Sailing Academy: Pre-Course Preparation Guide
Quality. Delivered. Together.
Welcome to Sailing Academy. We are looking forward to having you on board.
Whether you have never set foot on a yacht before, or you are an experienced sailor preparing for Skipper Academy, this week is designed to teach you a lot in a short time. Sailing Academy is intense, hands-on, and practical. Your instructor will push you, the sea will surprise you, and the crew you sail with becomes a big part of the experience.
How well you prepare in the weeks leading up to the course will directly shape how much you take from it. Students who arrive with the basics already in their head (knots, vocabulary, weather apps installed, a clear sense of what to expect) spend the week building real skills on the water rather than catching up on theory in the cabin.
This guide is your prep. Read it slowly. Read it twice. Practise the homework. By the time you arrive at the marina, you should feel ready to focus on the sailing itself, not the noise around it.
At Quarterdeck we live by a simple motto: Quality. Delivered. Together.
That mindset starts here, before you even leave home.
See you on the water.
The Quarterdeck Team
Part I: Getting Ready
1. About Sailing Academy
Sailing Academy is a seven-day intensive sailing course. We deliver the same format at every destination we run. Each yacht is led by a dedicated instructor and shared by a small group of students. Over the week you will live, sail, eat and navigate together as a crew, with real time at the helm and on the lines.
Sailing Academy is open to anyone with a genuine desire to learn. No prior experience or licence is required. You do not need to be an athlete, but you do need to be in reasonable physical shape, comfortable in the water, and willing to take on a challenge.
The objectives of the week
Over the seven days we will work on five core areas, in approximately this order of emphasis:
- Sailing fundamentals: vocabulary, points of sail, sail trim, tacking and gybing.
- Stress-free docking and Mediterranean mooring: turning the most stressful part of yachting into a calm routine.
- Weather reading and route planning: anticipating conditions rather than reacting to them.
- Crew communication and basic leadership: sailing is a team sport, even on a small yacht.
- An introduction to flotilla life and anchoring: the foundation for those continuing to Skipper Academy.
2. Why Are You Here?
Sailing Academy welcomes a wide range of people. In any given week your yacht might include someone who has never tied a knot in their life and someone who has crossed an ocean. Mixed crews learn faster, because everyone teaches everyone.
Your video interview, your CV, your personal letter, and the experience you logged in your profile all reach your instructor before the course starts. They will already have a picture of your starting point, your goals and your specific gaps before they meet you. You do not need to re-establish all of that on Day 1.
What we cannot know in advance is whether anything has changed since you applied. If you have done another course, a charter or a long passage in the meantime, tell us. Email us in advance, or raise it at the welcome briefing on Saturday. The earlier we know, the better we can shape the week around you.
Learning to sail for yourself
This is the right purpose if you want to sail for personal enjoyment: weekends and holidays with friends and family, future charters, your own yacht one day. The focus for your week is on solid foundations: vocabulary, sail handling, anchoring, weather, knots, basic navigation. There is no exam at the end of the course.
Learning to sail for work
This is the right purpose if you want to sail for a living. For most of our students that means progressing to Skipper Academy. Completing Sailing Academy does not, by itself, qualify you to work as a skipper. Skipper Academy is the dedicated route for that. If you intend to continue to Skipper Academy in the same season, tell us as early as possible so we can sync the schedules.
3. What to Expect: A Week of Sailing and Learning
Sailing Academy runs Saturday morning to the following Friday at 15:00. The pace builds as the week progresses: easier days first, real passages from midweek, and a heavier emphasis on autonomy by the end.
Day 1, Saturday morning: arrival and welcome
Arrive at the course port. Welcome briefing with your instructor and crewmates: course overview, safety, expectations, and the plan for the week. Group dinner ashore. Early night.
Day 2, Saturday: theory, provisioning, board the yacht
Meet at the marina at 10:00 with your bags. Theory ashore from 10:00 to 12:00 (vocabulary, points of sail, knots, sail handling). Lunch together at 12:00 (included). Provisioning after lunch. Access to the yacht from approximately 15:00 to 16:00. Mandatory safety brief on the yacht, then a shakedown sail if weather and timing allow.
Days 3 to 7, Sunday to Thursday: sailing
Daily sailing passages with a different stop most evenings. Your instructor shares the day’s plan each morning based on the latest forecast. Daily focus rotates through docking, anchoring, sail trim, navigation, weather, crew communication, and line-handling. Students take turns at every role under instructor supervision. Debriefs after every manoeuvre.
Day 8, Friday: return, debrief, certificates (course ends 15:00)
Final passage back to the home marina. Yacht clean and check-out. Individual debrief with your instructor: what you did well, what to work on, and an honest readiness assessment if Skipper Academy is your next step. Certificates issued to those who pass. You may sleep onboard Friday night; vacate by 09:00 Saturday.
4. Crew Life and Yacht Etiquette
Living on a yacht for a week is an unusual experience. Spaces are tight, water and power are limited, and your behaviour affects everyone else on board. The yachts that have the best week are not the most experienced. They are the ones with the best manners.
Tidy yacht, safe yacht
This is the single most important rule of yacht life. Loose lines trip you, loose halyards damage the rig, loose gear becomes a missile when the yacht heels. After every manoeuvre: coil, cleat, stow and check before relaxing.
Water and power are precious
Water tanks are limited. Take short showers. Turn the tap off while soaping up or brushing teeth. Charge phones, cameras and laptops during engine hours, not overnight.
Meals, provisioning and dishes
Food is included in your course fee. There is no chef on board. The crew runs the galley together, and that is part of the experience. Saturday afternoon is provisioning, done together as a crew. Breakfast, lunch and dinners are a shared job. One dinner during the week is included at a restaurant ashore. Wash dishes in seawater first, then a quick freshwater rinse to spare the tanks. Allergies or dietary requirements should already be in your application; if anything has changed, email us before you fly.
The heads (toilets)
Marine toilets work differently from what you are used to at home. Your instructor will walk you through how to use them correctly on Day 1. The short version: only organic waste goes down the bowl, and anything else (including paper on most yachts) goes in the small bin provided. If you notice a problem, tell the skipper straight away.
Quiet time and respect
After 22:00 in the bay, voices and music carry to every nearby yacht. Slow down near anchorages and other vessels. Always greet other yachts and skippers.
Following the skipper
Your instructor is the skipper of the yacht. On safety matters they have the final word. If you are ever told to do something urgently and without explanation, do it first and ask why later.
5. Safety on Board
One hand for you, one for the yacht
Always hold on to something fixed when you move around the yacht: a stay, a winch, a handrail. The fastest way to fall overboard is to walk hands-free.
Lifejackets
Worn whenever the skipper says so: typically in heavy weather, at night, when leaving harbour, when on deck alone, and during any manoeuvre with risk of going overboard. Learn how to put yours on quickly. You will practise this on Day 1.
Man overboard awareness
If someone falls in: shout ‘MAN OVERBOARD!’ immediately, point at the person and do not stop pointing, throw any flotation you can (lifebuoy, fender, cushion), press the MOB button on the GPS if you can reach it, and let the skipper take over while you keep pointing.
Weather watching
Coastal weather can change fast. Storms can build in 30 minutes. Watch the sky, the clouds, the wind shifts and the other yachts.
Speaking up
If you are uncomfortable, tell the skipper. If you do not understand a manoeuvre, tell the skipper. If you feel unwell, tell the skipper. Silence is not stoicism. It is a hazard.
VHF radio basics
Every yacht carries a marine VHF radio. Know these three calls before you arrive: MAYDAY (life is in immediate danger, spoken three times), PAN-PAN (urgent but not life-threatening), SÉCURITÉ (a safety message such as a weather or navigation hazard).
6. What to Bring
Pack light. Storage on a yacht is small. Use a soft duffel bag. Hard suitcases do not fit in lockers and end up in the way.
Clothing
3-4 quick-dry t-shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of long lightweight trousers, 1 warm fleece or hoodie, a waterproof shell jacket, swimwear (bring two so one can dry), underwear and socks for the week, one smart-casual outfit for an evening ashore, and a sun hat with a chin strap or clip.
Footwear
Non-marking deck shoes or trainers with white soles, flip-flops or sandals for shore time, and optional light water shoes for swimming over rocky bottoms.
On the water
Sunglasses with a retention strap (essential: losing them on Day 1 is a classic mistake), reef-safe sunscreen (factor 50 recommended), lip balm with SPF, reusable water bottle, small headlamp or torch with red-light setting, sailing gloves (recommended), a quick-dry travel towel, and a small dry bag for phone and valuables on deck.
Documents and admin
Passport (valid at least 6 months beyond your travel dates), travel insurance with sailing cover, any visa documentation, a printout of your booking confirmation and emergency contacts, EU plug adaptor, phone charger and power bank.
Personal
Personal medications in original packaging, sea-sickness remedies if prone (Stugeron, ginger tablets, or wristbands), biodegradable toiletries where possible, and a small notebook and pen.
What not to bring: Hard suitcases. More than one book.
7. Mindset, Fitness and Swimming
Sailing Academy is physical, but you do not need to be an athlete. What matters more than fitness is attitude and basic comfort in the water.
Physical condition
Expect to be on your feet most of the day, sometimes braced against the heel of the yacht. You will hoist sails, pull lines, jump on and off the dock, and occasionally shift heavier gear. If you can walk for an hour, climb a few flights of stairs without stopping, and lift a 15-kilo bag overhead, you are in fine shape. If those things are a stretch, build them up in the weeks before you arrive.
Swimming
You must be able to swim. This is non-negotiable for safety. As a self-test: you should be able to swim 50 metres comfortably and tread water for two minutes. If you are not there yet, spend a few sessions at your local pool before you fly.
Sleep, food and water
Sleep on a yacht is sometimes shorter and lighter than at home: bank some rest in the days before. Heat and salt water dehydrate you fast: two litres a day minimum. The crew runs the galley together (see Section 4).
Mental approach
You will get something wrong in front of everyone. Every single student does. The students who get the most from the week share three traits: curiosity (they ask, all week, even when they think they know), humility (they take feedback as a gift, not a wound), and composure (they make mistakes calmly and do not blame the yacht, the wind, or each other).
Sea-sickness
Some students feel queasy on the first day. It almost always passes within 24 to 48 hours. Take medication before you feel sick, not after. Stay outside in fresh air, look at the horizon, avoid reading and screens below deck. Eat a light dry meal even if you are not hungry. Steer if you can: being at the helm helps.
Part II: Sailing Foundations
8. Sailing Vocabulary
Spending an hour with the list below before you arrive will save you hours of confusion in the first 48 hours of the course.
Parts of the yacht
- Bow: the front of the yacht.
- Stern: the back of the yacht.
- Port: the left side, looking forward. (Memory aid: 'port' and 'left' both have four letters.)
- Starboard: the right side, looking forward.
- Beam: the widest point of the yacht, side-on.
- Hull: the body of the yacht in the water.
- Keel: the deep fin under the hull that stops the yacht being blown sideways.
- Rudder: the steering blade at the stern, controlled by the wheel or tiller.
- Mast: the vertical pole that holds the sails.
- Boom: the horizontal pole at the bottom of the mainsail. Watch your head: it swings across the cockpit during a tack or gybe.
- Cockpit: the lowered area at the stern where the helm and most lines are worked.
- Helm: the wheel (or sometimes tiller). Also the role of the person steering.
- Foredeck: the deck area forward of the mast.
Sails
- Mainsail: the large sail attached to the mast and boom.
- Jib / Genoa: the front sail. A genoa is a larger jib that overlaps the mast.
- Reef: to reduce the size of a sail in stronger wind.
- Batten: a stiffening strip in the mainsail that holds its shape.
- Luff: both the leading edge of a sail, and the verb for when a sail flutters because it is too loose or pointing too close to the wind.
- Leech: the trailing edge of a sail.
Lines
On a yacht, ropes have names once they have a job.
- Halyard: the line that pulls a sail up.
- Sheet: the line that controls the angle of a sail (mainsheet, jib sheet).
- Mooring line: a line used to tie the yacht to a dock or buoy.
- Spring line: a mooring line led at an angle to stop the yacht moving forward or back along the dock.
- Painter: the line at the front of the dinghy.
Hardware
- Winch: a drum used to take in or hold a loaded line. Always wrap clockwise.
- Cleat: a fitting to tie a line off to.
- Clutch: a one-way clamp on a line: open it to release, close it to hold.
- Traveller: the sliding track that lets the boom move side to side.
- Fender: the inflatable bumper that protects the hull at the dock.
Crew roles
- Skipper: the person in command. On Sailing Academy that is your instructor; later in the week you will share the role under supervision.
- Helm: whoever is steering at any given moment.
- Bow: whoever is working at the front of the yacht (anchor, mooring lines, lookout).
- Trimmer: whoever is adjusting the sails for the conditions.
- Navigator: whoever is monitoring position, course and depth.
Common shouts
- 'Ready about?': the helm asking if the crew is ready to tack.
- 'Ready!': the crew confirming.
- 'Lee-ho!' / 'Tacking!': the helm announcing the tack is starting now.
- 'Gybe-ho!': the helm announcing a gybe. Heads down. The boom moves fast.
- 'Easing!': letting a sheet out.
- 'Trimming!': pulling a sheet in.
9. The Wind and Points of Sail
True wind vs apparent wind
True wind is what the forecast tells you. Apparent wind is what you actually feel on the yacht, combining true wind with the wind created by your own movement. Trim to apparent wind. Plan for true wind.
The no-go zone
A yacht cannot sail directly into the wind. The closest most cruising yachts can manage is about 40-45 degrees off either side. The no-go zone is the roughly 90-degree wedge directly upwind. To reach a point inside that zone you zig-zag: that is what tacking is for.
Points of sail
Close-hauled (sailing as close to the wind as possible; sails tight, yacht heels, slowest but the only way upwind), close reach (a little wider; faster and more comfortable), beam reach (wind on the side; sails half out; often the fastest point of sail), broad reach (wind from behind the beam; sails further out; smooth and quick), run (wind directly behind; sails fully out; surprisingly slow; risk of accidental gybe).
Why points of sail matter
Once you know your angle to the wind, you know how to trim the sails, how fast and comfortable the yacht will be, whether you need to tack or gybe, and how much you will heel.
10. Sail Trim, Tacking and Gybing
The basic rule
Ease the sheet until the front edge of the sail (the luff) just starts to flutter, then trim it back in just enough to stop the flutter. That is the rough sweet spot. Too tight and the sail stalls. Too loose and the sail flogs.
Telltales
Most jibs have small ribbons near the luff called telltales. Both streaming straight back means the sail is well trimmed. The windward telltale lifting means you are too close to the wind or the sheet is too loose. The leeward telltale fluttering means you are too far off the wind or the sheet is too tight.
Tacking
Tacking turns the bow through the wind to change which side the wind is hitting. Helm calls ‘Ready about?’, trimmer prepares the new working sheet, crew confirms ‘Ready!’, helm calls ‘Lee-ho!’ and turns the bow through the wind, old sheet is released and new sheet taken in fast on the new windward side, helm settles on the new course. Done badly, the yacht stalls in irons (head-to-wind, no momentum). You just push the bow off and start again.
Gybing
Gybing turns the stern through the wind. The boom can swing fast and hard. Always brief the crew before the gybe, sheet the mainsail close to the centreline before turning, turn the helm steadily (not abruptly), and ease the mainsheet quickly once the boom has crossed.
Reefing
Reefing reduces the size of the mainsail when the wind picks up. The rule of thumb: if you are thinking about reefing, you should already be reefing.
11. Knots You Need to Know
We expect you to arrive on Day 1 with these five knots already in your hands. Not ‘I have seen a video’ but actually able to tie each one in 10 seconds, in any orientation, ideally with eyes closed.
1. Bowline: the king of knots
Creates a fixed loop at the end of a line that will not slip and will not jam under load. Use it whenever you need a loop. Learn the one-handed version too: you will need it on the foredeck in 25 knots of wind one day.
2. Figure-of-Eight: the stopper
Creates a knot at the end of a line that stops it running through a block or clutch. Every sheet on the yacht has one. Always make it big enough: a tiny figure-of-eight will pull through a worn-out block.
3. Cleat hitch: tying off to a cleat
Secures a line to a cleat under load, releasing cleanly. One full turn around the base, two figure-of-eights across the horns, finish with a locking hitch only if you really need to.
4. Clove hitch: temporary attachment
Wraps a line around a post or rail so it grips when loaded but is fast to undo. Most common use: tying fenders to the lifelines.
5. Round turn and two half-hitches
Secures a line to a ring, post or rail under heavy load. The round turn takes the load while you tie the half-hitches calmly.
12. Basic Navigation
Modern yachts have GPS chartplotters that do most of the hard work. But a chartplotter can fail. Every Sailing Academy student should arrive understanding the basics.
The chart
A nautical chart shows depths (numbers in metres at low water), hazards (rocks, wrecks, reefs), marks (buoys, beacons and lighthouses with their colour, shape and light pattern), and land features.
Compass headings
Every direction on the water is given as a heading from 0 to 360 degrees. North is 000, East 090, South 180, West 270. You will give and take headings constantly during the week.
The GPS plotter
Shows your position, course, speed, depth, and a chart. Plan a passage by identifying your destination, setting waypoints, reading the course and ETA, and checking for hazards along the route.
Buoys and marks
In the IALA-A region (most of the world outside the Americas): red buoys mark the port side of a channel entering from seaward; green buoys mark the starboard side. Cardinal marks (yellow and black) point you to the safe side of a hazard. If you remember nothing else: which side should I pass this buoy?
Reading the water
Eyes-on is the most important navigation skill. Darker patches often mean deeper water; very light blue or yellow-green often means very shallow over sand or rock. In clear waters you can often see the bottom in 10 metres.
Dead reckoning (introduction only)
Estimating your position from known speed, heading and time. If your GPS fails, you can still estimate where you are with a clock, a compass and a paper chart.
13. Weather and the Mediterranean
Sailing weather can change fast: flat calm in the morning, a strong thermal breeze in the afternoon, a thunderstorm at sunset. Reading the weather is one of the highest-leverage skills you will build during the week. Wherever your course is running, your instructor will brief you on the local winds and forecast sources for that area.
Mediterranean winds (worked example)
Bora: strong, cold and gusty from the northeast, falling off the mountains. Can build very fast and reach gale force. Most common in winter and spring but can appear in summer.
Maestral: the friendly summer wind. A thermal breeze from the northwest that builds in the afternoon and dies in the evening. Sailing Academy days are largely shaped by it.
Jugo (or Sirocco): warm and humid from the southeast. Often brings cloud, rain and choppy seas. Builds slowly and lasts longer than a Maestral.
Tramontana: cool and dry from the north. Less common in summer.
Forecast sources you should learn
Windy.com (excellent visualisation of wind, gusts, waves and pressure), PredictWind (purpose-built for sailors; free tier is enough), local meteorological service (your instructor will share the right one for your destination), and local marina forecasts posted near the harbourmaster each morning.
How to read a forecast
A useful weather brief covers four things in this order: wind direction (shapes everything: route, sail plan, anchorage choice), wind speed (average and gusts; above 25 knots gusting, you are in serious sailing territory), sea state (wave height and swell direction), and outlook (is the wind building, holding or dropping?).
Reading the sky
Rapidly building cumulus with dark bases: afternoon thunderstorms likely. A line of cloud advancing from one horizon: a frontal boundary. Sudden shifts in wind direction or temperature: weather is changing. High wispy cirrus (mares’ tails): a front approaching in 24-48 hours.
Part III: Yacht Handling
14. Manoeuvring Under Power: An Introduction
This section is an introduction to handling a yacht under engine. If you are sailing for yourself, read it once and work through it on the water with your instructor. If you are sailing for work, treat it as essential pre-reading; expect to demonstrate it during the week.
A yacht is not a car
Three things make a yacht different: it pivots roughly around its midship (bow and stern swing in opposite directions when you turn); it is constantly pushed by wind and current even when stationary; and it only steers when water flows past the rudder (at very slow speed, short bursts of forward power restore steering).
Prop walk
Most monohull yachts have a single propeller that, when reversing, pulls the stern sideways (usually to port, occasionally to starboard). This is a prop walk. A skilled skipper uses it deliberately to swing the stern into a berth or away from a hazard. Test it in open water on Day 2: give a short reverse from a standstill and watch which way the stern swings. Plan your manoeuvres so prop walk helps you, not fights you.
Slow speed and the pivot point
At slow speed the yacht handles in slow motion. The rule: as slow as possible, as fast as necessary. Slow enough to think, fast enough to keep steering.
Med mooring: the four-step concept
Mediterranean mooring is a stern-to dock with either an anchor or a lazy line from the quay holding the bow. It is the standard way to dock in many destinations we sail. The four-step shape is: plan (wind direction, gap, prop walk), position (set up to reverse straight into the gap), reverse (drop the anchor or pick up the lazy line, reverse calmly to the quay), secure (windward stern line first, then bow line, then leeward stern line).
Anchoring: the basic concept
Choose a spot with a sandy bottom, enough depth, swing room, and shelter from forecast wind. Approach into the wind, slowly. Stop the yacht over your chosen drop point. Lower the anchor while the yacht drifts back. Pay out 4-5 times the depth in the chain (more in heavy weather). Set the anchor by reversing gently, then watch transits ashore to confirm you are not dragging.
Part IV: Stretch and Final Prep
15. Stretch Material: Taking It Further
This section is for anyone who wants to push beyond the core curriculum. If your goal is a professional skippering career, treat it as essential pre-reading. If you are sailing for yourself, dip in for a stretch challenge. None of this is required.
If you are aiming for Skipper Academy, your job during Sailing Academy is not to learn the basics. It is to demonstrate them under pressure, close the specific gaps that Skipper Academy will assume you have closed, and behave like a junior skipper from Day 1.
Specific stretch goals during the week
Make every docking count. When it is your turn at the helm, brief the crew clearly, make the call calmly, and accept the feedback. When it is not your turn, take a useful role on the bow or lines and watch carefully.
Lead a daily passage plan. Each morning, ask your instructor if you can present the day’s plan: weather brief, route options, hazards, ETA, anchorage plan, contingency.
Practise crew briefings. Before every manoeuvre, deliver a clear briefing to your fellow students: who does what, what happens if something goes wrong, what you need from them.
Master VHF radio procedure. By Friday you should be comfortable making routine and urgency calls in proper format.
Build the docking routine. Quarterdeck has a specific Med mooring procedure your instructor will teach. Treat it as a routine to memorise, not a free-form skill.
Anchoring with lines ashore. If conditions allow, ask your instructor to walk you through dropping the anchor and running a line to a tree or rock ashore.
Read the yacht. Stop trimming for the manual and start trimming for feel. Helm with your eyes closed for a few seconds at a time. Where is the yacht heeling? Is the helm pulling or balanced?
16. Apps and Tools to Set Up Before You Arrive
These should be installed and tested on your phone before you fly. A charged phone with the right apps is a real navigation and weather tool on the water.
Essential
- Windy: wind, weather and waves. Set your course port as your home location.
- Navionics or the official Boating app: a marine chart in your pocket. The chart for your sailing region is paid but inexpensive; well worth it.
- WhatsApp: your crew group will form here. Make sure your number works abroad.
- Google Maps with your destination region downloaded for offline use (or Maps.me): useful in towns and ports where data is patchy.
Recommended
- PredictWind: sailor-focused weather routing. Free tier is enough.
- Local meteorological service: bookmark the official forecast site for your destination region. Your instructor will share the link in the WhatsApp group.
- Marine Traffic: see what other vessels are around you.
- A torch app with red-light setting: for cabin use at night without ruining your night vision.
Phone admin
Confirm your phone works at your destination. Test that you can make calls before you fly. Bring at least one power bank and a USB cable. Download offline maps for the wider region around your course port and sailing area before you leave home.
Documents
- Passport, valid at least 6 months beyond the end of your trip
- Travel insurance with sailing/water-sports cover
- Visa documentation if applicable
Travel
- Flights to the airport indicated for your course (sent by email)
- Buffer built in: always book to arrive on Saturday morning with time to spare
- Transfer to the course port planned
- Return travel booked for Saturday or later (course ends Friday 15:00)
- If continuing to Skipper Academy: travel and handover coordinated with the Skipper Academy schedule
Apps and tools
- Windy installed with course port set as default
- Navionics or Boating installed with chart for your sailing region downloaded
- WhatsApp working internationally
- Offline map downloaded for your destination region
- Power bank charged
Recommended prep completed
- Five knots practised: bowline, figure-of-eight, cleat hitch, clove hitch, round turn and two half-hitches
- Two weeks of weather at your destination observed on Windy
- YouTube videos watched on prop walk, reversing, and Mediterranean mooring
- VHF radio basics video watched
Packing
- Soft duffel bag (not a hard suitcase)
- Clothes in layers: fleece, shell jacket, swimwear x2
- Non-marking deck shoes
- Sunglasses with strap
- Sun hat with strap
- Reef-safe sunscreen and lip balm with SPF
- Reusable water bottle
- Headlamp
- Sailing gloves (recommended)
- Quick-dry towel and dry bag
- Toiletries and personal medication
- Sea-sickness remedies if needed
- EU plug adaptor, phone charger, power bank
- Notebook and pen
Personal
- Reasonable physical condition and a daily movement habit established
- Confident in the water (50m swim, 2 minutes treading water)
- This guide read twice
- Three questions noted to ask your instructor on Day 1
See you in the marina.
Quality. Delivered. Together.