Provisioning Equals Scavenger Hunt

Provisions waiting for space

Provisioning Imagine to sail off and down the Chesapeake Bay in mid-October has turned into a nautical scavenger hunt.  So far I’ve found affordable stainless fittings and setscrews in California, solar panels in Florida, and a micro sim card cutter, Wi-Fi booster and fabric protector from Amazon. The list continues with Barkeeper’s Friend (in liquid), 3M pads, teak finish and small coffee filters for an old time percolator.

The list changes daily. I’ve crossed off items and added others as projects are finished on Imagine and space opens up store expensive or hard to find items we will need when we visit the Bahamas this winter.

One corner of the living room looks as if someone is opening a paper goods store.  Thirty-six rolls of paper towels, 48 rolls of toilet paper, three 150 count packages of napkins, paper plates, freezer bags, and foil stay stacked until the work on Imagine is finished and the items can be stowed under berths and behind settees.

Provisioning is tedious, but not hard.  It amounts to an extremely long shopping list based on how long our cruising season will be, where we will spend most of our time, and what kind of shopping will be available when we go ashore.

In the States almost everything is easy to pick up after taking the dinghy ashore.  It is the toting of items from the store back to the dinghy that is tough.  Carrying four bottles of cranberry juice a half-mile from the reminds me that I’m not a weight lifter. That doesn’t include the other three bags of groceries.  The value of a luggage cart we picked up for $4 at a thrift shop in Marathon three years ago suddenly becomes worth its weight in gold.

When heading out of the country I provision for the holidays.  Canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce and gravy mix helps when making a traditional holiday meal.  The list also includes walnuts, craisins, chocolate chips and pecans for the holiday boat cookies I make to share each year. 

Chips, sodas and other snacks are important for quick beach gatherings or visiting someone’s boat for happy hour.  Chips and crackers can cost up to $7 for a bag or box in the Bahamas. 

Rum is inexpensive, but soda is not.  We shop the sales and end up with 12 to 15 boxes of cola and other soft drinks as we head offshore.  Purchasing these items now saves a lot of money later.

Once my list is somewhat complete, I look and see what I already have aboard.  From there it is easy to figure how much I need to replenish.  I ask myself how much of an item I use in a week, or a month.

Since we are going to be gone for nine months, I calculate how much dish soap, laundry soap, toiletries and other items we will need during that time.  The same formula is used for first aid supplies; my husband manages to get a lot of boo boos.

Last year we took 15 boxes of cereal, four boxes of instant oatmeal and three boxes of pancake mix. Everything that comes in a box or bag is removed from its packaging and placed in zipper bags.  This step keeps bugs from getting into the boat and food. Secondly, it takes up less room. 

These items are then placed in two large plastic containers with lids; one is for baking and snacks, the other for dinner items such as mixes, taco shells, and pasta. When packed the containers are secured with bungee cords in the quarter berth.

Canned and jarred items such as fruit, vegetables, soups, sauces, pickles and honey are stacked in lockers about the settees.  Old clean socks placed around some of the jars keeps the glass from knocking when seas get rough.

The freezer on Imagine is small.  I individually package and flatten center cut pork chops, chicken and ground beef for later use.  With careful layering, I can store up to five weeks of dinners in the freezer.

Shelf stable milk, yeast for making bread, baking soda and vinegar also finds a home on Imagine. The $2 gallon of vinegar sells for $8 in the Bahamas.  On Imagine vinegar is mostly used for cleaning the head and sinks.  It also can unfreeze rusty locks when soaked overnight as well as clean the salt off the portholes. 

While we take most of our provisions with us, we still must purchase some items such as dairy products and meats as we go along. When it comes to fresh produce, it is hit and miss when provisioning in foreign ports. Apples last a long time so, I will buy extra to take along.  For some reason potatoes and bananas do not last long on the boat.  I buy those items as needed as well as onions, peppers and lettuce  

As the time for departure nears, I’m making a list and checking it twice.  The scavenger hunt continues as I search as a new grabber tool (to pick up items Ed drops in the bilge), an oven thermometer, solder wire and an unlocked Wi-Fi hotspot modem.  Wish me luck.