Tips

What should I take?

Short answer, as little as possible. There is not a lot of room on a boat to put your gear, and what there is is oddly shaped. So take as few clothes as you can get away with, which will depend on the climate where you're going, and pack them in a soft bag that can be squashed or folded away, not a suitcase or a framed rucsack. If you need any medication then take it with you, you may not be able to get it where you are going, and make sure that you have more than enough as the trip may take longer than you think and you won't neccessarily arrive where you hope. Don't forget your seasickness remedy.

What do I need to know about sailing?

Nothing or everything, it all depends on what the skipper is looking for. Some skippers deliberately want novices as they will do things the skippers' way, without arguing. You can learn to steer, after a fashion, and keep a lookout in just a day or two. Other skippers will want highly experienced crew who can take some of the load off their shoulders and be relied upon to look after the boat without any supervision. This even applies to racing, although without any experience you may be relegated to 'rail meat'.

What equipment do I need?

You may need nothing, but if you're in colder waters you will need a pair of wellies and some waterproof trousers; if it's a long trip, or you are going to sail regularly then you will want a reasonable set of oilskins. On any trip you may be happier if you provide your own lifejacket, harness and safety-line -that way you know that they fit, how they work and you ought to be able to get in and out of them quickly, but the skipper should have enough to go round. N.B be aware that an airline might not like the gas cylinders used with automatic lifejackets -check before you go.