Atlantic crossing provisioning list: food for a 3-week passage

The Atlantic crossing season is about to start, with the ARC fleet leaving Las Palmas on 22 November. Feeding a crew for two to three weeks with no shops on the way is a different job from a charter week — you provision for the whole passage, plus a safety margin, before you leave.

Plan for more days than the crossing takes

A crossing from the Canaries to the Caribbean usually takes two to three weeks, but calms, a repair stop or a slow boat can add days. Provision for the expected passage plus a reserve of at least a few extra days — and treat that reserve as emergency food, not as extra snacks.

Work out quantities per person per day

Count the crew, multiply by the days, and plan three meals plus snacks per person per day. Fresh air and night watches make people hungry, so do not under-buy on snacks. Write the plan meal by meal, so you can see gaps before you leave rather than at sea in mid-ocean.

Water comes first

• •Plan drinking water per person per day, well above what you use ashore, and add what you need for cooking.
• •Do not rely on a watermaker alone — carry a reserve of bottled or tank water in case it fails.
• •Keep a separate stock of drinking water that is never used for washing.

What lasts without a fridge

• •Eat the fresh food first: salad, soft fruit and anything delicate in the first days.
• •Hardy produce keeps for weeks: cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, apples, citrus and whole pumpkins or squash if stored cool and dry.
• •Tins, pouches, pasta, rice, couscous, lentils, UHT milk and long-life bread cover the rest.
• •Eggs keep far longer than you would think if unrefrigerated and turned regularly.

Cook for the sea state

In swell, a pan of anything is a hazard. Plan easy one-pot meals and pre-cooked, pre-portioned dinners that can be reheated in a pot or eaten cold on rough days. Keep a stock of dry snacks and ginger biscuits within reach of the cockpit for the crew on watch.

Provision in stages

Do the big shop a few days before departure, then buy fresh produce last. Pack by day or by meal in labelled bags so the cook can find what is needed without emptying a locker, and write the storage map on the galley wall so everybody knows where things are.