What to make for dinner when there's no grocery store around for 50 nm?

Here's an idea: First, see what's in your larder. Even better, check out what you've got in your Boat Notebook provisioning pages.

Then, use one of the 13 Build-Your-Own-Meals recipes in the our Boat Notebook Printable Pages. Build your own meals are basically using what you have on hand. You'll find loose instructions for making:
Cream of Anything Soup
Pizza
Foil-Packet Fish

Provisioning for a long cruise can be overwhelming. At first glance, you might think it's like stocking a kitchen. All the baking supplies go here, and all the spices and rubs go there.

On a boat? Nope. I've spent enough time on power and sail boats to know how limited and quirky storage space can be. Ultimately, finding storage space at all becomes my biggest win. Keeping track of and being able to find what I've got then becomes  my next priority.

Sound familiar? If so, keep reading, because I found a solution to my problem. I now use a Provisioning Map and a Provisions Inventory. Here's why and how:

Caveat, a with everything on this blog, I get no remuneration or freebies for products I write about. Nada.

So when I go into the stratosphere about a product, it's because I've used it on a months' long cruise, and it worked really well for me in a number of ways.

True Lemon, Lime, and Orange are crystallized citrus products designed for cooking, baking, and seasoning. They are not sweetened, which is the first reason why

You’re the first mate on your boat. It’s kind of nice because the captain’s responsible for everything, even though he (or she) really does need your help in so many ways: steering, landing, anchoring, provisioning, navigating, etc.

That list gets even longer if you’re out cruising for a week or three months.

In The First Mate’s Guide to Cruising the Inside Passage I explain that a good first mate:

• Learns her (or his) boat duties, maybe not perfectly at first, to a tee.

   When we cruised to SE Alaska last summer, I knew we needed to make many long passages in order to get to arrive in Ketchikan in less than three weeks.
I also knew that I'd be pretty darned tired and hungry at the end of those passages.
   Since, on L'Esprit, I'm the cook, I had to figure out a way to have our meals cooking while we were up on the fly bridge making our passage.
   For some galley slaves this problem is solved with a crock pot. Others use a  pressure cooker.
   I decided I wanted to experiment with my version of the Wonderbag. 

   I bragged on this product in The First Mate's Guide, and I'm going to brag on it again. I love it so much I bought one for my daughter-in-law Naomi to simplify her life just a tad.
   I love Koincoo's Instant Read Thermometer. I especially like on L'Esprit because:
 - it folds up tight so it's reading parts don't get damaged in the drawer.
 - it turns on immediately, and it shuts off as soon as you close it.

   I love this little scale!
   Not only is it compact (5" x 4" x .5"), it's pretty darned accurate on a boat.
    You boater's know that weighing something on a boat can be a bit of a challenge because of the boat moving on the water. But this little gem made by Spirit is pretty darned steady in its readings.
    And it only cost $12 on Amazon.
  Plus it converts between grams, ounces, pennyweight, carats, and grains (honestly, I've never needed to use the last three units on my boat, but who knows? You just might.

  When you're off cruising for more than a couple of weeks, especially out in the hinterlands of the Pacific Northwest, creating enjoyable meals that are rich in flavor and comfort can become a problem. After all, there’re not a lot of grocery stores from which to harvest fresh veggies. (Not to mention not enough cabin space in which to store them!)
  To my delight, I’ve discovered a solution.

   An organized galley always makes cruising easier.
     Have you seen these fridge containers? They’re made by InterDesign, and they're terrific for a boat fridge or reefer. There are other brands, of course, but I like these because of their straight side.  
    Why do I think they’re so terrific? Because they make meal prep easier and they help you keep the fridge door shut so the cold air stays trapped inside. (Which is important on a boat!)

First published on 11/27/18 on firstmatesguide.com
  So what can you make aboard  your boat using the dehydrated vegetables you prepared before you left port? (Directions for dehydrating veggies.)
​  I'm going to show you how easy it is for a Chicken Tenders Ragout. It has a little less water than a stew, and a lot more vegetables. 
​  It takes about fifteen minutes to prepare and another forty-five minutes to cook. You end up with a savory, warming bowl of comfort food that's perfect for those cold PNW nights on the hook when you're waiting to go around Cape Caution or Dixon Entrance, or you've run low on fresh veggies.