Eco Sailing in Vieques, PR 🇵🇷

What is the minimum age/weight? While we don't have a minimum age, our safety gear has a minimum weight requirement of 90 lbs. Passengers under 12 years old are required to wear a life jacket (PFD) when the boat is in motion. What are the physical requirements? Since there isn't a marina in Vieques, full physical mobility is necessary to board the sailboat. You will climb into a 10-foot, rigid inflatable dinghy from the beach – so bring water-friendly shoes! After a 5-minute ride, you'll climb a 5-foot ladder up the side of the sailboat to the deck. If you have any concerns, contact us before booking. What should I know about safety? Passengers under 12 years old are required to wear a life jacket (PFD) when the boat is in motion. They are optional for adults while underway. The minimum weight for a participant is 90lbs due PFD limitations. We carry all required USCG-approved PFDs plus USCG Type V automatically inflatable vests for adults who may feel more comfortable wearing non-intrusive safety gear while sailing. Due to the changing nature of sailing conditions; at any time the Captain may instruct any or all passengers and crew to wear PFDs for safety. Our yacht meets and exceeds USCG regulations for "UPV" vessel safety. In addition to basic safety requirements, we carry a 406/121.5mHz emergency beacon, satellite communication equipment, are equipped with an Automatic Information System (AIS), and redundant VHF radio equipment. Captain and crew will provide a safety briefing at the beginning of your trip, if you have any questions at any time, please don't hesitate to ask. Where do we meet? On the east end of the Malecón in Esperanza is a gravel parking lot. Pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mUmhqUagTxwrkZvX6 Park in the shade or anywhere in line with the other vehicles. Please park respectfully as this is the main parking lot for the local fishermen. Next to the smaller fisherman's pier is a boat ramp, and after that is a friendly stretch of sand where we meet to board the dinghy. Is food/drink provided? Sunrise Sailing starts with a light breakfast and coffee. If you have any history of motion sickness, we recommend swapping the coffee for a cup of ginger tea. Both the Sunrise Sailing and Sunset on Anchor experiences include responsibly bottomless alcoholic beverages (wine/beer/rum), sodas, sparkling/filtered water, and plentiful charcuterie snacks. We'll ask for your dietary preference during the booking process. We strive to create as little waste as possible. We provide silverware, cloth napkins, coffee mugs, wine glasses, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel cups, a cooler and ice. Feel free to bring any particular snacks/drinks you want to have for your experience, but remember to pack light! What should we bring? In addition to food and beverages, we provide Turkish-style beach towels, a large float. We also have an 8'x8' beach tent available by request. Small waterproof bags are provided for personal items, however this is a wet environment so any electronics or sensitive items are brought onboard at your own risk. Bring an ID with you as well as personal items such as: sun protection: sunglasses, hat, sun shirt, reef-safe sunscreen, etc. water-friendly shoes swimsuit a change of clothes If you struggle *at all* with motion sickness, please talk to your physician about the best remedy for you. What should you NOT bring? Drugs. Don't bring any illegal drugs, which includes all types of marijuana. Yes, including legally purchased medical marijuana. This is because the boat, captain, and company are federally licensed by the United States Coast Guard who, as a federal agency, defines marijuana to be a schedule 1 controlled substance. What will the conditions be like out there? The Caribbean Sea is famous for the trade winds, which reliably blow east to west. In the winter months, 'the trades' are often strong and can create conditions that make sailing uncomfortable and potentially even unsafe. Fortunately, the trades are predictable, generally cycling from Northeast to Southeast and back again. A few days before your reservation, the forecast will give better insight into the conditions to be expected. But no matter how good the conditions, this is open-water sailing; there will be wind and waves creating a lot of motion in the boat. If you struggle *at all* with motion sickness, please talk to your physician about the best remedy for you. And, as there are no docks for these tours, it is important that you have full physical mobility to be able to comfortably get into and out of a dinghy as well as climb the boarding ladder on the sailboat. If you have any questions about physical requirements or what to expect, don't hesitate to contact us. Am I expected to tip the crew? Our pricing reflects the true cost of our experiences, which allows us to provide consistently fair wages to our crew and afford the incessant maintenance a sailboat requires. 💸 You are welcome to tip, but really – it's not expected. Cancellation Policy: All reservations are weather and condition dependent. Although Esperanza Harbor is a protected and reliable place, there is always a chance the weather will make conditions uncomfortable or unsafe. If the captain has to cancel your reservation for any reason, you will receive a full refund. If you need to make a change to your reservation, let us know as soon as possible. While there is no fee to reschedule, we can't guarantee an opening will be available during the remainder of your trip. For cancellations with at least 72 hours notice, only the payment processing fee (3%) is non-refundable. If less than 72 hours notice, we will issue a 50% refund. Refunds will be initiated within 3 days of notice of cancellation.