Deciding what islands to explore during your sailing vacation is the hard part. The expert team at Virgin Island Sailing® have plenty of suggestions to help you decide on the perfect destination. Once your yachting vacation is booked, the next decision is what to take with you. Packing for a sailing vacation in the Caribbean is actually much easier than you would think.
The biggest mistake of most first time sailing vacationers, and repeat clients alike, is packing too much! With plenty of sun and sea, life on the Islands is very casual, and you really need very little. The following nine tips should help avoid overpacking and ensure you have a great sailing vacation.
Luggage: The first thing to keep in mind is that storage on a boat is usually limited and not conducive to large hard-sided suitcases. Thus, strong duffel bags tend to work best because they can be folded up and stored away after you unpack. In addition, their size limits what you can bring. However, we understand the ease of traveling with a rolling suitcase. As an alternative to a duffle bag, we recommend a small to medium size suitcase. If you opt for this alternative, you can push it to the side of your cabin after you’re unpacked. It shouldn’t be in your way too much as you typically are only changing clothes and sleeping in your cabin.
Occasionally, although not as often these days, checked in luggage doesn’t arrive at the same time you do. As one friendly airline agent on Beef Island, BVI replied to an inquiry about lost luggage, “If it’s not here, Mon, it’s somewhere else.” Thus, the first tip is to use a duffel bag and carry it on the plane if possible. With liquid restrictions, carry on luggage isn’t always feasible. If you need to check in your luggage, we recommend taking some essentials in your carryon luggage, including a change of clothes, your bathing suit and essential travel size toiletries.
Important Documents: Before thinking of what to wear, you need to ensure you can clear customs – you must bring your travel documents.
The second tip is to put everything together you will need for your sailing vacation. First and foremost, this includes your passport. We also recommend bringing a copy of your passport to keep in a separate place in case the original is lost.
Once your sailing vacation is booked, Virgin Island Sailing® will send you a Cruising Guide book. If you are chartering a Bareboat, we recommend bringing this book with you as a reference guide. Also, if you are chartering a Bareboat in a cruising area with multiple country boundaries, it is wise to bring additional copies of the Crew List to facilitate the customs check-in process.
Clothes: The third tip is that you do not need a lot of clothes for a sailing vacation. During your trip, you mostly wear swimsuits, t-shirts and cover-ups. In most destinations, on shore dining is a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The majority of island restaurants are casual. Shorts and T-shirts are perfectly acceptable, even for dinner. Some destinations, especially in the Mediterranean, offer fine-dining restaurants with a requirement to dress up more.
Here are some basic packing guidelines for a one-week charter:
- Two-three bathing suits and cover-ups/wraps
- Two comfortable pairs of sandals (no big heals – flip flop style is great)
- One pair of water shoes (optional)
- One pair of sneakers with two pairs of socks
- Five-six outfits (I know this doesn’t seem like enough, but trust us – it is!)
- Underclothes and pajamas (you can be the judge on this)
It is also a good idea to have a small bag for carrying money, sunglasses, passport, a water bottle, sunscreen or anything else when you leave the yacht to go ashore. A waterproof bag can be an excellent choice.
Sun Protection: The fourth tip is to make sure you have protection from the sun. The constant trade winds keep the temperature comfortable, but the combined effect of overhead tropical sun and reflection from both sails and water can cause severe sunburns on anyone.
It is imperative to have good sunscreen and lip balm with at least 30-50 SPF. Even better would be reef-safe sunscreen to protect the beautiful underwater ecosystem. For additional sun protection, do not forget sunglasses, hats, and sunburn soothers in case of burns.
Medicine | First Aid: The fifth tip is to not waste time on your sailing vacation because of small emergencies. Bring any prescription medicine in its clearly marked original container to avoid any hassles at customs. Always have enough medicine on hand for a couple of extra days in case of travel delays when returning home.
Although most chartered sailing vessels will have a first aid kit aboard, you may want to bring a small bag with your preferred brands of band aids, antibacterial cream, pain relievers, seasickness medicine and digestion relief.
Finally, in tropical climates mosquitoes are very common ashore. We recommend bridging mosquito repellent with at least 25% deet. You should only need to use this when going ashore, depending on the time of year.
Water Essentials: The sixth tip is regarding water gear. Almost all destinations have some place to snorkel: Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean, Asia and more! Many yachts include snorkeling equipment – typically adult sizes. It is also a good idea to bring snorkel gear for kids; a perfect fit will make them more likely to give snorkeling a try and have fun doing it.
The snorkeling equipment is cleaned between guests, but if you prefer not to use the same mask and snorkel someone else used, feel free to bring your own with you. There’s no need to bring fins, unless you have a really special pair you can’t live without.
Phone | Camera: The seventh tip is do not forget your memory makers. You will want to remember your sailing vacation and be able to share it with others. Remember to bring whatever device you plan to take pictures with – your phone or a camera. If your devices aren’t waterproof, you may want to keep them in a good, strong, waterproof bag which you can easily find online. A disposable or waterproof camera is great for kids.
With devices, you need chargers! Most yachts have at least a 12V cigarette lighter style outlet and most also have 110V (United States style) or 220V (European style) outlets. Virgin Island Sailing® will make sure you know before you go.
Entertainment: The eighth tip is to include small items for free-time either during an inter-island passage or in the anchorage. These items can include playing cards, small games, books, magazines, journals and even devices if your yacht has wifi.
The ambiance of a sailing vacation often includes your favorite music, so be sure to have your playlist ready!
Plastic Storage Bags: The ninth and final tip is to bring along ZipLock bags in a few sizes and a couple of garbage bags. They are good for keeping important travel documents dry, for putting damp swim suits in before placing in your luggage, for separating clean from dirty laundry, and most importantly, wrapping up your souvenir bottle of rum so it does not leak in your duffle bag. Remember, however, that if you do have that bottle of rum, you will need to check in your luggage and it can not be greater than 140 proof.
No matter what your destination is on your yachting vacation, living on a boat means there will be lots of sun and lots of sea.
If you need more suggestions on how to pack, Virgin Island Sailing® will gladly assist you, but if you follow the above tips, your life onboard will be easy and safe, and most importantly, it will be one of the most relaxing and fun vacations you will ever experience!
