Provisioning for a Month Offshore

Provisioning for Offshore

3 people 4 Weeks (with extras to get us through 6) as you must always plan for the unexpected.

It is getting closer to the date when we will embark on the next leg of our adventure, leaving Barra de Navidad and heading to the Marquesas in French Polynesia. To date I have provisioned the boat for a maximum of two weeks. Since we left Canada we have always been within 1-2 days of any port where we could top up. A minimum of one month at sea with no land in sight does not provide us with the same opportunities. 

We finally have a departure date ( mas y minus) ( plus or minus) and so it is time to get serious. I have spent a lot of time reading about provisioning, trying out recipes, experimenting with ways to keep things fresh for longer and finding out what works and doesn't work.

I have learnt a few things.

Provisioning for a long period of time does not mean buying everything    that comes in a can. With a bit of creativity you can eat as well if not better than you would on land. Want to avoid junk food for a month? Don't bring any on board! Remember - if you never ate it on land chances are you will not eat it on the boat!

Every boat is different. You will have to judge for yourself the needs and abilities of your crew. First of all I love to cook. I have been having fun changing up recipes to accommodate local produce. Second, I am cooking for two men who love it that I want to cook and who are not picky eaters - just no Lima beans or parsnips. No worries here as I hate both! Third, we have a fairly large fridge/freezer space that will easily accommodate food for the four weeks.

So start with a good pantry. We have six shelves in the galley where I keep my condiments and supplies for at least two weeks. They are organized as to culinary ethnicity.

Side Bar: I met a sailor who had a similar story to ours. They sold their house, moved onto the boat and sailed south. When she heard that I was making Indian Butter Chicken for dinner she asked me where I got the ingredients. From home, of course. She said when they moved onto the boat she got rid of all her specialty foods. Why? I asked. She did not even think that she would still use them. Silly girl. We love Mexico and one shelf is dedicated to Mexican cuisine but do you really want to eat tacos every day?

So the following is a list of some of the supplies. Some we had to bring from Canada but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I could find in Mexico. But the chances of finding them in French Polynesia decreases so stock up. Try out some ready made products - you may find some that will surprise you - not worth making from scratch.

Italian

Dried salamis - great snack and does not have to be refrigerated

Pastas

Ready made Sauces (tomato, pesto, Alfredo)

Diced tomatoes ( also used in other ethnic cooking so bring lots)

Tomato purée

Capers

Sun dried tomatoes

Artichoke hearts

Pickled asparagus

Anchovies

Basil, oregano,Rosemary,fennel seeds

Mexican

Hernandez Salsa

Hernandez Guacamole

Hot Sauce

Jarred roasted red peppers (also Used in Italian dishes)

Chipotle Peppers

Olives (on Spanish olives in Mexico)

Black Refried Beans

Cumin

Beans - canned, raw, packaged

Indian

Butter Chicken Sauce (jarred,package)

Mogul Curry Spice Mix

Tobago Habanero Mix

Monsoon Buali

Punjabi Garam Marsala Mix - the above mixes come from Salt Spring    

    Island and are worth the trip to find them!)

Chutney

Tahini

Chick Peas

Chinese/ Thai

Oyster Sauce                         Soya Sauce

Sambas Chili Paste.              Corn starch

Mango Salsa                          Minced garlic

Minced lemongrass.             Tomyum paste

Hot & sour soup mix.            Szechuan pepper corns

Pickled ginger.                       Wasabi paste

Pano bread crumbs               Hoisin sauce

Sweet Chili sauce.                 Sesame oil

Red/green/yellow curry paste

Pad Thai package.                Peanut sauce

Chinese Five Spice

Miscellaneous

Vinegars - apple, red wine, white.    Canola oil

Olive oil.                                                Maple Syrup

Peanut Butter ( lots).                           Ketchup

Mustards ( variety).                             Mayonnaise

Low sodium chicken broth.                Horse radish

BBQ sauce.                                           Soup mixes to use as a base

Various spices

Dried goods - do not over do it because a lot of these products are available

Various pastas              Rice - Uncle Ben's Quick,  jasmine, 

Couscous.                     Quinoa

Nuts - raw, salted,unsalted

Dried fruit

Rolled oats - make granola ahead of time

All purpose flour

Sugar - brown and white

Mixes for muffins, cookies, scones,pancakes, loaves

Even though I prefer to make things from scratch it may not be practical - either the weather will not allow it or I am simply too tired. Trader Joe's - an American grocery store has some excellent products along with the trendier deli's in Canada. Summer markets or Christmas fairs are also a good place to look. 

I met a fellow Canadian a couple of weeks ago and she told me about Ziplock bread. I cannot wait to try it. Imagine being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with the smell of home made bread coming out of the galley! Just bread or turn it into cinnamon buns or better yet, pizza!

Dairy Products

Cheese, cheese and more cheese. (Leave in original vacuum package until ready to use). Wrap in parchment paper and out in plastic tote once opened. And buy smaller packages - none of those big loaves from Cosco. You will end up cutting off more mould than what you eat!

Sour cream

Yoghurt

Butter

Hummus

Now comes the fresh fruit and vegetables. I am not going to list them as that would take another page and be kind of boring. Suffice it to say that you can get almost any fruit and vegetable that you get in Canada. The difference is that they are grown here, are fresher and a lot cheaper. The interesting part is the things you do with them to make them last longer.

Number one is try not to mix up types. So store peppers together in a sealed plastic container. I have a plastic milk crate which I will layer with potatoes, onions and carrots with newspaper in between. 

Citrus fruit will be wrapped in tinfoil. The bags of romaine lettuce ( whole) will last a couple of weeks in a plastic container. It helps if you put a piece of paper towel in each container to soak up any excess condensation.

Cabbage and squash can hang in one of the baskets. Apples and pears also get wrapped in tinfoil. Avoid plastic wrap - it causes things to sweat! Not good in an already high humidity environment. 

And the meat! How much to buy? First you want to look at your

Freezer space. At first I was not going to do a menu plan for the four weeks. In the end I did and I would recommend it. It makes guesstimating how much food to buy a lot easier. I found that I bought a lot less than I otherwise would have. Order from the local butcher and see if he can give it to you already frozen. When I packaged it for the freezer I got 4 large ziplock bags - one for each week. So week four is on the bottom and will not be opened til that time. This makes it easier to find things - most freezers on boats do not have shelves! Also things at the top of the freezer do not freeze as well - no worry as you will be eating everything in that bag in the first week! I plan one putting a single layer of ice in a ziplock bag between each of the weeks. This will also help to keep things frozen and take some strain off the compressor.

We have been told that beer and wine are very expensive in French Polynesia and have been advised to fill up all the empty spaces n the boat with our favorites.

The picture above shows the wine wrapped in my socks to prevent breakage. 16 bottles fit perfectly in the center part of our drop leaf table!

And for room under a settee for boxed wine and canned beer.

I am not going to include the menu at this time - need something to write about during the crossing! So you will just have to wait for the surprises that I have in mind just like the crew will have to wait. They will eat well!

I did roast a turkey and made one of my Turkey Shepard's pie for week three. I also made a lasagna - half we will eat at port the night before we leave. And of course turkey broth for soup. But other than that I plan to cook as we go. I have a pressure cooker which is very handy. You can make your dinner when seas are calm. Once it has cooked you can put the pot in the sink and leave it there for days. The pot is a sealed unit and does not require refrigeration. Just remember to bring everything to a boil when you do open it up. 

And last but not least - do not forget the " treat" cupboard. Granola bars are great for those days when the seas are rough and you cannot cook. Also cookies, crackers, nuts, pretzels, M&M's, chocolate pieces. I have two crew members who like to snack on the night watch! Make up a lunch ahead of time so they will not wake you up when they go foraging in the galley while you are trying to sleep!

So are you guys hungry yet? 

The way I see it - provisioning is one of the most important things when preparing for a long crossing. You want to keep your crew happy and healthy. A friend of mine did a crossing from New Zealand to Tahiti a couple of years ago. They lost their motor and ran into some terrible weather. For four days they hand steered. The crew were tired and low. Brian made homemade cinnamon buns and the captain thanked him - it was an immediate positive boost for everyone on board! Now let us hope that we do not have the same situation. But I am looking forward to the smiles when I present my Chicken Mirabella or Chocolate brownies to the guys. 

Tazza coffee with fresh blueberry scones anyone?

Today we bought 8 dozen eggs! Contrary to popular belief eggs do not have to be refrigerated if they have never been refrigerated. And that is how you find them in Mexico. 2 dozen will be put in the fridge and the other six go under the settee. You just have to turn them every 3-4 days and they will last up to six weeks.

One of the first blogs upon reaching Tahiti will tell you just how successful I was with the provisioning. I plan on doing one last entry just before we leave - so keep checking!

And thanks for reading and especially for the comments. Nice to know that someone is actually reading this stuff!