Sell everything and sail off into the sunset sounds like a great concept, but how do you actually do some of the everyday things? Like, say, grocery shopping?
Whether you’re full-time cruising and sold your car or are simply away from your home port for a short trip, provisioning without a car is a serious concern for many contemplating the cruising lifestyle.
It is a big change, but there are ways to manage it. Here are a number of different strategies depending on your situation.
Walking. If I don’t need too much, and the store is less than a mile or so away, I tend to walk. The downside is that I have to be careful of how much I buy and the weight of it. Cold things go in my soft “12-can” cooler (link below); everything else in a daypack or heavy-duty tote bag. A good daypack is easier to carry cans in, but “crushable” foods such as bread, chips and produce do better in a tote bag.
- AO Coolers Soft Cooler on Amazon
- Heavy-duty tote bag on Amazon
I also have a larger 24-can soft cooler, but it’s just too big when I’m carrying everything back from the store. Which brings us to another option . . . a collapsible wagon. More and more cruisers are using these instead of the traditional dock carts and they work much better over long distances and bumpy roads.
Key features to look at are overall frame strength, size of tires (larger ones are much better on bumpy roads and sidewalks, as well as grass, dirt and sand) and handle length if you’re tall. Depending on where you need to store it, the folded size may also be a consideration, although the tougher units tend to have larger frames and don’t fold as compactly as more lightly-built wagons.
Most are rated to carry 150 pounds, which is usually adequate (a case of beer or pop weighs a little under 20 pounds; canned goods are generally under a pound per can). In hot climates, you can put a cooler inside to carry meat and dairy products — I prefer a soft 24-can cooler for ease of storage, but I’ve seen people using hard coolers too. They’re not designed to carry kids or pets.
You can buy collapsible wagons at most home improvement, outdoors and big-box stores — or on Amazon, of course. As with most things, tougher units that better stand up to everyday use are more expensive — how tough a wagon you need depends a lot on how you anticipate using it.
Friends and a couple of readers have recommended two models:
- Mac Sports Wagon on Amazon — this is their less rugged version (and less expensive), it folds up to just 8″ thick. Wheels are made for hard surfaces, not sand. Good for occasional use — Mac is a good brand; we have some of their collapsible chairs that are going on 10 years old and haven’t broken whereas other brands have broken in just a few years.
- Mac Sports Heavy Duty Beach Wagon on Amazon — a more rugged version overall, with much larger tires (10″ diameter and 4-1/4″ wide), making it easier to pull on uneven surfaces or reasonably hard sand (soft sand is a problem for pretty much any size tires). Handle length is adjustable. Collapses to 10″ high.
When we were cruising in the Sea of Cortez, I would have loved one of these collapsible wagons instead of having to hand carry items when I couldn’t find a cab. Now, we use one of these wagons to transport lunches and other “daily stuff” at the Annapolis Boat Show.
Cabs. When you don’t have a car of your own, cabs (also Uber and Lyft) become a way of life. How often we used them depended on the distance, cost, and availability. Many times, we’d walk to the store (partly to save money, partly just as exercise) and then would take a cab back to the boat.
In Mexico, there were almost always cabs waiting outside the grocery stores. Here in the Florida Keys, you can call for one while you’re paying and they’ll usually arrive at the store about the time you walk out the door. When we were in El Salvador, we’d generally get with a few other cruisers and jointly do a full-day trip to San Salvador with one of our favorite cab drivers.
Buses. While I have provisioned by bus, I have to say that I generally found it hard if I was trying to get more than just a few things. If I packed things into a day pack, I’d have to remove the pack and find a place to set it down during the ride — not always easy on a crowded bus. If I just carried bags, I had to make sure that none rolled away when I set them on the floor. Taking a case of sodas or beer was almost impossible.
Delivery. Occasionally, you’ll find a store that will deliver to your marina or dinghy dock. Many in the BVIs do (read more about provisioning for a BVI charter here) and we found a couple in the Bahamas that did. Since COVID, many stores now do delivery via Instacart.
Rental car. A car of your own is about the ultimate in luxury as far as provisioning goes. Most of us aren’t going to rent one for the day just for provisioning, but if you have one for some other purpose it’s great to stop by the store before you have to return it.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Anonymous says
Being a cruiser is like being a teenager again…always try and make friends with someone who has a car.
Anonymous says
Make sure to do something nice for those that give you a ride. So many don’t, and it turns people off.
Anonymous says
I have a car, I’m just trying to make friends lol.
Anonymous says
So you know what I mean….😉
Anonymous says
I looked at a collapsible wagon at Costco after seeing one at an outdoor concert, but it was really heavy (for me, anyway).
The Boat Galley says
Most are about 25 pounds . . . but fully loaded? Yeah, more.
Anonymous says
Our collapsible wagon weighs about 10 pounds. Loaded it does take two people to load it into the dinghy. It is by far one of the most useful things we have onboard. I find we use it most in marinas where the dock carts seem to never be available.
Anonymous says
Sherry Matas what brand do you have?
The Boat Galley says
Sherry Matas Don’t you just take the stuff out of the wagon to put into the dinghy?
Anonymous says
I don’t recall the brand, but it looks like the one sold at West Marine, just a different color. We bought it at the Costco in Charleston.
Our dinghy is large enough that the wagon and two of us fit without removing the contents and collapsing the wagon. It also fits nicely in the back of our Volvo station wagon when we have it in the summer.
It’s stored in an engine room and after 6 years finally starting to get rusty. It’s brown, so really hard to tell. It could also use new front wheels.
Husband’s biggest gripe about it is that it doesn’t track well when loaded or being pulled quickly, clipping the backs of his feet. I wouldn’t pull it with a bicycle. It’s also not great in rock or sand.
Anonymous says
The Costco wagon we bought in Mexico for $55 is by far the best $$ we spent. Even back in the states, we use it constantly. It fits in the car nicely and we don’t have to worry about no dock carts or returning carts to head of dock. The dogs use it too when the dock gets too hot to walk on.
Anonymous says
Thank you so much for this article. Your timing, as always is impeccable.
Anonymous says
Boot Key Harbor Publix… Two bikes, a cart on one and both with plastic crates on the luggage racks. We can also hang bags with lighter stuff on the sides of the crates if needed.
Michelle Kronquist says
We just bought the regular Mac wagon in grey. Haven’t used it yet but it seems really sturdy and looks nice too! We don’t live aboard (yet) but I can’t wait to take it with us on our next out of town sailing adventure. Thank you for all the valuable info you share. Your site was my first find for information about provisioning for our first charter years ago and still one of my favorites! The other favorites I found through you 🙂
Carolyn Shearlock says
Thank you! Glad to have you as part of The Boat Galley!
Mike McIntosh says
If you are on the west coast of Florida stop off at Marco Island (Smoke House Bay) anchorage. There is a Win Dixi there that has a dinghy dock.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.9552316,-81.7238294,15.75z?hl=en
Anonymous says
If you are on the west coast of Florida stop off at Marco Island (Smoke House Bay) anchorage. There is a Win Dixi there that has a dinghy dock.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.9552316,-81.7238294,15.75z?hl=en
Bruce Bibee says
Surprised you didn’t mention Amazon which has recently acquired Whole Foods with quick and I would think free delivery for Prime members, especially with a large amount to be delivered. Here in the Philippines we get a motorized trike (scooter with sidecar) outside the store and it takes us back to the dock for about $2 plus a small charge for crossing the security gate. Have a good day.
Captain Mark Covington says
We have two carts. One is kept in our dock box and the other in our vehicle. Yes, we are live-aboards. One hauls laundry to the Marina laundry room without having to “search for a dock cart”. The other is used to trips to the grocery store, Lowes, etc. We have named them “port and starboard” They have become one of our most valued boat processions!
John Hardwick says
Mountain Bike with a backpack and saddle bags or mounted milk carton rack has worked for us.
We can carry a lot and get the cold
items back to the refrigerator/freezer much quicker than walking.
Don hester says
We bought one of the plastic wagons used to pull kids around. Stores upside down on bridge and can be used as a seat. It has fold down inside flaps for flat surface or stand up which provides extrastore space . When the flaps are up the rear one can hang a bean bag astern .plastic wheels are wide enough to traverse sand..not beautiful but very practical as we have to walk from dock to summer cottage all the time