Bahamas Provisioning

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

Box wine stores easily however be aware of the "Use by" dates. Some have "Born on" and you should get a max of 4 months. We lost 27 liters last year as it had turned. It was a sad day pouring it overboard.

+1 on "Use By" dates. Also be mindful of the temperature that the wine is stored at.. We ended up with half a supply of wine vinegar once because the weather turned too hot. Try to store it in the bilge in plastic containers (to prevent chafing) as one of the earlier posters suggested.

[Amapola]

I'm a new member and can't PM yet. Please send me your provisioning spreadsheet.

[nautical62]

Food costs more, but think even more about boat parts.

You may pay 30% more for a bag of rice, but trying get the right impeller or fuel filter can really put a damper on things.

[chuckr]

antares -- why did you pour it overboard -- we bought 27 5 liter boxes (in sc) in oct and head to west coast of fla in jan and then down to mexico, belize, guatemala, bay islands, around to panama and finally colombia - ran out in the san blas in july - it was ok - not as crisp as when new but very drinkable
thow good wine away - how goosh

chuck patty and svsoulmates
cartagena colombia

[S/V Antares]

Chuck & Patty... We are talking serious vinegar here. Not drinakable, not even in a bad alley and a paper bag.
Katiusha ... absolutly... I think it was temperature under the quarterberth but it was the only space left!

The good news? It was my wife's .. I am a rummy and it appears to get better.

[sarafina]

This link might be helpful in determining what is worth bringing and what you can get there...

Bobby's Market Place, British Virgin Islands - Supermarket, Villa and Yacht Provisioning Specialists

[martinjrichter]

What do you do about meat and poultry, buy locally or buy at home and freeze?

[chuckr]

will/muffin -- that is too bad - we kept ours in our rear gargage --(the rear berth) on top of the bunk so it had air circulation

and yes rum is much better by far

and for those going to the bahamas if you do not take it you will not eat it (in general) unless you park in georgetown or naussa for a long time

chuck patty and svsoulmates
cartagena colombia

[fla.sailor]

We did a 3 month trip last spring around the out islands and ran out of diet pepsi. If you prefer pepsi products, bring 'em, we only found coke products. A lot more expen$ive and you have to haul it home. Ditto on beer.

On the other hand.... the cuban 7 old rum was outstanding!!

CHeeRS!
-dennis

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by martinjrichter

What do you do about meat and poultry, buy locally or buy at home and freeze?

Generally meat in the Bahamas is expensive and the quality not the best. Also the butchering is different from what we are used to. The cuts might look a bit strange.

We freeze and take as much meat as possible. If you're doing the Exumas meat is available in Nassau and Georgetown. Chicken and pork is more plentiful than beef. If you have a big budget you can get lamb crown roasts and vacuum packed steaks. The price is shocking but it's all imported and there is no income tax in the Bahamas so revenue is from tariffs and duty.


Best advice is to take as much meat as possible.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

Box wine stores easily however be aware of the "Use by" dates. Some have "Born on" and you should get a max of 4 months...

The flavour and chemical composition of white wine changed within six months of being sealed in plastic bottles and bag-in-box packaging, researchers from the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ISVV), in Bordeaux, reported.

Here ➥ http://pieweb.plasteurope.com/members/pdf/p216267b.PDF

Notwithstanding, I've never been able to keep a bag of wine in storage as long as six months. "Someone" keeps drinking it.

[Amapola]

I buy meat at home and freeze it. I have room for a small freezer on board. I also use a SodaStream for soft drinks.

[Entlie]

We supplement our meat with fish and the occasional lobster in season. I don't fish on the banks because about all you catch is spanish mackerel and barracuda, and while spanish mackerel makes an ok curry, it's not our favorite. However, in the deeper waters we always have a line or two out. And if you don't like to fish, you can buy it. Not in a supermarket, but there are some good places. A good one on Long Island, and a nice fish shop in Spanish Wells, as well as buy from a fishing boat if you see one coming in. Last cruise I bought the back half of a good sized wahoo from a fisherman, filleted it out, froze it, and we had several delicious wahoo dinners. If you haven't gone to the Bahamas before, be sure to ask when clearing in to add fishing to your cruising permit. That way you will be legal.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by capngeo

. . . I will heat a block of paraffin wax in a big kettle of water until it melts. Take the labels off the cans, mark the contents and date with magic marker, dip can in kettle until submerged. Pull it right out and it will be perfectly coated with a thin layer of wax. No more rusty can goods, even when bilge stored!

That sounds like a fine system for really long term storage of canned goods. But I have never had a can rust in less than one year and usually get two to three years before rust shows up.
- - What I do is take a piece of "Dri-dek" material and line the floor of the storage compartment with it. This raises the cans, etc. up off the floor and allows air to circulate and any leakage water to pass under but not touch the cans themselves.
- - The "Dri-dek" material also works well to line the bottom/floors of lockers/places where you keep books and other stuff that might suck up moisture from being in contact with a "floor." They are $6.79 at West Marine but you can get them for $3 at Home Depot (called Top-Deck deck tiles).

[pft46]

Where can I find a list of vegetables and fruit typically grown and sold on the islands? For example, should I provision with fresh squeezed lime juice in my freezer?
why is it so difficult to find the actual prices of Bahamian produce? With the internet, it seems possible..... but have had no success in searches.

Florida produce is three times more expensive than in Texas, so it is difficult to relate what "3 times more than US prices" may be.



thanks