Most people pack too much for a sailing trip and still bring the wrong things. What really has to come, what's already on the charter yacht — and why the suitcase is the most common beginner's mistake.
In short
For a sailing trip you need your ID and licences, weatherproof clothing in layers, deck shoes with light-coloured soles, SPF 50+ sun protection, personal medication and a head torch — all in a soft holdall, never a hard-shell suitcase, because there is nowhere to stow one on board. Lifejackets, bedding and usually towels are provided by the charter company, so you don't need to lug them along. Rule of thumb: a few things that dry quickly beat a lot of cotton that stays damp for days.
The holdall sits open on the bed, next to a pile that is clearly too big. Three pairs of shoes, six T-shirts, the thick cotton jumper, a hairdryer. And at the same time that nagging feeling that you're forgetting the most important thing.
Usually both are true. The typical sailing-trip bag is too full and incomplete at the same time. Too full because different rules apply on land. Incomplete because the three or four things that can't be replaced along the way are missing.
This packing list turns that around: first the things that really have to come, then the ones that can safely stay at home — plus an honest answer to what a charter yacht already carries.
Before anything goes into the bag, success is decided by the bag itself: soft, never a hard-shell suitcase.
The reason is mundane, yet it is learned anew every season. The lockers under the berths of a sailing yacht are shallow, curved and follow the shape of the hull. A soft bag can be emptied, rolled up and tucked away inside. A suitcase can't. It spends the week in the saloon, the passageway or the heads, in everyone's way — and with eight people on board, that's eight times over.
Second most important rule: think in layers, not outfits. A quick-drying base layer, a light fleece for the evenings and something windproof on top. Cotton is the worst fabric you can pack for a boat — it soaks up water and won't dry for days in the damp cabin air.
This group is small, and that is exactly why it matters: it contains everything that can't be replaced along the way.
ID and licences. ID card or passport, your sailing licences, your radio certificate if you have one, your health insurance card. No licence, no check-in — and the base won't accept a photo on your phone if the original is missing.
Personal medication. Your regular medication in sufficient quantity, with the patient leaflet. A general first-aid kit is part of the boat's equipment, but it doesn't know your prescriptions. There is no pharmacy in a bay in the Kornati islands.
Seasickness remedies. Even if you think you won't need them. They weigh nothing, and the day you need them is always the day the wind picks up.
Deck shoes with light-coloured soles. Dark soles leave marks on the deck, and those end up on the check-out bill. One pair is enough.
SPF 50+ sun protection and sunglasses with a strap. On the water the sun hits you from above and from below. Underestimate that and you'll spend day three below deck. The strap on your sunglasses isn't an accessory — without it they'll end up on the seabed sooner or later.
The second half of a good packing list is the list of things that stay behind.
Lifejackets are mandatory equipment on every charter yacht and are checked for the right size and number during the boat check-in. People who sail a lot like to bring their own because it fits better — for your first trip it's unnecessary.
Bedding is included in the price with most charter companies, and towels often are too. Both are stated in the charter contract; a quick look saves you several kilos. What is almost never on board, though: a beach towel.
Crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, basic cleaning products are standard equipment. You don't need to bring a frying pan.
Hairdryer, iron, a third pair of shoes. Shore power is rarely enough for heating appliances, and you'll be barefoot or in deck shoes anyway.
This is the basic kit that works on any sailing trip — regardless of cruising area or season.
Documents: ID card or passport, sailing licence(s), radio certificate, health insurance card.
Clothing: sunglasses with a strap, deck shoes with light-coloured soles, rain jacket or foul-weather gear, spare swimwear, a hat. Plus the layers: base layer, fleece, windproof jacket, a pair of long trousers for restaurant visits.
Safety: sailing gloves — by the third manoeuvre at the latest you'll know why.
Toiletries: SPF 50+ sun cream, thin quick-drying towels, travel first-aid kit, seasickness tablets.
Miscellaneous: soft holdall, earplugs, charging cables and power bank, head torch.
The earplugs are on the list for a reason. A yacht isn't a quiet place at night: halyards slap against the mast, the anchor chain grinds, and someone in the crew always snores.
This packing list is available as a PDF to print and tick off — with all three versions: the basic kit, a summer list for the Mediterranean and one for training trips.
Download the sailing trip packing list as a PDF — three lists, 60 items, no sign-up and no email address required.
It's the same list that is stored in Sailto as a system template. What you print here, you'll find there again.
Mediterranean in summer. Fewer warm clothes, more sun protection: after-sun, insect repellent, flip-flops for the pontoon, a dry bag for valuables in the dinghy. Snorkelling gear is worth bringing because it's rarely on board. The rain jacket still comes along — a thunderstorm in the Adriatic is no myth.
Training trips and skipper training. Add a textbook and course materials, a notebook and pen, navigation instruments with dividers and plotting triangles, often a hand-bearing compass and binoculars. And because training trips tend to take place outside the high season: warm hat, waterproof trousers, proper foul-weather gear.
A printed list has a built-in flaw: it only knows one person. As soon as a crew comes together, it breaks down into questions nobody answers centrally.
Who's bringing the snorkelling gear? Is anyone packing a spare charging adapter? The skipper wants everyone to have a head torch — has everyone read that? And the two who join later never saw the first message in the group chat.
That's why Sailto brings the three levels together: system templates as the foundation, required items from the skipper that apply to everyone and have to be visibly ticked off, and personal additions that only the person concerned can see. Everyone sees their part, the skipper sees the overall status — without having to ask once.
And if you need the list again next year, you save it as your own template instead of typing it out again.
ID, licences, health insurance card and personal medication — everything that can't be replaced along the way. Straight after that, deck shoes with light-coloured soles, sun protection and weatherproof clothing. The rest is comfort and can be bought locally.
Always the soft bag. A hard-shell suitcase can't be stowed on board and is in the way all week.
One full holdall per person plus a small day rucksack. With eight people, every extra item adds up.
For a Mediterranean summer, a light rain jacket is enough. For the Baltic, the North Sea and the shoulder season, proper foul-weather gear is worth it — charter yachts don't provide any.
Packing well doesn't mean packing a lot. It means: the four or five irreplaceable things safely with you, everything else light, quick-drying and in a bag that rolls up out of the way.
If questions remain after that, they're usually not about luggage but about provisions — everything on that is in our article on meal planning for a sailing trip.
And if you want the list not as a sheet of paper but as something the whole crew ticks off together: Sailto is free for that — for unlimited trips and with no crew limit.
The essentials are your ID card or passport, your sailing licences, your health insurance card and any personal medication — everything that can't be replaced along the way. Straight after that come deck shoes with light-coloured soles, high-factor sun protection, sunglasses with a strap and weatherproof clothing. Everything else is comfort and can be bought locally.
Always a soft holdall or a kitbag. A hard-shell suitcase can't be stowed on board — the lockers under the berths are shallow and curved, and an empty suitcase would be in the way all week. A soft bag rolls up and disappears. It is by far the most common beginner's mistake.
Enough lifejackets, the full safety equipment, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans and basic cleaning products are standard equipment. Bedding is included in the price with most charter companies, and towels often are too — but check the charter contract before you leave. What is almost never on board: beach towels, snorkelling gear and enough power banks.
One full holdall per person is the realistic measure, plus a small day rucksack. Storage per berth is limited, and with a crew of eight every extra item adds up. If in doubt, unpack half and bring two extra pieces of clothing that dry quickly instead.
No, lifejackets are mandatory equipment on every charter yacht and are checked for the right size and number at check-in. People who sail a lot still like to bring their own, because it fits better and they know its service history. For your first trip it isn't necessary.
Think in layers, not outfits: a quick-drying base layer, a light fleece or jumper for the evenings and a windproof jacket on top. Cotton is the worst choice on board — it soaks up water and won't dry for days in the damp cabin air. Add a pair of long trousers for restaurant visits and a spare swimsuit.
Your regular medication in sufficient quantity with the patient leaflet, seasickness remedies, plasters, painkillers and something for sunburn. The yacht carries a general first-aid kit, but it doesn't replace personal medication — and there are no pharmacies in small bays.
Add a textbook and course materials, a notebook and pen, and navigation instruments such as dividers and plotting triangles. Many schools also expect a hand-bearing compass and binoculars. And because training trips often take place outside the high season, pack a warm hat, waterproof trousers and proper foul-weather gear.