Provisioning

Given that I can’t tell a sheet from a line, a jib from a jibe, it made sense that I was assigned Provisioning for this adventure. That means ensuring all four of us have enough sustenance to keep us going for a minimum of three weeks of open water and a week of island hopping. Or as one cook described it: “How to survive 28 days at sea without killing your crew.”

So I get to work, scanning the internet for articles on voyaging and trying to learn things like how to make eggs last without refrigeration, how much powdered milk you need for a bowl of cereal, and the best way to store flour. A spreadsheet was created, including a meal plan, an inventory and a shopping list. Creating the spreadsheet was easy: filling it in is a trifle harder. In fact, there are still gaping holes, as I have no idea if we are going to want Pasta Puttenesca in Week 3 or how many tins of mackerel David will eat in a lunch.

A Costco trip with David got the ball rolling.
(We just may have independently bought three bags of Heavenly Hunks.)

Next it is all about sorting and packing and storing. Everything I read stresses the importance of exactly how you pack and store, so I am running around like the proverbial decapitated fowl with Ziplocs and old tube socks and bayleaves. (Apparently those are key to keeping bugs out of the flour !?!)

The cardboard recycling bin is overflowing as I eliminate as much packaging as possible to prevent future trash on board (and also because cardboard can harbor bugs !?!?!).

Now that I have accounted for the pantry items, it is time to focus on the fresh food. Apparently cabbage is a great item to have on board as it lasts forever. Cole slaw, here we come.