What do I pack for a sailing trip?
If you are packing for a boat for the first time instead of a hotel, you usually take too much of the wrong things and forget the inconspicuous ones, a USB-A cable for example. Most yachts have no USB-C socket, and the 230-volt sockets only work with shore power in harbour, so a wall charger is no help at anchor.
In short:
- On board a UV shirt, a few T-shirts and shorts are enough, plus one outfit for the journey and one for going out.
- A personal packing list for every bag and a shared one that is divided up among the crew.
- Two big power banks and a USB-A cable or a matching adapter, because the sockets on board only work with shore power.
- Long-life provisions such as oats or spreads are worth bringing from home, because they are expensive or unavailable in the marina supermarket.
To take along
What belongs on a sailing trip packing list?
The personal packing list covers everything that goes in your own bag: from the papers for check-in through clothing and wash kit to power bank and head torch. The shared list collects what the crew only needs once, such as the first-aid kit, the galley supplies and the Bluetooth speaker for the evening. Who brings which of these is agreed in the crew beforehand, so nothing comes twice and nothing is missing. The checklist for the safety briefing can be made available to the crew with the same documents, so everyone can read it at leisure before the trip.
The checklists linked above are a good starting point and can be downloaded as PDFs. This article does not go through every item, only what typically goes wrong when packing.
A bag instead of a suitcase
A hard-shell suitcase is awkward on board, because it fits in no cockpit locker, cannot be folded and is in the way in the cabin all week. A soft holdall, on the other hand, folds up empty and stows under the bunk.
The bag should still have wheels, because the way from the airport to the marina and inside the marina to the pontoon is often longer than you think, and a full bag on the shoulder gets heavy quickly. A soft holdall with wheels is therefore the best choice for most trips.
Clothing: less is more
On board you usually wear the same thing all day, a UV shirt or T-shirt and shorts. Add two sets of swimwear so one is always dry, and a fleece, because even in summer it gets cool on the water in the evening.
Most of the excess is usually for going ashore, because people pack for the evenings in harbour as if for a city break, and half of it then stays unused all week. One outfit for the journey there and back and one that is smart enough for a restaurant are usually all you need.
Tech and small stuff
Power is scarce on a boat, because the 230-volt sockets usually only work with shore power in harbour. At anchor or on a mooring buoy, only what comes from the power bank or the 12-volt socket charges anything.
That is why it is worth packing two big power banks instead of one small one, plus a USB-A cable or a matching adapter, because the 12-volt sockets on board usually have USB-A ports and not USB-C.
The shared packing list
Some things the crew only needs once: the first-aid kit, galley items such as washing-up liquid and cloths, clothes pegs, toilet paper, hand soap, a Bluetooth speaker and a waterproof dry bag for the dinghy ride. These items are divided up among the crew before the trip, so everyone knows who is bringing what.
Without that agreement, you get what often shows on the first evening dinghy ride to the restaurant: everyone has brought their own dry bag, although one would do for all. With the clothes pegs and the toilet paper it is the other way round, nobody has packed them because everyone counted on someone else.
Tip: bring provisions in your luggage
If there is room left in the bag, part of the provisions can come from home. Long-life things such as oats, pesto or spreads survive the journey, weigh little and are very welcome on the first morning on board.
In the marina supermarket such basics often cost many times more, and muesli, spreads or the usual snacks are sometimes not available at all. The main shop for the trip still belongs on the provisions list, which is part of planning the sailing trip.