Soft bags, half as much as you think, and the four things everybody forgets.
The first rule is the bag itself. Hard cases cannot be stowed — there is nowhere on a yacht to put them once they are empty, and they mark the joinery. Bring soft holdalls that fold flat.
Bring
- Twice as many swimming things as days. They do not dry as fast as you expect.
- One long-sleeved linen shirt. Sun at sea is worse than sun ashore.
- Reef-safe sun cream. Several destinations require it, and the crew will notice.
- A light layer for evenings under way — even in August, ten knots of apparent wind is cold at midnight.
- Deck shoes with pale soles, or nothing at all. Most guests end up barefoot by day three.
Leave behind
- Hard suitcases.
- Hairdryers and travel irons — every cabin has them, and yours will trip the inverter.
- Formal shoes, unless there is a specific evening ashore that needs them.
“In eleven seasons I have never once seen a guest use the second pair of shoes.”
And the four things everybody forgets: a spare pair of sunglasses, motion sickness tablets for one person who insists they will not need them, a charging cable that is longer than the one in the cabin, and a book that is not about the sea.
