Open to all
Croisière Formation FFV dans les Grenadines
Martinique · Caribbean
Next: 7 - 14 November 2026
15 dates in 2026 & 2027
€1,490
No experience needed
Sailing Holidays for Beginners
You don't need experience, a boat, or a crew. You book one berth on a skippered yacht, join the other guests on board, and learn as you go. From a weekend in the Solent to a first ocean passage, every trip here is open to someone who has never sailed.
- Vetted operators only
- Secure booking
- Trusted by 50,000+ sailors
Logged in the SailTies app
- 50,000Sailors
- 187,000Voyages
- 18.2mNautical miles
- 185Countries
As seen in
Beginner trips with dates
73 trips that welcome complete beginners, from £170 per person.
- Intermediate & Beginner5.0
RYA Day Skipper Practical
United Kingdom · Europe
Next: 11 - 15 November 2026
8 dates in 2026 & 2027
£795
- Beginner5.0
- Open to all
Sailing the Tropical Trail
Bermuda & U.S. Virgin Islands · Caribbean
Next: 13 - 23 November 2026
1 date in November
$7,550
- Beginner5.0
Coastal Passage: Monterey to San Francisco
United States · Americas
Next: 14 - 14 November 2026
1 date in November
$600
- Open to all4.8
ARC Atlantic Crossing
Spain & St. Lucia · Europe
Next: 18 November - 20 December 2026
1 date in November
£10,000
- Open to all
ARC Atlantic Crossing – Canary Islands to Saint Lucia
Spain & St. Lucia · Europe
Next: 22 November - 13 December 2026
2 dates in 2026 & 2027
£7,495
- Open to all
Wind & Waves Seminar
U.S. Virgin Islands · Caribbean
Next: 3 - 7 December 2026
2 dates in December
$3,850
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Prefer to talk it through?
Beginner sailing
What is a beginner sailing holiday?
A skippered trip, not a course you have to pass. The skipper runs the boat and the safety; you take the helm, pull the ropes and learn by doing. Most first-timers are sailing confidently within a couple of days.
Some trips are holidays with teaching built in: a week in the Ionian or the Caribbean where the sailing is part of the day, not the whole point. Others are RYA courses with a certificate at the end. The trip card says which.
Who books a beginner trip?
The complete beginner
You have never set foot on a sailing boat. Pick a trip marked Beginner or Open to all: the crew will teach you everything from which rope does what to steering a compass course.
The rusty returner
You sailed years ago, maybe as a child, and want to get back on the water without committing to a boat. A skippered week or a Competent Crew course gets your hands back on the ropes.
The future skipper
You want to charter your own boat one day. Start with a course or a skippered week, log the miles in the app, and build toward Day Skipper at your own pace.
See how the miles add up
Before you book
What to pack
A soft bag, not a suitcase; layers, not sailing gear. The operator sends a kit list, and most boats lend waterproofs. You don't need to buy anything technical.
Who else is on board
Other guests who booked a berth, just like you. Crews are usually four to eight people, and many come on their own.
How much you do
As much as you want. Take the helm, trim the sails, plot the course, or sit in the sun for an afternoon. The skipper carries the responsibility either way.
Sleeping and eating
You sleep on the boat in a cabin or a sea berth. Food on board is included on most trips; evenings are usually ashore in a harbour taverna or at anchor in a bay.
Seasickness
Most beginners worry about it; most are fine in sheltered waters. The Ionian, the Solent and the Caribbean trades are chosen for exactly that reason.
Where beginners sail
Start with the destinations we've written guides for, or see every beginner trip with dates.
Mediterranean
Sheltered waters, short hops and warm evenings: the classic first week.
Explore the Mediterranean
How booking works
Choose your trip
Compare the destination, dates, boat, experience level, and what's included.
Book your berth
You book a place on the boat, not the whole yacht, and pay securely through SailTies.
Get ready
The operator sends joining instructions and a kit list before you travel.
Sail and log it
Join the crew, take part on board, and record every mile in the free SailTies app.
Book with confidence with SailTies
A team of sailors who have your back
We will help you pick the right trip and be there if anything unexpected happens.
Every operator vetted
We only list operators we know personally or have been recommended by past customers. All trips are checked before they go live.
Terms published upfront
Cancellation and refund terms shown on every trip page before you pay a deposit.
Talk to a sailor
Our team sail, and they'll tell you honestly what a trip is like and whether it's right for you.
Sailing trip reviews from the boat
Reviews can only be left by sailors who were on the boat.
Trusted by 50,000 sailors
Kirsty Sutherland
August 2026
Great sailing, lovely crew
“Perfect introduction to non-stop ocean sailing, and night watches. We were blessed with plenty of solar/celestial activity, but most of all a professional and friendly crew who were generous with their time and expertise, and very lovely and thoughtful on top.”
Jay Baum
July 2026
An amazing training opportunity at a world-famous racing event
“I'm a resonably experienced club sailor with some racing experience on smaller keelboats. When I realized I would be visiting the south coast during the Round the Island Race, I went looking for a chance to join a crew. I didn't want to over-sell my experience, and finding a new class of boat (for me) and an organizer like Tim (who was looking to make the event a training day in which we would all have a chance to learn and practice our skills) was the perfect fit. With an experienced skipper and a crew with diverse sailing sailing backgrounds, we worked well together and helped each other in our various roles. Tim focused on communication and timing, making sure we knew what to do, and what to do next. Finishing in in the top half of our class was a proud moment considering we all met for the first time at 5am on race day.”
Andrew Buchan
July 2026
Fantastic sail
“Quite simply, it was a fantastic day. Tim was brilliant, as was everyone else on board. It was great to rotate responsibilities throughout the day, giving everyone the chance to experience all aspects of sailing. It was a fantastic way to pick up new sailing tips, build confidence, and have a great deal of fun along the way. I would highly recommend these sails!”
Dan Fullerton
July 2026
RTI 2026
“The day was absolutely brilliant, Tim who organised the event did an exceptional job, Richard the Skipper was a local so knew the Solent like the back of his hand so the boat sailed well at all times, Niomi who ran the bow definitely knew her stuff and when there was a problem sorted promptly so we could still sail competitively. To say none of us as crew had meet before hand everyone got on and did there rolls and helped others out if people where struggling a bit. By the end of the day everyone could do everything and do it well. I would definitely recommend Seatrails as a company. Hopefully I will sail with them again.”
Photos & videos from our sailing trips
Taken by the people who were there, attached to the reviews they left.
Gift vouchers
Give a first sailing trip
A SailTies gift voucher works on any trip we list, beginner weeks and courses included. Choose the amount, add a message, and send it now or on the day.
They choose the trip and the dates.
Another way aboard
Looking for a free crew place?
Some yacht owners take crew who help on board and share costs rather than paying a fee. Crew Match connects skippers with sailors looking for a place on board, and some owners are happy to teach.
The free SailTies app
First trip? Log every mile.
The free SailTies app records each trip as you sail: your track, your crew, your photos and the log you write each day. Start your sailing history from your very first day on the water.
The SailTies community
From the logbooks
SailTies is the leading digital logbook and sailor network. These are stories from the sailors who use it.
Three Volcanoes and a Cracked Shroud: Racing Offshore with Robert Šarić
A cracked shroud 250 miles from the Rolex Middle Sea Race finish, three volcanoes in one campaign, and why Robert Šarić of Veruda Sailing School trains his crews on the Adriatic.
Read the story
Seven of Thirteen: Elouise Pemberton's Challenge Fleet Quest
A Tall Ships bursary put Elouise Pemberton to sea at 19. Twenty years on she is working through all thirteen Challenge yachts, logging every mile on SailTies.
Read the story
46 Legs Round Britain: Jenny Whelan's Voyage with Dogsail
Jenny Whelan sailed 46 legs and 1,800 nautical miles around Britain with her partner Pete, their dog Svea, and an AI chatbot, logging every leg on SailTies.
Read the story
Beginner sailing FAQs
Can I go on a sailing holiday with no experience?
Yes. Every trip on this page takes beginners, which means the operator expects complete novices. The skipper teaches you what you need as you go.
Can I learn to sail at 50?
Yes. Plenty of first-time sailors are in their fifties and sixties. Operators ask about general fitness for moving around a boat, not age.
How do I start sailing with no experience?
Book a skippered trip or a beginner course and go. A five-day RYA Competent Crew course is the structured route; a skippered week in the sun is the gentle one. Both get you helming on day one.
How long does it take to learn to sail?
A five-day Competent Crew course makes you a useful crew member. A season of weekends or a couple of weeks afloat gets most people to Day Skipper standard, which is what you need to charter your own boat.
How much do beginner sailing holidays cost?
Across the market, a UK weekend starts at a few hundred pounds, a skippered week in the Mediterranean or Caribbean is typically £800 to £1,500 per berth, and a first ocean passage runs into the thousands. Our prices are the operator's own, shown on each trip.
What's included in the price?
Your berth, the skipper, safety equipment and, on most trips, food on board. Not included: flights, travel insurance and meals ashore. The trip page lists exactly what applies.
Will I be on my own with strangers?
You book one berth and join the other guests on board, usually four to eight people. Many book on their own; couples and friends share cabins. Twin cabins and sea berths vary by boat, and the trip page says which.
Do I need to be fit?
You need to be able to move around a boat and climb a short ladder. You don't need to be strong; winches do the heavy work. If a trip needs more, the trip page says so.
What's the difference between a skippered trip and a course?
A skippered trip is a holiday: the skipper is responsible for the boat and you join in as much as you like. A course, like RYA Competent Crew, follows a syllabus and ends with a certificate. Both welcome beginners.
Will I get seasick?
Possibly, for a day, in livelier water. Beginner trips favour sheltered sailing grounds, and skippers carry medication. Start it before you leave if you're worried.
Can I sail in the UK as a beginner?
Yes. Solent weekends, West Country weeks and Scottish voyages all take beginners, and UK trips avoid flights entirely. The United Kingdom page lists them.
Is a sailing holiday a good way to try before buying a boat?
The best way. A week on board teaches you more about what you want from a boat than a year of reading, and the miles you log count toward the qualifications you'd need later.
Keep exploring
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