The skippers of the experiences listed on Sailsquare are people who are passionate about sailing and love to share authentic experiences with their crew.

On board a sailing boat, the skipper acts as captain: he or she manages the manoeuvres on board and decides the itinerary, assessing various factors on the spot, including weather and sea conditions, the availability and safety of landing places, and the experience and inclinations of the crew, to ensure that everyone enjoys a safe and comfortable holiday.

The skipper will be happy to share his sailing experience and passion with you, teaching you the basics of navigation, involving you in manoeuvres on board or simply telling you some interesting anecdotes. He will be your point of reference during your holiday: don't hesitate to ask him questions!

They have often sailed in the area where they will be taking you, knowing every secret corner: coves, characteristic landing places and maybe even the best places on land to enjoy an aperitif or a dinner of local dishes!

Please note, however, that the skipper is not a tour guide and their job is not to act as a “Tour Guide” for the group 😉 but, first and foremost, to ensure the safety of the boat and the people on board: always follow their directions and adhere to their instructions on how to behave during the experience.

Unless otherwise indicated, the skipper is not generally responsible for preparing meals and/or cleaning the boat. These activities are carried out collaboratively by the people participating in the experience or, if applicable, by other crew members hired specifically for this purpose (e.g. stewardess and/or cook). We invite you to check these details in the frequently asked questions on the page of your chosen experience.

Within the pages dedicated to experiences and departures, you will find a section detailing the expenses that will be incurred during the experience, along with an approximate range for these expenses.

The common fund, for example, is one of the most frequent items: this is an expense fund used to cover variable costs of the holiday that are not included in the price of the experience.

The actual cost incurred during the experience will then be shared among all participants, excluding the skipper and any other crew members. The total amount may vary depending on several factors, including: the type of boat, the duration of the experience, the number of participants, the destination and the period.

Generally, it includes items such as:

• mooring and port fees
• fuel
• food and drink consumed on board
• local taxes (e.g. entry/parking fees in parks and protected areas)

In addition to the common fund, there may be other additional expenses to be incurred, such as:

• Starter Pack: this is a fixed amount, which includes a range of ancillary services (e.g. bed linen)
• Optional services: additional services to be agreed directly with the organiser and paid to him at the time of embarkation

Travelling by boat means travelling light!

Our advice is to avoid hard suitcases and luggage: once on board, they will be difficult to stow and may take up unnecessary space in the cabin.

The skipper will show you some lockers on board almost all sailing boats, where you can store your clothes and personal belongings. Ideally, you should have a rucksack or soft bag (like the kind you use at the gym or swimming pool), which you can fold up and store in the locker.

On the experience page, you will usually find additional tips provided by the organiser: if you have any further questions, please contact them via the internal messaging system.

It is the skipper's responsibility to assess the weather and sea conditions and decide whether they are suitable for safe navigation or whether the planned itinerary needs to be modified for this purpose.

If the planned programme has to be temporarily interrupted due to bad weather, don't worry: the skipper, in addition to having extensive experience of the sailing area, also knows the coast and its shores very well and will be able to recommend an alternative programme based on exploring the surrounding area - the most typical places, the most interesting activities and excursions - or he may devote part of his time to sharing his passion and experience with you.

We are very sorry that your experience did not live up to your expectations 😔

In addition to sharing your opinion via our internal review system, for the benefit of all users in our community, we invite you to share it directly with us by contacting our Customer Care team: understanding the situation and your point of view will greatly help us to continuously improve the service offered through our platform.