Chartering 3 boats late Jan

At the end of January there are 18 or so of us coming in for 3 charters from Moorings base on Tortola - one cat, two monohulls. We are all members of the Twin Cities Sailing club here in Minneapolis and we do annual trips to Lake Superior. Looking forward to warmer waters so we can actually spend some time swimming!

This site is a wealth of knowledge and I've read through a lot of threads, but I'm curious about 2 things that I haven't seen a specific answer to;

1) What is your favorite provisioning place for good food? We plan cook most meals on boat and go out to dinner probably 2-3X. We are going to order the heavy / bulky stuff like water and paper towels from Moorings and have it delivered. For fresh veggies thinking Moon Farm or a box from them through Moorings - for 8 people which size would you recommend? For wine, liquor and beer thinking Caribbean Cellars, but open to other ideas...? Decent seafood?

2) Since there are almost 20 of us we plan to purchase 24 of the Binax Now test kits ($30 each) and test within 3 days of our departure. We will have Wifi on each boat so I'm thinking connections shouldn't be an issue - is that what you've experienced? If we were to do get tested locally instead is there a clinic or location that would give us a bulk discount if we went this route?

We're very excited for our first charters here - it will likely be about 10 degrees F when we leave here!

Thanks!

When I used to charter from the Moorings, we would send a contingent over to Riteway to shop for provisions. They usually have a pretty good selection and they are very close to the Moorings base.

We did the farm box for the first time this trip.... just the $40 for 2 people. My wife (who does the cooking) has been happy with it. The contents did not appear to be identified, which adds to the fun.

You can save a little by ordering four of the Binax 6 packs $150 each.

Have the Moorings provision the bulk and heavy items. Walk over to Riteway for the rest
G

We go down to BVIs frequently. We’re friends who race in Annapolis, MD. Our trips are usually 6-8 guys or 4 couples plus one or two. I’m the cook and fully organize things. I found provisioning easy and interesting. I can feed the crew excellent meals 3x daily under $20/day per head.

We have things like: DINNERS- NY strips, pork loin chops, ham steaks, tuna steaks, burgers, full turkey dinners, spaghetti, carbonara, filet mignon, beef stroganoff, ravioli, with all the go-withs fresh and frozen veggies, starches, gravies, salads, etc. BREAKFASTs- typical eggs/bacon/sausage/toast combinations, omelettes, French toast, egg sandwiches, typical cold cereals, steak (leftovers) and eggs, hash browns, fruit plates, etc. LUNCHTIME- typical sandwiches, Dagwood sandwiches, burgers. APPETIZERS- spiced shrimp, cheese/salamis/crackers, meatballs, crab dips or baked brie and french bread, etc.

I take down the expensive foods (meats) frozen and individually wrapped then in freezer ziplock bags. I cut down roasts from Costco into steaks. Precook handmade 5oz burgers on grill at home, wrap individually, and freeze. Precook full Turkey ($0.47/lb) and carved down to white & dark meat (family skill handed down they generations), slice down full hams into steaks, thin deli/sandwich slices and trimmings for breakfast egg scrambles, wrapped/bagged/frozen. Costco frozen “tail-off” shrimp (eliminate stinky seafood scraps in trash). Freeze large bricks of cheeses, even sandwich cheezes) I’ve made Krusteaz mini-muffins at home and frozen. Pre-“bake” bacon!- always comes out flat and easy to baggie and freeze. Remember, 5lbs of raw bacon = 1.25lbs cooked (less weight for other goodies). The ore-grilled burgers I mentioned above microwave nicely after thawed. Then of course there are left-overs to concoct into some interesting meal. Lol. The trick is to get a large sturdy styrofoam container with cardboard carton just under airline limit dimensions and use 4kg dry ice. I get containers from local biopharmas for free. I usually get the food and ice at just 50lbs! Goods will stay frozen nicely for up to 4-5 days if you minimize opening it. Use boat’s freezer and fridge as needed.

Do this for each vessel and you can eat like kings. I pack dries foods like noodles and rice. Consider Lipton or Knoor noodle packages, they’re easy and good! I’ll even have a few guys pack a large plastic spaghetti sauce jar or two (to spread out the weight). Everything is cheaper from home! Just be smart about to take and what to buy in the islands

LOCAL provisioning- All the fresh and frozen fruits & veggies. Don’t forget frozen onion/peppers for frying is easier than fresh. Breads, fancy and plain. Rule of thumb- 22slices of white bread in a 1lb loaf! (Yes, I count bread slices in preparation of shopping. I’m ADHD lol). Condiments. Chips. Pringles I don’t like but store easy. Bagged salads. Milk (fresh), and long-term carton milk doesn’t require immediate refrigeration. Fruit juices, water, sodas, beer, spirits.

While at Moorings, Riteway grocery store is a 7 min walk, and one taxi ride back. Don’t take too many people shopping, it can get unorganized or unruly. Throughout your sailing trip there are places for provisioning of fresh and frozen veggies, bread, eggs etc. Moorings chart briefing will inform you where is best.

And yes, we still eat out a bit, especially Foxy’s, Soggy Dollar, Saba Rock, at least. I hope this wasn’t too exhausting to read.

Charlie

And yes, I’m available to skipper and cook for anyone for modest fee. The best payment is just being in paradise with good people. 😄