Provisioning Cost

In our previous post we looked at all those items we purchased beyond the large systems we had installed at the boat yard. In this post we look at how we provisioned for our first season.

Provisioning is a term the cool kids like to use to describe the process of buying consumables for a pending journey aboard a boat. Typically people will refer to food and drink, but you can also consider cleaning supplies, paper towel, toilet paper, etc.

Provisioning is at times both a rewarding and frustrating activity. You will likely enjoy the fact that you’re getting ready to head off on a long-planned adventure and you are visualizing how or when you will be using these items that you’re buying. At the same time though, you may also dread the amount of money you’re spending or don’t have easy access to a store that will provide you with all you need.

In our case, we slowly accumulated things over a protracted period of time in the four main areas where the boat sat, with a few big grocery purchases right before we left Florida. After taking possession of the boat in Key Largo, we started to buy household supplies, but not really any long term planning for food. It was really just cleaning tools and products. While in Harbor Towne Marina, we bought a few more items, and started to accumulate some dry and canned goods. Once we moved up to The Lake Worth Lagoon, we made our biggest purchases of food as that was out last chance to provision before crossing to The Bahamas. We had previously posted about it here. After we crossed, we did continue to buy fresh food items from time to time as we wandered ashore.

The stores we shopped at while in Florida were Costco, Publix and Winn Dixie based on their proximity to us and whether we had access to a car. The bulk coming from Costco (see what I did there).

Here’s the big list right from our spreadsheet, separated into both “food” items and “provisioning” items. We consider “food” items to be those things we would have even if we never left the dock, and “provisioning” those items we bought specifically because we were heading to The Bahamas for 5 months (or more). And yes, we categorized booze as a “food item”.

Quantity Unit Item Location Category
1 2% Milk 2L Fridge Food
1 Bag Almonds Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
1 Baking powder – 12 oz Galley high cabinet Food
1 Baking soda – sm 8 oz Galley high cabinet Food
1 bottle Barbancourt Rum 1 L Storage bench under galley table Food
1 Basmati rice 2 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
Bell Peppers x 2 Fridge Food
1 bottle Bertolli Balsamic Vinegar Galley shelf Food
1 box Butter Fridge Food
1 Canola oil 1.4 L Galley under high cabinet Food
Carrots Fridge Food
1 jar chicken bouillion Fwd cabin wall pantry Food
1 box chicken broth 32 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Food
1 jar Chunky salsa Fwd cabin wall pantry Food
1 box Corn flakes Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
1 Couscous 1 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
3 Cream cheese Fridge Food
Deli ham Fridge Food
Deli sausage slices Fridge Food
1 Demerara cane sugar 2 lb Galley under high cabinet Food
Eggs 18 Fridge Food
1 Flour Bin – 2 lbs Galley high cabinet Food
1 Folgers coffee 1 1/2 lb Galley under high cabinet Food
Garlic Fridge Food
3 Garlic bulbs Galley shelf Food
1 bottle Gin 1.75 L Storage bench under galley table Food
Ginger minced Fridge Food
Half & Half cream 1L Fridge Food
Hoisin sauce (for lettuce wraps) Fridge Food
1 Honey 12 oz Galley shelf Food
Hummous Fridge Food
1 bottle Irish cream liquor 1.75L Storage bench under galley table Food
Jam Fridge Food
1 bottle Johnny Walker Storage bench under galley table Food
2 Box Kashi granola bars – honey almond Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
1 Box Kashi granola bars – ripe strawberry Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
Ketchup Fridge Food
Kirkland Cheese slices 1lb Fridge Food
4 Maruchan terriyaki bowl Fwd cabin wall pantry Food
Mayo Fridge Food
1 Box Multigrain crackers 2x 14oz bags Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
Mustard Fridge Food
1 Bag Nacho chip Kirkland Original Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
1 Bag Nacho chip Sea Salt multigrain Galley fwd cupboard – lower shelf Food
Newmans Balsamic salad dressing Fridge Food
1 Olive oil 2 L Galley under high cabinet Food
Onion Fridge Food
Parmesan grated cheese 1 lb Fridge Food
1 Pasta Angel hair Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
1 Pasta Barilla Rotini 1 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
2 Pasta Kraft macaroni & cheese Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
1 can Peas 15 oz Floorhold Galley Aft Food
1 Quick oatmeal 18 oz Galley high cabinet Food
1 Quinoa 12 oz Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Food
2 Salad bags Fridge Food
1 bottle Spiced Rum 1.75 L Storage bench under galley table Food
1 spices – Badia red pepper flakes lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – Badia Sazon with saffron lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
2 spices – basil bottle and lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
2 spices – bay leaves sm bag Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – cajun seasoning bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – chilli powder lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – cilantro sm bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – cinnamon lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
2 spices – cloves sm bag Galley high cabinet Food
2 spices – cumin bottle and sm bag Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – mint sm bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – nutmeg sm bottle Galley high cabinet Food
2 spices – oregano bottle and lg bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – pepper grinder Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – red curry sm bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – salt grinder Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – sea salt 4.4 oz Galley high cabinet Food
1 spices – thyme sm bottle Galley high cabinet Food
1 Tabasco sauce Galley high cabinet Food
13 bottles Wine Galley Storage bench Food
2 Alluminum foil  – Reynolds foodservice single sheets Galley top of microwave Provisioning
36 Applesauce – snack size Forward cabin Provisioning
1 box Baking Soda – 1lb Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
2 Basmati rice 5 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Provisioning
1 case Beer Blue Moon 12 cans Forward head Provisioning
2 case Beer Budweiser 24 cans Forward head Provisioning
1 case Beer Corona 12 cans Forward head Provisioning
1 case Beer Kalik 24 cans Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
1 case Beer Rolling Rock 18 cans Forward head Provisioning
2 case Beer Stella Artois 12 cans Forward head Provisioning
1 bottle Bertolli Balsamic Vinegar Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
10 cans black beans Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
8 cans black beans Forward cabin Provisioning
1 bag Blueberries – 1 lb Freezer Provisioning
6 Boars Head salami & pepperoni Floorhold Galley aft Provisioning
2 box Butter Freezer Provisioning
2 Canadian bacon Freezer Provisioning
2 bags Cashew clusters Kirkland Forward cabin Provisioning
3 Cheese – boursin deli cheese Freezer Provisioning
1 Cheese – sharp cheddar 2 lb Freezer Provisioning
2 bag Cheese – shredded cheddar 1 lb bags Freezer Provisioning
1 Cheese slices – variety pack Fridge Provisioning
3 can chick peas Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
29 Chicken breasts Freezer Provisioning
3 bottle Chlorox wipes 3x 35/bottle Forward cabin Provisioning
3 can coconut milk Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
13 cans Corn niblets Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
6 can Cream of coconut Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
1 can Crisco shortening Galley high cabinet Provisioning
3 Deli ham Freezer Provisioning
2 Deli ham Freezer Provisioning
11 can Diced tomatos Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
1 Box Fig bars – 6 boxes x6 bars CostCo Forward cabin Provisioning
9 Fleishmann’s yeast pack Galley high cabinet Provisioning
13 can Green beans 15 oz Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
4 packs Gum 60 pieces /pack Junk cupboard Provisioning
10 Hamburger patties Freezer Provisioning
2 bottle Honey 12 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
2 jar Jam Floorhold Galley aft Provisioning
4 box Kashi granola bars 6/box Forward cabin Provisioning
2 can Kidney beans Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
200 Kitchen garbage bags 2 x100 per roll Fwd cabin Provisioning
1 tetrapak Mango juice Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
21 Mixed nuts – snack size Forward cabin Provisioning
1 bag Muffin mix – cornmeal Galley high cabinet Provisioning
1 Box Multigrain crackers 2x 14oz bags Forward cabin Provisioning
1 box Multigrain crackers 2x 14oz bags Forward cabin Provisioning
1 pack Naan bread – 4 slices Freezer Provisioning
5 bottle Newmans Balsamic salad dressing Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
1 bottle Newmans Zesty Italian salad dressing Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
1 Olive oil 2 L Forward head Provisioning
1 bottle Palmolive ultra dishsoap 1 L Forward cabin Provisioning
24 rolls Paper towel Forward cabin Provisioning
3 tetrapak Parmalat whole milk Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
4 box Pasta – spaghetti Forward cabin Provisioning
1 bag Pasta – tortellini Forward cabin Provisioning
6 bottle Pasta sauce Tomato & Basil Forward cabin Provisioning
2 Pasta Thin spaghetti no.11 Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Provisioning
6 bag Pasta variety penne, rotini CostCo Galley floorhold aft Provisioning
2 jar Peanut butter – Kirkland Forward cabin Provisioning
2 tetrapak Pineapple juice Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
2 bottle Popcorn 30 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
2 Pork tenderloins Freezer Provisioning
36 Pringles variety packs – plain, cheese, sour cream Forward cabin Provisioning
1 box Pumpkin seed and flax granola – 2 lb Forward cabin Provisioning
1 bag Pumpkin seeds – 24 oz Forward cabin Provisioning
1 Quinoa 4.5 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Provisioning
2 Raw cane sugar 3 lb Galley fwd cupboard – top shelf Provisioning
4 bottle Real Lemon 8 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
4 bottle Real Lime 8 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
120 Red solo cups Bin 14 – port forepeak Provisioning
6 bottles Wine Desk storage bench Provisioning
18 Ritz cracker individual packs of 13.65 oz Forward cabin Provisioning
12 packs RV Toilet paper 4/pack – 48 rolls Forward cabin Provisioning
2 Saran wrap – Kirkland 750′ Forward head Provisioning
3 Seasalt multigrain tortilla chips – 1.75 lb bags Forward cabin wall shelf Provisioning
3 pack Sharp cheedar cheese (2 lb block divided into 3 portions) Freezer Provisioning
1 bag shredded coconut Floorhold Galley aft Provisioning
30 Snacking nuts – peanuts, almonds, cashews Forward cabin Provisioning
2 case Soda Pop Coke 12 cans Floorhold Galley Forward Provisioning
1 case Soda Pop Fanta 12 cans Forward head Provisioning
1 case Soda Pop Sprite 12 cans Forward head Provisioning
6 tetrapak Soup – roasted red pepper and tomato Forward head Provisioning
1 bottle Spices – taco seasoning Galley high cabinet Provisioning
40 bottle Spring water Aft cabin bedfoot shelf Provisioning
1 bottle Tabasco sauce 5 oz Fwd cabin wall pantry Provisioning
3 box Tetley tea 80/box Floorhold Galley aft Provisioning
2 can tomato paste Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
3 can tomato sauce 8 oz Galley floorhold aft Provisioning
2 Tortilla chips – 2.5 lb bags Forward cabin wall shelf Provisioning
20 Tortilla wraps Freezer Provisioning
1 pack Tortillas – 18 Freezer Provisioning
1 bag Whole wheat flour – 1 lb Galley high cabinet Provisioning
12 bottle Wine Stbd cabin aft floorhold Provisioning
1 bag Yellow corn meal Floorhold Galley Aft Provisioning
60 Ziplock sliders – gallon size Forward cabin Provisioning
80 Ziplock sliders – quart size Forward cabin Provisioning
1 Box ZipLocks – gallon x52 Forward cabin Provisioning
1 Box ZipLocks – quart x50 Forward cabin Provisioning
1 Box ZipLocks – sandwich x125 Forward cabin Provisioning
1 Box Ziplocks – snack x120 Forward cabin Provisioning

The cost for all those items we called provisions, comes in at approximately $2200. Overall I think we did a fairly good job for our first time out, but since we are still eating some of the canned food we bought for this trip, there are likely some lessons learned for our next time. One of the interesting things we realized is that we bought the wrong kind of alcoholic drinks.

We grabbed one bottle of all the primary alcohol types in “Costco size” amounts so they would last as long as possible. When we got back, the big bottle of Jack Daniels was about half gone; the bottle of “Vodka” brand vodka that we used as fish killer and a few times in drinks was about a 1/3 gone (If we had caught more than one fish we would have used more!); the gin wasn’t touched; and the spiced rum was gone early on after a night of Pain Killers with friends. John gave all the remaining liquor to the guys at Just Catamarans who were fixing our lightning damage before we headed back to Canada with our boat gear.

We grabbed as much beer as we thought we needed before heading over, as we knew it would be much more expensive in The Bahamas. We bought 138 beer in Florida, which should have easily lasted us, and the occasional guest, for 5 months or more based on our normal consumption, which tended towards wine. We drank 1-3 bottles of wine per week, so not planning to ever be drunk while on anchor (and we never drank underway), we ended up with 31 bottles of wine which would work out to about 1.5 bottles per week.  What we didn’t count on was that our tendency to drink more wine than beer at home wouldn’t continue while living aboard in a tropical climate.

It turned out that at the end of a hot sweaty day, the last thing either one of us wanted was a glass of red wine. We naturally gravitated towards a beer instead. We had all the water we needed, and kept refilling bottles to keep cold in our Dometic Cooler, but we continued to go through a surprising amount of beer. By mid-January, John announced that we were on our last 2 cases of beer! I think we ended up buying beer twice in The Bahamas. Once at $50 for 24, and once for $60 for 24 but I can’t say for sure.

In order to plan for the amount to buy for 5+ months, I thought about rotating meal plans based on chicken, beef, pork, fish, Italian, Mexican foods with side dishes or salads that we would typically eat in a week. I then added other grains, veggies and fruits as well as enough other items for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

We were fortunate that our catamaran had tons of extra space for storage so that’s part of why we took advantage of stocking up before we left. We bought way more of some things than we needed, but you can never have too many paper towels or Ziploc baggies, especially at Costco prices. Also if you’re partial to a particular tea or coffee brand, it’s best to buy before crossing. Meats, cheeses, crackers, chips or anything that is convenient in bulk, although it helps to have crackers & chips in smaller package sizes so they don’t go stale too quickly in the humidity.

Even though we visited some islands in the Bahamas that had no grocery stores, we were never short on yummy things to eat. Most small grocery stores on remote islands offered a few staples such as eggs, milk, onions, spices and some fruit if you knew when the mail boat arrived with supplies. Along the way, we also found some decent cheese at stores in Spanish Wells and Rock Sound and I learned that cheddar freezes quite well. I wrote about a few other storage tips in another article if you want to check it out.

In our previous post we were tracking our expenses as they ate into our rule-of-thumb for planning for an additional cost of 20% beyond the price of the boat. We were up to 17% before we considered provisions. It is debatable whether we should include provisioning expenses along the same lines, since we would have to eat regardless of where we were. However, since we like to be very conservative in our planning, we’ll include those cost within our tracking process here. With the addition of $2200, we’re now up to $80,700, which is 17.7% of our original purchase cost.

In the next post we’ll look at the proceeds from selling our boat.

Purchases Beyond Boat Yard Work
Proceeds from Selling our Boat

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