FAQ

Food
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The galley is an integral part of Starlight and it’s use depends on the specific arrangements of your charter.  We love to snack through the day while sailing and at port.  We will have coordinated with you the specific provisioning for your Day or Multi-Day charter.  Know, however, that there are always extensive supplies of spring water and kitchen necessities aboard.  Bring your reusable water bottle if you think of it, but we will have plastic water bottles aboard.  While the crew is here to cook and clean, always feel free to jump in on the galley and make yourself at home while aboard.  We have some guests who love to novelty of a boat galley and love to join in on the food preparation and cooking.   We love that!  If you don’t feel like learning the galley, however, don’t feel that you need to.  Let us serve you while you are aboard.  Sit back, sail and relax.

What to Bring

duffel bagSome common sense things to bring aboard any overnight charter include a small bag (a medium duffel per person) for your clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses and toiletries.

Clothes

First off, don’t forget to bring a comfy hat because you’ll need it to protect your head from sun.  Also, It can and will often be 10 degrees cooler than you expect when you’re Out on the Water Sailing. Prepare to dress in layers, especially in early or late season. An extra set of dry clothes and certainly dry socks should be on hand. A weather appropriate windbreaker or coat should be brought based on weather predictions.   We have some foul weather gear aboard if things get bad. As your charter will be several days, bring an appropriate amount of clothes.   Be comfortable and bring what you want, but realize storage is limited.  Loose jewelry or restrictive clothes can get in the way when you’re trying to sail.   Realize that while we will likely be going to shore for a good meal, we will:  1) not be going anywhere that requires formal dress, and 2) take the dinghy to get there.  The simple key is: dress for your adventure!

Shoes

The first rule on shoes is no black sole or marking sole shoes. Sneakers, while seeming like they would have good grip, often don’t and horribly mark the decks. Shoes with gum soles like Converse, white-soled boat shoes and deck shoes are best.  Also, make sure you wear shoes that have adequate grip and fit well.  Flip flops or any type of heel, while comfortable to many people, can be challenging and unsafe on boats.

Weather

Check the weather before your charter and feel free to ask questions.  There are great sites to check such as weather.com, accuweather.com and weatherunderground.com.   If you want to get really involved in wind prediction and navigation, a real useable skill for sailors, check out sailflow.com.  If storms are predicted for our trip, we’ll pick another date to head out or make other arrangements. For classes, however, if it is cloudy or predicted light showers, we go on. You don’t want to just be a fair weather sailor, after all. If there is any question before your sail time, call Chris or Toby and we’ll let you know.

Gratuity

It is customary to tip the crew the 15-20% when chartering a sailboat, after a day charter or class and after after a charter. Did you have fun? Let the crew know here. The bulk of the crews compensation for charters oftentimes comes from tips.

Emergency Contacts

Please send us a list of people on your charter or class and an emergency contact for each.  As well, give someone you know our “float plan” with completed information.   A float plan is our itinerary while aboard.  While this is subject to change based on your desire, it is always good to let people you love know where you’re supposed to be when you’re out sailing.

Bedding and Sleeping Arrangements

We provide fresh towels, sheets, pillows and blankets aboard Starlight.  If you have that special pillow or towel you can’t do without, feel free to bring it.

Now that you have your tips for our sailing charter, start getting ready.  Your adventure awaits and we’re thankful you’ve decided to sail with us!