There was a lot of preparation involved in getting myself together for Yacht Week. I read countless blogs and talked with my crew almost daily. I found that some things came down to minute details, and I did not always catch them. Luckily with seven other people traveling with me, we generally had all of our bases covered. Here is a short list of 5 things that I did not know that I needed for Yacht Week.
- Baby wipes: If you are like me and you don’t like to wear shoes, baby wipes are essential to yacht life. I love to be barefoot (Florida girl) but I do not like to get into the bed with dirty feet. Baby wipes are also good for removing make up, and freshening up in a pinch. Just an all around good item to have.
- Fanny pack: Fanny packs, once an uncool tourist accessory, now a cool statement piece. For me a fanny pack proved to be extremely practical and necessary on the boat for keeping cell phone, chapstick, sunglasses, and other knickknacks. When we were on the water it was choppy and things rolled around all parts of the boat. It was nice to be able to keep everything on me at those moments and not worrying about loosing my small items. It is also nice to have everything on you because our yacht was kind of small and the sitting area at the stern was easily cluttered. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “Where’s my phone?” I purchased mine on eBay but now they are everywhere.
- Converter with USB ports: I owned a big, bulky, all in one power converter that I purchased when I studied abroad way back in 2009. It served me well but then I only had my laptop to charge regularly. As a vlogger, grad student, and a person that generally has devices this did not work well. You can only charge items when you are docked at a marina; this meant I had to switch out charging my spare camera battery and my phone. I also shared with my friend Lana who was my roommate. I would recommend getting one of the all in one converters that have a plug situation and USB ports like this one. We were lucky that our boat had a USB charging strip but if you are going to have multiple things to charge, invest in the converter.
- Microfiber Towels: This ended up being super clutch. The yacht provides you with towels to dry off with (Many European countries DO NOT use wash clothes like Americans use) but the dry hooks are not abundant. Having a microfiber towel and wash cloth to take into the marina is great because you can do your thing and wash but the towel won’t get soaked and the wash cloth dries really quickly. This makes it easy to dry and store quickly. They also do not take up much space in your bag.
- Double Walled Water Bottle: Yacht Week is a drink fest. There is a lot of alcohol to be consumed and not a whole lot of space on the boat. While we bought water in 1.5 liter multipacks, we did not have an over abundance of cups. So we had to put names on cups and find places to put them; move them around and hold them when the boat got rocky. It can be a pain in the arse. I always travel with my double walled water bottle because I don’t like to pay for water if I can help it and I like cold water. The stainless steel joint like I have keep water cold for anywhere from 12-24 hours, longer if you use ice. It is witchcraft. This is handy because it makes your drink more portable and it won’t get hot. It also comes in handy if you do day tours because you have cold water if you’re walking. I bought mine a Marshall’s for about $10. Here’s an option from Amazon.
- Scarf Blanket/Jacket: This was something I definitely didn’t know I would appreciate having. When I flew on Turkish Airlines, they give out these really nice mid-weight blankets. I had the bright idea of taking it with me and using it as a scarf. I’ve now done this a couple of times and it is great to have. We went to Yacht Week on Labor Day Week and it was beautiful, but it could get cool on the water and at night. The blanket scarf becomes handy to cover up and still be able to sit above deck. It is also handy for impromptu naps, last minute pillow, as a scarf/shawl, or as a head wrap traveling through the airport. I would also suggest a light jacket on for the plane and when it is cool. I brought a denim shirt but seriously could have used an actual sweater.
I hope these items prove helpful as you prepare for your own Yacht Week Experience. Next week, I will give you the rundown on how I packed for my week on the water. Peace! ~S
Shardé Searches 