How Long Do You Provision For?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Benz

Though I prefer this, it also has its dangers: we had a veritable Egyptian plague of flies onboard--I'm talking thousands that hatched out all the same day--a few days after stocking up at a Honduran market on Isla del Tigre. It was pretty epic, and made us lots more cautious about what we brought aboard after. I blame the bananas....

A Potassium Permanganate solution solves that problem.. dissolve crystals in a bowl of water then wash fruit and non leaf veg in it.. leave to dry.
Its often used in fruit preservation.. my mother used to do the above with fruit when we lived in Pakistan/India.. kills off bugs and worms eggs on the surfaces

[a64pilot]

From my bomb making days as a kid, I seem to remember that Potassium permanganate with a drop or two of glycerin on it would burn when it got warm enough.
Intent was to blow up the Principles radiator, a friend blew up his school locker though before he could put it in the radiator

[savoir]

Originally Posted by boatman61

If your going to Oz be prepared for them to empty your galley.. could not believe how little they left on board by the time they'd finished.

Yeah but the customs officers annual picnic was on the next day.

[El Pinguino]

Interesting that people are talking about buying meat and then vacuum packing it themselves.

In Chile the supermercados have as much vacuum packed meat.... cow meat .... as they do fresh meat. Vacuum packed at source ... Paraguay, Australia, wherever....

In NZ I just take my list into a local butchers and ask them to v/pack and freeze it all.

That said you are not going to get fresh meat - v-packed or not - into Oz, NZ, or Chile....

But why would you want to..?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Question, how much “stuff” do you pack aboard?

For regular cruising we do what we always have done: we buy staples (flour, sugar, rice, pasta) based on the admittedly rather large containers we have. That is about three months(ish). For spices we avoid pre-mixes and are down to about 25(ish) fundamentals from which we make up our own spice mixes. Our stock turns over faster and stays fresher. The fundamentals are available about anywhere. It's much cheaper than buying mixes like taco seasoning.

We do stock up on paper goods for two reasons - in a lot of places the cost is high and the quality less than we like. The second reason is that when you get a rattle in a locker there are few better solutions than a roll of toilet paper. *grin*

Certainly stock up on the things you are fussy about. Different people are picky about different things: toothpaste, shampoo, coffee, tea, condiments, laundry detergent, etc.

Generally I'm in the "people eat everywhere" camp. On passages I am more conservative. I'll plan for 25% more than I need to skip my next intermediate stop and head on to the next. For example if I'm heading across the Atlantic from Falmouth to Azores to Bermuda to Norfolk I'll carry enough to skip Azores and go direct to Bermuda plus 25%.

If you haven't read it already I recommend Beth Leonard's Voyager's Handbook.

If you are island hopping or coastal cruising, even with 2 or 3 day hops, it is real hard to run out of food. I've seen people leave Florida for the Bahamas with a load of delivery pizza. I've also seen boats leave Hampton for the Caribbean with loads and loads of frozen TV dinners. Not my cooking style (*grin*) but it does work. Sort of.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

For regular cruising we do what we always have done: we buy staples (flour, sugar, rice, pasta) based on the admittedly rather large containers we have. That is about three months(ish). For spices we avoid pre-mixes and are down to about 25(ish) fundamentals from which we make up our own spice mixes. Our stock turns over faster and stays fresher. The fundamentals are available about anywhere. It's much cheaper than buying mixes like taco seasoning. ....

We do stock up on paper goods for two reasons - in a lot of places the cost is high and the quality less than we like. The second reason is that when you get a rattle in a locker there are few better solutions than a roll of toilet paper. *grin*

Yup, never enough toilet paper is there are women onboard and LOTS of paper towels. The paper towels could be easily replaced with washable rags but then, what would we do with the paper towel holder?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

The paper towels could be easily replaced with washable rags but then, what would we do with the paper towel holder?

We use a lot of rags and sponges but for some things the convenience of paper towels is significant.

I have seen cruisers in the Bahamas hang paper towels up to dry to get multiple uses after seeing the prices in smaller stores.

[Olddan1943]

One can provision for a year with 4 cans of SPAM.
The crackers don't last as long.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

Yup, never enough toilet paper is there are women onboard and LOTS of paper towels. The paper towels could be easily replaced with washable rags but then, what would we do with the paper towel holder?

I’m taking a couple of hundred rolls of TP, I got the ones without the tube inside as without the tube, they smash flat easily and take up lots less space.
We are now using cloth napkins and I have bought lots of painting rags and cheap wash cloths to use as washable rags, although we will take paper towels too. For me it’s the space they take up that I am trying to avoid.

[JPA Cate]

For passages, for 50% more than your reasonable expectation of the duration of the passage. Water, of course being more important than food.

All the rest depends on how much you like to try local foods, or depend on what you can bring with you, depending on space available and inclinations.

Ann

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m taking a couple of hundred rolls of TP, I got the ones without the tube inside as without the tube, they smash flat easily and take up lots less space.
.....

Are you serious on the couple of hundred or just making a statement? That many rolls should run out about the same time you need to refurbish your titanium chainplates.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

One can provision for a year with 4 cans of SPAM.
The crackers don't last as long.

I'm pretty sure that was the origin of the word " spamalot ".

[Meanderthal]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Are you serious on the couple of hundred or just making a statement? That many rolls should run out about the same time you need to refurbish your titanium chainplates.

I totally want a picture! Or measurements. How much space? What brand comes without the inner? Female here. TP goes fast with me aboard, howsoever I try to conserve.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m taking a couple of hundred rolls of TP, I got the ones without the tube inside as without the tube, they smash flat easily and take up lots less space.
We are now using cloth napkins and I have bought lots of painting rags and cheap wash cloths to use as washable rags, although we will take paper towels too. For me it’s the space they take up that I am trying to avoid.

Funny story about TP. Cruiser friend stowed a bunch in zip lock bags and put them in the bilge. During an inspection by officials, one lifted a floor board and saw lots of bags full of white stuff...he reached for his pistol...fortunately they were able to explain. 😆

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Meanderthal

I totally want a picture! Or measurements. How much space? What brand comes without the inner? Female here. TP goes fast with me aboard, howsoever I try to conserve.

If you want practical advice on provisioning in this area, stock up on baby wipes. Much more useful in an environment where water and showers can be limited.