TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands 1st bareboat w/captain

Heading down next week. We have been to the BVI's before, this is the first time we are chartering a CAT instead of just doing day sails. Heading into STT on Thursday. Already have Kevin to pick us up and take us to the ferry terminal. Packing food? Does all food have to be vacuum sealed, or will zip locks do? We know we are bringing vacuum sealed steaks, but lunch meat? Any other suggestions as to what to pack (Using a polar bear cooler)? We have provisioned through Riteway for some food and beverages. Anything I may not be thinking of?

Probably plenty you haven't thought of, but nothing that some pocket money and wits-about-you won't cure.

Twice the ( cash) money you planned to take and half the clothes. Some small denomination bills, USD. 1's 5's 10's 20's

C&I cares not whether your cooler contains vac-sealed or ziplocked stuff. It is your stuff, not theirs.

Ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, soy sauce, duk sauce, chinese hot mustard... all individual packets saved from take out .. can be an ace in the hole in a charter galley.

Everyone does this for the first time, their first time.

They do sell food of some kind nearly every place you'll moor in the BVI. Don't tackle Benures Bay on Norman Island ( anchorage only) if you aren't provisioned.

No one can do this for you, and your paid captain will be happy to make sure you have a great time. Please try to make sure he has fun, too.

You're taking so much you should include a grill and charcoal. Spend a few $$$ there and help the economy. The few dollars you are trying to save aren't worth the effort.

Thanks

I'm curious who you chartered through and roughly how much $$?

We always take a whole beef filet with us in a Polar Bear. This last time I double wrapped it in newspaper and duct tape to keep it frozen. We had an overnight in San Juan. TSA in New Orleans decided he had to see it. So I had to spend an extra 15 minutes while he tried to unwrap it. Next time a freezer zip lock will be enough.

I sound like a broken record but it is totally beyond me to take food...we have really good markets now (not like the old days) where you can get everything you want plus stuff you cant even get or see in the US..

We've taken meat once. And that's simply because we get it from a farm and always have an abundance of it in our freezer. And the quality can't be beat either. The one time we brought it though, we had a free set of hands - unless that happens again, we won't do it again. I certainly wouldn't bother bringing anything else.

Perhaps the info is here somewhere and I have missed it, but could you list a couple of your favorite fresh seafood, beef and veg markets. Since I started coming to the BVI (93) the markets have greatly improved...no doubt. Are they like fresh markets I shop in Kentucky? Not a chance. I'm missing something in the BVI and I would like to see/shop it.

Mal, No one hears us.

Just returned from a week in which we brought nothing. Whole heartedly agree to shop local. It provides income BVI and adventure for us!! Part of traveling is experiencing the local cuisine. We find it fun to make do with what is available and this trip we had pretty much everything we wanted just a few things we couldn't find :-)

Enjoy the local food!

I'm listening....Although my post contains a certain amount of skepticism, its an honest question. If you can direct me to markets like I shop here, where I can find anything I want, I would be thrilled.
BTW, we have never found the markets so poor that we felt like bringing our own food.

Good Moon Farm is an organic local provider of great produce and fruits, and apparently other items as well. In November Aragorn said that he would be providing meat as well. Not sure if this has come to fruition or not, but you can go to their website http://goodmoonfarm.com/ and you can call direct with your questions.

We have only used the box that comes through Moorings provisioning, and have been more than delighted with the variety and quality of the contents.

We bring no food and provision ourselves for breakfast and lunch with dinners mostly on shore.

Our first and second trips we provisioned 100% before the trip and had it delivered to the boat. The first trip it was our "insurance policy" since we had no ide what to expect. The second trip we wasted so much and gave it to boats on their way out.

Our third and fourth trips, we learned.

Arrived with a small bag with clothes, swimsuits and toiletries to make it through our trips. What a wonderful way to go! So liberating.

Bought what was available at the local markets to make it a few days and made it part of the trip. There's always neat stuff to try.

We've shopped at the following markets over the years:
Bobby's for full provisions delivered to the boat
Rite Way in Sopers Hole - great market with a nice deli upstairs
Bobby's in Cane Garden Bay
The market on Jost at the other end of the road from Foxys
Leverick marina market
Bitter End market for yummy pastries

We always catch the infection that draws us to shore to eat the yummy local food. We don't feel the guilt of having food waste on the boat. Pizza at Quitos, appetizers at Saba, pizza again at Bitter End Pub, breakfast buffet at Bitter End, Corsairs on Jost, there are just so many great places!

It's vacation and we just aren't bothered anymore with the stress of food. People in BVI eat too and we just do what they do.

Enjoy! We always do!

I agree with annoddddd. The rite way market in road town is akin to stateside grocery chains. Breakfast.. Munchies.. Dinner on shore.. What a life.. Have a great trip.. Drink enough rum and it doesn't matter what or where you eat!!!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

You guys are heard. While we have never actually brought any food down with us, there was a time I was considering it might be a good idea. Between the hassle of packing and lugging the extra weight around, the risk of having it go bad in transit and simply the desire to participate in the local economy, I just don't see the point any longer. I definitely see it for some of those who do, particularly the families who prepare things in advance to make cooking on the boat easier, I don't have any problem with those who do choose to travel with food. But, Malcolm, your points have been and are heard and registered, at least by some...

I think bareboat means no hired crew/captain. Caribbean Cellars has all you really need... it will shock you at the amount of people that eat all their meals aboard these days... even dingy ashore with a cooler!

I like Annods observation that people seem to be eating down there so follow suit and you will be fine!

If someone in my crew feels the need to fly some vacuum sealed choice steak down... by all means, go for it... I will just be pulling my little carry on.

Thanks for the info TrueBlue.

I searched Manpot's post's for "Market" over the last two years and I was able to find a post favorably mentioning Harbour Market. I haven't been there, so we'll give that a try. Thanks for the info.
We provision all our large, heavy items via Riteway delivery, then go to the Riteway and look for the freshest available. We have always been happy with that process....never brought any food to the BVI. We eat most dinner ashore too. What the markets that I have visited lack, is fresh fish and beef for the most part. What I was questioning, is the broad sweeping statement that I can get anything I want at the markets I have visited. That is simply not my experience.

Last July Aragorn stopped by the boat while the 7 of us were moored at Marina Cay. We were grilling some very nice Wholefood's Tuscan sausage that we schlepped all the way down from Virginia. Aragorn told the guy with him to check out that sausage! Apparently that gentleman is a butcher of sorts and they said he would be offering a variety of organic meats in the future including his great sausage....any updates on that? The Good Moon organic produce and fruits we bought were great! The girls also loved his clothing. I would consider buying meat from them if/when they offer it.

The OP is already in the BVI and I'd be curious to find out how their pre-planning turned out. When we travel in a large group as we did on that trip we always pack 50lbs of our preferred meat in a Polar Bear cooler and I carry it with a smile on my face!, it's actually for convenience and not cost savings! This helps us plan a few dinners out in advance and it's already frozen when we get on the boat. For large groups like ours I will not pre-order meat from anywhere and I personally don't want to spend time in Riteway or wherever picking through the meat section, especially when cooking for 7-8. We do pre-order all of our dry goods, drinks, things like eggs, lunch meat, bread fruit etc and have it delivered to the boat, to us that's more convenient than going shopping ourselves. It's all about convenience for us, if you like going to the store your first day to pick things up, great! If you think people like us are hurting the VI economy by bringing in some sausage I would love, actually I'd cringe, to show you what we've spent in the islands over the 30+ years.

That's my opinion on traveling with a large group! now if someone were to ask me how I would travel with just my family of 3, probably carry on only and no cooler! My wife and I just did that in St Martin, much easier to go with the flow when just a couple of us!

I would love some examples of things I can get in the BVI that I can't get or see in the U.S.A. It would help me know what to look for!

At Harbour Market they have a lot of Thai and Indian sauces and condiments..lots of British stuff..real Heinz BeanZ..Branston pickle..terrific pickled onions..sometimes real Heinz Salad Cream which is nothing like Mayonaise!Add the selection of cheeses etc at the deli and you can make some killer snacks and sandwiches..oh and real British bangers ( sausages)..steak and kidney pies, chicken pies and Cornish pasties all down on the ground floor with the frozen meats opposite the wine.Ask Nick and Monzi how good they are!!

Manpot, we have got to meet up next time! I'll bring you excellent home made chutney. It's taken me years to wean my husband off Branston, which I hate, but now he far prefers mine. Go see Nick to check out my homemade Raspberry jam with my own home grown raspberries. Unfortunately I haven't worked out a way to bring him him the clotted cream or scones to go with it! Working on that.

Love it!!..I'm a big chutney fan..with my Indian..with a nice sharp cheese..Boxing Day in London used to be cold turkey and mango chutney sandwiches..deeelish!!

Just make sure you're about for our next trip!

There is a very nice woman Jill on St John that makes chutney and hot sauces called blind betty's, have you tried this? Is it in the BVI? We have it shipped to us in Virginia, great stuff!

Nope but will have to try..we are back on Tortola May 18th til Aug 15th..chutney, cheese , pies and beer party???

Trying to work an August trip in, I'll bring BEER and chutney! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Terrific..we already have one beach party planned for our neighbour's birthday..great excuse to dig a firepit and watch the sun set!!

So we are hear after a one day delay due to air travel issues. Voyage, Riteway, and the paddle board rental company were great. They all just pushed our trip 1 day, no additional charged.

As for provisioning. Looks like we overprovisioned a bit, but not too bad. We did bring a cooler with some lunch meat, burgers, and steaks to grill out if/when we choose. Everything else was provisioned, delivered, and stocked by Riteway, added bonus since it was a smaller order.

By doing so we 'gained' a day on the water. We did a sleep a board, met with our captain about 8, and we were out of the marina by 9 on our way to Cooper for the day. Got a great mooring ball at Cooper, has lunch and drinks on the boat, then a great dinner and drinks from the rum bar.

All in all, I would probably do the same thing, just bring a little less meat. My wife has gluten allergies so it is helpful to be able to carry things like gulten free bread and such to make her trip easier. Sitting at Saba tonight and had a wonderful dinner there, and off to Anegada tomorrow. Looking forward to some of the local places there.

Thanks for the update, glad you are enjoying your trip!!

Make sure you check out " The Wonky Dog" on Anegada...