Landlubbers Tips for a Sailing Holiday

A sailing holiday is undoubtedly one of the best ways to experience destinations such as Turkey, Greece and Croatia. However, many people who have never sailed before are intimidated, wondering whether they will take to the experience well or whether they will embarrass themselves.

A few simple tips can help to both put your mind at rest and ensure that you enjoy the many benefits that yachting has to offer, even if you’ve never been on the sea before.

Don’t Be Intimidated
You are not expected to be an expert sailor or to run the boat yourself. A qualified skipper will see to that, so don’t think that you will be forced to try your hand at sailing and to mess up if you don’t take to it well. Even someone with no sea legs at all can enjoy a sailing holiday. Having said that, don’t be afraid to get stuck in as far as you feel able, as the sailing experience is fascinating and can be a big part of the enjoyment.

Bring Sunblock
Sunblock is one of the most basic essentials when travelling to any sunny destination, but Murphy’s Law and the rush of packing can mean that it can still sometimes be forgotten. However, when sailing it is more essential than ever. The water acts like a big mirror, reflecting extra sunlight back at you. Your skin will be under assault from every direction, but regularly applying strong sunblock can be more than adequate as a defence.

Bring the Right Clothes
Another important tip for packing is to ensure you put in the right clothes. In brief, you should bring:

• Sensible footwear for use on deck (though many people prefer to stay barefoot when on the yacht).
• Plenty of warm weather clothing – some of it is likely to get wet, so make sure you have plenty of changes of clothing.
• Something warmer and waterproof, even if it’s just a light cagoule, because the weather will always be just slightly unpredictable.