Food Staples Availability in Exumas

[S/V Antares]

Provisoning in the Bahamas is not that difficult. You are either near a place or will be traveling by one to get groceries. You do not need 3 months of food on board but it is prudent to have a few weeks of reserve stuff in the event you are stuck in a more remote place due to weather. I buy fresh milk but have some Nido on board I buy chicken, eggs, Butter but have a few cans of chicken & butter stashed. The really good irish butter is $1 less than in the US. I put stuff onboard that is hard to find and no refrigeration needed:Real Vermont Maple Syrup, Boars Head Bacon and dried fruit for sauces and snacks. Italian Capers in salt, Good balsalmic vinager, Shushi rice, Smithfield country ham, Good italian dry cured salami, Walnuts for baking.

Shopping for the fresh veggies and other things is just part or the adventure.

[Sea Yawl Later]

Hum, I am not a beer drinker but I do like scotch and vodka on occasion and my husband likes whiskey (YUCK)! Should we bring that as well. I think I will bring a few bottles of wine.

Sea Yawl Later!!

Linda

[Vasco]

Liquor is cheaper than in the States. But beer is about $40 a case. For some reason the Bahamian Government wants you to drink the hard stuff. Wine is cheaper in the States too.

[Sailingbeagles]

In the Abacos now, heading to Eleuthera and then the Exumas. Butter is VERY available - all from New Zealand (and delicious) as is almost anything from a Commonwealth country. Yeast as I have seen it so far is much, much cheaper than in the US - you can buy the 1-lb bags here in the Bahamas for about the same price as the stuff at Sam's club in the US. Fresh produce quite expensive, but there is local stuff (limes, tomatoes, cabbage, hot peppers) available.

Beer is $43 a case (so far) - but that is 24 bottle cases, and I am used to buying decent beer for about $18 a 12 bottle case - so it is all what you are used to buying.

stock up on paper products and staples, yes - but you can eat here. I promise.

See you in the Exumas!

Nica
s/v Calypso
BCC #006

[henery]

Is it that expensive to eat in restraunts while you are there?

[Sailingbeagles]

Restaurants in the Bahamas are likely (when you can find them) to run you anywhere from $20 a plate to $40 a plate. Burgers (sometimes with fries, sometimes without) are between $9 and $15. Any beverages are on top of that.

Expensive is a matter of taste and budget. We are a crew of 4 and have not yet been able to swing lunch for less than $40 (and that was splitting 2 plates between the 4 of us). For us, that is expensive. For others, it may not be.

As far as we are concerned, what you carry is more a matter of how long you wish to be away from stores/provisioning (and the budget, of course - but those are linked). When we are out of butter and cheese, onions and garlic, rum and tonic that means we have to hit "civilization". Otherwise, we can eat beans and pasta for a long time!

[moonchaser]

yea, take lots of beer if you like it. runs over $40 / case in bahamas.
be sure to go to the big grocery in spanish wells, buy some butter, then wait for a loaf of fresh bread just across the road to come out of the oven. yum!