Defining an organization and sticking to it
In a small space, organization is key. It will take time to set up and perhaps the rest of the crew will go a bit crazy during the first few weeks (or months). But in the end, you always end up finding the right organization.
The first piece of advice is to separate food that has been started from food stocks. This is the best way to avoid the dissipation of reserves.
Then you can organize by food group :
Protein and convenience foods : canned meat or fish, vegetables, soups.
Starch : Pasta, rice, quinoa, instant potatoes, stuffing, bread.
Fruits and Vegetables : canned fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, pasta sauce.
Condiments : spicy or non-spicy sauce, honey, oil, vinegar, olives.
Cakes and sweets : Chocolate, nuts, cookies, candy, seed mix, baking powder, flour, sugar.
Drinks: canned milk, tea, hot chocolate, coffee, alcohol.
Fruit and Vegetable Filet : fresh fruit and vegetables and non-refrigerated products.
Spice rack : salt, pepper, olive oil, crushed red pepper, garlic, curry, cumin.
For large supplies, it is important to keep in mind that this will affect the performance of your boat. You should do your best to store the heavy stuff at the lowest and middle of the boat
Have a stock of aluminium foil and freezer bags at your disposal
Both products are difficult to find in many foreign countries. For those who don't like to clean the gas stove, aluminium foil will be their best ally. You put aluminium foil on the gas cooker and when it is too dirty you have to change it.
Before using this brand new gas cooker, it would be a good idea to protect it with aluminum foil
Plastic freezer bags (preferably with a zip) are also worth their weight in gold and have many practical uses both in the galley and for general boat organisation. They can be used to store fresh fish for preserving or marinating, to store leftovers, or to store products that have come out of their cardboard packaging.
And they will be just as useful for toiletries, spare parts, fishing gear, batteries, deck of cards, identity papers... the list is long. Buy thick bags you can wash and reuse several times to make them last longer.
What is really indispensable??
We all have our little gadgets or equipment that we don't really need, but that we care about. Do we really have to passer?? It all depends on how often you use it or how important it is.
I've seen sailors get sweaty in front of a pressurized pump coffee maker to get 5 cl of espresso... those who hate slicing would do well to invest in a mandolin, if you fish for food, a vacuum-packing machine is a must... Me, I often leave with my pancake shaker..
Fishermen and women will benefit from having a vacuum machine to better conserve their catch
The goal is really to evaluate the things you need versus the things you think you can use... at some point... maybe in the next couple of years. Be selective, be realistic, but don't make your life miserable by denying comfort.
We invite you to enrich this dossier with your experiences. You can share your contributions through the comments at the bottom of the articles.
