First things first: it’s not so desolate. While there isn’t exactly a corner grocer in every cove, there are some great places to pick up groceries, including fresh meats, veggies and breads. The pricing may be a little higher than your regular supermarket, but hey, who cares when you’ve been living off canned beans for a week! Just remember to pack cash; most of the small island communities don’t have debit machines. And I suppose that if you were truly desperate, one of those huge American floating condo units might be able to spare a smoked oyster or two.

I should also mention right up front that I broke the cardinal rule of boating: Thou shalt not taketh too much, or your ship will not float and thou shalt endeth up bringing half of the stuff home again. How did I ever imagine that the two of us would need six cans of mushrooms, at least as many tins of meats and fish and a dozen dried soups. Considering that I had already pre-marinated meats and fish that would last us the first four days, and that we were only going to be gone max nine nights, it doesn’t take someone with a degree in hotel and restaurant management to see that we were way over the top. My only excuse was a last-minute anxiety attack and I started emptying my entire pantry into an empty Rubbermaid bin. I didn’t earn the moniker “Condiment Queen” for nothing.

But there were many things that worked well for us and Pam and I served up some fabulous meals. Lucky for you, my other nom de plume  is “Lady of Lists.” Not that kind of listing, but the making of what some might even call obsessively detailed written lists. Here are a few of my suggestions on foods to cruise with, and those better left in dry dock.

One of the surest things I learned is that out of ten people, only one or two really like blue cheese, so unless you intend to eat the entire wedge yourself, leave it behind. But definitely take along a lot of cheeses. They are a must for the cocktail hour and keep well, even after the ice has melted. Along with the cheese, we found that the packages of pumpernickel and other seeded breads that can be found in most deli sections keep well, taste great, are perfect for snacks and sandwiches and pack easily because they are so moist and dense. Forget about bringing traditional breads unless you have lots of extra storage space; they will only get scrunched. Wraps such as different flavoured tortilla shells and pita pack easily, have a variety of uses, and were used at every meal. Pickles and olives are another mainstay in our diet, and I had a lot of those on hand. Salami and the many varieties of preserved sausages available store and keep well and can be used from appetizer plate to main course. We often had such great snacks that it may have seemed unnecessary to still have dinner. But we did!             

Because all of my meats and fish had been pre-marinated and seasoned, producing dinner was a breeze. I found that the side-dishes I counted on most were the pre-packaged couscous mixes. These along with dried Oriental egg noodles only require a small amount of boiling water poured over them to prepare and did not tie up my small but efficient little butane stove. I took a five pound bag of potatoes with us and they all came back. They just take too much water and too much cooking time to be practical in our small boat. I also had a variety of canned beans (garbanzo, kidney, pinto etc.) I seasoned these with curry sauce, one of the many bottled sauces and seasonings I had packed. I would have to say that the most limiting factor in food preparation, besides lack of space, had to be amount of potable water required. While items such as drink crystals may seem like a great space-saving thing to bring alone, the reality is that they still require water to mix.