Winter 2024/2025
Adventures
FAQ
Winter 2024/2025
Adventures
Adventures
We’re making expeditions, special projects,
and touristic journeys on a very special sailing yacht that we prepared to navigate any waters in the world in comfort
and style.
about
xploration
Scientists, project managers, entrepreneurs, architects, engineers, musicians, designers: most of us were not sailors from the childhood. Even now, when some of us are already Yachtmasters with tens of thousands of nautical miles under the belts, we still consider ourselves not as pure sailors, but more as ambassadors of sincerity and beauty, using the sea and remote traveling under sails as a perfect tool to promote the things that we love.
You may get to know a person at sea in one week more than in a year on land. We’re not only sharing our experience and passion with the crew that is gathered on board, but also eager to learn from everybody their experience and their passions. We’re xploring both the world and ourselves, and these two parts are helping each other. That’s why we’re called Xploration.
You may get to know a person at sea in one week more than in a year on land. We’re not only sharing our experience and passion with the crew that is gathered on board, but also eager to learn from everybody their experience and their passions. We’re xploring both the world and ourselves, and these two parts are helping each other. That’s why we’re called Xploration.
There are three main domains of sailing projects that are in the scope of Xploration:
What We Do
Every stage, every project could be a pure genre, or their mixture.
Here come new xperiences, xploring the places, sightseeing, sailing, and all activities of the crew that is keen to spend their time in the best way. Anyone interested can join these trips, check our website for available spots.
Adventures
That means: the crew has an internal aim on board.
Examples: art project, masterclass, team building.
Special
projects
read more
The boat was engineered by a yacht designer Dudley Dix as a steel 2-masts schooner with Marconi rig, and built in 1990's in South Africa by an entrepreneur Alan O’Gorman. She was named Perola do Mar and never changed her name since her first launch.
In late 2021, Perola do Mar was purchased by the team of Xploration. We sailed her to Marmaris, Turkey, and made a complete refit during the year of 2022. Since then, she travelled over 15 000 miles, reaching Gibraltar, Galicia, Azores (twice), the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Cabo Verde.
After several years of sailing in the area of Durban port and Cape Town, she travelled extensively from Cape Horn to Caribbean and up to Greenland. Being owned by Greeks and then Italians, she moved to the Mediterranean, and ended up her first big chapter near Rome, where she was staying in the river to Tiber while desperately needing major repairment.
Now she acts as a true expedition boat, equipped by radar, watermaker, AIS, heating system, Starlink, washing machine, and many more. She has 5 cabins for 2 persons each, and can be autonomous for more than
a month while accomodating a crew of 10. She flies the Italian ensign flag. Her hull lenght is 50ft, displacement is 30 tons,
and the draft is 2.0 meters. She has a main set of 4 sails plus the gennaker. Her cruising speed is 7 knots.
perola do mar
read more
upcoming adventures
West Africa
(to be announced)
(to be announced)
Winter 24 / 25
Questions
and answers
On the boat we are all one team, a group of many hands and one mind. While on board we all cook, wash dishes and keep the schooner clean from time to time. It’s not hard to do, not time-consuming and usually it’s not an issue during the journey.
You will learn how to sail and help to run the yacht — as much as you want so. You can also do nothing about sailing itself. The exception is a shift schedule that usually appears on the passages that include night hours. Shift means controlling if the boat is okay in a small team, and sometimes steering.
Food supplies are made ashore together, the amount depends on the route. And sometimes we have dinner on shore, especially after a long passage.
You will learn how to sail and help to run the yacht — as much as you want so. You can also do nothing about sailing itself. The exception is a shift schedule that usually appears on the passages that include night hours. Shift means controlling if the boat is okay in a small team, and sometimes steering.
Food supplies are made ashore together, the amount depends on the route. And sometimes we have dinner on shore, especially after a long passage.
The difficulty was rated on a ‘buff’ scale (1 to 5) and is indicated
for each stage.
No special training is needed for stages with 1 to 4 ‘buffs’. On 5-buff-stages preference will be given to more experienced sailors. Beginners will only be able to join the most challenging trips if the team is already strong enough.
No special training is needed for stages with 1 to 4 ‘buffs’. On 5-buff-stages preference will be given to more experienced sailors. Beginners will only be able to join the most challenging trips if the team is already strong enough.
We will send you the list adjusted to the weather conditions for your stage. There will be small items like sunglasses and hat, but the main one is a good membrane jacket.
If you do not have it yet, please pick something that works for you. For easy stages just a hiking jacket will do as well. For more hard stages, as of our experience, with Tribord (Decathlon) you always get value for money. The Tribord 500 series is about 250 euros for a set of jacket + pants. The Tribord 900 series is even better, but it is about 500 euros per set.
If you do not have it yet, please pick something that works for you. For easy stages just a hiking jacket will do as well. For more hard stages, as of our experience, with Tribord (Decathlon) you always get value for money. The Tribord 500 series is about 250 euros for a set of jacket + pants. The Tribord 900 series is even better, but it is about 500 euros per set.
The program and route depend on many circumstances: e.g. weather, crew condition, etc., but the general idea and style are there.
All in all, to any plans at sea, keep in mind that you can't be 100% sure about anything. The most accurate are usually the place and time of the stage start and ending.
All in all, to any plans at sea, keep in mind that you can't be 100% sure about anything. The most accurate are usually the place and time of the stage start and ending.
Most probably, we’ll be on time and at a place. And we do our best to be precise: thoroughly prepare the boat, and design the stages so that if we have long crossings we always include some extra time to wait for good weather.
But it still sometimes happens due to weather conditions, or need of urgent repairs.
All in all, even if the changes happen, we usually can make the trip fit the same dates, but slightly different pick-up or drop-off places(say, on the next island to a planned one). Of course, we’ll anyway do it at a most convenient place close to the airport.
But it still sometimes happens due to weather conditions, or need of urgent repairs.
All in all, even if the changes happen, we usually can make the trip fit the same dates, but slightly different pick-up or drop-off places(say, on the next island to a planned one). Of course, we’ll anyway do it at a most convenient place close to the airport.
If the changes occur, we won’t be able to reimburse you the additional travel expenses if there are some.
So, the answer is: yes, you should buy them all, but followed with an advice. If the airplane tariffs look reasonable for you, you may consider to buy the last leg of your arrival to the boat (and the first leg of your departure from the boat) refundable or changeable.
So, the answer is: yes, you should buy them all, but followed with an advice. If the airplane tariffs look reasonable for you, you may consider to buy the last leg of your arrival to the boat (and the first leg of your departure from the boat) refundable or changeable.
Yes, you must have one covering the area of sailing.
As far we’re not doing sport like regattas, the normal one should work. Sometimes you need a small add-on for including activities like “yachting/sailing” — it depends on your insurance company.
As far we’re not doing sport like regattas, the normal one should work. Sometimes you need a small add-on for including activities like “yachting/sailing” — it depends on your insurance company.
Included: Captain's work, clean linens, fuel for the dinghy.
Not included: transportation to the boat, food, insurance, shore excursions (if any of these are not listed in the route), parking fees in ports and marinas.
Not included: transportation to the boat, food, insurance, shore excursions (if any of these are not listed in the route), parking fees in ports and marinas.
You need to pay 50% within 72 hours of booking and the remaining 50% within 60 days before the trip. (Or the whole sum within 72 hours
if it's less than 60 days before the start.) This guarantees your spot
on the boat and insures you against incremental price increases.
If the stage is cancelled on our end, we refund in full or reschedule - it’s your choice. If the cancellation is on your end, you risk the money you owe to that point: 50% more than 60 days before the start, and 100% less than 60 days before the start. But if we can get all new crew members together quickly, we'll try to at least partially reimburse you.
If the stage is cancelled on our end, we refund in full or reschedule - it’s your choice. If the cancellation is on your end, you risk the money you owe to that point: 50% more than 60 days before the start, and 100% less than 60 days before the start. But if we can get all new crew members together quickly, we'll try to at least partially reimburse you.
Yes, you can! The only thing is, we'll still need a video call
with the person who received the gift. If something goes wrong,
the money will be refunded.
The main goal of the call is to get to know each other and make sure you have the right expectations for your trip. We’ll tell you more about the stage and answer all of your questions. There are also technical points to discuss: to explain further communication and to hear
from you about medical specifics (to adjust your first aid kit or food composition if necessary).
Only very rarely we turn a candidate down. This happens when the values are radically different. In our opinion, it is better to spend a week in a rusty tub in a muddy puddle with good friends than the same week on a snow-white yacht on tropical islands with people with whom you are frankly uncomfortable. And it's nobody's fault, it doesn't mean that any of us are bad people. It just means that the combination doesn't work.
Only very rarely we turn a candidate down. This happens when the values are radically different. In our opinion, it is better to spend a week in a rusty tub in a muddy puddle with good friends than the same week on a snow-white yacht on tropical islands with people with whom you are frankly uncomfortable. And it's nobody's fault, it doesn't mean that any of us are bad people. It just means that the combination doesn't work.
Leave the application either way. There's a "Not decided yet" option
in the "Select a stage" box. Click on it, and we'll discuss the best course of action with you.
email
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Need more information?
Don't hesitate to reach out:
they sailed
with us
It was my lucky chance to take part in the yacht’s first journey after
the refit — you could say, its maiden voyage! Apart from the unforgettable impressions of the beauty of the sea, the views around, the wind, sails,
and the boat itself, a separate delight was crossing borders on the yacht: changing flags, entering another country with a different culture,
and having stamps with a little ship in your passport. It was that very time, loved by everyone: with super-creative, simply "our" people, in love with travel, the yacht, and each other. I believe
the Xploration team is holding onto
this spirit!
Michael
Mathematician
and video blogger
Season 1
Sailing with Xploration was
a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope I get to repeat many times over. The freedom of the sea, the beauty of the night sky, the spirit of adventure: this is what’s worth living for. If you have the spirit of adventure within you, stop looking for the next thing in your life because you’ve already found it.
a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope I get to repeat many times over. The freedom of the sea, the beauty of the night sky, the spirit of adventure: this is what’s worth living for. If you have the spirit of adventure within you, stop looking for the next thing in your life because you’ve already found it.
Pedro
writer
Season 4
xploration.sailing@gmailcom @xploration.sailing @xploration_sailing +37259428707
I have sailed over 2000 miles with Xploration, and I’m sure this is just
the beginning. It’s true exploration —
the routes are planned in a way that allows you to reach the most unusual places. For example, an uninhabited island or a hidden bay that is not accessible by any roads. And you fall in love with Perola at first sight.
This boat completely changes the idea of sea travel even for experienced sailors: beautiful thought out to the smallest detail, and completely restored with an understanding of what a person needs on a sea voyage.
Nina
Interior designer and restaurateur
Season 3
Sailing with Xploration was the main adventure of the year for me. I felt a lot of freedom and tranquility to be out at sea, to look at the boundless horizon, to steer a yacht.
I realized that water is also a big part of nature on the planet, I fell in love with cats, I enjoyed warm, soup, porridge or tea after a watch on deck in the rain.
Overall, this experience felt like my internal system restart. Upon returning to land, the colours looked brighter, the tastes and smells felt more intense, and the desire to explore the world became more powerful.
Thank you!
I realized that water is also a big part of nature on the planet, I fell in love with cats, I enjoyed warm, soup, porridge or tea after a watch on deck in the rain.
Overall, this experience felt like my internal system restart. Upon returning to land, the colours looked brighter, the tastes and smells felt more intense, and the desire to explore the world became more powerful.
Thank you!
Dumitru
tennis players psychology coach
Season 1
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