Floating bakery on boat - a good idea?

[George DuBose]

Great Salt Pond on Block Island, RI had a baker that came around every morning, yelling "Andiamo!!!" waking everybody up to buy his fresh baked breads and pastries.

I forget the guy's name, I think the second generation is continuing the operation.

Fresh pastries in the morning is a great way to start the day.

Good luck.

[CLady]

Neptune's Bread Basket?

[George DuBose]

There used to be kids on Cuttyhunk Island that would come around in the afternoons taking orders for lobster dinners, shrimp cocktails and oysters on the half shell.

I think having these services adds to the fun of a cruise.

[topmast]

Boat could be named 'Nice Buns' less work if you could take orders vhf and let them pick up .The bun shop on the dock at Refuge Cove in Desolation is raved about all over the coast and boats up anchor and voyage to get there.

[Symphony]

great bakery idea. making $$ doing what you love to do and do well. I'm very interested in all the comments here, and I hope you can do this.


pricing will be a tough decision. be sure to consider all the costs of delivery. the boat needs a place to be loaded, licensed, insured, time to deliver - maybe you have one person deliver while another person bakes and another cleans the kitchen.


also overhead (taxes, regulations, fees, license). we had bakery and milk trucks delivering to our homes everyday back when the overhead, fuel, insurance costs were very low.


or - you might keep it very informal and hope to fly under the regulatory radar. I think this is how the pizza and baker boats survive in the Caribbean.

[SVTwilight]

Originally Posted by redhead

A guy named Aldo used to sell bread every morning off his boat in Great Salt Pond, Block Island. We would wake to the sound of his outboard and him shouting "Andiamo" ("let's go" in Italian). This is definitely something that could be profitable if you approach it correctly. On another island (Cuttihunk, I think) kids would come around in their skiff every afternoon about 4ish and sell cooked shrimp, some clams, oysters, etc.

People on vacation love the added extras and are willing to pay. People living aboard full time, maybe not so much due to budget. Go where the tourists/charterers are.

Good luck!

I remember Aldo and his bakery are still there and run by Aldo's descendants and staff, a great tradition!

Aragorn on Beef Island in Tortolla sells bread , fruit, tshirts and art from his skiff

At Cuttyunk cuttyhunk shellfish farms sells chowdah, oysters and shrimp.

The Deliverance model is broad based selling a wide range of things and they also take garbage for a fee

[CamWrenRoo]

Originally Posted by astokel

I love the idea but personally it seems like too much work.

In the North Channel (where it is a 3 hour run to Little Current ON), an enterprising young man would sell you ice (when fridges on boats were rare) and take away your garbage. I think it was $5 a bag - either bag. Money invested - $2 for the ice $0 for the garbage.

Why too much work? I can produce 200 loaves in 9 hours... Plus a few hrs delivery... Once a week... Bread has an excellent profit margin.
So - I either work full time waiting on tables / baking in a bakery, or I work 2 days a week and make more money...
Less work, believe it or not!! more time to spend with my child and husband, on the boat!
And, bread does not weigh anywhere near as much as ice does!!

[CamWrenRoo]

You guys are great, thank you so much for the ideas / encouragement! So no bread boats in the keys that anyone is aware of?

[Cheechako]

One of the best ideas I've heard regarding "making a living" while cruising. I usually scoff at people who want to make a living while cruising... as cruisers help each other out all the time , but not for pay. Cruisers would love fresh baked items. You should install a big oven in your boat somehow. There used to be an isolated bay in Canada where cruisers went to buy homemade bread and cinnamon rolls from a guy who lived there. It was very popular. Squirrel Cove I think.

[CamWrenRoo]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

One of the best ideas I've heard regarding "making a living" while cruising. I usually scoff at people who want to make a living while cruising... as cruisers help each other out all the time , but not for pay. Cruisers would love fresh baked items. You should install a big oven in your boat somehow.

Well, I would LOVE that, and outside of the us, small scale, low key production on board would be cool. I do rustic woodfired artisan breads, and while actively cruising, it would be great to make bread on board using a wood fired oven on the deck... But it's heavy, and dangerous for obvious reasons!! So I think I will do this in the states, in a fixed location, working out of a legal commercial kitchen. I will just need a baker to fill in for me while I am cruising. Any pro bakers out there in Florida interested in a partnership? We can take turns cruising

[canyonbat]

I think, instead of another cruiser as a partner, you should find someone with the commercial kitchen. Maybe a place that is just open for breakfast. They could cover for you when you are off cruising and even unload unsold product in the cafe. Of course, they would need a place to park the boat while you are gone.

I am a retired CFO so I love to look at business plans, as long as its someone else's time and money at risk!

[Roy M]

What kind of an oven are you planning to use for production on a boat? Most marine ovens are pretty small and way under-insulated to be ideal for production baking. Ovens CAN be modified with special insulation, but the standard marine (and residential) oven uses fiberglass batting. Also, you might consider fire-clay or tile inserts to make the heat retention and uniformity more ideal. I am using a special refractory insulation for my Force 10 oven. But then, I also did a "hot-rod" remodel of it making it into an eye-level oven.

[Rex Delay]

There was one operating here in the Gulf Islands. Anchored for the summer season in a very popular harbour. You dingy over the evening before and place your order and then return by dingy in the morning to pick up your fresh baked order. Seemed to work well for them. They had a very large motor yacht.

[CamWrenRoo]

Originally Posted by Roy M

What kind of an oven are you planning to use for production on a boat? Most marine ovens are pretty small and way under-insulated to be ideal for production baking. Ovens CAN be modified with special insulation, but the standard marine (and residential) oven uses fiberglass batting. Also, you might consider fire-clay or tile inserts to make the heat retention and uniformity more ideal. I am using a special refractory insulation for my Force 10 oven. But then, I also did a "hot-rod" remodel of it making it into an eye-level oven.

I will be renting a commercial kitchen on land... third shift, preferably a wood fired pizzeria with a nice big oven! On board would not work for production baking - that and it would not be legal. I'm all for small production on board when not in the states, though

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

There used to be an isolated bay in Canada where cruisers went to buy homemade bread and cinnamon rolls from a guy who lived there. It was very popular. Squirrel Cove I think.

Ah yes. Squirrel Cove . . . Canada . . . I remember it well! . . . or do I?
Could you tell us in which part of the 9,984,670 sq km of Canada (Wiki) would that particular Squirrel Cove might be located? Any guesses? And are we both thinking of the same Squirrel Cove? How many Squirrel coves do you suppose there might be in Canada? . . . LOL