Yacht Provisioning Terms You Need To Know As A Member Of Crew

When you’re a member of a yacht crew working during a busy charter season, you may come across various terms and products from a range of different departments. Some of these you may be familiar with already and others you won’t, especially if you’re new to the world of yacht provisioning – even the most experienced yacht provisioners come across requests that they don’t immediately recognise, it’s part of what makes the job so interesting.

At Gourmet Deliveries, we pride ourselves on being able to source the hardest-to-find products for our clients and we regularly come across items on provisioning lists that are rare or from a specific region.

In this article, we’re going to take you through some provisioning terms and rare products that we sometimes encounter when sourcing client requests. So, let’s get started!

Common Terms Glossary

APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance)

APA refers to a lump sum payment that covers all of your onboard expenses during a yacht charter. While your charter fees include the hire of the yacht, the crew and the yacht’s insurance, all other expenses are in addition to the charter fee and these are included in APA costs.

Yacht provisioning

The historic role of a yacht provisioning company was to source, prepare and deliver food and drink supplies to private and commercial yachts worldwide, but over the years provisioning companies have expanded their options for clients.

Preference sheet

This is a form containing a very detailed food and drinks preference list as well as a list of any medical conditions or disabilities the crew should be made aware of.

Bareboat charter

Chartering or hiring either a private or commercial vessel, whereby no crew or yacht provisions are included as part of the agreement.

Soft goods

This includes items such as luxury bed linens, blankets, pillows, bath towels, beach towels, hand towels, washcloths, and dish towels.

Preference sheet

This is a form containing a very detailed food and drinks preference list as well as a list of any medical conditions or disabilities the crew should be made aware of.

All-Inclusive Yacht Charters

Some yacht charters offer all-inclusive rates, based on the total number of guests. These rates typically include all food and drink, water sports, and fuel costs. However, dockage and taxes are usually charged separately.

Plus Expenses yacht Charters

For some luxury yacht charters, the base price is for the yacht only. Additional expenses, i.e. food, bar, fuel, dockage, port taxes, and other expenses, are charged separately. Most frequently, the running expenses are paid by an APA, which is typically 35% of the base price.

With years of industry experience, we can help you and your charter guests with any special requests. No matter how obscure, rare or exclusive your provisioning list is, Gourmet Deliveries can source the items you need to ensure a successful trip.

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Specialist Foods Glossary

At Gourmet Deliveries we’ve been asked to source everything from jellyfish to alligator when dealing with clients’ provisioning lists. So here are a few meat, fish and fruits that you may or may not be too familiar with.

Wagyu

Wagyu beef is a rare cut of meat from a breed of cattle native to Japan. High-grade wagyu can cost up to $200 per pound.

Head Cheese

Not to be mistaken for a dairy product, head cheese is a delicious meat jelly that is made from a calf or pig’s head.

Akutaq

Akutaq (Alaskan ice cream) is typically made from reindeer fat, flavoured with salmon eggs and berries, and is served cold and creamy.

Stargazy Pie

This dish actually stares up at you while you eat it. The pie is served with fish heads poking upward through the pie crust.

Black Pudding

Black pudding, a.k.a. blood pudding, is a congealed dish of blood that is often made with suet, oatmeal or breadcrumbs.

Escamole

A delicious Mexican dish, made from ant larvae that congregate around the roots of the agave plant.

Basashi

Japanese basashi is an unusual dish which incorporates thin slices of raw horse meat.

Arbroath Smokies

The Arbroath smokie is a type of smoked haddock and is a speciality of the town of Arbroath in Angus, Scotland.

Gravlax

Gravlax or graved salmon is a Nordic dish consisting of salmon that is cured using a mix of salt and sugar, and either dill or spruce twigs placed on top.

Ossetra caviar

Ossetra caviar is one of the most prized and expensive types of caviar – Gourmets describe osetra caviar as having a smooth, buttery taste, subtly salty, with a nutty, bold flavour that’s sure to be memorable.

Foie Gras

A well-known French delicacy consumed the world over, foie gras is made from the liver of a duck or goose. Its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of an ordinary duck or goose liver.

Charcuterie

This is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.

Jackfruit

The national fruit of Bangladesh, the jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. It has a mild sweet taste and a meat-like texture.

Kiwano or horned melon

Horned melon goes by many different names, including jelly melon and hedged gourd, It is an orange fruit with spiky skin

Cherimoya or custard apple

Native to South America, this oval-shaped fruit has a strange appearance but has a sweet reward inside—just watch out for the seeds as they’re toxic!

Feijoa or pineapple guava

Feijoa, or pineapple guava, is a sweet, tangy fruit roughly the size of a small avocado. It has a pineapple taste with a hint of strawberry.

Akebi

Akebi is a purple Japanese fruit that contains sweet white flesh. Its flavour can vary drastically but it has been described as similar to passion fruit and bananas.

DRAGON FRUIT​

Dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya or strawberry pear, is a tropical fruit known for its vibrant red skin and sweet, seed-speckled pulp.

Gold kiwifruit

While it might slightly resemble green kiwis in shape, gold kiwifruit has smooth, hairless skin. Its flesh is a vibrant yellow colour with a smaller core and fewer seeds.

Golden berries

Golden berries, also known as Peruvian ground cherry, Inca berry, poha berry, husk cherry or cape gooseberry, are a bright, orange-coloured fruit that’s similar to tomatillos as they are wrapped in a husk.

Whilst the above list includes some useful information and products that regularly appear on our yacht provisioning request lists, this is only the tip of the iceberg. So, if you require more information about yacht provisioning get it touch with our friendly team.

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