Created by David P.
When planning a multi-day sailing trip, the charterer must consider the needs and expectations of the crew by creating detailed plans for traveling, food & drink, clothing, and special equipment. It is also important to have back-up plans to account for unexpected changes. A well-planned trip can make for an enjoyable, smooth trip for everyone onboard.
Agenda: Dates, destination(s), way stops, route, travel time, and estimated returning time.
Example: The San Francisco overnight trip for Oct 20-21 will begin Saturday morning at 9:30. Boat checkout will take about 1 hour, and then we will motor and sail around Angel Island, then to South Beach Harbor to dock and spend the night. We will motor and sail Sunday morning around Sausalito and then begin to sail back to Spinnaker Sailing arriving about 4 PM.
Pre-trip Boat Prep: At least one person on board should be familiar with the boat. If not, contact the office to schedule a checkout sail in advance so that boat-specific information can be obtained.
Example: How to manually release anchor from the windless.
Boat Prep on Trip Day: Allow your crew extra time to check and understand every part of the boat that will be used on the trip. Follow the checkout form and ask the office about anything items not understood.
Example: If expecting fog, learn how to turn on and use the RADAR.
Drinks: There is enough water onboard for hand washing, teeth brushing, and toilet flushing – you will need to bring additional for drinking. Calculate how much drinking water you will need (minimum two liters per person per day).
Food: Consider whether you will eat all meals onshore, cook onboard, or a combination of both. Either way, load up on non-perishable snacks! If you plan to cook:
- Check the refrigerator is turned on when you board.
- Ensure you know how to operate the stove.
- Ask about what cooking and clean-up tools and equipment are provided, and what you should bring.
Sleeping: Sleeping on a boat can be compared to a group camping trip with one large tent. When factoring how many people can sleep onboard, remember that the dining area in the main salon can convert into a berth.
Bathing: Most marinas have free access to showers. Not all boats have a shower in the head so be sure to check!
Equipment: The selected boat must have the equipment needed for the destination and duration of the trip. If you expect to sail in conditions with decreased visibility — dense fog, rain, or night sailing — RADAR and AIS are desirable. If it is an overnight trip to San Francisco during good weather and staying at a dock, a shore power cable would be useful but not required.
When you charter with Spinnaker, all boats come with PDFs, harnesses and tethers, tools, charts, paper towels, toilet paper, water, and boat fuel. The larger boats have RADAR and AIS, as well as plates, cups, utensils, and stove fuel. Some of our Catalina 27’s have alcohol-powered stoves. There are 12V DC & USB outlets. Bring navigation equipment, and have a backup plan in case your phone navigation app doesn’t work.
Recommended packing list:
It is cool at night and while sailing. Bring clothing that can be layered and at least one waterproof jacket and pair of pants (or foul weather gear, if you have it).
- Toiletries in a container that’s easy to carry onshore
- Refillable water bottle
- Motion sickness patch or tablet — seek out ones with non-drowsy labels
- Sleeping bag
- Pillow
- Earplugs and eye shades for sleeping (you’ll thank us later)
- Some kind of small personal light — flashlight, headlamp, etc. Bonus, if you have a red lens to preserve night vision.
- Cash is best, but credit cards OK for restaurants
- Sunscreen (yes, even in winter), sunglasses
- Hats: one brimmed and one for warmth
- Sailing gloves
- Waterproof jacket with hood
- Mid or heavy weight jacket
- Sweatshirt
- Long sleeve shirt
- Changes of clothing (assume you’ll get damp at least once)
- Boat shoes or boots
- Flip flops for the marina showers
- Duffel bag or backpack — space is limited on board, so use a soft container to stow your stuff
