Most first time charterers pack way too much stuff.

Life on a sailing boat is simple and casual, and you really don’t need loads of clothes and accessories.

Most of the time you’ll be on bathing suits/trunks, t-shirts and barefoot.

Underwear and t-shirts can be washed on deck in salt water, rinsed in fresh water to get the salt out and dried on the lifelines as needed.

When packing, put all of the clothes and accessories you have chosen out on your bed, then put half of them back.

Pack light.

Remember that storage space on sailboats is limited at best, and sailboats are not hard-shell suitcase friendly.

You’ll want to pack your things in a soft collapsible duffel bag that can be easily stowed once on board.

First of all  what you don’t  need to bring:

• Cooking and eating implements and utensils
• First aid kit. All boats have them on board. Generic medication included (see prescription medicines bellow).
• Navigation tools and charts
• Leave the expensive jewelry at home
• You don’t need make up on a sailing boat.
• Hair dryer or ironing
• Coffee machine/filters (there is a Nespresso machine whenever shore power and a gas oven coffee machine)
• Hard luggage
• Life-vests or harnesses
• Don’t bring working tasks or worries 😉

Luggage (soft, easy to stow)

• Duffel bag
• Backpack

General clothing

• Hat 1
• Sarong 1
• Bathing suits 2-3
• Flip-Flops 1pr (barefoot on the boat to keep it clean and best grip)
• Walking/hiking shoes 1pr
• Shorts – fast drying 3
• Pants – fast drying 1
• Shirts
  • T-shirts 5
  • Long sleeve tech shirt 1
  • Long sleeve button up 1
• Dinner clothes 1 set (optional)
• Underwear fast drying 4 sets

Sailing specific gear

• Deck shoes (white/non marking sole) 1pr
• Polarized sunglasses 1 primary, 1 backup
• thin 1st layer 1
• warm 2nd layer 1
• wind shield 3rd layer 1
• foul weather jacket 1

General items

• Sunblock – lots
  • Face
  • Lips
  • Body
• Personal flashlight (optional)
• “Dry Bags” or ZipLock bags for money and electronics
• your charging cables and power banks
• Travel size shampoo, soap and toothpaste
• Personal care items (toothbrush, hair brush, etc)
• Digital camera (to feed your social networks)
• Ids and personal documents/licenses
  • Copies
  • Scanned and saved to a cloud account
• Credit & Debit cards
• Calling card/Cell phone plan
• Prescription medications
  • In original containers (with your name on a label)
  • Scanned prescriptions and saved to a cloud account
• Food
  • At least 1,5lt per day per person person on 1,5lt botles (easy stowed under floor boards)
  • Frozen items in cooler
  • Coffee/tea
  • Favorite herbs & spices
• Flag of your country (if you like to have it flying outside)
• Your favorite play list (Bluetooth devices are available)
• Kids entertainment items