A question which frequently has our skippers grinding their teeth! :). We will always sail when it is logistically possible; it’s what we love too, after all.
But at times, when sitting in a calm harbour, it’s hard to tell what the conditions are like outside; so sometimes, we just plain don’t know until we get out there.
There are other factors which influence the decision too; eg, if the wind happens to be coming from exactly where we want to go….. it could take an age to get there, tacking backwards and forwards. If there’s no time constraints, and the distance isn’t too long – then sure, let’s get that team-tacking on! But if, for example, someone is getting miserably seasick – we’re not hanging around taking twice the time to get there; we’ll motor-sail as the fastest way to get to port.
Luckily, that’s actually rare; what is common however, is that we DO need to get a good dock space at our next destination. In most places, it’s first-come, first-served; there’s no reserving spaces. With just a few little spots, where the local families have say over who gets space on their dock / buoy; they’ll keep us space. But in most places, docks are public property and if we want to be sure of a spot, we can’t arrive too late.
Plus – this isn’t a full-on sail training trip; it’s a vacation where people also want to explore the islands, to experience the culture and meet the locals. If you’re a die-hard sailor who wants to sail from dawn till dusk, we’re not the right outfit for you. We keep the best balance we can with what each group /individual wants to do – our itineraries are not set in stone, and our skippers always go with the flow of what suits the group best. We sail when it’s practical and fun to do so; when other factors kick in, then sometimes we’ll need to motor.