What to take on your yacht holiday

What people take with them when they go sailing varies by the kind of sailing they are doing, where they are sailing, their experience, and their personal preferences, but here we try and give those who are uncertain what to bring some guidelines on useful items to have with them during a sailing holiday or luxury motor yacht vacation with Europe Yachts Charter Association.

If your holiday falls between mid-May and the end of September, you won’t need much in the way of clothes! A couple of swimsuits, towels, some T-shirts and shorts, and something casual for the evenings are all you need. It’s a good idea to include a windproof jacket in case of stronger winds. It is also good to have sailing gloves to protect your hands and office calluses.

Closed, non-slip shoes (deck shoes or sports shoes) are a must for safety on board, and don’t forget to bring a sun hat, sunglasses, and plenty of sunscreen for protection from the sun. Reflection from the water means you soak up a lot of sun while sailing.

It is preferable to pack in soft bags rather than hard suitcases, as hard cases are more difficult to stow away in lockers onboard. It’s a good idea to choose soft bags with wheels or a collapsible trolley for ease of transport. What we guarantee you won’t need is a stepladder!

For early and late season sailing, before mid-May and after September, a fleece or sweater and some warm trousers may be necessary, and it’s wise to include wet weather gear too, just in case!

Most brands of soap, shower gel, shampoo, sunscreen, etc. are sold in the country where you are renting a yacht, although they tend to be more expensive in the small harborside shops. If you take prescribed medicine, it is advisable to bring enough with you for the duration of your holiday. Although all our yachts have a basic first aid kit, it is a good idea to carry one of your own, which should include travel sickness pills, antiseptic cream, insect repellent, antihistamine cream or gel for insect bites, and anything else you personally may need.

Although you will probably find everything you need in the supermarkets at the location where you are renting a yacht, if you have food allergies (milk, wheat, gluten, etc.), it is advisable to bring the substitutes you use at home as they may not be readily available in the small shops you will be using.

There is no need to worry about this when renting a luxury mega yacht or a crewed luxury yacht because before your trip we will send you the preference list that you will fill out and let the crew know what you prefer to eat and drink. All this will be covered by the APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance).

You will of course need your passport or ID card (EU member countries). If you are from a non-EU country, you should check with your consulate as to whether you need to apply for a visa. You should also bring your sailing certificates, as they are sometimes requested by the Port Police. If you intend to hire a car, motorbike, or other vehicle whilst on holiday, you should also bring your driving license. Your personal holiday insurance documents and, if you are from a European Union member country, the EU medical card, should be included in your hand luggage.

We recommend that you bring a combination of cash and traveler’s checks along with your credit cards. Most of the time, it is better to buy your euros in Greece. You can use bank ATM cash machines in most places to obtain euros so long as your bank card operates while abroad; not all do.

You can use credit cards in shops and restaurants in Poros and the larger ports you may visit.

Remember that the smaller and more remote ports may have no banks; no ATMs and that in small tavernas credit cards may not be accepted. It’s therefore a good idea to carry enough cash to buy daily supplies and pay for dinner, especially if you are bareboat chartering and going further afield.

You will need a continental 2 pin plug adapter for use on shore (charging cameras, phones, etc. in tavernas and cafes). As all our yachts have 12 volt sockets, it would be convenient to bring the appropriate 12 volt charger (car plug) for your laptop, mobile phone, digital camera, etc.

• Swimsuits
• Towels;
  • Beach towels for sunbathing
  • tea towels
  • towels for showering. Microfiber towels are excellent.
• T-shirts
• Shorts
• Casual evening wear
• Windproof jacket
• Sailing gloves
• Deck shoes
• Sun hat
• sunglasses with lanyard
• Sunscreen/sun cream
• Lip salve/screen
• Toiletries (all-in-one shampoos and shower gels can be handy)
• Food favourites/substitutes
• Prescription medicines
• First aid kit
• Travel wash if you want to rinse things out in the evening.
• Music CDs if you want to take advantage of the boats’ CD player
• Passport/ID card/visa
• Your sailing log and certificates
• Driving licence
• Holiday insurance
• EU medical card
• Cash/traveller’s cheques/Euros/credit cards
• Camera with batteries and 12 volt (car plug) charger
• 2 pin continental plug adapter
• 12 volt car charger for mobile phones, cameras, etc.
• Fleece/sweater
• Warm trousers
• Wet weather gear

• All bed linen
• Blankets… although you are unlikely to need them!
• Navigation instruments (dividers, etc.)
• Pilot books or charts
• Stiletto heels or your bowler hat