In an ideal situation, some essentials should already be on board your charter yacht and with the right charter company you should not have to worry about the following provisions.

Essentials that ideally should be on board

  • Insect repellent
  • Bottles of water - against a first day heatstroke
  • Sun block
  • Rubbish bags – Tea cloths – Swab
  • Soap - All-purpose cleaner - Washing-up liquid
  • Toilet paper - Lavatory freshener
  • Matches
  • Coffee filters - Tea bags
  • Sugar - Salt - Spices
  • Olive oil - Corn oil - Vinegar
  • Ice ! - Ice !! - Ice !!!
  • Perhaps a complementary bowl of fruit, bottle of Greek wine or some flowers. Yet, I would trade these immediatly for any of the essentials above.

Yacht charter provisioning list

Letting a charter company deliver groceries to your yacht is often (very) expensive so only order the bare necessities for the first day (or two). Moreover, it is nicer to do your own provisioning in the next – far more romantic – little port, Greek olivesand it is often cheaper to eat out in a taverna or estiatoria (restaurant) the first evening than to prepare your own expensive ingredients.

During your sailing trip it is prudent to supply the yacht for at least a couple of days, not only for safety but smaller ports might not hold a wide variety of provisions.
Furthermore, you might change your plans and drop anchor in a secluded bay.

Canned/dried
Sardines, Anchovy, Tuna, Soup, Tomatoes (condensed), Corn, Chilli beans, Black and green olives, Pickles, Capers, Mustard, Honey, Toast, Rice, pasta, Dried lentils, beans and chickpeas, Nuts, almonds and pistachios, Stock cubes (soups/sauses), Flour, Cocao, Biscuits – PapadopoulosBeverages

A lot of bottles of water, Milk (UHT), Orange juice, Beer – Amstel/Heineken/Mythos, Ouzo

Fresh
Courgettes, Eggplants, Cucumbers, Paprika/Peppers, Lettuce , Giant beans – Gigantes, Mushrooms, Parsley, dill, oregano, thyme, Dolmas (stuffed wine leaves), Greek yoghurt, Feta, Graviera, Kefalotiri, Apples, grapes, oranges, melons, Fresh fish, Chocolate, Eggs, Milk, Butter, Spinach pies (Spanakopita), Cheese pies (Tyropita)
Fresh – lasting longer
White cabbages, Carrots, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Beets, Lemons

Whisky, port and good wines should preferably be bought at the airport, more choice and more quality, definitely worth the added weight in your luggage.

Every week you will need to take in diesel fuel for about Euro currency140. The diesel will often be delivered by truck.

The water tanks usually need filling up every other day, which costs about Euro currency2 - Euro currency5 each time depending on the island and season. A very long hose is an essential item in the yacht’s inventory.

An pleasant and smart way to explore the inlands is to rent motorbikes or scooters (the Greeks call them papákia, παπάκια “ducklings”, supposedly for the noise they make), both more economical and practical than cars.

Ice

Every other day you need a few bags of ice cubes to keep all the provisions fresh in the fridge while saving the batteries: Euro currency0 - Euro currency4 per bag.

Fruit at market Good ice Fishes at Greek market

In the more popular ports it will be delivered at the quay. Otherwise, the local fishermen will know were to get ice. You can also try restaurants, fishmongers, fuel stations and mini-markets. Note that ice cubes with holes are inferior to the solid ice cubes and that not all ice is made from potable water, better ask before use in beverages. 

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