Crew

Friends, family, pets & paying guests

We require every rally boat to have a minimum of two adults (aged  18+) onboard: we do not allow single-handers. Beyond that requirement, rally sailors range from babies to the over-80s and hail from every continent except Antarctica!

Every person onboard must have an inflatable lifejacket with harness, equipped with a tether and a personal AIS beacon - see the Safety Equipment page for details.

People wearing lifejackets form a circle in a swimming pool as part of the safety demonstration in Las Palmas

Training

Proper training is good preparation for any sailing journey. No matter how much equipment you have onboard, it is the experience of the skipper and crew that makes for a safe and happy voyage.

Whether you choose to undertake formal training provided by national maritime authorities, hire a skipper for a few days or take a more hands-on approach, we require the skipper and at least one crew member to undertake training, including liferafts, man overboard, damage control, first aid, weather and emergency communications.

Sailing with Children

Family boats with children are a common sight on our rallies, especially ARC and ARC+, where there can be 20 or more kids in a friendly, supportive gang. Many parents say they feel their children are safer and healthier at sea than at home. Consider:

  • Extra crew to help with childcare and watches.
  • Homeschooling and education onboard.
  • Staying in touch with school friends.
  • Safety onboard, and protocols for lifejackets and clipping on.

Sailing with Pets

It's perfectly possible to sail with a pet dog or cat, but it will require planning, compromise and some restrictions on your movements.

You will usually need a health certificate and an import licence for the destination before you depart. Cruising Europe and the Caribbean is straightforward; the Pacific countries are much less so.

We recommend you check out noonsite.com and pettravel.com