FAQs
Q. What Should I Pack?
A. Unfortunately, the biggest mistake that most first time sailing vacationers is to pack too much! With plenty of sun and sea, life on the Islands is very casual, and you really need very little. The following tips should help avoid over packing and ensure you have a great sailing vacation.
The first thing to keep in mind is that storage space on a sailing vessel is usually limited and not conducive to hard-sided suitcases. Thus, strong duffel bags work best because they can be folded up when not in use. In addition, their size limits what you can bring. Most importantly, most duffel bags fit in the overhead bin of an airplane.
Too often, I have seen family and friends check luggage for an island sailing adventure only to have it not arrive. Islanders are laid back. As one friendly airline agent on Beef Island, BVI replied to my sister’s inquiry about her lost luggage, “If it’s not here, Mon, it’s somewhere else.” That somewhere else happened to be a round trip flight from Puerto Rico to Martinique and back before finally ending up back at her home in Wisconsin three weeks later. Thus, the first tip is to use a duffel bag and carry it on the plane! This avoids the stress of dealing with lost luggage.
Be sure to put everything together you will need for your sailing vacation. These documents include your passport, as well as a copy of your passport to keep in a separate place in case your original is lost. Everyone taking a sailing vacation to the Caribbean is now required to have a passport.
You will not need a lot of clothes for a sailing vacation. During the days aboard the boat, you only need swim suits and perhaps a cover-up. On shore, there are some finer class resorts and restaurants, like the Peter Island Yacht Club in the BVI, that require dress trousers and jackets for men and dresses for women.
Most people on a sailing vacation prefer a more relaxed atmosphere. The majority of island restaurants are casual. Shorts and T-shirts are perfectly acceptable, even for dinner, although locals tend to dress more conservatively and will appreciate you leaving your short-shorts and revealing tops on board.
For a one week sailing vacation, you will need the following clothing items: 2 swim suits; 3-4 pairs of shorts; 3-4 t-shirts (plus whatever you buy along the way); sandals and walking shoes (either tennis shoes or boat shoes) which can get wet; swim suit cover-up; enough underwear for the week; sleepwear if others other than your spouse or partner are on the cruise; a light windbreaker for quick tropical downpours; a beach towel; and your personal toiletries and medicines. (Always be sure to have enough medicine on hand for a couple of extra days in case of travel delays when returning home.)
It is also a good idea to have some kind of day pack or waist pack that lets you carry money, sunglasses, passport, guide books, a water bottle, sunscreen or anything else you might want while ashore.
You also want to make sure you have adequate 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 pale Northern bodies!
It is imperative to have suntan lotion with at least SPF 15. In addition, do not forget sunglasses, a baseball cap or sun visor, and sunburn soothers.
A small flashlights is also great to have in your cabin in an unfamiliar dark boat, and is also useful as dingy “headlights” when returning to your boat after a night ashore sampling tropical drinks!
Do not forget your memory maker. You will want to remember your sailing vacation and be able to share it with others. Bring along a digital camera as well as an extra memory card and set of batteries in case you are unable to recharge it. Keep your camera in a good, strong, waterproof bag because it can get wet while sailing. A disposable or waterproof camera is also great for kids.
Finally, bring along Zip Lock bags in several sizes. 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 that bottle of rum you bring back stateside 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 your luggage. You can not carry bottles of liquor onboard the airplane anymore.