Preliminary Provisioning

A provisioning list for your sailing trip is fundamental. Unless you have booked a hostess, you will need a mission to the supermarket at the base marina before you sail to stock up for your trip. It is worth having an idea about what to get before you go or you will end up panic buying in a rush to get back and set off. Take some time to sketch out rough menu ideas for the week and get some basics, but don’t go overboard – there is a wealth of local markets, butchers, fishmongers and bakers in Croatia offering a bounty of fresh goods which will be a joy to visit along your chosen route (don’t forget your reusable bags!). This guide will help you make a checklist to use when provisioning for your sailing trip.

Household basics

Top of the list is fundamentals such as toilet rolls. Remember that these cannot be flushed so get some small disposal bags for used paper/sanitary items. For the galley, get a dishcloth, tea towel, washing up liquid, bin bags (50ltr), kitchen roll and perhaps foil or clingfilm.

Drinks

During the height of summer, you should allow for 1.5 liters of water per person per day (including the skipper), plus more for cooking. Dehydration is not fun, and sun-kissed skin craves water as does the body after a night enjoying a bottle of 17% Plavac Mali!

There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of fresh coffee so check if your boat comes with a coffee machine or percolator/cafetiere (don’t forget filter papers if you go for ground beans). When you are moored in a harbor it’s always good to sneak off for a kava at one of the local establishments on the way back from the showers. If tea is more your thing, make sure you grab some bags.

The rest depends on what tipple you take:

Beer

Croatian beer is lovely, small cans are best as you can drink them while they are still cold!

Wine

There are some wonderful local wines. Full-bodied reds like Zlatan Plavac and Dingač are a buttery vanilla pleasure, and you can’t go wrong with dry whites such as Pošip or Grk. There are local wine caves in the towns and villages along the way so just get enough to keep you going (although get past Hvar where prices are high).

Juice & mixers

Others to remember include some fruit juice for the morning and mixers such as tonic for the liter of gin you picked up in duty-free!

Food

Breakfast and lunch will generally be on-board with your skipper, so think about what to buy. Remember that fridge space is limited; there will be chances to pop to local markets on your travels to pick up fresh stuff but get longer life stuff on the mainland and enough to cover the first few days. Try to go for meals you can cook quickly and easily… it can be hot down in the galley and there isn’t always a lot of elbow room. You want fast easy dishes that maximize flavor and minimize faff, so you can get back to relaxing on the deck.

Breakfast

For the mornings, perhaps get croissants for the first day. Eggs are always handy as they don’t necessarily need to be refrigerated and can double up as lunch material, as can cured meats and cheese. It is also useful to have some cereals, fresh fruit, and milk/ yogurt.

Lunch

At lunch, you’ll generally have been sailing in the morning and, after swimming in the sea, will be ready for some good food. Get in some pršut (cured meat), paški sir (sheep’s cheese from Pag) and fresh olives to put out as a starter with some crusty bread, olive oil and balsamic. Then follow up with something simple, perhaps some pan-fried local fish with stir-fried vegetables; chicken paprika with sour cream, mushrooms and rice; or smoked salmon and parsley tagliatelle in a white wine and creme fraiche sauce served with crispy salad. Maybe take a jar of pesto along to use up any left-over cured meats, vegetables and pasta in case of emergency starvation… appetites are always bigger on the water.

Snacks

Round your provisioning off with some snacks – fresh fruit, crisps, nuts, olives etc… and don’t forget the ice for the G & T (unless you are lucky enough to have an icemaker on board). Ice is readily available in marinas and harbors so can be picked up along the way too as it doesn’t tend to last long.

Go fresh and local

While away, you can pick up extra fresh bits on the islands. In some places you may even find traders selling their wares direct to your boat, for example, the baker who sells boat-to-boat in the bays around Šćedro taking orders for the following morning and delivering beautifully fresh croissants and pastries straight to your deck, or the mussel farmer selling straight from the posts near Skradin (as fresh as it gets!).

If this all sounds like too much hard work, and you would prefer to put your feet up, you always have the option of bringing a hostess on board to do it for you!

Provisioning sample shopping list:

Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper & salt
Herbs & spices
Butter, milk, yogurt & cream
Eggs
Fresh fish/meat
Cured meats & cheese
Onions & garlic, and other vegs
Salad, tomatoes, avocado, & cucumber (plus extra for the gin!)
Lemons & limes, & other fruit
Cereals & croissants
Pesto
Bread, pasta & rice
Snacks
Water
Coffee (plus filters) & Tea
Beer, wine, spirits
Mixers & Fruit juice
Toilet roll & Kitchen roll
Disposal bags & Bin bags
Washing up liquid
Dish cloth & Tea towel

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