If you or your guests are not comfortable and full, memories of the voyage may not be so great...well duh. Use the internet and cruising guides to doublecheck that you've thought of everything needed for maximum comforts on board.

Galley

• Take enough food & water for several days more than you plan on. You could be delayed by weather, lock closures, engine problems, etc.
• Minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day, plus cooking needs.
• Matches, propane, coleman or alcohol cooking fuel
• Minimum of 2 ice chests.
• Find out crew preferences before your purchase
• Packaged Oat servings, instant coffee, sugar, salt, packaged hot chocalate mix, fruit mix, tea bags, artificial lemon juice, butter, pre-boiled eggs, carton of eggs, honey, syrup, jelly
• Canned meats, beef stew, chili, soups, vegatables, noodles & whatever, powdered mash potatoes
• Nuts, apples, bananas, raisons, peanut butter, beef jerky, fig bars, pretzels, potatoe chips & sticks, fritos, party mix, snack cakes
• LOTS of crackers to go with everything, bread will be hard to come by and doesn't keep that long.
• Mustard, relish, vinegar, olives, cooking oil, can openers, knives, forks, spoons, paper plates, cups, insulated cups with caps to make your drinks last longer, thermos botttles, insulated drink holders
• Pans of varying sizes, skillet, spatula, kettle for fast boiling of water, containers for transporting water from fawcett to boat

Clothes

• Take clothes for comfort in the worst case unexpected weather scenarios.
• Duffel bags, waterproof clothes bags if possible
• Wide brimmed sun hat with straps, or arabic style head gear - whatever will work to avoid the sun in an open cockpit - best if not open.
• Foul weather gear, with pants that extend over the boots to keep your feet dry.
• More than one pair of shoes, with all pair having non-skid soles.
• Underwear, enough for several days between washings, and a way to store the dirties so that they can get air, not mildew, but not stink up the joint either.
• Presentable clothes for shore outings, more for comfort only while on board.
• Lightweight wind breakers, sweaters, and long sleeve shirts for early summer mornings, especially if you lift anchor early and the fog has barely lifted.
Work gloves, solid & fingerless. We think of sun hats, but forget our hands usually have more cancers than our heads, at least in my and my dads case.
• Sheets & pillow cases, sleeping bags, extra blankets

Housekeeping

• Lots of garbage bags, broom & dust pan, sponges, scrub brush, plastic bucket, spray disinfectant, dish soap (environmental kind), dish rags & pots/skillet cleaner, hand soap in dispensers - bars get lost too easily and are messy & hard to store, wash powder for clothes
• Rolled paper towels, toilet paper, plenty of chemical toilet treatment, deoderizer, wash rags, towels
• Plastic or glass window cleaner, aluminum foil, plastic sandwich bags, saranwrap
• Take extra mosquito netting, sunscreen, and a portable hanging shower bag for warm climates
• Strong Plastic clips for drying wet clothes on a make shift clothes line while idling along

Entertainment

• Portable AM/FM radio, with short wave bands preferable, and spare batteries. I use mine to tune in local stations for news/weather forecasts and music wherever I've anchored down for the night, right before I drift off to sleep. Always carry a NOAA weather station radio also.
• Portable 12-volt small screen TV in a dry box with descicant. Doesn't pick up many stations, but is fun to turn on at marinas, gets many comments. My 18 footer doesn't look TV worthy. A must carry item for kids or sports nuts.
• Boarding ladder and parafanlia for swimming, snorkling, or diving, as your space, weight limitations, and pocket book allow.
• Fishing poles, lures, tackle box, stringers, filet knife. Day licenses are usually available at marinas, etc. A jug, string, and hook could be set out latter at night for a catfish surprise come morning.
• Books - the ones you never had time to read, but are great stuff as you wait out high wind and waves for days on end. Some marinas are linked up with others to loan you books to read, which you turn in at a marina further on...an aquatic library so to speak.
• Before you leave port, plan ahead of time to stop at historic and other points of interest on your journey. Don't forget cameras, film, memory sticks, battery packs, etc.
• Your logbook of each days activities and encounters can be made quite entertaining, wihout stretching the truth at all! I find the raw stats, such as miles traveled, speeds, weather & wave conditions, fuel remaining till next marina, interesting people and boats met...all of it entertains me, as I relay it for my wife & posterity to ponder later!
• Computers on board? A whole subject in itself - see the internet for good advice.
• I'm not sure if its legal to shoot a pellet gun into the water at driftwood or snakes...but it could be entertaining...shotguns & clay targets are carried by the yachties! Check on what's legal.