Editor’s Log
If you order provisions, they will be waiting for you on the boat, but it will be up to you and your crew to figure out what to do with them to actually make a meal.
Aside from renting a sailboat and possibly buying a plane ticket, the next biggest expense you’re likely to encounter on a bareboat sailing vacation is provisioning. And come to think of it, some of the most tedious decisions you’ll have to make before casting off won’t involve where you’ll go, but what you’ll eat.
While in theory, your sailboat is your ticket to a week or more of freedom, in reality, most charter companies have exclusion areas where they don’t want you to go because of shallow water, poor holding or, in some parts of the world, crime. And, they will insist you be anchored or moored each day well before dark. Given the limitations of boat speed, wind and current, there are only so many miles you can cover between sunrise and sundown, especially if you and your compatriots also want to fit in a swim or a hike rather than pulling on ropes all day. The person doing your briefing, most likely a local captain, will know the area, listen to your desires and make recommendations accordingly.
But food? Sorry, mate. You’re on your own.
Assuming you don’t plan to eat every meal ashore, going on a sailing trip requires stocking the boat. If the vacation is just you and the kids, provisioning can be pretty straightforward. You’ll probably eat the same food, in the same portions, as you eat at home. But throw a couple of aunts and uncles into the mix, a gluten-intolerant cousin, a vegan nephew or, more challenging yet, plan a trip for four couples, and, well, you’ve got a lot of mouths to please.
One option is to let the charter company stock the boat for you. Many offer partial or full provisioning packages that begin with the basics — toilet paper, salt and pepper, the usual condiments, etc. — and then let you add items accordingly. I’ve gone this route on a few trips, and I’ve found that while it sounds easy as pie, it gets complicated pretty quickly, and can involve multiple phone calls and emails as you fill out the appropriate order forms. Who likes grapefruit juice? How many bottles of tonic water do you think we’ll need? Does everyone like chicken? Will seven bottles of red be enough, or should I get white to go with the fish? You will eat fish, right? Should we get pie or cookies for three nights? Oh wait, you want to eat ashore? One night or two?
If you order provisions, they will be waiting for you on the boat, but it will be up to you and your crew to figure out what to do with them to actually make a meal. Be prepared to come up with recipes to match the food, rather than buy the food you’ll need for a certain recipe. You’ll have meat, veggies and a starch for dinner; what you do with them is your problem. On trips where provisions have been provided, I usually find there’s a considerable pile of leftovers at the end, and it’s all stuff you paid top dollar for. If it were up to you, would you really have bought three jars of grape jelly?
Your other option, obviously, is to shop yourself, and more often than not, that’s the way I go these days. Most charter bases are located in popular harbors with a market nearby. If everyone takes a cart and has an idea of what to buy, four couples can spread out through the store and get the job done faster than you can bake a quiche.
On a recent visit to Puerto Rico (see “In Search of Spanish Treasures,” page 42) one of our crew planned out a week’s worth of meals and the ingredients needed to make them. Meanwhile, the cost of the ride to the boat included an hour for provisioning along the way. Unfortunately, her flight was delayed, so she ended up taking photos of her lists with her phone and sending them to the four of us who arrived on time. It was a good idea, but trying to decipher 8-by-11 sheets of paper covered with someone else’s cursive script, using an iphone screen, was all but impossible. Instead, when we got to the store, we grabbed three carts. I took dinner, another person took breakfast, and two others covered lunch and the necessities, and we were back at the register in no time. I’m pretty sure no one lost weight on the trip, and when it was time to go home, the larder was pretty much bare.
I’ll end with one final food thought: Whether it’s a steak dinner with fine wine or PB&JS washed down with a warm beer, I’ve never had a bad meal on a charter, or any boat for that matter. Enjoy your next trip, and bon appétit!