Frequently Asked Questions
Experience
On most of our adventures, prior sailing experience is not required. Willingness to learn is a bonus though and Patrik will be happy to teach you all that you need.
Unless you opt out, you will be welcome to partake in handling and managing the boat, including night watches - and quite frankly, this is how you enjoy all that the adventure has to offer.
Patrik is a professional RYA instructor, so if you take deeper interest in what is going on around, it will not take much persuasion for him to share his knowledge.
Safety
Safety is our number one priority. Patrik is a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Instructor with extensive experience all around Europe. He will never push a questionable situation and will always stay on the safe side.
Sarah,your first mate, is RYA Day Skipper with experience from the Biscay, Scotland and various Mediterranean destinations.
All our sailing vessels are equipped with full complement of in-date life-saving equipment including liferaft, life jackets, harnesses, flares, radio and life buoys.
Fees, what is included (unless stated otherwise)
What is included:
Our listings include a double cabin on a modern, fully equipped sailing boat (typically less than 12 years old, 43+ft, most often 50ft - depending on availability in a given location)
Professional RYA skipper/instructor and a first mate/hostess
Meals onboard: Breakfast, lunch, snacks. Dinners for the nights when we are out of civilisation/sailing (typically 3 per week).
Cleaning, linen. Tourist tax, transit log. All boat fees.
All fuel. Dinghy outboard engine.
Port fees where explicitly stated. Excluding marina fees. (If the crew decides to spend a night in a luxury marina, the kitty pays for it.)
What is NOT included:
Transportation
Meals ashore
Insurance (we strongly recommend travel & flight cancellation insurance)
Marina fees
NO EXTRAS OR HIDDEN FEES
Payment
Deposit of 50% must be paid at the time of booking. The balance is to be paid 45 days before the start of the sail.
Cancellation
In the event of cancellation by the client, Wander the Waves retain the money paid. However should you find a substitute for yourself, the money will be returned. In any cancellation event, Wander the Waves will do their best to find a suitable substitute.
In the unlikely event that your holiday will be cancelled by Wander the Waves, all the monies paid shall be returned.
Travel insurance
We highly recommend your own travel, flight and cancelation insurance.
Seasickness
Our experience has it that seasickness is quite uncommon and even if it happens, it is very unlikely that you'd be seasick for more than a part of a day.
There are good methods to fight a nascent seasickness onboard without the need to resort to medicaments. However, if you are prone to being sick in a car, or just in case, we recommend you bring some readilly available medicaments, for example Stugeron.
Boat, boarding location
What boat will we sail on?
We will let you know the exact boat that we'll sail on and the exact boarding location well in advance. As a rule of thumb, we book our boats when 2 cabins are paid for. Typically we sail on 5 cabin boats in the 50ft bracket, but occassionaly we might sail a 4 cabin boat, depending on the bookings and availability.
Where available, we rent boats that are less than 12 years old and we take special care to ensure that they are capable and well equipped. A typical sailboat that we use would be 2012 Oceanis 50, Sun Odyssey 51 or Bavaria Cruiser 50.
All these boats are well proven and offer all the comfort that you would expect on a modern sailing boat.
Boarding time, location
Unless stated otherwise, our 2 week Adventure Sails run Sunday morning to Saturday morning. It is usually possible to stay onboard the yacht the night before setting sail - please inquire.
Our Experience weeks run Saturday afternoon - Saturday morning.
Private Bespoke Charter - as arranged.
We will let you know the exact boarding location as soon as we book the boat.
Comfort
Our boats are modern, comfortable cruising sailboats. Accommodation is typically provided in 4 double cabins and a bunk cabin. Most boats have 2 additional beds available in the salon which also hosts the galley (kitchen), with a cooker, oven and a fridge. There are typically 2-4 heads (toilets with shower) and an additional outdoor shower, all with hot water. As space is limited, everything is compact, but comfortable and functional.
Electricity for charging your devices is available through 12V car sockets. Make sure you bring a suitable charger. Mains power is typically available only in marinas.
Bedding is provided by the charter company. Towels are not provided.
Meals onboard
Breakfast, lunch, snacks, family style dinner. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know at the time of booking.
Children onboard
Unless a family sail: 13 if accompanied by an adult, otherwise 18. Please inquire.
Photography
Clients agree to be photographed unless they hand a written notice stating otherwise.
Personal
A five cabin boat will typically hosts up to 8 people plus your skipper and first mate. The nature of a boat dictates limited space and the need to be considerate of others.
Medical requirements
Customers must let Wander the Waves know about any medical conditions that would limit their ability of sailing. If you have any doubts, please consult your doctor.
If you have a disability, please contact us before booking. We have experience with sailing with disabilities and we will tailor the adventure to your needs.
Disclaimer & Liability
All customers must agree to indemnify and hold Wander the Waves, its insurers, affiliates and captains harmless for any injury or death arising from swimming, windsurfing, kayaking, or the use of dinghies, snorkels, masks, scuba equipment, or other equipment, the use of drugs, consumption of alcohol, unauthorized motoring, sailing or motoring in areas designated as hazardous by Wander the Waves. Wander the Waves and its captain and first mate are not held accountable for any injury caused by malfunction of a vessel that is not owned and maintained by Wander the Waves. In the case of an injury, the passenger remains responsible for the negligent acts that may result in harming the passenger and fellow crew.
Alcohol policy
Wine has deep roots in the region and especially when we are tied to a dock there is no reason not to enjoy what the local produce has to offer.
A well-deserved sun-downer in a secluded anchorage after a day pumped with sailing is hard to beat also.
That being said, we must always be aware that falling into water is a real risk even in a harbor and limit usage of alcohol to minimise this risk.
Drugs of any kind are not allowed on Wander the Waves sails.
Improper conduct policy
The skipper has the right to terminate the participation of a client that exhibits a behavior that is unsafe, agressive, violent (both physically and verbally), illegal or defiant of the skippers' orders.
The judgment of such behavior lies solely within the skipper's competence.
Such a client will not receive a refund and will be held responsible for any extra cost and damages that his behavior incured.
Packing list
Basic guidline: Don’t pack much more than what you would for a backpacking week. Pack into a non-rigid backpack/bag. Rigid suitcase is impossible to stow onboard.
On top of everyday basics:
warm socks; thermos; comfortable trousers; shorts; swimming suit; wind jacket; waterproofs (if you have them. Hopefully we won’t need them); hat & sun protection; scarf; towel; headlamp/flash light (ideally with red light); snorkeling gear; toiletries – sunscreen, ear plugs; non-marking shoes; sunglasses; favorite book; passport; travel money; travel insurance.