Raft Up: Mission to Provision!

Provisioning

(in cruising context is a mad dash to stock upon food items as if preparing for an apocalypse)

Merriam-Webster describes as...
A. the act or process of providing.
B. the fact or state of being prepared.
C. to supply with needed supplies, mainly food.

This month’s Raft Up topic is Provisioning. Personally, provisioning has always been one of my most nerve wracking missions. For whatever reason, I always feel I’ve forgotten something or didn’t stock up on enough of one thing or another! My first words to the beginner are be patient with yourself and plan, plan, plan ahead! Here are a few questions to get you started on your own “Mission to Provision!”

What do you typically eat?  START paying attention to what you and your crew eat each week. Make a sample menu for the week, itemizing the ingredients you'll need for that day. Think about your current eating habits. You probably eat out more now (if on land) because you have endless choices and relentless marketing shoved down your throat by television and radio ads. But once you are actually “out here” dining out is a big budget cruncher! See the chart we typically use in order to get an idea of what we will eat while underway or anchored. Below is an example of what our "One Week Menu" looks like. You can use a similar format replacing our meals with ones your family will eat. Now just duplicate the plan for however many days you are provisioning for.

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
5 Eggs (scrambled) 3 Slices Toast	Salad (spinach, cabbage,onion,tomato)	Beef Stew with Biscuits
Oatmeal 1 1/3 cups	Macaroni & Cheese	Spicy Noodle Stir Fry
Cereal w/ Milk	Grilled Cheese Sandwich	Grilled Chicken Rice & Beans
Banana Pancakes	Salad	Chicken Chili
Spacon, Egg Sandwich	Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich	Chicken & Dumpling with Biscuits
Cereal w/ Milk	Macaroni & Cheese	Spinach Chicken Pasta
French Toast	Skipped Lunch (due to snorkeling)	Spaghetti with Red Sauce

How long you are provisioning for? Once you have this list decide how long you are provisioning for, that is, how long do you plan to go between the time you set sail to the time you'd like to "NEED" to grocery shop again. This will depend on your destination and the ability to buy food at one of the planned stops. If you are on a budget like most of us are, you should be prepared to spend WAY LESS money once you leave the US. It’s the actually stocking up before you head out that seems to  take the most cash. Food in the Bahamas, though, is about *double sometimes *triple the price. So buying in the US is the thing to do. 30 days, 60 days or 90 days? Generally we provision for 90 days anticipating to enjoy most of our food during our time in the "Out Islands"' of The Bahamas and waiting to shop until Georgetown, Great Exuma where the produce and canned goods are plentiful although expensive!

How much do you eat? Here's where it can get sticky! Start paying attention to what a serving size looks like to you. This makes the bulk purchasing of items like say, pasta, rice or oatmeal that much easier. FOR EXAMPLE: 1/3 cup of oatmeal per person per day eaten 3 times per week for 12 weeks equals 36 cups of oatmeal for your 90 day provision plan. How many cups of oatmeal are in one container? Look at the serving size they suggest and adjust your calculations accordingly. AND of course buy the most economical size that will ALSO fit in your boats' storage locker. *Truth be told, I am no mathematician so I usually mess this part up!* BUT it's a real good way to start! Using this method gives you a concrete sense of just how much room 90 days worth of provisioning for 3 meals a day is going to take up.  

Rule Numero Uno – Be Flexible! Once you have stocked the boat with the essentials try to infuse a little flavor. Buy plenty of snacks and surprises so that you can find them later on down the road. Cookies, chewy candies, a special cake mix or pine nuts can turn a boring night into a gourmet (to you) meal! Sometimes breakfasts turn into brunch or lunch turns into dinner, so plan for solid three meals a day and leftover food is a bonus. You never want to run out of provisions. There are lots more little things that can dictate how you provision like refrigeration/freezer access, storage capabilities and special diets. Sticking with what you know and keeping it simple is the best way to ensure accurate and easy provisioning!

Mainly, we want to have enough food on board to survive *but* since we are "creatures of comfort" there are a few things we cannot go on a long passage without!!

1. Snacks – We try to have a variety onboard.Hot chocolate - good for the beginning of a night watch. Chewy candies like Swedish Fish or Twizzlers. Salty things like pretzels or chips.
2. Produce – Lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, garlic, oranges, apples. Salads compliment any meal especially in the heat. Without refrigeration we miss out on cold items but fresh foods are vital and provide nutrients that are missed when most of our food is starch or comes from a can.
3. Water – We drink plenty of water anyway and underway is no different. In the heat of the day dehydration can take it’s toll especially due to the amount of sodium we intake (canned goods/preservatives). Our best investment was our LWM-160 water maker. We keep our tanks full and it tastes cool, clean and crisp making it much easier to drink than water that may have come from another source.

Good Luck with your provisioning and be sure to check out these other great blogger's ruminations on the topic!

November's Topic: Provisioning


2nd - Norna's News
3rd - S/V Bella Vita
4th - Life Afloat
5th - S/V Totem
6th - More Joy Everywhere
7th -Sail Celebration
8th - Maiaaboard
9th - MVFelicity
11th - Pacific Sailors
12th - Toast Floats
15th - Northfork