Before you sail
What to bring on a boat trip
Less than you think. Towels, water, ice, fruit, snorkelling masks, SUP boards and an underwater scooter are already aboard and included. What you actually need is a hat, sunscreen, something with sleeves for the way home, soft-soled shoes or none, and cash for the oysters. Everything below that is preference.
Already on board
None of this needs packing, and none of it is charged extra.
Aboard and included
- Towels, ice, drinking water and fruit
- Snorkelling masks, SUP boards and an underwater scooter
- Inflatable loungers and water toys
- Bluetooth speakers — connect your own playlist
- A welcome drink, prosecco or non-alcoholic
- Life jackets in adult and child sizes
Bring or arrange
- Sunscreen and a hat
- A layer with sleeves for the return leg
- Cash for oysters at Kamenari and any lunch ashore
- Any medication you take, including for seasickness
The four things guests get wrong
Seven seasons of watching people board.
Hard-soled shoes
They mark the deck and they are worse than bare feet on a wet surface. Soft soles or nothing — most guests are barefoot within ten minutes anyway.
Nothing with sleeves
At two in the afternoon it seems absurd. At six, coming back across the bay with the sun behind the mountain, it is the single most requested item aboard.
No cash
The oysters at Kamenari come out to the boat from the farm and are paid for there. Restaurants on the route mostly take cards; the man with the oysters does not.
Too much luggage
A day charter needs one small bag for the group, not one each. On a week aboard, soft bags only — hard suitcases have nowhere to live in a cabin.
Seasickness, honestly
The Bay of Kotor is enclosed water and on most days it is flat. If your whole charter stays inside the bay — Perast, Kotor, the islands — seasickness is rarely an issue even for people who expect it.
The western route past Mamula and the southern run to Budva are open sea, and on a windy day they move. If you know you are sensitive, take something before you board rather than after you feel it, and tell the captain: he will keep you in the sheltered half of the bay and nobody has to make a point of it.
One practical note that helps more than tablets: sit outside, near the middle of the boat, and look at the shore rather than at a phone. The people who struggle are almost always the ones who went below to lie down.
If you are bringing particular people
Children
Less than you would pack for a beach
Life jackets in child sizes are aboard. Bring a hat and a rash vest — the day is longer than a beach day and the sun reflects off the water.
A celebration
Tell us in advance
Decor is €150 and set before you board. A cake fits in the galley fridge if we know it is coming.
A photographer's eye
Golden hour is the return leg
The light on the way back is the best of the day. If that matters, take a longer charter rather than a shorter one.
A big group
One bag between you
Sixteen guests with sixteen bags fills the saloon. One bag for the group and a towel each is how it works.
Ask us anything before you pack
Send your dates and your questions together. We answer within two hours in season, and the route is agreed the evening before.
What people usually ask
What should I wear on a boat trip?
Swimwear, something loose over it, and soft-soled shoes or none. Add a layer with sleeves for the return leg — the bay cools fast once the sun goes behind the mountain, and that is the item guests ask for most.
Do I need to bring towels?
No. Towels, ice, drinking water and fruit are aboard and included, along with snorkelling masks, SUP boards and an underwater scooter.
Should I bring cash?
Yes, some. The oysters at Kamenari are bought from the water and paid for there. Restaurants on the route mostly take cards.
What about food?
Lunch is not included. We buy what you want and charge what it cost, or a private chef comes aboard for €300. Most guests take oysters from Kamenari and let the grill do the rest.
Will we get seasick?
Inside the Bay of Kotor, rarely — it is enclosed and usually flat. The open coast moves on a windy day. If you are sensitive, take something before boarding and tell the captain; he will keep the day in the sheltered half of the bay.