How to sail with us
What you need to bring
Please pack your kit in a soft bag – there’s no space to store a hard suitcase!
- Pillow and either a sleeping bag, or a single duvet plus a single sheet
- Warm clothing (even in summer it can be cold at sea)
- Warm hat and gloves
- Waterproof footwear (wellies are fine if soles are non-slip)
- Trainers or deck shoes with non-slip soles
- Underwear
- Clothes to wear ashore
- Wash kit (NB aerosols are a serious fire hazard and NOT allowed on board – bring roll-on deodorant)
- Flannel or wet wipes (there are limited opportunities for showers)
- Towel
- Water bottle (with your name on, or otherwise clearly identifiable)
- Any regular medication / inhalers (you MUST tell our office in advance what you are taking)
- Seasickness pills
- Glasses or contact lenses if needed (NB bring spares; contact lens cleaning solution; a strap to hold your glasses on)
- Swimming kit
- Sun cream, sunhat (e.g. baseball cap), sunglasses
- Shorts
- Personal belongings such as camera, torch, diary
- Pocket money
- RYA logbook (if you have one. Useful for building sailing qualifications. Available on board for £6)
- Duke of Edinburgh Award book (if you have one)
- Your Crew Handbook (which will be sent to you in the post before the start of the voyage)
- Travel insurance documents (see here for more infomation)
Visiting overseas ports
We may go abroad, even on a short trip – but check with the office first if you are concerned about the trouble or expense of getting a passport – some voyages can be designated UK-only, especially if lots of people don’t have passports. Additional requirements for voyages which might go overseas (e.g. to France) would be:
- Passports (and visas if required): For British passport holders visiting the EU, your passport must be issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check ‘date of issue’) and valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check ‘expiry date’)”. British citizens (and, of course, EU nationals) do not need visas for short EU visits; other nationals should check EU visa requirements.
- A Global Health Insurance Card (in case you need medical treatment abroad) – these replace the old EHIC cards and are free. If you have an EHIC card, it remains valid until it expires.
- Pocket money in Euros
PLEASE NOTE: Energy drinks such as Monster, Red Bull and similar are not allowed on the boat; nor is chewing gum; and we ask people to bring only a small amount of sweets.
If you choose to bring a device for listening to music, please make sure you pack some headphones!
Waterproof clothing, safety harnesses and lifejackets are provided on board.