Yes, absolutely!

Our programmes are designed to integrate those who have limited or no previous experience in sailing or diving. And whether you are a novice sailor or seasoned sea dog – thanks to our small student to staff ratio, our experienced and patient instructors can teach everyone at exactly the level they need. And chances are you won’t be the only landlubber on board!

The short answer to this question is: possibly!

Some people get seasick at the beginning of each new sailing voyage, others never do, and some get seasick only some of the time. You won’t know which category you belong to, until you’ve tried it. 😉

The good news is – even if you do get seasick, this is no reason to worry or even refrain from sailing! Sea sickness will usually pass within 24 hours as you get used to the motion of your boat. Our staff are used to looking after suffering crew and will have lots of sympathy – many from their own experience with the curse of the sea! And chances are, you won’t be the only one feeling a little wobbly at first!

If you already know you are prone to seasickness, or are really worried about it, there are a couple of different medications available. We recommend talking to a health professional to find out which are the best options for you.

Our activities are adventurous and so it would be misleading to say that they are free from any risk. Therefore, safety is the foremost consideration of every aspect of our programme design and policies. Since Sail Camp is all about hands-on learning, our staff place high emphasis on safety and risk awareness, and you will get safety training from the moment you step aboard, to make sure you can manoeuvre your new surroundings as safely as possible.

All of our vessels are chartered through recognised charter companies. Both in the UK and Greece, most of our yachts are chartered from Sunsail, one of the best known and most reputable yacht charter companies in the world.

All of the yachts that Sail Camp charters are “bareboat”, meaning that Sunsail provides the equipment and Sail Camp provides the staff and crew. The yachts we use are built and fitted by the world’s leading manufacturers and maintained to the highest standards. All come fully equipped with domestic essentials, as well as safety and navigational equipment.

The crew onboard your yacht will be made up of yourself and up to 7 other Sail Campers, as well as two members of our staff – your Skipper and Mate. On most Sail Camps, your yacht will be part of a mini-flotilla of 2 – 4 boats, so when you are anchoring or moored up somewhere, you will have the opportunity to socialise with the other crews as well.

We always put a lot of thought into putting together the crews of each yacht. We aim to have as balanced a ratio of boys and girls onboard as possible, but other than that, each crew is a wild mix of personalities and people from all over the world and all sorts of background – which makes the experience of sharing a home brilliant fun!

Yes! While most Sail Campers join us on their own, you are more than welcome to bring a friend or sibling. Just send us a quick heads-up with your booking form that you are booking together, so we can make sure you are booked onto the same boat. (And siblings can let us know whether they want to be on the same boat or on different boats within the flotilla.)

We are very aware of the fact that “two’s company and three’s a crowd”, so we do limit the number of crew members who know each other aboard the same boat where practical. However, if you want to join with a whole group of friends (5 – 7 people), we can add a designated boat for you to the flotilla.

And if you are planning on joining a Sail Camp by yourself, please don’t worry about feeling alone and awkward – you will have about 5 minutes to feel that way, and then you will be too busy having fun and getting to know your crew!

Like our participants, our staff come from all over the world, with all sorts of different backgrounds. The thing that they all have in common, is a passion for exploring the world and sharing their adventures with young people.

On each vessel we have two members of permanent crew – the Skipper and Mate. All skippers have a minimum qualification of RYA Yachtmaster or higher, which means they have had extensive training and experience in navigating and skippering yachts, safety at sea, and medical first aid. Our mates are experienced sailors as well, but their main qualification is usually something else. From marine scientists and geographers to teachers and engineers – you can be sure to learn a lot from them!

At Quaystage Training, we believe that our sailing adventures are beneficial for all young people, and aim to make all our courses as inclusive as possible. However, sailing and living on a yacht come with physical and mental challenges that are different to everyday life, and we want to make sure that all participants are safe at all times, and are getting the most out of their experience.

If you are unsure about whether our sailing programmes are the right fit for you, the best thing to do is give us a call. Our team will talk you through what life onboard looks like, and together we will figure out, how we can make this adventure happen for you. Even if you may find some of the aspects of a sailing voyage more challenging than most other young people, sometimes even simple measures, like picking the right programme or bringing an adventure buddy, make all the difference!

As both our staff and our participants come from all over the world, English is the language we all have in common and therefore use to communicate with each other. If English is not your native language, you will still be expected to use it for communication, even if there are others on board who speak your language. It is both a matter of respect and safety!

Saying that, your English does by no means have to be perfect! Our staff are used to working with non-native English speakers and are very patient, and as long as you are able to understand and follow instructions, and interact with the group (even using your hands and feet… ), you are welcome to join the adventure! In fact, the tight knit community on board makes this the perfect opportunity to practise speaking English over your holidays…

(Feel free to use this as an argument to convince your parents to send you on a Sail Camp next summer! 😉)

You will get a detailed list of what to pack once you sign up for a Sail Camp or DofE Expedition, but there won’t be many things on there that you don’t already own. Generally, you will need comfortable clothes and good sun protection, everything else – safety equipment etc. – is already on board. For sailing trips in not so hot climate zones (looking at you, England!), a set of waterproof jacket and trousers, as well as wellies, may be a good idea, depending on the time of year. If you don’t own any, you can hire jacket and trousers from us for a small admin fee (please just let us know in advance).

Additional costs you should expect are your personal travel insurance as well as travel costs to and from the marina. This may include flights, fees for visas or health checks and vaccinations. We also recommend bringing a little bit of pocket money for things like ice cream on shore leave, post cards home, or souvenirs. How much you will need for this depends on your personal spending habits. If you are joining one of our Sail Camps abroad, please make sure you bring local currency or an international credit card with the ability to draw cash.

Once you sign up for a programme you will get detailed instructions on how to get to the marina, and how to find your boat and crew once you get there.

We always aim to choose marinas as ports of embarkation and disembarkation which are easily accessible both by car an public transport. As our different Sail Camps and other voyages start and finish in different places, please check the course you want to book for a general idea of where you need to go.

You will need personal travel insurance which includes sailing and travel to all countries you will visit during your programme.

Depending on where you are from and where you are going, you may also require a valid passport, visa, or certain medical paperwork, e.g. proof of vaccination for certain diseases.

If you require a passport for your travels, please note that in most countries, your passport must be valid until 6 months after the day you plan to leave the country!

No. This includes e-cigarettes etc, this includes time spent ashore, and this includes participants who are 18 years old. We have a duty of care to all participants on our voyages, and we aim to promote a healthy lifestyle on board our Sail Camps and youth voyages. We feel that the allowance of either smoking or vaping would not fulfil these requirements.

Our professional staff are chosen for their specific experience, skill and professionalism; and they are often on board for several back-to back voyages, amounting to several months at a time. Extending a zero tolerance smoking/vaping policy to staff would unfortunately limit recruitment and could exclude some exceptional skippers and youth workers; who would otherwise provide you with the best possible experience and instruction. We have therefore made the decision not to do this. If any of the staff on your voyage are smokers, our policy is that they do so ashore and out of sight of the vessel, where at all possible. On extended periods at sea or where it is otherwise not possible to step ashore, they are expected to limit smoking or vaping as much as possibly, to do so during their ‘off’ watch time, and to do so in the way that is the most considerate of other crew members (eg, downwind).

This is a favourite amongst our participants… Or at least their parents!

After you have had a chance to tell your parents you have arrived on board safe and sound, we will collect your phone (along with any devices that serve the same purpose, such as iPads etc.) and store it safely in the crew cabin for most of the voyage. We will keep your parents up to date on your well-being on a regular basis, and you will get a few opportunities to call them throughout the voyage. We will also be taking lots of photos and sharing them with you at the end of the voyage, but if you want to take your own photos, or can’t fall asleep without listening to music at night, please consider bringing alternative devices (i.e. a camera/a cheap old-fashioned mp3-player).

We are not taking away your phones to punish or torture you, but because we have found that they have become an uncontrollable source of distraction over the last couple of years, and severely interfere with the programme, and the safety and social interaction on board. Just give it a try – you might be surprised at how nice it is to be away from the constant buzz for a bit. In fact, some of our participants have even told us, they wished they would have had even less phone time! And if nothing less, try to look at the bright side: This is another really good argument to convince your parents to send you on a Sail Camp! 😉