FAQ Topics
Need further assistance?
I have never sailed before. Can I go on a sailing holiday?
Absolutely, our sailing holidays are not targeted exclusively at regular sailors. If you have sailing experience, great! You will really enjoy all of our crewed charters. If you don’t have any sailing experience yet, Neil, who is a RYA Cruising Instructor, can show you all the ropes. Whilst he won’t be providing you with official instruction as we do not run RYA courses, he will get you feeling 100% comfortable on board. You will leave your holiday on Nemo feeling and sounding like a true sailor. If you have a passion for the outdoors, seeing new places, and meeting new people, sailing will be a great vacation for you.
What experience do I need to go on one of your sailing holidays?
Most of our sailing trips are suitable for complete beginners. For some of our mile building adventure trips, we prefer if our guests have some previous experience, such as RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper, or equivalent. Sailing Trips where experience is preferred are marked as such on the individual trip page.
I have sailing experience, will your trips be hands-on enough?
Absolutely, you can get as hands-on as you want to. As you know there is a lot to be done on board! Joining one of our private sailing charters is a great way to practise and improve your sailing ability and also a great way to get to know sailing routes around the Caribbean and gain some local knowledge.
What will I be expected to do on board?
It is entirely up to you. The aim of the sailing holiday is that you get ‘hands on’ and get involved in sailing the yacht, helming, pulling and winching on lines or anchoring the boat. Equally this is your holiday and we realise that you may want to relax, sunbathe, snorkel and take in the sights.
What will I be expected to do on board?
It is entirely up to you. The aim of our sailing holidays is that you get ‘hands on’ and get involved in sailing the yacht. That includes helming, pulling and winching on lines or anchoring the boat. Equally, this is your holiday and we realise that you may want to relax, sunbathe, snorkel and take in the sights.
How much sailing will we do each day?
Each sailing trip differs but we will aim to be sailing between two and six hours a day. Sometimes more if the weather so dictates and sometimes less if there is something else that the group wants to do ashore or at anchor. Very occasionally sailing trips include sailing times up to 10 or 12 hours, and we try and organise the trips so that if there is a long sailing day this is followed by a more relaxing day.
What type of sailing instruction is available on board?
Neil is a qualified Cruising Instructor with the RYA and he is also a Yachtmaster Ocean. He taught at sailing schools in Gibraltar for two years before becoming a charter skipper. A Cruising Instructor is able to teach sailing up to and including RYA Competent Crew and RYA Day Skipper. This means that when you come on a sailing holiday with BlueFoot Travel, Neil can provide you with informal tuition. If you are new to sailing, you will learn the basics in a relaxed environment, with someone to guide you all the way. We’ll show you which ropes to pull, to hoist and how to adjust the sails. You’ll soon be on the helm as Nemo glides effortlessly through the waves. If you already have sailing experience, then this is the perfect opportunity to hone those skills. Below deck the charts are always available for anyone who wants to see where we are sailing to, and Neil loves to discuss all elements of sailing, especially sail trim!
What experience do Neil and Sam have sailing in the Caribbean?
Neil spent two seasons with Yacht Ibis sailing up and down the Caribbean chain as the skipper/chef on a crewed charter yacht in 2014 and 2015. Sam spent four months during her Yachtmaster training in the Caribbean with Miramar Sailing. Both Neil and Sam have now done a full season on Yacht Nemo in the Caribbean sailing with guests on crewed cabin charters from the BVI to Grenada.
What will we be doing during the sailing trip?
Most days will go as follows…get up to a leisurely breakfast overlooking a beautiful marina or natural cove, head out for a morning sailing and get some time on the helm. Arrive in our lunch spot where you can snorkel, kayak, paddle-board or have a snooze. After lunch, sail a little further to our evening destination in time for sundowners and then dinner on board or ashore. Where possible we will also find time to head ashore and visit some of the island and their many attractions.
Will there be a set trip?
To ensure you experience all the sailing and island delights each of our crewed cabin charters has to offer, we do have an itinerary for each sailing trip. There are always options for you to influence parts of the sailing route and what we do when we get to a new island. All of our crewed charters are always weather dependent.
Are Sam and Neil always on board?
Yes, as this is a crewed yacht charter, Sam and Neil will be on board throughout to ensure you have an unforgettable sailing holiday! One will be skippering Nemo the other will be your host and cook.
What type of yacht will we be sailing on?
Nemo is a Dufour Gib’Sea 51. She is commercially coded to sail up to 60 miles offshore (Category 2). Read more on the Yacht page.
What is the RYA?
The RYA is the Royal Yachting Association, it is the governing body with endorses the Professional Sailing Qualifications that Sam and Neil have achieved. BlueFoot Travel is not an RYA training centre however we ensure that Yacht Nemo is run professionally to appropriate national standards, and although we do not offer formal tuition programs Neils training qualifications are endorsed by the RYA and he is able to offer informal tuition and coaching to anyone who wants to improve their skills whilst on board, which in our experience is most people who sail with us. Learn more about Sam and Neil’s Yachtmaster qualifications here.
RYA Sailing Books
The RYA offer a selection of Sail Cruising books, which we recommend for anyone looking to gain some expert knowledge before setting sail. You can view their webshop here.
