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Life Aboard Troutbridge...
By Peter Bernfeld
For those contemplating an Atlantic crossing, below is the projected stores list for a crew of three - estimated crossing time 20 days, food for 30 days + emergency rations.
- 10 kg stewing steak/15 steaks/15 chicken breasts......... all vacuum packed. 20 days worth of 'fresh' meat & chicken
- 17 tins of corned beef / 21 tins of baked beans (large) / 10 tins tomatoes / 5 tins of veg / 6 tins sweet corn/ 5 tins butter
- 12 packs of pasta / 15 bottles pasta sauce / 12 bottles pesto sauce / 3 jars mayo / 2 ketchup/ 2 HP / 1 tin mustard powder / 1 sweet chilli / 1 catering jar tandoori paste / 1 catering jar lime pickle
- 1 catering jar each of ginger, paprika, tumeric, garlic, curry powder
- 4 large packs of muesli/ 5 kg rice / 3 packets of spaghetti/ 2 packs dried fruit/ 1 pack dried tomatoes
- 4 bottles instant coffee/4 packs real coffee/240 tea bags/ 3 kg loose tea/ 1 large tin coffee mate
- 12 litres long-life milk/ approx 15 litres worth of powdered milk
- 1 catering pot of marmalade, 1 catering pot strawberry jam, couple of 'real marmalade' bottles. couple of jars of Branston, 1 picallilli / 1.9 litres (!) soy sauce/ 350ml Tabasco sauce/ 1 jar pickled cabbage/ 568 ml Lea & Perrins/ 4 litres vinegar
- 1 Sharwoods naan bread mix, 1 brown flour/ 1 wholemeal flour/ 1 strong white flour/ 3 packets of yeast/ 10 long-life loaves / 20 part-baked baguettes (if available)/ 2 packets instant cake mix/ assorted biscuits/Ryveta
- 4 packs of popcorn / 4 packs of assorted nuts/ assorted chocolate bars/ 2 packs Bombay mix/ 5 Robinsons barley water/ assorted packs of Tang apple mix
- 1 kg flaked almonds / 3 kg dried green split peas / 2kg dried lentils / 2 kg dried chick peas / 1kg butter beans/ 1 kg kidney beans/ 3 kg dried sultanas
- Assorted instant hot drinks & instant soup / 5 packets of smash / 2 packets of popadums/ 2 tins of chocolate pudding/
- 30 onions/ 30 tomatoes/ 30 oranges / 10kg potatoes / 4 melons/ 1 hand of bananas / 60 apples / 20 peppers (red & green) / 36 eggs/ 10 limes/ 10 lemons
- 60 cans of beer / 10 litres red wine / 10 litres white wine / assorted rum/ gin/ whiskey + a few mixers
- 50 litres of 'emergency' water
- 475 litres of water in tanks
- 1 watermaker claiming to produce 49 litres per hour (we'll see)
- Fishing gear
Right, I think I've got the basics covered! Next week off to see Laura at El Court Ingles who speaks English, to order the vacuum packed meat. From experience, unrefrigerated vacuum packed meat lasts at least three weeks (several months, according to Carol & Keith in Kirsten Jayne).
A week later...
So, there I was at El Corte Inglese meat counter. 'Youngblood' behind the counter didn't speak English. I handed him 15 chicken breasts and my shopping list. It said (in Spanish, with the aid of a dictionary):
- 10kg stewing steak in 1 kg vacuum-packed bags, making 10 bags
- 15 chicken breasts vacuum-packed in 5 bags
- 15 steaks, vacuum-packed in 5 bags
He nodded wisely, in a pimply sort of way, then shouted the order to Juan in the 'back office' . Juan stuck his head round the door and was handed the 15 chicken breasts. Time passed and eventually, Manuel appeared and gave me three large vacuum-packed bags. I shook my head. 'Donde es perchugas de pollo?' Manuel disappeared. Juan appeared and we attempted a conversation. Juan began to get the idea and looked at the list. Juan smacked 'Youngblood' round the head and told me 30 minutes. He went into the 'back office', taking my list with him. Time passed and eventually Manuel reappeared with 10 x 1kg bags of stewing steak; 5 x bags of chicken breasts and a large plastic bag with vacuum-packed steaks inside. It was rather heavy, but by then I'd had enough of this bulk-shopping lark........mistake! I beat a retreat to the checkout counter and paid. Delivery was agreed for later on in the afternoon.
Later that day, the meat arrived at the boat - 10 x1kg bags of stewing steak; 5 x bags of pechugas de pollo; 5 x bags of steak BUT wait... not 15 steaks - 15 KILOS of steak. Peter goes to the chandlery and buys a Waeco 50 litre portable fridge/freezer.
I need a bigger boat.
So, as you read this we'll be on the 'Atkins' high protein diet across the Atlantic. A steak sandwich will consist of a steak, smothered in a delicious sauce, placed between two slices of.................steak!
Read more about Pete's round the world journey at http://blog.mailasail.com/troutbridge
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