Weather varies from warm in winter to warmer in summer.

So dress accordingly. The winter to summer temperature variation is about 7 degrees F. Likewise the daytime to nighttime variation is about 5 degrees F. So winter to summer, day to night the temperatures are very even and predictable. In addition it is always fairly humid 60% to 90%. Each weekly itinerary section has average temperature information for that location's time and place.

So this makes what to wear very simple--as little as possible without risking jail time. Bring at least two swimming suits because you will spend almost all of your time in one or the other. We allow hanging clothes to dry on deck only at night. So you can rinse out cloths and towels and hang them overnight to freshen for tomorrow. The question is really what if anything will you wear "over" or in addition to your suit?

We supply linen and towels for your berth at the beginning of your week. Be sure to bring your own beach towel for each member. You can freshen them overnight. When you go ashore you will need something to "cover up" over your suit. Make it something light and airy that is easy to get in and out of. Rain showers can come at any time and last for 5 minutes or so. Sometimes the sun never stops shining during the shower. Most people welcome the refreshing showers and make no attempt to carry an umbrella. So make sure your cover-up dries quickly.

Some of the very expensive gourmet restaurants require formal dress (perhaps because they do not want tourists?). We just avoid them but you might feel differently. So bring your formal clothes if this sounds fun for you. We have an umbrella or two in case you need one. Otherwise, all of the establishments that want tourists only require casual dress. For on-board footwear, you should have something more than "thongs" for protection. Scuba booties or strap on soft-soled sandals of some sort that will stay on your foot when you step into the water (mud) is best. Bare feet and water activities are a poor combination. If you want to go hiking or biking ashore, you will need some appropriate footwear.

For diving, scuba booties and .5-1.0 mm wet suit are recommended and the booties work well for general use also. In winter particularly a light skin suit is recommended or for longer dives in the summer. Sunburn is probably the greatest risk to your happy vacation. The Sun is relentless, that is why we have a hard top sloop. Bring lots of heavy duty sunscreen that does not wash off readily and use it frequently. My suggestion is "don't work on your sun tan--let it work on you". In other words, if you work really hard at keeping your skin alive, I guarantee you it will be brown in a week. If you intend to do much water sports, sun screen is not enough. You need a skin suit (like discussed above for scuba) or a "rash guard" long sleeve top at least. As long as you are in and out of the water you will be quite comfortable. It should be easy to remove when you are not in the water for a while.

Here are some thoughts on luggage. Everyone brings too much stuff that they do not need. If possible one carry-on size bag for each person is more than enough for one or two weeks or more. If you are not bringing equipment, one per berth is a better choice. There is limited space in your berth and the more your luggage takes the less for you. Also think about managing your luggage during your trip. Most of our itineraries require commuter flight connections and/or ferry connections and lots of taxies. These forms of transportation are not well suited for unmanageable luggage.

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