Sailing tours and trips

You don’t have to lift a finger if you don’t want to (unless you need to turn the page of your novel or eat a grape). But if you’d like to learn the ropes, that’s fine too. Your expert skipper can teach you everything you’d like to know – from tying knots to unfurling the sails.

There’s about a 30/70 split between land-based and water-based activities on our Asia and Caribbean sailing trips. In Europe this is closer to 50/50 however some evenings will be spent in port or a marina. Much of this depends on the weather conditions. There are usually at least a few hours each day spent exploring ports, trekking the surrounding areas or relaxing on beaches. Of course, depending on location, there will always be the chance to wine and dine at the local hot spots. 

We have travellers of all ages and nationalities travelling with us. Approximately 60% of our travellers are single travellers, followed by a mix of friends travelling and couples. The minimum age of travellers on our trips is 18, or 15 if accompanied by an adult. We don’t have a maximum age as we believe those choosing a sailing adventure are like-minded regardless of age.

Your skipper will allocate rooms on arrival to the boat. Single travellers will be paired up with another passenger of the same sex, and this may mean sharing a double mattress or twin mattresses side by side.

This is our most common question. People are often hesitant about the idea of sharing a double mattress with another traveller of the same sex. Sailing boats tend to be very compact (and we use realy sailing boats), and the close-quarters nature of this travel is part of the adventure.

Sleeping quarters are designed to utilise the minimum amount of space in order to keep the communal areas as big as possible. In practice, lots of travellers end up sleeping out on deck under the stars, as it’s warm and there’s no air conditioning on a sailing boat.

Our boats have a mix of double, twin (two separate beds or two separate mattresses side by side) and bunks. 

Yes. Single supplements are available on all trips subject to availability. A single supplement is normally twice the regular price, however where trips have inclusions such as meals there is a slight reduction in the supplement price. If you are interested in having a single supplement please contact us to check availability and price.

On many boats bathroom facilities are shared, however some boats have ensuites in each cabin that allow two people to share one bathroom. Our monohull yachts in Europe will have no more than two cabins sharing a bathroom. Most of our catamarans have four cabins and four bathrooms, however these bathrooms are shared between travellers and crew. Check the Essential Trip Information of your trip for more specific details about your boat. Fresh and hot water is available for showers, and toilets are either electronic or hand pump.

Seasickness comes in a variety of forms. Common symptoms include fatigue, uneasiness, dizziness, and headaches. The majority of these symptoms usually subside after taking some time to adjust (usually a few hours to a day). Paracetamol tablets can help ease the transition. Heavy seasickness, characterised by vomiting, is uncommon, and it can be treated using medication. There are also a number of other self-management techniques you can try – such as sitting out in the fresh air, drinking ginger tea or watching the horizon. 

For more information about beating seasickness, click here. 

All Caribbean, Asia, Zanzibar and Galapagos Island trips feature an on-board chef, who will prepare three delicious meals each day, plus snacks. In Europe and the British Virgin Islands, we operate with a trip kitty* that everyone contributes to. This is because there’s so much great local produce to taste in each place that it makes a lot of sense to buy food at each stop! This kitty will keep cover some of your food and beverage costs. On all our trips there will be an opportunity to enjoy a meal at a local port – we’ll be able to show you where all the good tavernas are. Please check your Essential Trip Information for more specific details.

*See below for information about what is kitty. 

You are welcome to drink on board - in fact, nothing enhances a sunset more than a gin and tonic – however alcohol is BYO (bring your own). So make sure you buy what you need before departure. Some of our boats have alcoholic drinks on board that are available for purchase at local bar prices. Drinking water is free of charge.

Due to the compact size of the boats and the sometimes rocky nature of a sailing trip, it is advisable that you bring fabric/canvas luggage. It’s a good idea to pack light as there will usually be a gap between the boat and pier. While the skipper or a fellow traveller can give you a helping hand, you’ll need to be able to lift your bag onto the boat.

Sailing trips are a little different to regular group tours. There’s a finite amount of space on the boat, so it’s best to leave the grand piano, pet llama and foldout four-person mattress at home. Same goes for bulky suitcases, ten pairs of shoes and the surfboard.

This isn’t designed to be a comprehensive packing list, but it’ll get you thinking like a real sailor.   

• A medium-sized fabric bag that can be flattened or stored easily
• A small day pack for shore excursions
• Some flip flops or deck shoes that can get wet
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
• Seasickness tablets (just in case)
• Swimmers (don’t worry about the snorkel and fins – we provide those)
• Waterproof camera (for those sweet underwater shots)
• A light weatherproof jacket (just in case of high seas or seasonal showers)

For a more detailed packing list please refer to the Essential Trip Information of your trip. 

These will vary from trip to trip – be sure to check your Essential Trip Information for more specific details. Some sailing trips will head out to sea on the afternoon of the first day. Others will remain in port overnight, however we still ask that you join the trip at the requested time as the skipper will need to deliver a welcome and safety briefing before organising a visit to the supermarket to buy provisions for the trip. All travellers will have an input into the provisions and this will be purchased from the kitty*.

Please note that due to sailing being a heavily weather-dependent activity, sometimes itineraries may need to change. We recommend allowing an additional night at the beginning and end of the trip to ensure nobody misses any onward flights.

*see ‘What is a kitty’ for more information on.

A kitty is a fund or pool of money that all travellers can choose to contribute to at the beginning of a trip. It’s not compulsory however we’ve found pooling the group's money in one place makes it easier to arrange non-included group meals and tips where necessary. You'll usually eat most breakfasts and some lunches and dinners onboard the boat, so it's best to buy supplies from a nearby supermarket or grocery store at the beginning of each trip. For meals off the boat, our skippers will suggest locally-run restaurants that specialise in local produce and delicacies.  

The maximum passenger capacity on our boats changes depending on which country you are sailing. Here’s a quick breakdown, but you can always find more specific details in the essential trip information of each tour.

Burma: 8

Phuket: 14

Caribbean: 8

Europe: 8 – 11 (depending on the boat)