Stuff you need to know

 

How to book

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Just go to our 2023 Bookings page and choose the leg/s you with to join and buy a ticket, fill in the contact details and send.  Once we receive your reservation, we will assess the information you have given us to ensure we can accommodate any limitations you raise. We may ask for further information if there is something you have told us which we think could limit your enjoyment of you holiday. 

 

Once the booking is cleared, we will send you an invoice for the full tariff.  25% of this is due within 14 days of issue and the remainder 8 weeks prior to the start of the event.  If the invoice is issued less than 8 weeks before the start then full payment will be due.

 

We do not take online payments or credit cards and all payments will be invoiced and must be paid in sterling by bank transfer.  This means we do not pay the high commission charges these payment methods charge, a saving we pass on to our customers. 

 

What we provide

 

As part of your all-inclusive package, we provide the following:

 

• fresh linen and towels

• three meals a day on board

• associated drinks including coffee and tea, wines, beers and ciders

• the skipper and crew

• power, water and fuel

• harbour dues

• mooring fees

• pilotage fees

• safety equipment

• transfer to and from shore

• all other costs associated with running the boat. 

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Travel documents and insurance

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As a carrier we cannot take you between countries without having satisfied ourselves that you can legally make the journey. We may also have to arrange emergency care for you and need to be assured you can cover the costs of that. So, if you are joining and/or leaving us in a foreign country, you must carry with you and when asked to provide us with a copy of;  

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• Your passport or other valid travel document with any required visas, with at least six months over run on the end of the event,

• Suitable insurance covering at a minimum; medical and associated care expenses, repatriation whether sick or deceased, personal liability, personal possessions, cancellation cover.

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If we cannot satisfy ourselves that you have the necessary documentation, we may have to refuse to allow you to travel with us.  Any costs associated with this would be your responsibility.

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What you need to pack

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• clothes suitable for the activities and the likely weather. Remember it can be cooler on the water, especially in the evenings.

• waterproof outer layer including trousers. It doesn’t have to be specialist sailing gear 

• thermal layer top and bottom. More layers are more flexible than one thick layer

• deck shoes/sailing boots or similar water-resistant footwear suitable for outdoor use

• quick-drying hats, gloves and socks

• washbag, soap and shampoo, sunscreen, sunglasses, seasickness remedies, etc.

• eye mask and earplugs (for light sleepers)

• beach towel

• soft duffel bag or case - although Snark is a big boat, space soon gets cluttered. No suitcase - soft bags fit better on a boat. Only bring what you need, think ‘carry-on’ baggage and keep things in your bag or the storage provided.

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Accommodation & bathrooms

 

If you're staying on board overnight, we provide standard berths in single and twin cabins, and a king-size bed for those booking the Owner's Cabin. 

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Two shower rooms with WCs are available during the day. The midships ‘bathroom’ is for guests and the aft heads is reserved for the crew in the evenings and at night. Both toilets are conventional land-based units, which are attached to macerator pumps. So please only put the four Ps, poo, pee, toilet paper and puke, into the toilet; anything else will block the pump. Only the aft ‘heads’ should be used when sailing, as it operates off the ship's batteries.

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We start each event with 1000 litres of fresh water onboard, which can quickly run out if we are not careful, so please use water sparingly. The toilets use recycled greywater and rainwater, which may appear a bit dirty.  We don't provide laundry services on board. 

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Privacy

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Snark is also our home, please respect our property and privacy. When we are 'off watch' and if it says ‘private’ please don’t enter our cabin.

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Food & drink

 

We freshly prepare and cook most of the food we serve on board from local, seasonal produce. Of course, the pressure of time during events means that some food needs to be pre-prepared and chilled or frozen. Where we buy pre-made produce, we try to source it freshly from local companies.

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If you have any particular dietary requirements or allergies, please let us know by email at least 2 weeks before the event and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. We will let you know immediately if we can’t. 

 

In any event, please do not bring your own food onboard, for hygiene reasons we cannot store or serve it in our kitchen.

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For more information about our menus, see Food & Drink.

 

Drink

 

There is something very special about sitting on deck with a glass of chilled wine or cordial watching the sunset. However, boats become dangerous places if you have had one too many. We ask therefore that you drink in moderation. If this is a problem for you, this may not be the most appropriate holiday.

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We offer a range of wines, beers, cordials, juices, teas and coffees all included in your tariff. Please don’t bring your own drinks on board.

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Library

 

There is an extensive library of books onboard ranging from art and architecture through horticulture, yoga and philosophy to sailing and nautical matters as well as some novels and poetry. Please feel free to browse and read but do return the books to the shelves when you are not using them. 

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Families & children

 

We welcome families on board Snark, but owing to the nature of the vessel and the size of the crew, there are some limitations to what we can offer. We are not equipped to accommodate children under 5. For their safety, all children under 12 must be accompanied by two supervising adults. Children under 18 must be accompanied by at least one supervising adult

 

Pets

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We are sorry, but we cannot accommodate pets on board. 

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Schedule keeping

 

We hope to cover as much of the trip under sail as possible but to maintain our schedule we may have to motor for some of the way. We may also have days when the weather is unsuitable, and we have to stay in the harbour and change our itinerary. We will always explain any changes to you at the time and try our utmost to ensure your enjoyment of your time with us is not compromised.

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Hopefully, we can make up the lost time, but it is possible we may have to end a leg at an earlier port. We will offer you the choice of disembarking on the appointed day at a different port, or alternatively, you will be welcome to stay on board for no additional tariff and help us get Snark to her scheduled destination a day or two late. Any incidental costs associated with either option will be your responsibility. Check that your travel insurance covers any rebooking expenses, etc.

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Safety

 

We'd love you to be involved in the sailing of Snark, but only if you want to and if we feel you are capable of doing so safely.

 

Boats can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing and the rigging of Snark is big and complicated. So please do not pull ropes and strings, turn winches or the wheel or generally fiddle with any other bits of the boat unless we ask you to. We will explain what you are doing and how to do it and keep an eye on you to make sure you are doing it properly and safely.

 

For the safety and convenience of everyone, you are required to listen to our safety briefings carefully and always follow the instructions given by the skipper or crew. 

 

No Smoking

 

We do not allow smoking, vaping or any other smoking substitute, anywhere on board, below or above deck at any time.

 

Medicine, drugs & first aid

 

The crew of Snark is trained in emergency first aid and we will do our best to treat any injuries or maladies that arise on board and if necessary get you ashore for treatment as soon as we can. If you have a medical pre-condition for which you are taking prescription drugs, please let us know particularly if you need to take them in a crisis; it helps the first aider assess the situation. 

 

We cannot provide over the counter remedies for safety reasons. So, if you think you might need them please bring your own sunblock, pain relief, seasickness treatment etc.

 

We have zero tolerance for recreational drugs. Do not bring them on board.

 

Accessibility​

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Snark is a large and comfortable boat that can accommodate less agile guests and those with limited abilities. However, at sea, some of the access is via the ship's ladder and there are trip hazards and awkward corners all over the decks. Please let us know in advance if you have any disability which you think might cause you problems on board and we will discuss with you how we can overcome them. If we can’t, we will let you know immediately.

 

For more information, check out our Accessibility page.

 

Behaviour

 

You'll be sharing this adventure with strangers who are all here to enjoy themselves. Please treat everyone on board with kindness and no doubt they will return the favour. Please respect others' privacy and dignity.

 

We have a zero-tolerance of bigotry and prejudice or offensive behaviour and language. We will tell you if we think you have stepped over the line of what is acceptable on board Snark. If your behaviour is persistently causing a nuisance we will arrange to put you and your belongings ashore. You will be responsible for your own ongoing expenses. If you have made a booking on behalf of a group, you are also responsible for the behaviour of everyone in your group.

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Mobile communications & electronic entertainment

 

We strongly encourage our guests to go off-grid while they are on board. We do not provide wi-fi for our guests' use. Please don’t use your mobiles for calls, texts or email when in the company of other guests if you can possibly avoid it. 

 

We request that guests do not play recorded music (even on headphones) or watch videos or computer games while onboard.

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