Helpful Sailing Tips
To ensure an memorable experience
Bring the right stuff – but not too much. BIG MAMA is a 60ft sailing yacht & Ragamuffin 111 47ft. YES, a small
backpack with your necessities.
We do not have a bar on board: Feel free to bring your beverages in a small cooler bag or esky!
Footwear: BARE FEET are the uniform of the day. However, good deck shoes or white soled flat shoes is
welcome. A shoe your foot can slip out of can be dangerous
on a moving yacht.
Clothing: This is the tropics, so it is warm to hot most of the time. Comfortable clothing for boating, togs & a
long sleeved top for sun protection/or the odd cool
evening. Please bring a towel, sunscreen & hat.
Keep in mind: The sun at sea is constant in daylight. The clouds do nothing to protect you. And the UVs go right
through thin cotton. If you are really sensitive, or even concerned, invest in a long sleeved UV resistant long
sleeve shirt for on-deck & we do have UV suits for when you are in the water and snorkelling.
Wet weather: We have plenty of ‘el cheapo’ rain jackets on board. REMEMBER we do experience 320 plus days
a year of SUNSHINE!
The Sun: Whether your skin is fair or not, you need sun screen – plenty of it. 50+ minimum. Water proof for 4
hours minimum. And plan to lather up every 2 – 3 hours during the day, especially when snorkelling.If we are
hanging around the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, you’ll be in & out of the water like a Yo-Yo.
Hat: You’ve got to have one. And it might blow overboard.We suggest a full brim hat with a chord to prevent
losing it!
Sunglasses: You will damage your eyes without them.The best are ‘polarised. Polarised eliminate most of the
glare and vastly improve visibility around the reef.
Motion sickness: "I don’t get seasick." Famous last words. Once you get seasick on a constantly moving vessel,
it is very hard to recover, because you can’t keep the
pills down long enough to work. We cannot give medical advice. But we can tell you what we have observed.
Pressure point bracelets can be very effective. A product called Quell or Travel Calm is popular and can help,
but count on a dry mouth, so plenty of water needs to be consumed.
Camera: We do have means to charge your electronics on board. If you plan on charging, make sure you bring
along your charging chord to suit your phone.
Mobile Service: It will get reception & we have a BOOSTER which helps with service in normal difficult range
areas-but put it away and enjoy the natural environment
and being on board Big Mama.