The Blue View - An Updated Provisioning List

I recently finished an article for Ocean Navigator on our favorite tablet and smart phone apps. It was a fun article to write for a geek like me as it gave me an excuse to buy and try a bunch of new apps. There were a few gems out there, but sadly, most of the apps I tried were either not very useful for our life aboard, or were just totally worthless.

One app I was particularly interested in finding was something that would improve how we do our provisioning lists. Marcie wrote a blog post a year or so ago on provisioning and in it she described the spreadsheet we use to generate a provisioning shopping list. We have been adding to and editing the list for years, and it is now quite comprehensive. It includes not just food, but everything we consume – from canned corn to Band-Aids to sunscreen.

The spreadsheet has a column for entering how many of an item Marcie thinks we will need for an upcoming passage, another column for entering the on-hand inventory, and a third column that calculates the quantity to purchase. The trick is figuring out how much of each item we will need for the passage.

Our upcoming Indian Ocean crossing will take 3-4 months. How many cans of diced tomatoes will we use? How much salt and pepper, how many rolls of tp, and how much flour will we need? Some things can be replenished along the way, but the selection will be limited and the prices higher, so it's best to get as much as we can while we are here.

Marcie has been doing this for a while now, and once she figures out our needs for a passage, she saves the spreadsheet. She now has spreadsheets for passages of several different durations – 1 month, 3 month and even 6 months. When we provision for a new passage, however, the list always requires some tweaking. Our tastes change, the things that are available in different countries vary, and corrections are made. This provision list will be for 4 months, and since Marcie would have to modify the spreadsheet anyway, I thought I would check to see whether there were any great new apps that might do the job better

I looked at dozens of apps. Some were for pantry stocking, some were inventory control apps, some were meal planning apps, and I tried several that were list-generating apps. My conclusion was that most wouldn't be as good as what we were doing now, and I was unable to find anything that would be an improvement on our spreadsheet approach.

I did come up with a few improvements to our spreadsheet, however. I removed the column that Marcie previously used to enter the quantity needed of an item and added two more columns. One of these columns is for an estimate of our weekly consumption of the item. We might use 1 pound of pasta, 1 pound of rice and 2 liters of UHT milk per week for example. It is difficult to calculate weekly consumption for some items, however. A case in point is mustard. We don't use a lot of mustard, but we do want a jar on hand and the other new column is used to optionally enter a minimum quantity for an item. A third addition was to allow an entry for the number of weeks the passage will take. The spreadsheet now multiplies the weekly consumption of an item by the number of weeks, compares this result to the minimum quantity desired, and subtracts the on-hand quantity from the larger of the two. If the result is a positive number, it is posted in the last column, and this becomes the shopping list. It sounds a whole lot more complicated than it is.

One big advantage of this process is that all the entries can be made on her laptop and then the file can be downloaded to our iPad. We have an app loaded, Numbers, that works much like Microsoft Excel. It accepts an .xls file and allows us to modify and edit it. We can take the iPad shopping with us and edit the on-hand quantities as items are purchased.

Now if I can only find an app that will actually stow the 4 months of supplies for us.

If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet as well as the formulae used, email us and we will happily send a copy to you.

12 Tips for Provisioning

 

Another frequently asked question is how we provision aboard Nine of Cups. Provisioning can be as easy as a short walk to the grocery store for an overnight and a couple days or as complicated as developing a spreadsheet that includes every possible item you anticipate needing for the next six months. Add to that your transportation availability (or lack thereof), size of your refrigerator/freezer (or lack thereof), stowage space (or lack thereof) and what's available at the local grocery and provisioning can sometimes be quite the challenge. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

Our first passages were short ones … a week was about our longest as we crossed the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida. We'd gone camping and backpacking in the past, so a week's advance planning wasn't difficult. I made a list and we were fine … except we ran out of snacks. Then we hopped along the Florida coast and up the US east coast and never had to travel very far before another grocery store was within reach. We found, however, that we really enjoyed staying in less crowded, more remote anchorages and we started provisioning for 1-2 weeks. It wasn't that hard once we had the basics aboard, but still we ran out of things from time to time which was frustrating, but certainly tolerable. Here are some tips we've learned for provisioning that might be helpful to you.

1. Create a spreadsheet

I use a spreadsheet for making our provisioning list if I need to provision for more than a couple of week's worth. The first time you do this, it's cumbersome because every little thing needs to go on the list … salt to onions to condiments. The positive side of using a spreadsheet is that I've created a column for entering our current inventory, a column for what we need and then the "buy" quantity is calculated for me. Once I've completed the spreadsheet for a trip, I print it out and use it as my master shopping list.

2. Over-provision rather than run short

If we estimate 30 days between shopping trips, I provision for 50 days. Extra is okay in my book. Arrival delays due to weather and wind are the norm, rather than the exception on a longer passage. Running out is a bummer at sea or in an isolated anchorage, especially if you're short on a basic item. I tend to over-provision on items which will keep and we can use in port or on the next trip.

3. Buy what's available

I modify my “needs” list depending on where we are and where we'll be shopping. Many items available in the US or Europe are not available in the Caribbean, South America or the South Pacific, so the list changes to reflect availability of specific fruits/veggies, canned items, etc. I check out the local supermarket(s) and fresh markets, butchers, etc. to determine what's available, what's not, best deals, best quality, etc.

4. Inventory first

I take an accurate inventory of what's aboard as close to provisioning day as possible. I check for out-of-date and obvious no-use items aboard. If out-of-date items look okay, they are moved to the front of the line, where they'll be used first. While inventorying, it's easy to straighten up and place like items together so they're easier to find when we're at sea. Dried up drink mixes, bulging cans, etc. are discarded. No-use items are just taking up space. I give them away.

5. Plan your menus in advance

I do basic meal planning to get an idea of how much of each item on my list I'll need. If I'm provisioning for 90 days ... that's 90 breakfasts, 90 lunches, 90 dinners and 90+ snacks. For instance, we eat lots of pasta, so I'll assume we'll have a pasta meal of some sort at least twice a week...for about 13 weeks...that's 26 pasta meals. We get two meals from a typical 1 lb(.5kg) package of pasta, so I'll need 13 packages to cover 26 meals as a minimum. What else will go with the pasta? Tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, spices, grated Parmesan, meat, mushrooms, canned or fresh veggies? It sounds tedious, but after awhile I developed "typical" meals and the menus and ingredients became pretty easy.

6. Consider non-edible items

I went through the boat one day and made of a list of every non-food and non-boat part item that we use regularly. Toilet paper topped the list. Then came dish detergent and laundry detergent, bug spray, sunscreen, paper towels, AA batteries … The list was quite long and varied. These went onto the spreadsheet with my guess-timates of what was necessary to keep in stock.

7. Medicines and medical supplies need special attention

From antibiotics to band-aids and daily vitamins, I've created a separate list of OTC as well as prescription drugs and I inventory these items with care. Running short of cooking spray is inconvenient; being without a medication can be a serious issue.

8. Don't try to do it all at once

It's exhausting! If I can avoid doing a provisioning buy all at once, I do. I prefer to break it up into three or more trips. One for basics and canned goods; one trip for freshies and eggs; and a final trip for all the other stuff I thought of or forgot to buy after reviewing my list just one last time. Some of this depends on just how long I'm provisioning for, what transportation is available and how much room is left in the lockers.

9. Buy in bulk if you can

Certain places tend to offer some items in bulk at a significantly lower price. There are the Price Club-type stores in larger cities, but in smaller cities and towns, you might have to hunt out the bargain shops. While in Argentina, for example, we found we could buy dry cat food at a fresh market by the kilo at a portion of the price of cat food in the local supermarket. We bought a small quantity first. Jelly liked it and we bought more. We've done the same for cereals, dried beans, popcorn, rice, etc., but we're selective where we buy since we prefer to leave unwanted critters behind. Save egg cartons, by the way, they come in handy in many fresh markets.

10. Buy fresh market stuff at the absolute last minute

I prefer to buy freshies the morning we leave if possible...and preferably fruits, veggies and eggs which have never been refrigerated. Buy the freshest, healthiest-looking produce you can find. Other than in the USA, by the way, eggs are rarely refrigerated. They're always available just sitting at room temperature on a store shelf. We store lots of fresh produce like squash, onions, potatoes, melons and bananas in hammocks or hanging baskets. Eggs are stored in a crate and turned regularly.

11. Don't bring pests aboard

The easiest way to transport roaches and other undesirables aboard is to bring them in with your provisions. We immerse all freshies in salt water, if it's feasible. Otherwise, we tote a bucket to the wharf and immerse them in water there. Drown the suckers! All dry and canned goods, especially anything packed in bags or boxes, are left either in the dinghy or on the dock until they're each carefully inspected for critters. Then and only then do they get to board. Properly washing freshies is another matter for another blog.

12. Label and stow

Beyond planning, buying and hauling, I always have to keep in mind where I'm going to stow what I bought. We don't have an elaborate system for stowing provisions. We've purchased plastic crates and hammocks and tiered hanging baskets. We use every available nook and cranny, but I try to use the same locations each time, so I remember what's where. I mark the contents and use-by date on the top of each can with indelible marker before stowing it, making it much easier to sort outdated cans and locate what I want in a hurry. We found an area under some drawers in the aft cabin which afforded us a nice area for stowing wine. Oh yeah, don't forget the wine!

Notes:

Keep your spreadsheet on file for future trip references and adjust it at the end of trip to reflect what you have too much of, what you might have liked more of and what you ran out of (hopefully, never TP). I typically have a 30-day, 60-day and 90 day provisioning list with quantities all filled in. I just inventory, fill in the on-hand quantities and voila, a shopping list.

Try a new item once before buying a large quantity. We've been pleasantly surprised sometimes and most disappointed other times in the past by some products we've purchased.

If you see something that you've haven't seen in a long time and you'd like to have it, buy it NOW. It might not be there the next time or at another shop.

So, how do you provision?

Stay tuned for subsequent blogs on “Storing and Stowing” and “Pressure Canning”.

Thinking Ahead

Recently while chatting with a young couple who want to go cruising someday, they commented on how much advanced planning or organization was necessary to live on a boat full time. I got to thinking about that, because some things are definitely well-planned in advance and if it's important, it goes on a list.  

Fuel, food, water and propane probably top the “thinking ahead” list just before leaving for a passage. These are the basic biggies for advanced planning, but there seem to be a zillion other little things to think about. The assumption is, of course, that the boat is shipshape and ready to go before we even consider heading out.

Spare boat parts usually fall into David's bailiwick. How many spare parts are enough? (This will be a Blue View blog post on its own.) Keeping track of what we've used and what needs to be purchased is a joint effort. We keep a running list in a special notebook of ordering details and specifics on just about everything in the boat from oil filters and zinc anodes to spare starters and alternators. There are so many systems on the boat, keeping track of all the spare parts and their locations can be a challenge (another future blog post?). One fellow we met said “Why keep spare parts aboard when you can order them and have them shipped anywhere in the world?”. He obviously never spent time in the Patagonian Canals or crossed an ocean when something broke and needed replacing … immediately.

While we're on the subject of parts, project planning requires that we have all supplies necessary in advance of beginning the project. Whether it be varnish and brushes for brightwork maintenance or epoxy, timber and paint for planned deck repairs, everything has to be aboard before the project is begun because we can't always assume what we need will be available in our ports of call. Repairing the decks and doing a yearly varnish job in Vanuatu were perfect examples of this.

There are other little things to consider in advance like making sure the laundry gets done at the last possible minute before we leave because I never know where and when I might have the chance to do it again other than by hand. Or, if we plan to use the freezer, defrosting it well enough in advance, so that it's ice-free and back down to temperature in time for everything to be frozen solid before we leave, but not so far in advance that it's frosted over again.

Thinking ahead might not have anything to do with a passage, like figuring out if something will fit in the boat before we buy it. One example was our Franken-mattress. We knew we'd have to modify it in order to get it through the companionway. What we didn't think about was whether all the sheets we currently had would fit it once it was modified. The new mattress is considerably thicker than the old one. We lucked out because the sheets we have accommodated the new mattress. Otherwise, we would have had to reluctantly purchase new bed linens (called manchesters in NZ and Australia, by the way).

Minor issues like whether a turkey will fit into our little oven or whether something will fit into the fridge can seem major if you've already bought the turkey and have no place to put it. It's important to have enough of everything, but it's a problem when there's too much. Even though we have adequate stowage space, there's only so much room available on the boat. No building an extra tool shed or renting extra storage space; it's all got to fit.

Anything requiring lots of water needs to be done while we're at a dock. Whether it be washing down the boat, making a batch of brew or canning (preserving), it needs to be done while we have ample fresh water available. Same goes for power-intensive projects. When we're generating our own power, it's more difficult to get a sewing project done or for David to be drilling or using power tools. In an emergency, no problem, but using up power just to complete a casual chore, not so much.

While in larger ports where medical care is available and accessible, we usually plan our dental visits, eye exams and whatever else is required. Once we're at sea or in remote little towns or islands, we've missed our window of opportunity.

Also while in port, we make the most of internet availability, doing research on places we'll visit, downloading maps and other cruiser's notes on ports along the way, sending photos, etc. Though we have SailMail at sea, it only supports text email (not internet) and we can't send or receive attachments.

Then there's planning for holidays. Sounds frivolous, I guess, but it's really not if you'll be at sea for a holiday and you want something special on hand. We've been at sea on Thanksgiving, Easter, for birthdays and several other holidays. If I want to prepare a special meal or bake something for the occasion, making sure that I've got all the ingredients and accompaniments aboard are important.

What about thinking ahead to birthdays and holidays back in the States or bills that need to be paid. If we know we'll be out of internet range, we make sure all gifts, cards and definitely credit card payments are scheduled in advance. Having internet, by the way, has been a Godsend when it comes to ordering gifts on line, sending e-cards and sending electronic checks and payments.

Probably one of the most difficult aspects of planning ahead is where we intend go next. It seems that we rarely keep to a plan. If we did, we would have completed at least two circumnavigations by now instead of working on completion of our first. There's thinking ahead and then there's actually doing what you thought about.