Provisioning : There and Back Again, or, how do you get the groceries onboard?

[thesaltytar]

I'm sure we've all done this.

Sometimes it feels like an epic journey worthy of those wide angle aerial shots of our stalwart ship's company trekking through the landscape with, in our case, a pet-carrier backpack (we use this for our cat when she travels with us) to go shopping.

The thought has occurred to me (not for the first time, in any event, and not limited to this topic, but that's a separate thread) maybe we're doing this wrong or perhaps there's a better way.

Don't get me wrong. I can use the exercise. I don't even mind a few mile walk after being cooped up on a boat for a couple days. It's the walk BACK when the pet-carrier backpack which, because of its hard bottom and sides, does a wonderful bang-up job of carrying all the tinned food, but it also gets rather heavy and the ballast tends to slow down my return leg journey.

What does everyone else do?

Call a taxi?

Do you take bicycles for provisioning runs?

Folding carts with big off-road wheels?

Maybe (oh, brilliant!) an electrified folding cart?

Simply plan around large re-provisions at marinas that offer courtesy vehicles (bless them, bless all of them)?

Has anyone played with motorized folding bikes or those go-fast skateboard machines (an e-motorized skate board does sound like death waiting to happen but it also sounds fun)?

[Shrew]

https://www.amazon.com/PORTAL-Collap...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

If you must be a beast of burden, it's easier to haul a cart, than it is to carry it on your back. These fold up nicely.

We've also taken courtesy cars, cabs, backpacks, hitch hiked. Also if possible, we plan provisions. We were recently someplace where the grocery store was a mile away. When we arrived in a port where the grocery store was 1 block away, we stuffed the holds with as much as we could.

[Tetepare]

Folding cart! Fits under everything in the Lazarette. There's a version that has an integrated box, which is great. Bring bungees for other stuff.

[Franziska]

We have both, a big backpack and a shopping trolley.
I am the backpack fan, he is the trolley fan.

On the beach or any uneven terrain I'm smiling at him: See [emoji4]!
On the street it's the other way around [emoji16]

We usually anchor, so normally we have a bit of both.

If we have a long way we take the bus, hitchhike for a ride or walk if neither is available.
Taxis tend to be an unnecessary expense.

The exercise of walking is good for us, just change the attitude towards it. It's your days sport, if you feel like it, row the dinghy back to the boat to complete the workout.

[Dr. D]

For use on the golf course, there are now powered bag carriers that follow the transmitter the golfer has on his or hers belt. You might have to park it outside the store while you shop; I don't think it has any avoidance sensors.

https://www.stewartgolfusa.com/colle...QaAryrEALw_wcB

[JPA Cate]

Some of our friends limit their shopping runs to what they can conveniently carry in their backpacks, and use the smallest shopping trolley in the store.

We have shopping bags, and now only carry them short distances. We have a folding dolly that collapses down fairly small that we use on long runs. We have walked to or bussed to shopping centers and bussed or taxied back to the dinghy, and thence to the boat. It is just like a laundry run or any appointment. The big boat stays somewhere safe, and we take the dinghy in. Some places, we Uber. It depends on how far. That said, we don't mind if people think we're weird, stacking our purchases on the dolly and bringing it on the bus. We know that spending the better portion of our lives on a boat is not everybody's cup of tea, nor would we want it to be.

We have a big dinghy at at 3.5 m long (almost 11.5 ft), and it will carry us and all our groceries and beverages for 2-3 weeks in one go. It might even still plane on the way back.

We do not re-pack our groceries at the store, though some do (density packing). Some people bring (if you eat cereal) a tupperware or similar plastic boat-sized container to the store, and pack the cereal into their box at the store and discard the excess cardboard at the store (cuts down on cockroach eggs coming aboard, and on waste you have to take care of). We used to spray cardboard if it were coming aboard...a good example was beer carriers in Mexico. One of our women friends made 4 white Sunbrella six-pack carriers -- a fiddly project, but provided clean, washable carriers, that silenced beer rattling, too. Places where beetles look for food in the same markets you do, you want to pay attention. One time in Queensland, saw a woman drop a whole flat of eggs, because there was a little cockie in there and it startled her. It is not only third world places where beetles happen. However, we just load their bags into our bigger bags, and carry the to the transportation, or roll them. (Note, some places your dinghy will need a stern anchor to keep it off the docks.)

When we get back to the boat, we unload the freshies first, but all the stuff goes first to the cockpit, then below. If desired, any special treatment of cardboard is done there. We've also changed our eating habits over time: we bring very little cardboard aboard, these days. Any special treatment anything needs is done before stowing.

Some towns have laundromats where you can do laundry while your partner takes the shopping list, and do both jobs in one run. If you do this, you may want a "raincoat" for your laundry. We use a giant fiberglass fabric tote bag available throughout the south Pacific for this purpose: it folds down quite small, but will carry a lot of laundry, and is okay with a little spray. We also take care to keep paper products and bread dry.

Shopping runs are best done early, before the winds get up, because of the desirability of dry goods coming aboard.

Ann

[goboatingnow]

We shop as and when we find stores ashore and markets , this might be daily or every few days. Some enjoyable hours go by at this , walking typically , pulling a fold up hand cart . I like to source fresh ingredients as regularly as possible. In more remoter areas we provision accordingly often going into a town port so as to access shops in advance of a remote area cruise. This could then involve several trips back and forth. Avoid villages with hills !

These days many supermarkets and smaller stores may even deliver or often the store owner just drives us back in his car.

[thinwater]

A cart. I've used different ones over time. Every cruiser has a cart. This one folds to the size of a briefcase, good for smaller boats.






Also suitcase/duffel with wheels. The trick is to link them like a train, as many as 3 or 4. I've done this sort of thing through immigration or agricultural inspections many times, when porters are not available. All you need is a short strap to link each one.

[Grith]

We actually drive our cruiser into the supermarket carparking lot and load the shopping trolly directly into our yacht.😂
I have posted a few times about the advantages of cruising a big trailer sailer rather than conventional yacht. Whilst the big one is no days on end of long watches and little sleep dealing with uncertain weather getting between cruising grounds another is the reprovisioning, refuelling and maintenance advantages.
Happy to sacrifice crossing oceans and a little extra room for 50knots upwind ( on trailer) and the huge choice of cruising grounds as I am happy to stay in my home country in these uncertain times.
Generally we can load enough supplies for many weeks cruising and on a trailer sailer this is often enough.🙂
PS No rowing the dingy in when you can park on the beach and step off the bow or park even side on to the shallow bank.

[Anders]

Taxi when doing the big shops from the big supermarkets.

Backpack or shopping trolley for the small shops.

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Anders

Taxi when doing the big shops from the big supermarkets.

Backpack or shopping trolley for the small shops.

Still have to get it from the taxi to the end of the dock, berth in the marina or out to your yacht by dingy!🙂

[CaptTom]

Most supermarkets and Walmarts in the US deliver now. I still like to shop I person, but was wondering if anyone has had good luck with delivery. The one time we tried ordering ahead for pick up they forgot to bring out all the frozen goods. We didn't notice until we got back to the boat and our ride left. Oops.

[Messing About]

This is sure to be another big challenge for me as a solo sailor with two medium sized dogs.
They will have to stay inside, on cabin watch, but it’s a source of worry for me in my planning stages.

The cardboard threat of bugs is a good tip, thank you.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Grith

Still have to get it from the taxi to the end of the dock, berth in the marina or out to your yacht by dingy!🙂

We don't go to marinas and when doing the big shops are usually tied up so that the taxi can drop me behind the boat. Have lots of storage and stock up on staples for months.

[thesaltytar]

Originally Posted by Grith

We actually drive our cruiser into the supermarket carparking lot and load the shopping trolly directly into our yacht.[emoji23]

I have posted a few times about the advantages of cruising a big trailer sailer rather than conventional yacht. Whilst the big one is no days on end of long watches and little sleep dealing with uncertain weather getting between cruising grounds another is the reprovisioning, refuelling and maintenance advantages.

Happy to sacrifice crossing oceans and a little extra room for 50knots upwind ( on trailer) and the huge choice of cruising grounds as I am happy to stay in my home country in these uncertain times.

Generally we can load enough supplies for many weeks cruising and on a trailer sailer this is often enough.[emoji846]

PS No rowing the dingy in when you can park on the beach and step off the bow or park even side on to the shallow bank.

Oh good grief...!

You win this round hands down.

You also made a good argument on my other thread about cruising part-time without living aboard. Just tow the boat and put her in the drink.

I think that's two-love your favor. [emoji1787]