Sorting the Basics
We've been asked (yes, really!) how we went about provisioning for our jaunt across the Atlantic. As a blue-water novice, let me tell you,
planning to feed us on what was to be a bumpy journey inclined at 45 degrees
for 30 days or more, took a bit of research.
Not to mention quite a few trips to the supermarket in Deltaville
Marina’s “loaner” car.
Research. What advice can experienced sailors give
me? The internet and many a sailor’s
blog gave me insight into what had worked for them. Some preferred tinned food, others dried; vegetable
life expectancy was frequently discussed, as was the value of reliable
refrigeration. Vegetarian meals were
whipped up in a flash and freshly caught fish cutlets sustained many a hard
working crew. “We could grow our own
herbs, sprout beans and coddle yoghurt,” GS enthused. Sure!
Planning. What are the passage basics? Planning was important though, so we thought
we should start with a few basic facts.
How long would said passage take us, how many crew were going, what do
we like to eat, what capacity did we have to store foods, and what was the
weather going to be like (in a general sense).
No point in trying to bake custard or set jelly if you’re healed over.
Now having some idea of Windjammer’s average speed, we
calculated distances from Chesapeake to the Azores and then on to Lisbon. So, at worst case, we determined that it
would take us 30 days to get to Flores and then 10 days to Lisbon from San
Miguel. Reasoning that everyone eats, we
knew we would find some fresh supplies in Horta (and also on the other Islands
as we cruised by). We hoped, contrary to
our dismal fishing record to date, that we would also snag a nice tuna or
wahoo. (We never did…)
Equipment. How do you like to eat and cook? At the Annapolis Boat Show, we had, (hang
the expense) shouted ourselves a stainless pressure cooker. “That,” said the Captain, “will be your most
useful tool.” Actually, it wasn’t – just
in case you stop reading here and rush out to buy one! I love my wok and that, with a large frying
pan, and a few stainless saucepans (with lids) did us proud. I think it’s also a matter of what you are
used to cooking with too, although high sides are very important. I purchased a heavy duty rubberised apron and
silicon oven mits – it’s so easy to tip boiling water or hot foods over
yourself in choppy seas. On that note, I
would never ever deep fry anything at sea…that oil is an accident waiting to
happen.
While you are raising your eyebrows with concern over our excessive
“washing up” requirements, this too was modified with a bucket to fit into our sink
to store dirty dishes for one large wash a day.
We fixed a dish drainer to the sink with “occy” straps and only once or
twice did the dripping contents tip into our shoe bin. We did try using sea water to wash up but
salt encrusted everything (and became damp).
Cheap stainless bowls and cutlery started to rust and I had to start
throwing out cooking utensils which disintegrated before my eyes.
Washing up brings to mind water usage and after some
consideration, we decided that our 200 gallons of fresh water would last – we
would make it with careful use – as at worst, in the Caribbean, we had to
resupply after 3 weeks (with 3 on board swimming daily). We also carried extra jerry cans of water
(and fuel) as emergency supplies, strapped to the deck. We never needed it! (But we would always carry reserves.)
Stowage. Where will I put all this stuff? Stowage was another issue, and initially, the
plan had been to store groceries under the forward bunk. After struggling with an unyielding mattress
(and having to remake the bed each time– and this was all in our very sheltered
marina berth), it became apparent that lockers under the settee would be easier
to get to. Everyday items and those in
use (opened) were kept in the galley, the refrigerator became a storage vat for
perishables, the freezer (as it didn’t work terribly well with a few generator
bursts each day) held our cold drinks and the WAECO was put into service as a
freezer (on solar panel power). Tins
were stacked into crates and placed in the galley floor locker. Glass packaged items, regularly accessed
dried goods (like rice & pasta) and those in paper or cardboard wrappings
would go behind the settee. All
“re-supply” goods then, were to be stashed into lockers under the settee. We purchased a few small plastic crates (screwed
into place) to hold loose items. Their
high sides meant that we would not lose too much in the event of a
knock-down. Yes, we had to plan on worst
case scenario weather too!
Lastly, we had to think about packaging. Easy to dispose when the garbo comes each
week, but at sea we didn’t want storage areas to be full of smelly garbage or
cockroach eggs hatching from cardboard containers. So to minimise packaging, as many items as
possible were placed into resealable Ziploc bags. GS was also lucky to find, in Wal-Mart, a
small, vacuum storage system; essentially resealable plastic bags with a manual
pump. Meats and cheeses etc could be removed
from trays, then vacuum sealed in serving sizes, contents noted with a permanent texta and frozen to last the journey. Everything that went into the big fridge was repackaged
into the Ziploc containers (replaceable plastic containers with a decent
sealing lid) of various sizes, all lined with paper towel.
One other ah-ha moment was when we realised how much food is
already in vacuum sealed packaging. This
was particularly useful as some items did not need to be refrigerated or frozen eg
salami. Lots to think about and we
hadn’t even bought any foods yet!
