An adventure along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) calls for meticulous preparation, not just in plotting your course but also in provisioning your vessel for the journey ahead. From finding cost-effective solutions to grocery shopping to ensuring your galley is well-equipped, Bob Sherer (Bob423) provides a blend of practical advice and personal experience in this excerpt from his ICW Cruising Guide. (Available for purchase in the Waterway Guide Mobile App)

Shopping Tips:

• Switch to Uber for cost-effective trips to local supermarkets.

Our shopping habits have changed. We used to use Instacart, but they've become quite expensive. They not only charge a monthly fee, but their prices are also higher than in-store, a double whammy. We have become fans of Uber. For nearby shopping, you can usually get an Uber ride for less than $11.00. At $22 for the round trip, it's cheaper than Instacart and even more so when you figure in the tip.

• Opt for Walmart's online ordering and curbside pickup for no-contact shopping and in-store prices.

If you have a car it's better to order online and drive to the nearest Walmart, park at the grocery stall, and pop the trunk. The clerk will load the groceries at no charge (tipping is not allowed) – no contact grocery shopping and you get in-store prices. Walmart will also deliver to your marina for a small fee for less than Instacart, but if delivered to a marina a tip is in order.

I make an exception for Harris Teeter when in Charleston, it's my favorite grocery store along the ICW. I shop there in-person when we stay at the Charleston Maritime Center, which is within walking distance of downtown and Harris Teeter. I confess to falling in love with Bee City Honey, stocked at Harris Teeter.

Galley Essentials:

• Microwave
• Three-burner stove
• Essential Cookware - Skillets and Pans
• Dutch Oven

Of prime importance is a convenient galley. I love my microwave and three-burner stove with an oven. The propane cooks as well as my home electric stove. Pots with tall, vertical sides use less burner space than the potbelly type. A Calphalon 2.5-qt pan, a Cuisinart 1.5-qt pan, and a Cuisinart 12-inch skillet can be in use at the same time and centered over each burner. We found that all non-stick cookware has a limited life span. They become scratched and cooking oil will eventually carbonize and the non-stick quality is lost. The pans listed are neither the cheapest nor the most expensive but are sturdy and have worked well for me. In addition, I have a small 8-inch nonstick skillet for eggs and a Dutch oven.

• Small food processor

I have a small Black and Decker food processor. There's no room for a full-size unit so I have a 4-cup size for the galley. It's great for dicing. 

• An ice pick

I never used one at home but if you store a bag of ice in the boat's freezer, an ice pick comes in handy for retrieving a few cubes for a drink in the cockpit.

• Bonus! Instant Pot for easy, one-pot meals at the dock
• Bonus! Momo Air Fryer for healthier cooking options

The one downside of using a propane stove is the heat, enter the Instant Pot when at a dock. I use the 3-qt size. Recipes abound on the web. The Instant Pot can do an entire meal. Toss in all the ingredients, attach the lid, choose the cooking time, and walk away. Relax and enjoy happy hour with a glass of wine, the pot will beep when it's done, and then keep dinner warm. I next discovered the Momo Air Fryer. I bought the 3.4 qt size. The name is a misnomer since it's a small convection oven. So far, I've done French fries, sweet potato fries, and even salmon fillets, which came out great. The air fryer does a better job than my propane oven and it's faster too. The possibilities are endless, as are the recipes you can download off the internet. The air fryer does heat the cabin some and even the smallest size is rather large, so storage needs a solution

Provisioning Strategy:

• Meat is frozen solid before departure to avoid overloading the freezer.

I purchase meat and freeze it solid before leaving home so I don't overload our boat freezer. My freezer is 2.9 cubic ft and larger than the refrigerator, but it is shaped like a cube and we've learned to repackage all frozen meats into "pages." That is, lay the meat flat, tightly wrap each one in plastic wrap so they don't stick together when you want just one, and put the individual pieces into a one-gallon zip bag labeled with the date. The gallon bag should be just one layer of meat thick so they can be stacked in the freezer to save space. We avoid round-shaped meats like whole chickens; they take up too much room. Boneless chicken breasts, thighs, and pork tenderloins can be frozen flat and stack well in the freezer. We buy family-size packages of boneless breasts and repackage them separately.

Tip:  When you provision and buy unfrozen meat, do the above packaging but then lay the gallon bag vertically against one of the cooling coils of the freezer, it will freeze much faster that way.

• Opt for shelf-stable selections like Parmalat milk to save room in the refrigerator

Refrigerator room is in short supply, so I keep items like Parmalat milk on hand which does not require refrigeration until opened. You can always get milk at the nearest 7-11 or CVS so we don't keep multiple bottles in the refrigerator.

• Stock up on frozen veggies to ensure staples without needing frequent resupplies
• Consume fresh fruits quickly to avoid spoilage and fruit flies

Fruit ripens quickly on the counter and is a magnet for fruit flies. Dipping the ends of bananas in vinegar will kill the eggs.

Tip:  To get rid of fruit flies, put an inch of wine in a small glass, cover it with plastic wrap, and use a toothpick to make holes in the top. Fruit flies get in but can't get out. They can also reside in sink drains. Close the sink seacock, pour in bleach (half water), put in the stopper, and soak overnight.

• Bread with preservatives will last the longest
• Stock up on Dry Goods
• Add a few spices and the variety is almost endless

The final component is dry goods: beans, red, black, or baked, diced tomatoes, and rice, lots of rice. Onions are essential. These ingredients can be combined with chicken, garlic, onions, and spices for a variety of meals. I use lots of spices: Cuban, Cajun, Caribbean, Mexican, and more providing a variety of choices. Want it hot? I can do that too. At the end of the day, my goal is to prepare a healthy dinner quickly. The small stove can heat the salon. I've overflowed my spice rack pictured below but the rack is vital for easy access to spices, conveniently it's mounted in the galley.

List of Provisioning stops

Grocery stores are not conveniently located at every marina, so we plan for provisioning at stops that offer easy access to groceries. I've listed the provisioning stops from north to south to Key West that we have used. Going from PYC in New York to Key West.  

1. In the Chesapeake, the Solomons Island anchorage by Holiday Inn's dinghy dock is handy for picking up necessities with a Weis Supermarket about a mile walk away via a convenient sidewalk.
2. Dowry Creek Marina has two courtesy cars for shopping at the nearby Food Lion in Belhaven.
3. RE Mayo Docks is a good stop for local shrimp and flounder. They flash freeze fish in blister packs, perfect for provisioning on a boat since they are frozen flat and pack well. Warning, the docks are not so great, but the frozen seafood is as is the dockage rate at $0.40/ft.
4. Homer Smith Docks and Marina in Beaufort, NC is a major provisioning center for us. It has two free courtesy cars for access to a Lowes Foods supermarket, a new clubhouse with washers, dryers, showers, restrooms, a captain's lounge with TV, and floating docks, a first-class marina.
5. Charleston Marinas are close to several Harris Teeters. My favorite is Charleston Maritime Center which has a Harris Teeter within walking distance with a great selection of fresh food. Alternatively, we can provision at Toler's Cove Marina which provides a free shuttle service to the nearest supermarket. Another alternative is St Johns Yacht Harbor which has a free courtesy car for shopping at nearby Publix supermarkets.
6. Titusville Marina either requires the use of a shopping service or Uber with Publix and Walmart stores nearby. Most of the Walmart stores along the ICW have excellent food markets and we can pick up most non-food needs at the same stop.
7. Vero Beach Municipal Marina has a free shuttle to Publix if there's anything we missed at Titusville.
8. Marathon has a Publix about a mile from the city docks, an $11 Uber ride.
9. At Key West, there is no Walmart but there are two Publix stores and a Winn-Dixie store which has the best prices with a bus stop out front. Instacart serves Publix but Shipit serves Winn-Dixie. You can use public transportation for $0.50 each way for seniors to shop at Publix or Winn-Dixie. You can even track when the bus is coming with your smartphone using the Key West Transit app. Each bus transmits its location from an onboard GPS and it's displayed in the app so you know when the bus will arrive. Who thought Key West of all places would be so up-to-date?

Waterway Guide's favorite cook while our crew is covering the boat shows is Audrey Stehle. A long-time cruiser and Looper with husband Ted, she's always made sure the boat is well-stocked. Here's her take on provisioning:

 https://www.waterwayguide.com/knowledge-center/news-post/12143/a-flexible-provisioning-plan