Provisioning a yacht charter in St Vincent — where to shop and what to skip
Provisioning a yacht in St Vincent is easier than most first-timers expect, but the choice is narrower than in the BVI or St Lucia, and a bit of planning saves a lot of dinghy trips later. Whether you are on a bareboat or supplementing what the chef has already loaded on a crewed boat, this is how the locals actually shop.
The big supermarkets in Kingstown — Massy Stores and Greaves — cover 80% of what a charter needs. Fresh produce, dairy, meat and fish, dry goods, wine and spirits, cleaning supplies and paper. Massy is closer to the yacht bases and takes cards; go with a taxi from Blue Lagoon (around US $15 each way) and bring cool bags for anything frozen. Aim for the morning — stock is fresher and the queues shorter.
For fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, the Kingstown Fish Market on Friday morning and the Saturday produce market above it are the best in the country. Pineapples, mangoes in season, callaloo, plantains, tomatoes, ginger, thyme and scotch bonnet peppers — all a fraction of supermarket prices and much better quality. Cash (EC preferred) only.
In Bequia, Doris' Fresh Food does an excellent provisioning service — email a list a few days ahead and she will meet the yacht at the fuel dock with everything packed and priced. Slightly more expensive than doing it yourself in Kingstown, but a fair trade if you are arriving late or short on time.
What to bring from home: any specific brands you love (marmite, particular tea, favourite hot sauce), specialist dietary items (gluten-free flour, protein powder, baby food), and one bottle of really good wine or spirits for a special dinner. Local rum (Sunset Very Strong, Sussex) is world-class and cheap; wine is more expensive than in Europe and the choice is narrower.
For crewed charters, send a preferences sheet to the chef two weeks ahead — allergies, dislikes, dietary requirements, favourite breakfasts, and how the group feels about lobster, conch and callaloo. See /plan-your-charter/how-it-works and /plan-your-charter/faq for the full run-through of what happens before you board.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do you provision in St Vincent?
- Massy Stores and Greaves in Kingstown for the bulk of the shop, the Friday fish market and Saturday produce market for fresh produce, and Doris' Fresh Food in Bequia for a pre-packed top-up.
- Can Doris' Fresh Food deliver to the yacht in Bequia?
- Yes — email a list a few days ahead and she will meet the boat at the fuel dock with everything packed and priced.
- What should I bring from home?
- Specialist dietary items, favourite brands (marmite, particular teas), and one bottle of really good wine or spirits. Local rum is world-class and cheap; imported wine is expensive.
- Do I need to provision on a crewed charter?
- No — the chef handles it. Send a preferences sheet two weeks ahead covering allergies, dislikes and favourite breakfasts so the shop is done to suit your group.