Canary Islands sailing charter: a group food plan for winter

The Canaries are where Europe goes sailing once the Mediterranean season closes, and November is when the islands fill with boats. A winter week there is not a Med summer week: the hops between islands are long, the swell can be real and the evenings are cooler. Plan the food around that.

Why winter changes the plan

The main charter season in the Canary Islands runs roughly from October to May, under steady north-easterly trade winds. Between the main islands, passages are typically 30 to 60 nautical miles, often with an early start and an ocean swell along the exposed northern coasts. That means whole days at sea when nobody wants to cook, and evenings at anchor or in a marina when a hot meal is welcome.

November is also busy in Gran Canaria: the ARC transatlantic rally leaves Las Palmas each year in late November (22 November in 2026), and hundreds of crews are provisioning in the same town in the weeks before. If your charter starts there around those dates, do your big shop early in the day and book marina berths ahead.

Passage days: cook the night before

On a long hop, the galley is the worst place on the boat. Prepare everything the evening before, at anchor or in the marina:

• •Wraps or sandwiches made in advance and wrapped individually, so people can eat at the helm.
• •A big pasta or rice salad in a lidded box, eaten cold from bowls rather than plates.
• •A flask of soup or hot water for tea: on a grey winter morning offshore, a hot drink matters more than food.
• •Easy snacks within reach of the cockpit: crackers, dried fruit, nuts, cereal bars, ginger biscuits.
• •Keep it plain for anyone prone to seasickness, and see our guide on what to eat when seasick for the details.

Evenings: one-pot meals and the local market

Winter evenings in the Canaries are mild but noticeably cooler than summer, and dark early. One-pot dinners that cook on two burners suit the season: lentil or chickpea stews, chilli, curries, a fish stew with potatoes. Use what the islands are known for: small potatoes cooked in their skins, fresh fish from the harbour, local goat’s cheese, bananas and tomatoes. Plan at least two evenings ashore, especially in the bigger harbours where restaurants are easy to reach.

Provision once, top up on the big islands

1. Plan meals for the week first, by day, counting passage days, nights at anchor and nights ashore.
2. Do one big shop on embarkation day: water, drinks, dry goods, tins, breakfast supplies and the passage-day ingredients.
3. Top up fresh produce, bread and fish in the larger towns on your route; smaller anchorages may have little or nothing.
4. Count water generously and stow bottles low: even in winter, a crew working the boat in the sun drinks more than at home.
5. Bring a cool box for drinks only, so the small fridge is not opened every few minutes.

Who pays for what

A charter week mixes one big shared shop, small top-ups paid by whoever is nearest the till, fuel and marina fees, and restaurant evenings. Agree on day one that everything goes into one shared tally, then settle once at the end of the week instead of after every receipt.