1. bring your own: What should you pack?
Before packing at home, you should carefully go through the equipment list for the boat provided by the charter company. As with a holiday flat on land, the standard equipment is rarely listed individually. This is precisely why the check makes sense. While the pantry, for example, is always fully equipped, bed linen and towels can be different: Sometimes they are included, sometimes they have to be booked in addition or brought along yourself. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can easily clarify these open questions about the general equipment in advance.
The numerous "little things" that make life on board easier or more pleasant are more exciting. For example, you shouldn't rely on there always being enough power sockets to charge your mobile devices. A power strip in your luggage can make the difference between a live stream or a flat screen.
Of course, the following list does not claim to be exhaustive; what it contains is based on the experience of our editorial team. Some of it may seem obvious, others more individual. Everyone knows best what they don't want to do without. If you are travelling by car and have enough space, there is hardly any reason not to take an additional small bag or folding box with you. And what you have, you have.
2. already available: What can be found where on board?
The list of equipment items and details that you are confronted with during the briefing and handover can be correspondingly long and unfamiliar. Especially when it comes to finding out what is available where on the boat, it is easy to lose track and quickly forget one or two things, even if the transfer list is worked through point by point. Sometimes locations are simply described in order to save time ("An additional long line should be in one of the forecastle boxes, or otherwise in the front of the anchor locker"). To minimise the risk of something being misunderstood or forgotten when chartering, at least one other member of the crew should take part in the briefing on board in addition to the skipper.
The checklist provides an overview of those things that are often forgotten or at least only mentioned in passing, although they can become very important later in the course of the trip. It is also not always applicable point by point, as the individual handover procedure depends on the boat, the area, the charter company and, last but not least, the employees who look after the customers on site. If in doubt, it is always better to ask instead of having to search for yourself later under time pressure.
