What to Pack for a Sailing Holiday

Summer is going strong here in Europe and as I am experiencing the fifth sunny day in Scotland in a row (!) I also look forward to our upcoming trip to Croatia. Remember, almost four months ago I told you about the first Travelettes trip with all team members powered by Sailing.hr. We will meet in Split and sail around the Croatian islands for one week together with an entire fleet of yachts. With only one month to go before the journey I started wondering what I shall bring for the perfect sailing holiday.

As we do not have to worry about actually sailing ourselves – luckily our crew will be joined by an experienced skipper to take care of that – all the “practical” packing guides I could find online are not really relevant. Hence I collected a list of the top 10 essentials that have to come onto the yacht with me. Whether you plan a sailing trip yourself or even consider joining us the following items will definitely help you out.

1) Skin and Hair Care

The most fantastic thing about being on a yacht is that you will constantly be in the great outdoors! The fresh sea breeze cooling your face, the hot sun beating down on your back, the sea salt curling your hair… sounds like a dream, but a potential beauty nightmare. We all have to remember to care for our skin out in the hot sun, especially when it is going to be scorching, also a bit of hair care should not go amiss. The new summer skincare range of Lush comes just in time. Lush produces fresh, handmade products with ethically sourced ingredients like avocado, coconut oil, calamine (a natural sunscreen) or cocoa butter. In addition to a range of shampoos – for example the solid shampoo bars which are perfect for traveling – they just launched several sun and after sun lotions. For the best protection and hydration we will bring the SPF30 ‘Lifesaver‘ and the ‘Charity Pot‘ which is an aloe vera gel. All proceeds of this product go to grassroots organsiations in communities that require funding for environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights. Lush pride themselves in using minimal ‘naked’ packaging or 100% recycled plastic, but they have also brought out a range of Knot-Wrap scarves to package up your goodies in the traditional Japanese ‘furoshiki’ way! They stock vintage scarves and ones made from recycled plastic. They promote for all to reuse it as a handy beach carrier for your beach beauty essentials, or whack it into your hair for a chic look. Packaging that doubles as a headscarf? A true Travelette accessory.

2) Sun Protection

My skin and hair are not the only things craving for extra protection and care. Water reflects the sun’s light which means we will be exposed to even mire UV rays. Don’t forget a pair of nifty sunglasses to protect your eyes and a neck cord to keep them from decorating the ground of the ocean. Also, bring a big straw hat that covers your ears and keeps your face in the shade to avoid a sunstroke. When sailing the wind can be quite tricky and make the sun appear less strong – do not let it fool you!

3) Cute Beachwear

Packing light is the alpha and omega for any kind of sailing trip, as storage space on board is usually limited. Luckily, you will not be wearing much else than swimwear and cover ups. I will bring several of each so I can mix and match. Personally I prefer bikinis that stay in place even when I jump into the water, surf, dive or just fool around. Have you seen that Travelettes is on Pinterest? On our We Are Sailing board we collect inspirational images for our sailing trip, also plenty of bikinis.

4) Snorkelling Gear

The Mediterranean is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and naturally I want  to be able to explore it when I am there. I have snorkeled in Croatia before and seen not only an incredible amount of underwater life, but also explored caves! During our sailing trip we will have the possibility to snorkel and even scuba-dive and although I am sure the equipment will be available there is nothing wrong with bringing my own fins, mask and snorkel to start exploring as spontaneously as possible.

5) Underwater Camera Equipment

Nothing would be worse than dropping your phone or camera into the ocean while trying to snatch a beautiful shot of the boat. I will make sure to hold on tight to them on board, but what about all these off-board adventures? Even though my phone is supposed to be water proof, I will bring a waterproof case for it anyways so I can take it with me while snorkelling or diving – the same counts for the GoPro. There is a variation of underwater cameras available – from full-on professional equipment to single-use cameras.

6) Sailor Fashion

If you are following our Outfits for Summer Travel board on Pinterest you might have noticed that a lot of it is strongly influenced by what I would call “sailor fashion”. Basically what I mean is everything white, blue and red, preferably striped. It is as easy as that. Wide-fit tops, colourful sundresses and cover-ups in particular will be the most comfortable to wear on the boat. Fancy dresses can stay at home.

7) Shoes, obviously

I read that staying barefoot on deck is the best way to keep stability and balance – not heels. But there are several occasion where I will want to wear shoes anyways. First on more practical terms, when swimming to the shore and playing around by the cliffs, I will wear neoprene reef walking shoes to protect my feet from sharp rocks and stingy sea urchins. For day adventures on land I will pack a pair of sandals. I swear by my Birkenstock flip flops as they are comfortable and don’t mind getting wet in salt water, but these anchor sandals seem great as well. Many Croatian towns have cobbled streets and are therefore not necessarily high heel friendly. Mid heels are the perfect solution here and are also fancy enough for the parties at night.

8) Motion Sickness Medicine

Of course I hope I will not need this, but for the worst case I would rather pack some motion sickness medicine. Ginger is a great natural treatment, so anything from ginger ale to cookies will find its way onto the grocery shopping list.

9) The Ultimate Summer Playlist

The main boat of the sailing fleet will host international DJs every day and at night there will be the chance to head to local clubs and outdoor party locations. But sometimes I will want to listen to my own music or throw our own party on the Travelettes boat. For these situations I will bring my MP3 player carrying the ultimate summer playlist. You can follow the playlist here on Spotify. I will add music to it up until the day we leave, so send me your favourite tunes!

10) All my Best Friends

Unfortunately, they will not all fit into my bag, but spending the week with my seven co-Travelettes and 200 other cruisers  is a good start. Sailing.hr’s yachts can hold up to 12 people, which you can book with all your friends. If you want to come alone, that is no problem either – just make new friends!

The Travelettes team will be in Croatia August 2-9 and if you want to join us book your spot quickly!

What do you think, is there any important item I forgot and you think I should add to the packing list? Post a comment with your experiences and favorite songs for the ultimate summer playlist as well!

Pics by Kathi Kamleitner & Sophie Saint, except straw hat / skin & hair care / bikini / under water by Krystle Wright  / anchor sandals / mid heels / boat party

This is a post by Kathi Kamleitner.

Kathi Kamleitner was a regular contributor at Travelettes from 2013 to 2019. Originally from Vienna, Austria, she packed her backpack to travel the world and lived in Denmark, Iceland and Berlin, before settling in Glasgow, Scotland. Kathi is always preparing her next trip – documenting her every step with her camera, pen and phone.

In 2016, Kathi founded Scotland travel blog WatchMeSee.com to share her love for her new home, hiking in the Scottish Highlands, island hopping and vegan food. Follow her adventures on Instagram @watchmesee!