In the July ‘09 issue of SAIL magazine, writer and experienced cruiser Jan Hein contributed a great article called, “Reef Your Bareboat Budget”. I particularly enjoyed that in addition to some nice cost-savings tips for bareboating, it addresses the topic of provisioning. While it’s comforting to show up on an unfamiliar island with your food already procured, our experience has shown that it’s a waste of money and rarely do the provisions match the eating preferences of the crew.

As Jan points out, the majority of the provisions are not really what you’ll want or need:

“We recently met a couple who, at the end of their week’s charter, were left with many unopened items like ketchup, canned vegetables, instant coffee, and sliced cheese. The only things they’d consumed were the fresh food and beer, which is all you really need for a seven-day sail.”

Further, she referenced how provisioning can end up a little bizarre. We’ve had experiences where the provisioning was excessive in some aspects and completely missing in others. Jan adds:

“… another [boat] finished up with a cooler of mismatched remains that included ten packs of hotdogs but not one bun.”

This is consistent with our experiences and had we known differently, we would have skipped the provisioning and done it all on our own. We’ve found a few things are consistent when it comes to provisioning for a bareboat charter:

• You’ll pay a lot for rather average food. On virtually every charter we’ve done, we find we get some pretty interesting products that are rather noteworthy. However, a charter base managing it’s inventory of food for provisioning needs to keep economy and stability of food in mind. The result is that you’ll get a bunch of canned products that you might not use. In my opinion, to spend money on average canned food to eat while you enjoy paradise is a bit bizarre. Unless you look at the charter like it’s camping, you’re going to imagine your the trip as an exotic experience. It seems a bit silly to me to grill frozen fish when you can have fresh lobster every night, prepared authentically, for about the same net price as the cost of provisioned goods.
• Dining out will be much more appealing than you’ll anticipate. When you have 7 days to see 5 islands, 4 snorkeling spots, do a nature hike, do some thrilling sailing, and still be arriving at the evening’s anchorage in time to get a good spot, cooking dinner in a galley 15 degrees (F) warmer than outside seems like too much work. Chances are, you’ll want to go ashore at least half the time for a nice dinner. If you’ve fully provisioned, you’ll have pressure on you to cook the dinner in the reefer or it will ultimately go to waste leaving you paying for twice the dinners you actually consume.
• DIY provisioning can be fun. Part of what makes chartering remarkable and incredibly memorable is that it’s an adventure. What makes bareboating unique is that you get to see things very few people do. This goes for shopping for your provisions too! So, running across a funky little store, isolated fruit stand, or even a bakery run out of an islander’s home, only enriches the experience. Very few of the meals I’ve had while chartering come from the provisioning (one exception: the Elvita’s hot sauce provisioned by the Moorings at the Canouan base was hot… smokin’ hot. It’s become a reference of extreme AND surprising heat for both my wife and me…). Provisioning on your own is almost certainly a guarantee of some great stories to tell.
• Decent stores for provisioning exist everywhere. In today’s world, you can find virtually anything you need, anywhere. Even obscure items can be found in many places. As Jan says though, it pays to talk to locals to get some good tips on shopping and avoid the tourist traps: “…whenever possible, gybe around the tourist traps like Tortola’s Soper’s Hole. The grocery store there contains a nice selection, but for some reason nothing has a price on it. After the clerk tallies the bill, you’ll be needing a stiff drink…”
• Don’t be scared; it’s not hard to figure it out once you arrive. In 2009, with the proliferation of great charter guides, helpful web sites and effective search engines, and the ability for goods to travel more freely and efficiently than ever, you’ll be just fine showing up without food. Charter bases are usually located in populated areas (someone has to work there, right?) so it’s not usually hard to find a nearby store for everything you need or even just the basics. As you travel the islands, you’ll also find other stores with the things you need.

The bottom line: provisioning yourself is completely possible and easy to do. Seem intimidating? Well, stay tuned for“Part 2” where I’ll share some tips on how to reduce the risk of provisioning and help you prepare for your provisioning adventure.