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 ((please note that we have previously provided duvets and pillows but this is not possible in 2021 due to Covid-19).
- Hand sanitiser and face coverings
- or 2 rapid Covid home test kits, if you have them. We will also carry spares on board. (These would be used if anyone appears to show symptoms during your voyage).
- 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
- 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
- Water bottle
- 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
Visiting overseas ports
Please note that current Covid-safe protocols mean that we will not sail to foreign ports so that we do not run the risk of being caught up in a Covid outbreak whilst abroad. If this changes as the season goes on then we will advise people on a voyage-by-voyage basis. Additional requirements for voyages which might go overseas (e.g. to France) would be:
- Passports (and visas if required): British passports must have at least 6 months left (and be less than 10 years old) when visiting the EU. British citizens (and, of course, EU nationals) do not need visas for short visits to the EU; 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. In response to Covid-19, we have two complete sets so that personal gear doesn't need to be handed direct from one crew to the next: the set that has just been used will be quarantined while the other set is used for the next voyage.
Crew handbook (pdf)
