Sailing & Whisky Exploring in Scotland

Life on Board Valiente

You don’t need any experience to join Valiente’s expedition sailing holidays; you just need a love for the natural world and a real sense of adventure.

Getting Involved

Sailing with Valiente is a real, hands-on, humbling experience as you work together with the crew and fellow guests to navigate the Arctic wilderness. Get stuck into all aspects of life on board, from taking the helm, setting & trimming the sails, basic sail theory and domestic duties.

The skipper and first mate (plus a dedicated guide for Svalbard sailing voyages) will be onboard for the duration of Valiente’s sailing holidays. Along the way, preferably by sailing but sometimes under motor, we will include all guests in the sailing experience. 

The physical sailing of Valiente is relatively straightforward, so she’s a great boat to learn on if you haven’t sailed before. Her simple rig has three sails: the main, genoa and jib, all working off a winch system. The wheelhouse is set at deck level, with a modern navigation system. You can take the helm, working with the skipper to watch your course. The crew that sail in these waters are wildly skilled, resourceful and calm, and they are always on hand to guide guests.

The boat works on a relaxed watch system, usually 4 hours on and 8 hours off. This gives guests a real chance to have some focussed sailing time but equally have the time just to be. To sit, watch the world go by, relax, nap, read a book in your cabin, play cards in the saloon or just simply sit at the bows, watching and reflecting as the world glides by. If Valiente spends time on anchor, the watch system will run overnight, but with all guests and crew participating, you wouldn’t be on watch on consecutive nights.

There is always a thorough safety briefing and introduction once guests have settled onboard, followed by a “man overboard” procedure (don’t worry – this is a fender not a real person!) and a fire safety drill.

Below Decks

Central heating runs continuously throughout the boat (there are even heated towel rails in all bathrooms and a heater in the wheelhouse), so she is wonderfully cosy! The spacious saloon and galley are set mid-ships with 360° windows at deck level – perfect for cooking with a view. The galley is well equipped with an induction hob, two domestic ovens, two fridge drawers and plenty of storage space.

All cabins have heating, comfy beds, thick duvets and wool blankets. Cabins are not allocated until all guests are booked and on board so that everyone is matched with the right size bed and the right facilities for their needs!  A small bath towel is provided per person, but you’ll need to bring an extra hand towel or swim towel if you wish.

There are full-size domestic showers with plenty of hot water, although, as with all sailing experiences, guests are asked to be respectful of their water consumption. It may not be possible to shower every day, but more or less, every other day, we are either in a harbour with fresh water or we sail through a place where we can borrow showers or enjoy a sauna. A morning swim in the sea is free and is available all year round!

Naomi from the VentureSail team sailed with Valiente in Norway – you can read her blog here for an insight into her experience! 

Eating Aboard

Aside from setting the sails and taking the helm, the next most important aspect of Arctic sailing on Valiente is definitely the food! Once you’ve boarded the boat, a crew member will split all guests into pairs, then divide you over a rota for breakfast, lunch, and dinner duties. With an average of 10 people on board, you’ll typically do one of each service over a week’s voyage.

If you’re not much of a cook, fear not! There will be a menu plan for the whole voyage with all the provisions on board. The menu plan is entirely flexible depending on the plan for the day. Maybe you catch a fish, or the more confident cooks will want to experiment a little! There is a correlating recipe book alongside the menu plan, especially made with ingredients, quantities and cooking methods to match the meal plan.

Cooking on board is an integral part of how a sailing ship operates. A hearty feed after a sailing adventure, a chance to bring everyone together, for confidence to grow and cultural culinary tips to be shared.