Costs
We generally share the expenditure for food, harbour fees, and diesel. The actual weekly cost is determined by the number of people on board and the amount of dieseling and eating we do. Naturally I (as in the skipper) will pay my fair share of consumables.
I also levy a small weekly (or part thereof) maintenance fee. This fee covers incidental expenses for minor replacements and repairs. I’ve decided to introduce it since frequently used items always break. I may waive the fee for previous crew members, friends, or people I invite to sail at my discretion. It is understood that this fee does not represent any sort of commercial charter or passenger transportation fee. The relevant charge for the current trip is guesstimated by myself and notified by email.
Please do not assume that this type of holiday is particularly affordable; there is nothing more irritating than having someone on board whining on and on about how he/she thought travelling by boat was cheap or indeed free.
Decision-making
The itinerary for the journey is formulated by ongoing consultation and mutual consent, however, the ultimate decision rests with the skipper. The pace of the journey is generally slow; to me, travelling means getting to know and understand the local people and culture. I may also linger in beautiful places. If you are looking to do lots and lots of sailing, go on deliveries or join the local dingy club.
I will also never leave port if there is a gale warning, the equipment is not in good form, or if there is a lack of spares. It is understood that repairs, the procurement of spare parts or delays due to bad weather may thus necessitate extensive periods in port. And no, I do not enjoy explaining this every morning.
Beginners
I can’t stand having civilians (aka. passengers) on board. If you do not understand anything about sailing that’s fine, however, you must bring along a keen interest to learn everything about it. I enjoy teaching beginners all I know about this game, and I can give you sailing tuition on my dingy. I do have some literature on board, but you can (and should!) vastly facilitate the learning process if you make yourself familiar with basic sailing theory and maritime terminology before you come.
Everybody on board should be able to stand watches, and particularly night watches on their own as quickly as possible. Looking out for other ships’ movements at night requires an understanding of the COLREGS and navigation lights. You can find an outline here. Don’t worry if you don’t understand most or any of it – just take a look over the material and try and get a general idea.
If you have read & understood the above, you may wish to proceed to the participate page with details on how to apply. If you have any questions regarding any of the above, please get in touch.
