Sunrise is one of my favorite times on the boat. My First Mate likes to sleep in, so I make a cup of coffee and go up to the cockpit to watch the sunrise and the anchorage wake up. In Florida, we often have dolphins and Manatees moving through the anchorage in the morning. It is a very relaxing way to start the day and I miss it when we are not on the boat.
We have gone through a couple methods of making coffee on the boat. At home we use a french press to make our morning joe. I started using a french press in my single days and if you have never used one, it makes a great creamy cup of coffee.
We used the french press in our first year of cruising, but the glass carafe is not ideal for the boat. I was thinking of buying a stainless steel or plastic one, but then I discovered a better option, Starbucks VIA.
Before Starbucks VIA, I would only drink instant coffee as a last resort. It always had a strange taste to me. VIA tastes great. Not as quite as good as a good freshly brewed coffee, but it is close, and it tastes much better than what most restaurants and gas stations serve. If you like a more robust coffee or lighter coffee, then the Italian Roast and Veranda versions are great too.
It is very easy to use VIA on the boat, we just heat water on our stove, empty the VIA in the cup, and stir. No coffee grounds or coffee maker to clean up. I am sure if when we move aboard permanently that we will buy a break proof french press, but for now the VIA is perfect.
We are not the only sailors that like VIA, it is also a favorite of the racers in the Volvo around the world race. Check out this article on the VIA addiction aboard Alvimedica.
If you found this post helpful, and you are interested in buying any of the products we use and recommend, then we would be very grateful if you purchase using relevant Amazon link or shop for similar items through our Amazon search on the sidebar. Note: These are affiliate links. If you click on one and then buy something, we get paid a small commission. It all helps to pay for the upkeep of this site, and costs you nothing.
We buy the same multi-packs of 24 VIA which gets the price under $1 a cup. Both french press have great reviews, but the stainless one also helps keep the coffee warm which helps when your First Mate likes to sleep in.
The Sailing Rode / The Sailing Road
Sailing Podcast
Funnily enough, I just dug our French press out of storage to bring back on the boat in hopes of cutting down our Coke intake (I know, it’s a terrible habit), but it’s glass so the Starbucks VIA recommendation is perfectly timed. Thanks for the tip!
I am sure a glass one is fine as long as you don’t try to use it offshore. It does make great coffee. The VIA is perfect for offshore.