Fundamental Food/Provisions?

[swillmerchant]

What are the fundamental food/provisions that you absolutely must have aboard your tug? Are there any snacks, beverages, or other things that you would recommend for weekend trips or even just socializing at the dock/mooring/hook? We've only had our tug a little over a month now, and I'm still forming my list, but I'm curious to see what other more experienced Tugnutters have on their provisions list. My wife and I will be going on our first overnight trip away from the mooring later this summer, and I need to put together a shopping list.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wolf Pack]

Wolf Pack started by filling the wine chiller and also made a small bar in the mid cabin in case we needed something stronger after hitting rough water..... 😎

 

[knotflying]

We keep our boat stocked with non-perishable foods and canned goods.
Single serve oatmeal packets, single coffee packets, single cereal packets, parmelete milk, canned chili, canned tuna, canned sardines, tricots, salsa, some canned vegetables, barilla single serve pasta dish, canned fruit, single apple sauce & puddings, small vinegar & oil, wild rice, Quinoa, soups, pasta, jar of tomato sauce, bottles water and some spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, oregano.
These items work for us when we want to take a quick couple of nights trip and may eat a few meals out. This way we don't have to think about what to bring.

 

[Sweet_Pea]

Congrats on the new boat! We've had Sweet Pea for about a month now, too, and are looking forward to an extended week of cruising at the end of the month. This is a useful topic. 🙂

We've been looking for a small water filter to keep on board, both to eliminate waste and have a ready drinking supply. Ideally, in a container small enough to fit on the frig door.

Brita makes a dorm frig size, but it still looks like it'd take up most of the door space. Plus the filters can get expensive.

In looking around, we found this portable filter made for outdoor enthusiasts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6m4ljLgiJI. It's rated for 1 million gallons and comes in two models depending upon whether you want to just filter out general impurities (0.10 micron) or also need to eliminate viruses (0.02 micron).

We just ordered one...haven't tried it yet, so hopefully it works as advertised. We plan to refill a couple bottles to keep in the frig.

 

[Brian B]

We've only done a few overnights in our new to us tug this season. We are still figuring out what to have onboard, every trip seems to increase the items. I bought a collapsible 5 gal water jug at Dicks Sporting goods. When full it fits in the sink while underway, then when we need it we have it on the counter. 5 gal for 2 people lasts quite a while. We also have a case or two of bottled water on the boat.
I treat the boats fresh water holding tank with an R/V product made to stabilize fresh water, I found it at Walmart.
Micro fiber bath towels are great as they dry a lot faster than cotton towels.
Don't forget about the boat itself: extra oil for the main engine and generator, antifreeze for the cooling system, spare filters, impellers, tools, etc..

 

[JamesTXSD]

Essential food/provisions: adult beverages (wife prefers wine, I like a rum/Caffeine-Free Diet Coke), the snacks you like for happy hour (cheese curds, some sort of crackers, pepperoni for us)... and then the food you enjoy on land. We also find a credit card to be a very functional tool, since we like to eat out when restaurants are available. If you are trying to cover miles, easy to prepare/eat meals are good. The Blonde cannot travel without her Keurig coffee maker (and a good selection of K-cups), I like having my SodaStream for fresh soda without hauling/disposing of bottles.

Life onboard is... life. You will eat the way you like to eat on land. We don't use much bottled water; we filter our water from the tank. We keep a Brita pitcher on the counter and also top off a small water container with a spigot... gotta have good water for her coffee maker. 😎

We particularly enjoy sunset in the cockpit, so think about the food/drinks you toast the day with. I don't mean to make this all about "happy hour," but those are the moments you'll remember the most. Have fun with the new boat and enjoy your time onboard.

A word of warning, however: we were perfectly content to go about our daily lives, working, enjoying weekends off, taking vacations, keeping up the house and yard. Then, many years ago, we bought a boat. It was the beginning of the end... who wants to do yardwork when you can be out on the water? And that work stuff? It really gets in the way of enjoying your boat time. Who needs vacations when every day is an escape on the boat?!

😉

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[swillmerchant]

Thanks for the practical and philosophical input everyone. Right now, we've got a few bottles of rum, wine, and beer, of course. For food, it's basic easy fare of pasta/sauce, Mac and Cheese (we have a 5 year old), and chips/snacks. Since we're on a mooring, provisioning is a bit more complicated than at a dock, and we are limited to non-refrigerated items unless we bring it aboard for an overnight stay.

I've used the live well on the top of the transom seat for beer, but it's not insulated at all, and the ice melts fast in this heat. I'm considering putting foam board insulation around it, and filling in the gaps with expansion foam. I'm hesitant to take that step as it's irreversible and messy. I figure that full of ice may be sufficient for a weekend aboard without the frig going. Any thoughts on doing this?

As for James' observation, I have already noticed that I'm neglecting home maintenance projects due to my obsession with the tug. Sadly, I had to spend last weekend ashore catching up on fixing the rot pockets in my 90 year old windowsills. 🙁