Sail across the Atlantic from Martinique

Before you leave, check with the embassy or consulate regarding the entry and stay requirements for your destination country. You can also find this information on the France Diplomatie website (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/).

In the case of flights with stopovers operated by different airlines, also check the entry requirements of the countries you are transiting through.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are in compliance, particularly regarding the validity of your identity documents (for example, some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return) , visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, and health recommendations. And don't forget to consider any customs restrictions and other potential requirements of your destination or transit country.

ℹ️ Information may change up to the departure date, remember to regularly check official websites.

Open Sail provides automatic life jackets, undersheets, pillowcases, kitchen towels, and end-of-course housekeeping.

Here is what we recommend you put in your bag (soft bag, not a hard-shell suitcase):

The basis for navigation:

1. Complete equipment: boots (breathable preferred), jacket and overalls (also breathable), all packed in a shopping bag for easy access.
2. Boating gloves
3. Headlamp with spare batteries and a red light function for nighttime use

For sleeping:

1. Sleep mask
2. Earplugs
3. Lightweight sleeping bag

Hygiene (taking into account the need to save water and energy):

1. Seawater soap (available in chandleries, at Vieux Campeur or Nature & Découvertes; it can also be used as shampoo and shaving foam)
2. Micellar water (convenient to use with a spray, especially for the face)
3. Washcloth
4. Laundry detergent for handwashing clothes (with seawater)

Health :

1. Hat or cap
2. Sunscreen in sufficient quantity (the only effective protection is a total sunblock with an SPF of 50 applied every three hours)
3. 1 or even 2 pairs of sufficiently protective sunglasses (with a cord so you don't lose them)
4. Gourd
5. Bottle of hand sanitizer and surgical masks for ground travel
6. We advise you to consult your doctor and dentist for a final check-up before leaving
7. Personal first-aid kit for minor ailments (bandages, disinfectants, saline solution, burn cream, pain relievers or seasickness medication, etc.) and for personal needs:
8. For seasickness (Stugeron has fewer side effects, Primalan works well)
9. Broad-spectrum antibiotic (e.g., Amoxicillin)
10. For pain relief: it is better to take paracetamol or aspirin rather than anti-inflammatories (Advil, Ibuprofen, etc.)
11. Adrenaline auto-injector (Anapen): in case of allergy. Anyone can have an unexpected allergic reaction with serious consequences.
12. It is useful to bring your prescriptions with you, as some medications are authorized in France but prohibited in other countries (ask your doctor).
13. Please remember to download and email this document to us; it will be forwarded to the CCMM before departure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TpbcGlyvD2B0zhuovNhMsUQ_axkHMzd/view?usp=sharing

Optional but practical:

1. Pocket knife (ideally a multi-tool like a Leatherman)
2. Flashlight lamp: it is placed on the arm during night navigation
3. Portable battery (ideally with a solar panel): for charging tablets/e-readers and other personal electronic devices
4. Things to do: music, some books, games, etc.

Noticed :

1. For anything liquid, opt for screw-top containers.

Open Sail provides bed sheets, pillowcases and kitchen towels, as well as end-of-stay cleaning.

For the onboard kitty: stopover costs, inboard engine fuel and consumables are covered by Open Sail (gas, batteries, fuel for dinghy).

All you'll have left to spend is food (around €20/day/person) and the plane ticket.

Regarding provisions, you will do the shopping together before departure (the skipper's food is traditionally taken care of by the crew): feel free to bring along ingredients to cook dishes you know how to make and would like to share; there is a gas oven, stoves, pots, pans and everything necessary for a culinary expert (even if we aren't one), what is certain is that eating and drinking well is essential for the smooth running of a boat!

The program's main idea is to have fun and experience an adventure, to acquire automatic reflexes, learn techniques, understand settings, improve weather analysis, progress in navigation using instruments, streamline maneuvers, and ultimately acquire seamanship for autonomy on board a sailboat.

1. You mustn't get cold, so bring warm clothes.
2. You need to be waterproof, so bring along marine clothing such as oilskins or windbreakers, top and bottom.
3. Sailing gloves
4. Closed shoes (sneakers or tennis shoes with white non-slip soles, or better yet, breathable boots)
5. Thin fleece pull
6. Cap (and possibly a fleece hat)