For the non-sailing friends welcome aboard to a life at sea and all the fun that it entails!!! We hope you find your sea legs quickly. For everyone else you know how much fun boats are so come and re-join the sailors life.
What to expect?
So lets cover the important points to help you enjoy your time on "Just Dreamin". As the skipper (that's Justin, aka "Sailor Spilly") the three points below are the most important to remember when coming aboard. There will be a safety briefing (http://storiesofjustdreamin.blogspot.ca/p/cruising-safety.html) on the first day you come aboard and if you have been on the boat before I will just be checking you remember.
- Plan ahead before doing every maneuverer making sure all crew know their jobs.
- There are no stupid questions? Always ask the Skipper even if he is asleep.
- Skipper is responsible for safety of all the crew and the boat so do what he says.
My philosphy is we share. We share the living expenses, chores and most importanly the FUN and the memories. Don't worry I know that many things on the boat are new/different and so I am more than happy to explain. For those that don't know I am actually an AYF certified sailing and keelboat senior instructor. Main points on sharing are:
- When doing passages everyone is expected to take their turn on watch, steering the boat as required. This will include night watches if we are sailing at night.
- Take turns in preparing meals and this includes the cleaning up. (you cook, you clean).
- Help out with the sailing of the boat at the direction of the skipper and share any chores.
- We share a small space so be considerate of everyone else keep it clean and tidy, be quiet if you are awake when others are sleeping, etc.
- Keep the boat "ship shape" which means put something away as soon as you are done with it. (monohulls heal over so anything, drinks etc left on a ledge will fall over)
What to bring?
When you come aboard be aware it is a boat so a few things are different, there is a risk of things getting wet, there is limited space and we don't control the weather.
- Bag - A maximum of one 40 lbs bag per person (thats a little smaller than one checked bag on air plane). Preferably less if you can manage it. The bag has to be a soft bag like a duffel or back pack (no hard suit cases). Any extra hand bags, day bags (backpacks), etc will need to be able to fit in the one big bag as well.
- Rain jacket
- Warm sweater (there is wind chill on the water even in the Caribbean), no cotton, preferably fleece or wool.
- Toque
- Long pants (one/two pairs should be enough)
- Swim suit
- Long Sleeve shirt (to keep the sun off)
- Hat
- Sunglasses (good wrap around, 100% UV and polarised)
- Towel
- Clothes (shirts, shorts etc)
- Toiletries
- Sleeping bag
- Non-marking shoes (white soles) for on the boat (or bare feet)
- Sandles/Flip flops (aka thongs)
- Comfortable hiking/walking shoes
- Camera
- Passport, bring extra photocopy of passport
- Wallet
- Water proof bag for valuables (a few zip lock bags work great)
- Any persciption medication you need
- Sea sickness medication
- A good book
- Music (otherwise you're stuck with my selection)
Communication?
We will only have intermitent email based communication when we come into a port with internet and no cellphone. However we do have the a delorme inReach messenger which can send/recieve text messages to a cell phone or email. To contact us go to https://share.delorme.com/JustinSpilly or click on the "Where are they now?" under "Latest Cruise Info." on the home page. On the page this takes you too go click the message icon in the top left. Be sure to include in your first message who you are and what phone number or email you want us to reply too. This text message service is run through a satelite and so will working any where in the world. If our reply is to you cellphone then you can reply like you would to a normal text message and we can talk back and forth. If our reply is via email then there will be a link included in the email for you to use and we can talk back and forth that way,
Boat time?
So just a warning we will be living on "boat time" which means the time frame is plus or minus a day or two on the plan. We are powered by the wind and so are at the mercy of mother nature. While we will endeavor to be on time to pick you up and drop you off on schedule this will not be guaranteed. Therefore it is recommended to add a couple of days either side of the sailing dates to ensure we don't miss you and you don't miss your flights,
Costs?
There are no boat costs, it's my boat and my passion. We do however share living costs such as food, booze, fees, etc. Also you pay your own travel and on shore expenses. Be aware that we will often be in remote locations in foreign countries so you need to bring enough cash in local currency when you arrive as there may not be an ATM nearby.
Alcohol
Booze is welcome onboard however as humans do not float on their own it is expected that everyone drinks responsibly. This means when the boat is underway no drinking (alcohol) unless otherwise explained by the skipper. Once the boat is anchored then people can drink freely. Note this will mean on passages of multiple days that you may have to wait until we reach land again to anchor.
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