What should you take abroad from the UK?

Left UK in 2007 - never had a problem getting teabags. Carrefour best for large packs in Europe and French Caribbean islands. Supermarkets in ex-british caribbean islands also have large packs - own brand is cheapest.

Marmite available (at a price) in Grenada and St Lucia, Branston in Grenada. Also, believe it or not, some of the Waitrose Essentials range, plus lots of other imported british products.

We have just invested in Kindles - they are wonderful, we now have books we want to read instead of mostly rubbish picked up in book swaps, although we are keeping a few for swap as we have found new (to us) authors which we enjoy. Huge saving on storage space. Cheaper and easier to buy in UK before you leave.

If you want to use internet on the boat get a very good external wifi aerial before you leave. Other McDonalds have free wifi most places and the coffee is good.

It's a wonderful life - enjoy and relax.
 
lenseman said:
Mosquito netting. This is a must in some places.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-WINDO...=UK_HG_ScreensShutters_RL&hash=item415753cdeb
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That's a great one. We have them on each hatch with the Velcro on the horizontal surface below the opening. Ours came from B&Q. Not only does the mesh keep the bugs out, it also traps huge volumes of dust and general rubbish that would otherwise settle somewhere in the boat.

We find that trying to continue a UK lifestyle abroad becomes difficult to sustain at a reasonable price. Much UK food, such as breakfast cereals, jam, marmalade, milk, etc is readily available in Greece but it is horrendously expensive. Few breakfast cereals cost less than £4 per box, for example, and some cost a lot more.
 
Nostrodamus said:
Is it possible to create a list of things you would have taken abroad with you if only you had known?

We are leaving for good tomorrow or the day after but I know we have either forgotten something or there will be something we cannot get or crave but cannot find it abroad.

Knowing what you do now what things would you have taken with you and what things are far cheaper to buy here before setting off?
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Antifoul - International in Portugal up to 550 euro/10L! Heads pump spares, engine oil & diesel filters, impellers, gasket set? etc. Although we moan about UK chandlers prices, they're generally much cheaper than Europe.

Foodwise, most things can be had if your willing to pay extortionate prices for UK goods.
 
Nostrodamus said:
Is it possible to create a list of things you would have taken abroad with you if only you had known?

We are leaving for good tomorrow or the day after but I know we have either forgotten something or there will be something we cannot get or crave but cannot find it abroad.
. . . . .
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No quite so obvious but a LARGE permanent felt tip pen (or two) with ¼" thick tip.

When you go south, you will take onboard food in cardboard packaging. THIS IS A NO NO! :eek:

I read very regularly that people who buy food abroad to re-provision, for example in the Cape Verde Islands, often find that a week or two later they are infested by cockroaches. These are then near impossible to rid from your yacht!

Apparently, they lay their eggs in the cardboard packaging which you 'import' and they then breed and lay there eggs onboard your yacht, forever more! :eek:

No cardboard or paper packaging and this includes the labeling round tins which you might have bought in the UK as the cockroaches will lay their eggs in the tin wrappings which were bought in the UK and are already onboard.

The felt tip permanent marking pen is a job you give to teenagers to rip off all the packaging labels and immediately mark the contents. It might also be a good idea to note the cooking times (microwave times) job for another crew member? ;)

Once you get an infestation, they also lay their eggs in your books and bedding too. :mad:

http://www.inyourfootsteps.com/sail...aches/?CATEGORY_ID=22&search_action=Show+All&

http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/cockroaches.html

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78556&page=3
 
Being able to get hold of decent books during the 3 years I spent travelling South & Central America & SE Asia was an issue. I think that if (no, when) I go off sailing longer term I would have a kindle, for the free internet access as well. As far as food goes, well I've always been on a budget and eaten what the locals eat, but also have been amazed at the quality and variety of street food, try it wherever you go. Good luck on your travels...:)
 
djbreeze said:
Being able to get hold of decent books during the 3 years I spent travelling South & Central America & SE Asia was an issue. I think that if (no, when) I go off sailing longer term I would have a kindle, for the free internet access as well. As far as food goes, well I've always been on a budget and eaten what the locals eat, but also have been amazed at the quality and variety of street food, try it wherever you go. Good luck on your travels...:)
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What is the internet access like on a Kindle and what can you do with it besides read books?
 
WiFi Booster and Sun Lotion !

Haven't missed any 'English' food items, but buying a WiFi signal boosting external aerial has made all the difference to our ability to use the internet on the boat. Other boats seen wandering around/stood outside marina office to get adequate signal and we have been able to sit on the boat and skype etc in peace and comfort.Bought ours in a Worten store (PC World look alike) in Portugal on the advice of White Angel, if you read this thanks for the tip!
Would have been easier to have bought it before we left though!
Sun tan lotion - it's much more expensive in Spain/Portugal and they don't seem to do the buy one get one free offers that we have in the UK.
Our experience so far is that 'boat bits' are more expensive so a careful check of spares you may need is useful - although the one thing you decide is a step too far will be the bit that you need !
Our last 2 days before leaving the UK (May 2011) were manic and we didn't realise at the time how tired and stressed we were, once cruising it was good to take our time and not rush anywhere.
Nothing we didn't get time to do has proved to be a problem since we left (touching wood as I type!)
Enjoy! :)
 
Nostrodamus said:
What is the internet access like on a Kindle and what can you do with it besides read books?
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Clunky - forget it and use a tablet or netbook with dongle or local sim card subscription.

The Kindle is designed as an e-book reader and that's what it does - superbly, but don't expect more. With one (or more) aboard it is possible to have a veritable library with more books stored on it than you could ever dream of carrying in paper form. With the 3G version you can download more just about anywhere within internet range - with free access.

As far as food goes, I have found in my travels and living abroad all over the world (too little cruising, usually working) it helps to be flexible and close the mind to those fixations for British food, marmalade, pickles, etc. Even tea ... sacrilege perhaps, but I haven't taken tea in years and now drink coffee exclusively. Go native, it's far cheaper and with time you could be surprised, you may even prefer it.
 
Nostrodamus said:
Anything else I will give up but tea, never. I will tow a barge of tea bags behind me if need be. Is it still Liptons everywhere orcan you buy some decent teas?
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Dunno, never drink the stuff. Be prepared to be given the makings in some furrin places, a glass of warm(ish) water and a fiddly paper packet containing a tea bag on a string to dangle in the water.

I'll never forget a generation or two ago when I lived in Madrid and was visited by my parents who had never before been out of England. My father was a bit like you with his tea addiction and as I could not always accompany them I wrote some cards of Spanish phrases for them to show waiters or others - "a cup of tea, please" being high on the list. When I inquired how they had got on my father was highly contemptuous of the tea he had been served, saying that he would never drink it again. So don't expect what you have been used to.
 
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Nostrodamus said:
Anything else I will give up but tea, never. I will tow a barge of tea bags behind me if need be. Is it still Liptons everywhere orcan you buy some decent teas?
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Difficult, Liptons is still quite prevalent where I've been anyway. I'm minded of the time I asked for some "te con leche" and was given a cup of hot milk with a tea bag in it, oh dear...:o
 
djbreeze said:
Difficult, Liptons is still quite prevalent where I've been anyway. I'm minded of the time I asked for some "te con leche" and was given a cup of hot milk with a tea bag in it, oh dear...:o
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You did well to get hot milk, usually it is luke warm.

I supposeI could take my old work number and dial it by mistake when we get somewhere warm.
 
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