One of the small luxuries of a private charter is how little you actually need to bring. The boat is stocked, the crew has thought of the boring things, and the day is designed so that you can step aboard with one small bag. Here is what belongs in it - and what really doesn't.
The short list
- Swimwear - worn under your clothes saves the first change of the day.
- Reef-safe sunscreen - the light on the water is roughly twice as strong as on land, because it hits you from above and off the surface. SPF 50, applied before you board.
- A hat and sunglasses - polarised lenses if you have them; they turn the sea from glare into glass, and you will spot fish and rays from the deck.
- A light cover-up or shirt - for the ride home and for shade at midday.
- Your phone in a dry pouch - or a waterproof camera. The pouch matters more than you think on a trampoline bow.
- A little cash - for national park fees on some routes and beach vendors if you go ashore.
Already on board
Towels, drinking water, soft drinks, snorkelling masks and fins, paddle boards, a kayak, life jackets in all sizes and a fully shaded lounge are part of every Star Sailing charter. Lunch is cooked fresh on board, and fruit appears at exactly the moment you start thinking about it. There is no need to pack beach towels from the hotel - they will only come home heavy and full of sand.
Dress code: barefoot
Yachts and dark-soled shoes don't mix, so plan to slip your sandals off at the boarding step - the teak deck is kinder to bare feet than any flip-flop. A sundress or linen shirt over swimwear is exactly the right level of formal. If your plans include a celebration or a photoshoot, bring the outfit in your bag and change on board; every boat has proper bathrooms and mirrors.
If you are prone to seasickness
Take the tablet before you leave the pier, not after the horizon starts moving - most remedies need thirty to sixty minutes to work. Choose a catamaran over a monohull if you know you are sensitive, sit low and aft where the motion is smallest, and keep your eyes on the islands rather than a screen. On calm-water routes like Phang Nga Bay this is rarely an issue at all.
Leave the drone question to a quick message before the trip. Some anchorages and national parks around Phuket restrict flying, and the crew will tell you exactly where you can and cannot launch - better than finding out from a ranger.
For families
Children need surprisingly little: their own rash vest, a favourite snack for the crossing, and that is about it. Life jackets in kids' sizes are on board, the swim ladders are toddler-friendly, and the crew are used to small guests. A change of dry clothes for the ride home turns tired swimmers into sleeping passengers - which most parents count as a feature.
What to leave at the hotel
Valuables you won't wear, laptops, and anything you would be sad to see splashed. Glass bottles are better swapped for cans (ask us - we will chill whatever you bring). And leave the schedule behind too: the whole point of a private boat is that the only appointment of the day is sunset.
