Provisioning is one of the most important parts of preparing for an offshore passage. Get it right, and life at sea is smoother, tastier, and less stressful. Get it wrong, and you might end up living off plain rice or staring at a locker full of cans you never want to eat again…

My very first time out of the marina on our catamaran was a 10 day passage from Gibraltar to Italy, making it a bit of a baptism by fire when it came to provisioning. My crew mate’s last sail had been a mammoth passage from South Africa to Gibraltar, which was largely fueled by canned food, fish and Red Bull, so I knew I wanted to make this trip tasty and comfortable for all of us. It was a challenge, and while it was largely a success, there were still things I learned from the experience.

Since that first trip we’ve done several offshore passages, and in that time it’s become abundantly clear that provisioning isn’t just about food. Crew morale and comfort, enhancing safety, increasing efficiency, managing waste and keeping your boat free from pests are all part of it. Taking all the different aspects of provisioning into account, here’s 12 tips for provisioning for your next offshore passage.

1. Start with a meal plan

I find the best way to plan is to think about real meals instead of just lists of ingredients. Write out meals for the entire passage, thinking about how often you want repeats, what can be batch cooked in advance, what’s easy to cook underway, and what you’re able to feasibly store in the fridge and freezer. Include options for different sea states; for example non-cooked or microwavable meals for rough days, and proper cooked dinners for calmer evenings.

For our passages I plan two meals a day, with communal and individual snacks. All main meals are sized to ensure there’s leftovers, so that there’s always something ready to go if someone needs something substantial right now.

2. Provision for longer than you think

Things almost never go to plan on sailboat, and that can be doubly true offshore. There’s the potential for weather and mechanical problems to extend your passage, so to be on the safe side it’s a good idea to add an extra 30–40% provisions to your plan.

My extra stock focuses mostly on staples with a long shelf life that I know can be turned into a meal. For example:

– Rice + curry paste sachet + powdered coconut milk can be turned into a curry that’s matched with fresh fish, frozen protein, or canned/frozen/dehydrated vegetables.

– Canned tomatoes + dried herbs + pasta can be turned into a simple sugo al pomodoro pasta, which can then be transformed into other meals by adding ingredients like long life cream and vodka, lemon juice and fresh fish, frozen beef or chicken, Italian sausage or chorizo, or white beans (cannellini beans) and kalamata olives.

Whatever you choose to pack your provisions out, try to keep it versatile, with a clear idea of how to use what you’ve got to make something easy that your crew will enjoy.

3. Cook ahead, before departure

Batch cooking before departure saves you time, energy, and propane/electricity down the road. Our preference for this is curries, stews, lasagna, and pasta sauces, as they freeze well, can be reheated in one pot and are easy to do in a pressure cooker or slow cooker, especially when you have access to shore power before you go.

I store ours in zip-loc bags to save freezer space (IKEA’s are the best), clearly labelled with the meal name. We usually cook whatever goes with it – rice, pasta, dehydrated potato etc – out on the water, as these are shelf stable so it saves on freezer room.

Before passage I usually sort the freezer, so that each day you can just go in, grab what’s on top, and it won’t be the same as the day before. If you want to take it a step further, you could also pack “day bags” with all the dry goods needed for that day’s meals and snacks. That way, you or the crew can grab one bag and know everything’s covered without rummaging through lockers.

4. Move from fresh to frozen to dry

Aim to organize food storage and the menu so that fresh items are eaten first. Harder vegetables like carrots, cabbages, and squash last longest, while delicate ones like lettuce, cucumbers, and berries should be used in the first few days. Transition into frozen meats and meals, then into canned goods and dried staples later in the passage. This approach ensures variety throughout the trip and avoids spoilage.

5. Repackage everything

Before heading out we repackage almost everything. Retail packaging often takes up more space, and by getting rid of it you can fit more in, cut down on the amount of trash generated during the passage, and remove the risk of pests getting aboard.

It’s best to transfer food into airtight containers or resealable bags, vacuum-sealing if possible. Cans lose labels quickly in damp lockers, not to mention they sometimes harbor pests, so strip them off and write the contents and expiry date directly on the tin with a permanent marker. Repackaging also helps you portion bulk buys into more manageable, ready-to-use sizes.

6. Don’t forget the snacks

During passage, snacks can boost morale and energy. On our boat we buy some communal snacks, but it’s largely individual snack stashes that suit the tastes and preferences of each person. For example, Tye eats a lot of trail mix and oats on passages, while Trent prefers chocolate and chips. I find popcorn and butterscotch help sooth my stomach, and homemade jerky is a personal favourite.

7. Keep drinks interesting

Water can get boring after a while, so having a variety of drinks aboard can also make the trip more enjoyable.

Again, this is an area where we have individual stashes that suit our tastes. Tye and Trent both drink coffee while underway, while I avoid it. Tye likes powdered cordial mixers like Tang. Trent prefers fruit juice and ginger beer, and I like lemon squash and hydration tablets. We also pack communal soft drink stashes, particularly Coke, choosing cans over plastic bottles since they’re crushable.

8. Pack for rough weather

When sea sickness rears its ugly head, simple foods become essential. Think things like instant noodles, mashed potatoes, yogurt, crackers, ginger chews, or plain rice and plain pasta.

9. Supplement with fresh fish

Some of the best fish we’ve had on the boat were caught trawling during a passage! Since fishing is not a guaranteed food sauce, you want to plan for it as a bonus, rather than an essential. Think about having shelf stable ingredients like fish seasoning, soy sauce, sesame oil, wasabi, minced garlic, oil, panko crumbs and flour aboard, that can turn raw fish into delicious meals. Any excess fillets can then be stored in the fridge or vacuum-sealed and frozen.

10. Plan for trash

Think ahead about how you’ll handle waste. Strategies can include rinsing cans and crushing them flat, compressing soft plastics, cutting hard plastic into smaller pieces and separating biodegradable from non-biodegradable trash. Store garbage in airtight bins or double bag them until you reach shore. This is also where getting rid of as much packaging as you can before setting sail comes in handy.

11. Think beyond food

Provisioning isn’t just about meals; it’s about all consumables. Stock plenty of household basics like toilet paper, dish soap, garbage bags, zip-loc bags, paper towels, tissues, cling-wrap, aluminum foil, and sponges. Don’t forget medical essentials like seasickness tablets, painkillers, your offshore medical kit and prescription medications, as well as personal hygiene products like toothpaste, deodorant, hair care and sanitary products. Offshore, these essentials are harder to improvise than meals, and when they run out, that can be it.

12. Water and backup plans

Water is your single most important provision for an offshore passage. At the basic level, you want to calculate at least 3 liters per person per day for drinking, plus extra for cooking.

If you have a watermaker, carry backup filters and spare parts, and still consider loading extra jerrycans in case of failure. For very long, remote passages, some people also carry a portable watermaker as a backup, like the Rainman Portable Watermaker.

To prepare for the absolute worst, think about how you could rig a rainwater catchment system using your bimini or mainsail, or desalinate sea water through evaporation. Also, consider water purification tablets like Aquatabs, in case the water tanks become bio-contaminated while underway.

Plan for Provisions = Plan for Success

No one ever finishes a passage with every meal eaten exactly as planned. But if you provision with thought and organization, planning for flexibility and a few backups, you’re putting yourself in the best position to finish the journey with a well-fed, happy crew, who are looking forward to what the next part of your sailing adventure will bring.

Got a tip, trick or hack that you’ve worked out for passage? Share it in the comments and help build a wealth of knowledge to help your fellow cruisers out!