Experienced sailors, you can skip this bit! You already know the pros and cons of living aboard. For our newbies – think of a sailboat as a floating RV home. Basic resources like water and electricity must be used conservatively; storage space is at a premium. Someone once described sailboat toilets as “upright coffins” – yep, that’s about right!
So even though our 55′ yacht is big in cruising yacht terms, it is still a “cosy” shared space, where consideration for others is paramount. For those with an easy-going and gregarious nature, the way that group dynamics develop so fast on a sailboat is a wonderful experience; people often go home with friends-for-life. If you are someone who needs a lot of their own “space” (physically and/or mentally) – this may not be the trip for you.
Our favourite description of sailing comes from one of our guests: “It’s like camping on the water”. Very upmarket camping for sure; but if this concept appeals to you, rather than the comforts of a plush hotel – you’ll be around like-minded people who love nature, adventure, and the team spirit that grows from such an environment.
We think it’s great if people want to get involved, learn about the boat, sailing, and generally be part of an active team. If one of your objectives coming on this trip is to learn about or improve your sailing – we’re more than happy to teach you.
But, we realise it’s not everyone’s goal… so, if spreading your towel on deck and lying out with a good book is your plan – that’s fine too. Our skippers will need some extra pairs of hands to help dock the boat, but you don’t need to be full-on tweaking sails if that doesn’t float your boat.
We do, however, expect that everyone will contribute in some way to the team spirit – if you wanted to just lie by a pool and have cocktails served to you, we assume you’d be on a cruise ship.