Here you’ll find some of our frequently asked questions and if you have one of your own, please submit it on the form below and we’ll get back to you with an answer (and add it to the list!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! There is nothing ‘religious’ about our trips other than 3 factors:
- The kitchen is kosher (milky)
- We tie up in a marina from Friday midday until Sunday morning
- We will cook before Shabbat and have shabbat meals together
Everyone is free to do as they wish inside their cabin on Shabbat. You are also free to go onshore and eat and drink whoever and wherever you wish and do not have to eat meals with us. We simply wish to make sure that the boat is ‘kosher’ and shabbat friendly for those who desire it.
Of course! We’d be delighted and will fill up multiple catamarans to make up a flotilla. Come along with a larger group of friends or family but keep in mind that we need to fill the rooms for it to work so 14 to 16 people (7 to 8 cabins) would be a perfect number!
When there is no wind, or the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, we will be using the engines and usually travel at around 5 to 7 knots. When we are under sail, we are typically at anything between 4 and 10 knots depending on the conditions.
1 knot = 1.85 km/hour or 1.15 miles/hour
You will arrive at the catamaran in the afternoon and get settled in. We’ll then have an extensive briefing to explain about the basics of the boat and most importantly about safety on board. We may set sail that afternoon but it could only be the following morning and since we stop from Friday midday to Sunday morning for shabbat, it means that 7 days are never enough. Sailing is not fast and we need a couple of days after Shabbat to get back to our starting point.
For example, lets say you arrive on a Tuesday, we start sailing on Wednesday morning and then travel over 3 days to reach our furthest point where we stop for Shabbat.. we then we need 2 days to get back to our base by the following Tuesday.
We have a wifi router on board that provides fast internet via the cell network. Most of the time, we are in range of a cellphone tower and will have great internet but sometimes the reception will be a little weaker so plan on staying in touch with home and news but don’t plan on zoom meetings or netflix!
Although the layout of different catamarans are not all the same, in general they are from 12 to 18 meters long and 7 to 10 meters wide and are divided into a number of living areas:
- Each of the 2 hulls contains 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms which you access via stairs that go down from the indoor living area.
- The indoor living area includes a kitchen, a dining/sitting area and a pilot’s table which usually includes electronic instruments and communication equipment and a space to roll out charts.
- The outdoor area at the stern (back of the boat) includes a covered sitting area and dining area. It also includes the 2 platforms used to enter/exit the water or dinghy or to step onto the quay in port.
- The outdoor area at the bow (front of the boat) includes a seating area and trampolines which are the netting at the front of the boat between the 2 hulls.
- Going up a floor, the pilot’s station is where the captain pilots the boat and controls the sails and behind him/her or to the side there are usually lounging/sitting areas.
This 3 floor configuration offers ample space for everyone to find a quiet corner to watch the sunset or to get together for breakfast, dinner or evening drinks!
Most of the catamarans we use are equipped with:
- Air conditioning (not for use when under sail)
- Generator/Inverter for 200V power
- USB power connectors
- Water maker (desalinator)
- Nespresso coffee maker
- Gas oven and stove/hob
- Fridge and freezer
- Wifi
We make sure to tie up in a marina from Friday midday to Sunday morning. We’ll be connected up to shore power which means we can have air conditioning on the boat.. dinner will be hot but we will usually have a cold lunch. Everyone is invited to be together and eat meals together on shabbat but you are free to go off and wander around the town or do you own thing.
Lights are left on over shabbat where they are needed and the water system, although operated by pumps, is a delayed passive system which we can explain so you can decide if you wish to use them. Toilets are usually operated with a manual pump mechanism.
Should you feel more comfortable in a room off the boat for shabbat, you are welcome to go to a hotel or AirBNB nearby.
Take as little as possible! On board, we dress very casually and shorts, T-shirts and swimwear are the norm and you might want a pair of jeans and nicer shirt for evenings in towns. Together with some underwear and a toothbrush… this is probably all you need!
Oh and there is no room to store suitcases on board, so try and put it all into a soft bag that will squash down after its been unpacked.
Due to space limitations, we only have milky and no meat on board. We also do not have a dedicated kashrut supervisor (Mashgiach). We kasher the kitchen and use our own dedicated dishes, pans and cutlery as necessary. We shop fresh ingredients and basics locally and take cheese and wine with us from Israel or buy local kosher products if available. We buy fish directly from fishermen or fish markets.
We all cook together on board and are our own kashrut supervisors although there is an optional chef who will cook for you during the trip.
A catamaran is inherently more stable than a monohull yacht and the motion that causes sea sickness is far less acute because of its stability. The two hulls act as a buffer, reducing the rocking motion and if the sails are up as well, the boat will be even more stable due to the lateral pressure of the wind. In addition, we monitor the weather, the wave heights and the wind and do our best not to go out if conditions are choppy to the extent they would cause sea sickness.
In the mornings, the sea is often flat and we motor along smooth water until the wind picks up for us to raise the sails as the day progresses.
We operate from bases which are mostly serviced by the budget airlines. In the case of our Sicily trips, our base is in the Portorosa marina and you can fly into Catania (WizzAir) or Palermo from where you can take a train or taxi.
The cost varies depending on whether you join us during the low season (May or October) or the high season (June – September). The price per person will include everything on the boat…. the charter cost, food and drink for the boat (but you’ll be cooking with us!), wifi, fuel, water and boat insurance. The only additional expenses you will incur will be those that you choose off the boat including:
- Diving
- Tour guides
- Taxis
- Moped/off-road vehicle/car/bike hire
- Drink/food/coffees
You can expect the price to be in the range of EUR 1500 – EUR 2500 per person in a double room for an 8 day trip depending on dates. Please be sure to fill in your details in the form below and when we have a better idea of your requirements, we will be able to give you a price.
