Top Tips for your First Traditional Sailing Holiday
Want to Learn to Sail? Get Stuck In!
We believe in ‘learning by doing’, so even if you come purely for a holiday, you will learn new skills effortlessly, as part of the process of going sailing and living at sea.
If you are
- a complete beginner
- a dinghy sailor who wants to try live-aboard sailing
- a modern yacht sailor, who wants to try traditional sailing
Then
We have a huge choice of short breaks, weekend trips, amazing destinations and RYA courses on traditional boats (from entry level Competent Crew right up to Yachtmaster). If you’re not sure where to start, get in touch and we’d be happy to help!
Excited to Try Your First Sailing Experience?
⚓ We have introduced over 10 000 people to sailing since 1997
⚓ Most people come on their own (see our article: First Time, On Your Own? Not For Long!)
⚓ All vessels have qualified, dedicated skippers
⚓ You don’t need any experience or qualifications
⚓ No barriers to adventure – beginners can sign up for any length of voyage or destination
⚓ All our voyages include sailing instruction
⚓ Safety equipment, lifejackets etc are all provided, and you’ll be shown how to use them
Practical and ‘Hands On’ Sailing
Our ethos across the whole fleet is ‘hands-on’ sailing.
All our voyages are, effectively, sailing courses, with training as an integral part of the experience, because ‘you are the crew’. If you want a sailing adventure where you are a needed and valuable member of a team, whatever your age or ability, then choose Classic Sailing.
On our smaller vessels, the skipper may be the only professional on board, so you will learn every aspect of being a sailor from them, from how to ‘hand, reef and steer’ to identifying navigational features, or your role in helping to save lives in an emergency. On our tall ships and larger vessels, there may be more guest crew, but there are also more sea-staff to train you, so you will still get plenty of individual attention.
Sailing for All – No Experience Needed
Classic Sailing has never aimed our activity holidays exclusively at sailors. Since 1997 we have introduced thousands of people to sailing and travel under sail.
Our skippers will teach you to sail, and we will teach you very well, because we can’t go anywhere without you. You are the crew and on traditionally rigged vessels it is all about teamwork, so don’t worry about whether you are tall enough, strong enough, agile enough as there are important jobs for all abilities. Like any new outdoor sport or adventure activity there is a lot of jargon to learn, but even on a three day voyage you will leave feeling and sounding like a sailor.
You may be excited about climbing the rigging and going out on the bowsprit, or the thought might terrify you, and be a barrier to you joining a traditional sailing voyage. Fear not- you will never be asked to do something that you do not feel comfortable with, and we have plenty of regular sailors who keep their feet firmly on the deck. However if you do fancy getting aloft, you will be shown how to do it, and encouraged to push yourself. There is no feeling like it!
A Few Things to Bear in Mind
Accommodation
Shared Accommodation
Traditional sailing vessels are not spacious and the majority of bunks are in shared accommodation cabins.
Some vessels have two-berth cabins, and if you’re travelling with a friend every effort will be made for you to share. Sometimes bunks in more private cabins are more expensive than those in more communal spaces.
Solo Majority
Most of our sailors travel solo, and shared accommodation is both more economical and secure.
Unless stated otherwise, shared cabins are always the same gender.
Privacy
There isn’t a huge amount of privacy on a traditional sailing ship! You will likely get used to changing in your bunk, brushing your teeth on deck and only having very short, occasional showers.
If you prefer total privacy, some vessels have two-berth cabins that may be available for single occupancy at an additional charge. Sometimes these cabins are also en suite. If the voyage you are interested in offers two-person cabins and sole-occupancy isn’t listed, please contact us to ask about availability and price of having a cabin to yourself. As a rule of thumb, the price for sole occupancy is often 50% more than a single bunk in a two-person cabin.
Keeping you Safe
You’re right to wonder about safety at sea. Here’s the quick rundown to ease your mind.
Who’s in Charge?
Our captains and crew are seasoned, qualified professionals. It says a lot that you often don’t need any specific sailing qualifications to be a deckhand on a tall ship, but you DO need to have had extensive training in fire fighting, sea survival and first aid. The ship-specific crew safety training comes in the form of extensive drills in every possible emergency situation.
Ship Shape
All our boats are licensed and regularly checked by their flag state authority, so there are no worries about the vessel’s condition when you sail with us.
The Briefing
Before you set sail, there’s a full safety briefing. You’ll know where life jackets are and what to do in emergencies, including fire precautions.
Emergency Gear
Life rafts and life jackets are on board. If things go south, you’ll be prepared because you’ve had the safety briefing. If you’re on a voyage of a week or more, you may well also be involved in emergency drills (where you’ll get a great sense of just how well the crew know their stuff!)
Health and Records
We’ve got well-trained crew for first aid and a tight grip on health records. If anything happens, professional advice is sought and getting the person to a place of treatment becomes the ship’s only priority.
Why It Counts
We aim for you to enjoy the sea without fretting over safety. Trust us, we’ve got it covered so you can focus on the sailing.
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More Useful Stuff
Check out some of our other articles below, covering some common beginners’ questions, and don’t forget to download our FREE tall ship guide book for more! Our Frequently Asked Questions page is also full of advice from the booking process right through to getting to the ship.
⚓ No Experience Needed: Learn Traditional Sailing
⚓ What Should I Take With Me? (download our FREE Voyage Packing List)
Top Tips from customers
1. Go to learn & have fun!
2. Don’t feel under pressure everybody learns at different speeds. Its ok to observe for a bit.
3. Be prepared to muck in & offer to help with anything from hauling up sails to peeling spuds.
4. Be prepared for not sailing with all sails up… there’s often too much or too little wind… but just make the most of every opportunity to learn.
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