmed the list and went shopping using the hurl stuff into the cart until it was full then declaring shopping done. He is an ex super yacht captain. I should have known better than to trust guy who had had staff. We made the trip on one meal a day. Yumm, I love rice with catsup... not.
Back to the topic. We use the dry soup mixes from Knorrs in a wide range of meals. They are great added to pea soup as seasoning or served up plain in a mug during a bumpy sail. We like the broth/soup boxes, especially the lower salt varieties. I have snuck mashed up anchovies into a couple of spaghetti sauce conctions without adverse reaction... good flavor.
If I can figure out how to add pictures, I will post a picture of Elizabeth with our food bags prior to our Fall sail. Half the food was given to a guy in San Juan. No plan survives first contact with the enemy!
Best regards, Norman
Norm-
Just be careful with the sneaking of things like anchovies...some people have food allergies...and the reactions to food allergies are often very serious.
A friend of mine, when we were at a conference, ended up in the emergency room, and got admitted for a day, since there was peanut butter in the chili we had at dinner. She wasn't expecting it, and no one else was either...but it was apparently used to thicken the chili and give it some body. She went in to anaphalactic shock and nearly died. Good thing she carries an Epi-Pen.
Finally, someone included garlic - lots of garlic - on their list! ;D
But it is good (necessary) to know what foods your crew may be sensitive to...
I love garlic... was told by a friend that Koreans use more garlic in their cuisine per capita than any other ethnicity... which was really funny, since about 3 seconds later I handed her a jar containing about a pound of peeled garlic cloves...
Food allergies.
When shipping with strangers the provisioner has to know that stuff. Same for medications, etc. All of which drives home the advantage to sailing with another person you know well. Sailng a small boat mitigates the problem of big crew! There are plenty of new friends to meet along the way.
I read an old article written by a Brit who said something about never boarding a boat without an onion in your kit. OK.
Maybe another thread? Food stowage. The famous Pacific sailor Bill Robinson wrote in detail about that. I find most modern boats are lacking in that area of design, relegating everything to the ice box... a marginal solution. On long trips, managing and maintaining the food stores is as time consuming as doing the work on deck. The "must eat now" pile makes for some interesting meals!
Best, Norman
Skylark wrote;
QuoteOne thing that worked really well for me is to add about 4 soup spoons of instant mashed potatoes to hot soup in the pot. In about 1 minute it turns to more of a meat and potatoes type of mix that sticks to the pot instead of slopping out. You can eat it in rough conditions without wearing it.
That sounds like a great idea, I will have to give that a try! :)
Years of provisioning for camping have helped Rose and I quite a bit in knowing what we want to have aboard. Like Norm and others here have mentioned we ususally wind up with extra, and that is a GOOD thing. It is good to have options... like Eric said in his thread on the subject...
'if you don't have it, you can't eat it'. I remember when we were going out a couple times a month, I built a 'camp kitchen' which was a box a couple feet wide and deep. We kept some staples in there, and added to it as we got ready for various adventures.
This is one of the great advantages of provisioning for a boat by my way of thinking. There are certain things you just keep aboard, that make all the difference in the world.
Often our trips are not really planned, in that we might go for an afternoon sail and not come back for a few days. That said we tend to keep more aboard then most folks.
Faith has been tied to the dock for the longest period since I have had her, with all the work that has been going on as of late. Right now, even with much of the stuff taken off, I am sure we could live for a week with the things left aboard!
Normally, that would be 2 or 3 times as long.
We also keep a dozen or so MRE's in the bottom of the settee locker. In a pinch, those could be stretched to last for the two of us for a little while.
It was pretty funny, we did put together a list a couple months back, of what we normally have and use aboard. I had pulled all the canned goods out from the locker they normally stay in so that they could be used at home and rotated. I found it took me two milk crates to carry it all home. Before I removed the factory ice box, we used to keep it pretty full. When I cleaned it out prior to it's removal, the boot stripe on the Stbd side was noticeably more visable. ;D
I am rambling now, I will look for the list and post it...
MRE's- forgot all about those- we have a full case of them. We always carry several aboard when sailing. And we've used them in really rough condiotions at least once. Yhey may not be the BEST meals going, but when you need to hang on with one hand, your butt and all 10 toes, it's nice to be able to at least eat something warm. ;D
Funny- but the first time we provisioned Tehani for a cruise, Laura had exactly 4 hours in the grocery store. We expected to be gone for at least a month, but knew we'd be able to reprovision as we traveled, so it wasn't THAT bad. BUT- she had been used to stowing food stuffs in the smaller boat- with it's wide shallow hull. Aboard Tehani with her wineglass hull, when she put all the food in the one under settee locker she had set for it, the boat took a decided list. We had to re stow so some food was on each side ;D fortunately we always have 5 - 7 gallons of water in gallon jugs, in addition to the 38 gallons in built in tankage so she uses those as trim, putting them where needed to balance the boat and moving them around as stores are consumed.
Merged 'If you don't have it, you can't eat it' and 'provisioning list' threads.
QuoteThe "must eat now" pile makes for some interesting meals!
Norm-
That's an understatement if I ever heard one... :D Good thing most of the people I know sailing smaller boats are adventurous and flexible in their culinary desires too.
I keep a lot of food in baskets on the countertop even though I do have a reefer. The idea is to avoid losing track of what I have and pitching food. Onions last forever. Garlic. Apples and potatoes last a long time if you keep them separated. Cucumbers.
Carry vinegar -- when the cucumber starts to get iffy, combine sliced cukes and onion with vinegar -- the salad will keep another several days.
Apples and onions sauteed make a nice side dish.
Tomatoes and peppers keep a surprisingly long time.
I think egg storage is subject to too much hype. I easily get a month from eggs straight from the supermarket in the cardboard crates stored under a settee. If I remember I may flip the crates over after a couple of weeks. Hard-boiled eggs make great snacks for overnight watches.
Celery lasts a pretty long time.
Mustard doesn't need to be refrigerated. I don't refrigerate anything with tomato in it (like pre-made spaghetti sauce or ketchup).
For bread:
* 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C -- leave in the sun for a bit and it will be warm enough)
* 2/3 cup white sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 6 cups bread flour
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl (I use olive oil, but you can use Crisco, vegetable oil, or butter), and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. I do my rises in full sunlight on deck.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. I don't have a thermostat on my oven, so I keep an eye on the thermometer. It's pretty forgiving between 300 and 400 degrees, just wait until the top is brown.
on our last cruise, the tomatos were just coming on, so Laura picked a bunch of green ones and wrapped them in brown paper. We had tomatoes ripening for about 3 weeks from that. If you can get some that are JUST beginning to pink, some riper ones and some really green ones, you can spread the ripening out a long time.
We keep fresh stuff in small net hammoks hanging under the deck edge- fruit, onions, etc.
And we never refrigerate anything. Including mayo.
We almost never have any food in the cooler- just cold drinks.
Charlie -
How is your luck with the nets? When I crossed the Atlantic I found the net bruised soft skinned fruit (apples, pears, and such) to the point that they might as well have been juicers.
"Apples and onions sauteed make a nice side dish. "
You've reminded of a recipe from "Diet for a Small Planet" that can be a main dish. It is sort of Middle Eastern or Indian.
Basically,
apples, sliced
onion, sliced and chopped however you like
raisins
cashews
curry powder
saute all together; curry to your taste. Serve over rice and drizzle with plain yogurt. Could work without the yogurt I think. I'll have to look up the exact recipe, but you should be able to go on that.
TrT
So far they've worked well. On a longer passage I'm sure we'd have to lash them to stop the swinging though. I can imagine that they would be hurtful to soft skinned stuff in the open ocean after a few days.
Now if you could run them transversely, then they would work much better I'd think.
Quote from: CharlieJ on March 30, 2007, 05:47:18 PMNow if you could run them transversely, then they would work much better I'd think.
I had mine hung athwartships and they still turned my apples into applesauce.
I think it depends on the size of the mesh netting you use. Smaller netting would probably work better since it would support the fruit more evenly.
On my friend's boat, she uses the plastic bags that onions and the like come in... and it's about 1/4" mesh, and that seems to work pretty well. I've been using some nylon netting that I got from a laundry bag I had lying around the house... and that's even smaller mesh size... Haven't had any problems with fruits getting mashed.
Two things that I'd point out though... one) I don't generally carry apples, since I am allergic to them; two) my boat doesn't swing as much as a monohull; so your results may vary quite a bit from mine.
Curious here- were you using net hammocks or just hanging nets?
I've not been on a prolonged passage using the hammocks, so I'd like to hear more.
I still suspect that on a longer ocean sail, you'd need to strap the hammocks down some way- maybe with a bungee led down- something to stop it from swinging. I know that in a seaway, beating, you'd best be hanging on to something aboard Tehani when below ;D
It's a hammock made from slicing a mesh laundry bag into three pieces... the hammocks are about three feet by 14" or so. I haven't tried them on any long passages on this boat yet, but they've worked well on the boat I got the idea from. However, my boat may not be the best test candidate, being a multihull.
Similar hammock experiences here, they get quite active on a small boat if not restrained. The best thing I've found to use them for is storing bedding and clothes. :D
Regarding mesh size - maybe a cloth hammock (loosely woven) would be better for thin-skinned fruits/veggies? Like a hammock made of no-see-um netting...
Somewhere in a book I saw the author recommending "shelves" in a narrow area made of cloth/netting - was that a Casey book? Making it so would allow for breathing/ventilation, and keep the swinging to a minimum.
CapnK, the hammocks on my boat don't really swing much... but I don't heel much either...
...and if you ever do heel much at all, unbruised fruit is gonna be the last thing on yer mind! ;D
Keep 'er flat, Dan! ;D
No kidding...
Yup... keep her flat is right... No flying a hull for this sailor...
BTW, did you ever check out the video I posted on Youtube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y7u2yLR85sY)???
We are in Brunswick and have had the great pleasure of spending time with James and Mei Baldwin. We had dinner at their house yesterday, and in addition to a wonderful meal they talked about the foods they prepaired onboard.
Sorry if this came up in this thread already, but I recommend taking a look at heir 'provisoning' page on their web site. (http://atomvoyages.com/atom/recipes.htm)
s/v Faith-
The link is broken... believe it should be http://atomvoyages.com/atom/recipes.htm
Good page btw, and a grog to you for reminding us of it.
I like that whole site!
I tried the Chinese Fish reciped before I gave my apartment this summer. It is very good with Tilapia and Salmon. I'm sure it would work with about any fish.
Also, out here on the road, I am using a version of their Mung Bean Salad. I think it is where they mention salad after several days at sea after perishables had perished.
I can't wait for Spring. :o)
TrT
I have been spending a LOT of time thinking about this issue in the last couple of years.
Having effectively been cruising aboard Emerald Tide.
Cruising aboard Faith, I found I could still pack so much stuff aboard that after 9 months I was still carrying cans of food I had aboard when I left. Some of that was overpacking, but more so not packing the right things.
Packing Emerald Tide is not so much about sustenance, but rather cost and availability. When she departed New Bern, she carried something like 8 cases of wine, all sourced from Trader Joes. There were at least $1500 of groceries aboard.... Prime space was given to things like sauces unavailable "out there" and things pricy like paper products. Now, keep in mind I was buying not for my own needs but those of other people, some of whom eat very differently then I do.
I was listening to someone talk about a trip they took the other day. They planned to pack several cases of tuna fish.... I like Tuna, but man what a boring diet that would be!
The nice thing, I am sure mentioned earlier in this thread....
Where ever you go, people eat!
Now, they may not eat what you like or pay what you want to pay for it...l but they eat. Of course, like Eric said in the OP,
"If you don't have it.. You can not eat it!"