What do you bring on a sailing trip?
ANSWER; very little! A few pieces of comfortable clothing, walking shoes, a couple of swimsuits, a light jacket, small quantities of appropriate cosmetics and sunblock; dark glasses with a string and a hat with a string, that is about it!
Here is a tried and true list of what will get you through the trip more than comfortably - speaking of which, comfort is the theme here...nothing fancy, no high heels, no suit and tie.
The islands are extremely informal, and you could actually get by on less, as most people have told me.
PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY, THINK IT OVER AND MOST OF ALL, BRING LITTLE!
I RECOMMEND THAT YOU PRINT THIS OUT AND KEEP IT FOR REFERENCE WHILE PACKING.
WHAT TO BRING:
(anything that you bring outside of this recommended list is wasted weight and space, it will fill up your cabin... and you will have to sleep with it!
You have heard it before, I am sure, that on a sail boat there is little space for storage...so....please do not bring more than one large or two small soft sided bags, duffels or backpacks. Everything you have must fit in your cabin,and storage is very limited. Try packing a couple of weeks before you leave to have a good look at what is and is not really necessary. Take a look at it, and try and eliminate everything that you really don t need! Backpackers say, pack, then eliminate half of what you have packed.
IF YOUR TRIP IS STARTING AND FINISHING IN LEROS YOU MAY LEAVE ANY UN NECESSARY ITEMS/LUGGAGE AT THE HOME PORT FOR PICK UP WHEN YOU RETURN
YOUR TRIP IS NOT A FASHION SHOW (and 99% of all humans do not have a Barbie & Ken body.....)
in the USA, I shop at K Mart and Target and find excellent sailing attire. What you want to bring are loose fitting COMFORTABLE breathable fabric or cotton clothing, light to medium weight. Baggy shorts and shirts, comfortable swim suits and nothing that has to stay PERFECT! No ironing boards here. . .
Seriously, in this list is -
CLOTHING: ALL THAT YOU WILL NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE AND STYLISH ON YOUR SAILING TRIP:-
1 or two pairs of shorts or boxers for A)sailing B)sleeping C)swimming D) hiking
-2 tee shirts to use with the above, or bring one, buy one souvenir T when you arrive. You will probably pick up a souvenir T in the islands and Pwyll sailing T's are available for purchase on board, price 9 euro.
2 of something that resembles a swimsuit ( I wear most anything, including what I have been wearing that day) Skinny dipping is possible in many of our anchorages if you want to be clothing- free.
-1 pair of long comfortable cotton pants, 1 long sleeve shirt for evening
-1 lightweight long sleeve shirt if you are sun shy
-1 sailing hat that stays on and has a chin string
-1 pair of sunglasses with neck cord
(YOU MUST HAVE a cord on all glasses you will use on board or Neptune will claim them)
-1 sarong for the women comes in handy- boxers or loose lightweight short pants for the men
- a few pairs of underwear (you can wash them out along the way, don't bring too many unless of course they look good drying on the rails (I prefer bright colors for this purpose)
-1 very light spray/wind jacket, (water resistant rain type jacket) find at: Campmor Outdoor Catalogue, Kmart,Target.
-1 sweatshirt or similar weight and style piece of clothing for cool evenings and cooler sailing days
- Something just a tad more respectable for land use when eating out at night (absolutely informal and not absolutely necessary) IE: cotton trousers, cotton sweater/jumper, or long sleeve shirt, clean T Shirt - what will be comfortable depends on the time of the season you are coming. Where ever we go, the attire is informal.
The women may want to bring a skirt or sun dress type of garment (I have one in case the rare urge strikes me to "dress up").
- shoes or all-terrain open type footwear for walking on land. None of the walks that we do require anything more than Teva type sandals. Shoes are not required and discouraged on board, but if you feel that you will need shoes on board, please bring a designated pair for boat use only, No street shoes are allowed on board, you may not use the same pair of shoes for shore use that you use on board. Using the same pair of shoes for both land and boat is not allowed because pebbles get lodged in the tread and scratch the boat.
I prefer to go barefoot on board, I grip with my toes. Reef shoes, those enclosed rubber and net type, are good for walking around on the boat and cheap.
White bottomed footwear are better if you will be using these as boat shoes. Get the cheap kind! I find them at the drug store/discount store for $10.
reef shoes come in handy if you swim ashore and then want to walk around along the shore.
I have a pair of Birkinstock-like sandals or Crocks, which I use for everything from walking in town to hiking. Something "slip-on" is best for general use as you must take your shoes off before getting on board.
TOILETRIES FOR SAILING TRIPS:
- good waterproof sunscreen, #30 to #50, I recommend gel type like Bullfrog, Shade, the new Coppertone products or "Sports" sunscreen, gels are better, or "dry oil" sprays.
Especially good for the face are Neutrogena, Oil of Olay Dove, #30 is plenty but I am seeing that it is hard to find anything under 50 these days. The stick types are good to bring as well for noses, shoulders, ears and the tops of your feet.
-A good moisturizing cream, face oil (plain jojoba or sesame seed oil is great) or hydrating face cream (men too) your skin drys to an uncomfortable state without it. A very small bottle about 100cc (travel sample size) will be plenty.
- good chapstick with 15 or better sfp. Body Shop or Burt's Bee's has some excellent lip protection sticks" with sfp. Chapstick with sfp stays on well. I also like Carmex because it "tastes" better than the others.
The Body Shop "body butter" in cocoa is a good all-over end-of-the-day cream.
The "Palmers" Cocoa Butter Formula swivel stick is great for soothing dry lips after your day of sailing. (available at Longs or CVS).
Skin-So-Soft by Avon is also a good all around body oil, light and also bug repellent! (occasionally we have mosquitoes, but this is normally limited to the Turkish Coast.)
SNORKELING
I have a variety of medium snorkeling sets with fins, and 2 larger men's sizes. Bring a mask and snorkel if you have a good one that you are used to.
SWIMMING
I don't use a wet suit, but sometimes I do swim in a tight fitting T for extra warmth if the water is chilly. At most you might like to have a shortie very light "second skin" early in the season.
WATER/DRINK CONTAINER -A closed insulated large sports type water bottle - the kind with a straw out of the top, or drink top, for your water or soft drinks, you MUST drink water all the time to keep from becoming dehydrated, remember this! This is the Med! Being in the sun and wind all day is not something that you are accustomed to, you will require much more water than you are accustomed to drinking.
BEDDING & TOWELS I have bath towels and beach towels on board for everyone. (as well as your bed linen).
MUSIC: I have about 1000 CD's to choose from for most tastes for your music enjoyment.
- a few good CD's (please put your name on them!!!) Please, I cannot bear Rap music, most everything else will be welcome.
MP3's: You can connect your mp3, however, not for more than a few songs unless everyone (including the captain) is in agreement with the music selections.
Music can be irritating and even provoke seasickness so...the captain has the final say on music!
JEWELRY
Don't bring it. It is not a good idea to wear expensive jewelry on a boat, it gets broken - or worse, lost overboard. It is actually best to keep all adornments to a minimum while sailing, and please, no toe rings, (or any other body piercing jewelry) these are bad news on a boat, you can get "hung up" by this type of jewelry.
SEASICKNESS:
Ginger tablets, candied ginger, (which I love and welcome aboard) or ginger in any form is good for anyone who thinks they might suffer seasickness. Also, many people find the wrist seabands effective. For more serious treatment, seasickness pills, such as Bonine. I do not recommend the patches, they are too strong and you may suffer more from the treatment than the ailment. There is also a new magnetic type band that you can regulate for your needs, available for about $70, online, I have seen it work well on one woman who swore she would get sick, and with this and half doses of Bonine, she did not.
Malox or Tums, and candied ginger also work well to quell the onset of seasickness. Most sailors, even first time sailors, manage to overcome the problem of seasickness within the first day or so - your body will adjust in most cases, most people get over the problems quickly. You may not be able to read or go down below the first couple of days while we are underway, but gradually you will become accustomed.
Bruises and strained muscles:
I always carry a homeopathic remedy for bruising which works wonders! It is called ARNICA and comes in a cream and a gel for external use, and in sub lingual tablets for taking internally. Ladies, this will keep you from displaying multicolor bruise spots on your soft areas if you take it while on board! Start taking it a week before you come in the minimum dosage. Somehow we always get them! Arnica also takes the swelling and pain away quickly, even with serious injuries. I have put it to the test MANY times. You can get arnica in Wholefoods, or any natural foods/products store.
PASSPORTS: please bring four copies of the main page and I will ask you to leave one with me. The others should be spread around in what you bring. Never travel without copies.
CREDIT CARDS AND MONEY I recommend bringing two or three cards and pack them in different places in case one is lost, damaged, or stolen.
Make sure that you call your credit card company before you leave to inform them that you are going abroad, AND find out how you use your card abroad (make sure you have your PIN number) and to check to see the TOTAL cost of using an ATM abroad, and what your daily limit is. Capital One is the only card I know of that does not have a foreign transaction fee. The percentage for ATM withdrawals varies greatly, generally from 3% to 5% often, higher. Check the minimum charge which, again may vary from $3 - $10, often it is $10!
You can bring some travelers checks, but don't plan to use these exclusively, they are only accepted in banks, not all islands have banks. I always carry some cash, some 1's, 5's, 10's, and 20's are convenient to have along, and a couple 50's or 100's. For a 10 day trip, Budget a minimum of $350/pp for extras, including dining out. (Don't buy Euros in Heathrow if you are traveling through England. Wait to change Euros in Athens. It is cheaper once you are in Euro-land)
If you are coming to Turkey, bring a little extra cash, and change only as many Turkish Lira as you need once in the country. You get a very unfavorable rate when you sell Lira back if you have any left over. You will also need US cash for your Turkish Visa. Euros work as well.
PACK LIGHT! PACK LIGHT! PACK LIGHT! PACK LIGHT! PACK LIGHT! PACK LIGHT!
Remember, you will be able to wash lighter clothing out along the way (even though we must conserve water), pack to be comfortable-comfortable is much more important than stylish. I am sure that you will want to go home with at least one souvenir T-shirt, so bring at least one LESS.
You don't get "sweaty dirty" on a boat, so clothing stays "acceptable" longer!
Storage is limited in your cabins, if you have too much stuff, you will never find what you brought anyway.
Any questions?? Please do contact me with any questions that you may have.
Your Captain, Christy
ONE MORE TIME: bring less
Pack a few days or more ahead, and evaluate what you really do and don't need. It helps to see it all laying on your bed and realize you probably don't need half of what you thought. You could get by with ONE "T," shorts, one pair of pants, a swimsuit and one long sleeve top - really, and many bring just about that!
pack, then repack........this is
the pile of clothes that you won't need and that you leave at home!
