Get Boat Savvy Before You Sail

We get a lot of questions here at Sail San Diego from first-time ocean goers regarding a variety of things. Anything and everything from proper clothing to how much to tip your captain. So we have thought about how to keep potential customers informed as well as get them excited about what to expect and need to remember when going sailing.

• Be Aware of Your Surroundings. When entering down the stairs into the main cabin, it is customary to remove backpacks and/or purses to avoid scratching the inside wood and appliances. Place your personal items where the captain indicates. It’s also a good idea to go down backwards into the cabin to avoid falling.
• Listen During the Briefing. Follow your host down into the cabin for pre-sail spiel regarding proper usage of the head (bathroom), refrigerator and other amenities that are provided to you on your sail. Every boat is different and each has their specific way of running things so it’s very important to listen to what they are saying.
• Rule of Thumb for Head Use. Don’t flush anything down the head that hasn’t gone through you first. Humorous when you read it but the bathrooms on boats are incredibly sensitive and every boat owner loathes having to fix the head.
• Go Barefoot. You’re outside, so enjoy it! Even during our terribly rough San Diego winters, you can afford to go barefoot. Of course if you prefer to wear shoes, athletic shoes would be the best choice, but anything with grip will work.
• Cell phones. We don’t like losing our cell phones so if you choose to keep your phone in your pocket while sailing, we recommend that you keep them in your back pocket so they don’t escape. Or better yet, keep them down below and when you want to take a photo, have your captain grab one of you!
• Enjoy your sail! We, adventurers, love sharing this part of our lives with you. So have fun, breathe in the salty air and experience something that not everyone gets to do. Grab a cold drink, sunnies, kick off your shoes and set sail!