Q&A

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.

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.

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 by 2022, 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, it is about 500 euros per set.

Pretty accurate. Closer to the stage, it will still be updated and supplemented. However, to any plans at sea, keep in mind that you can't be 100% sure about anything. The most accurate info you have is the place and time of the stage ending.

The program and route depend on many circumstances: e.g. weather, crew condition, etc. The final decision will be made by the captain. We ask you to take an understanding approach about this at all times.

This is highly unlikely. Stage dates with more difficult crossings always include 1 or 2 days to wait for good weather.

Also, Perola do Mar is very seaworthy and, for example, with a background wind of 20 knots she feels very comfortable, as does the crew on board. And we avoid storm seasons for sure.

We would recommend buying tickets 1.5-2 months before the trip. The reason is that sometimes covid rules and airline grids change. Therefore, better options may become available closer to the case.

Yes, your insurance should include the “sailing/yachting” option. It’s usually a small additional price, depending 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.

We will also try to optimize food costs for everyone. For example, for the northern passages of route 2022, the basics will be bought in Amsterdam before heading to the expensive regions.

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.

Yes, you can! The only thing is, we'll still need a zoom 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 that 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.