Your Sea Bag

Suggestions for Packing
Personal space is limited so be conservative in the amount of gear you bring. All your gear must be stowed in your bunk or allotted shelves or lockers. Use a sea bag or other soft luggage, no hard suit cases. Do not plan on hanging lockers.

Clothing
Bring suitable clothing for the type of weather to be encountered, tropical, high latitude or transition etc. A set of older work clothes for painting and tarring. Sneakers or deck shoes are good while street shoes with leather soles are slippery and dangerous.

Foul Weather Gear 
Seafaring continues through rain or snow. For high latitude passages a full suit of jacket, pants, hat and boots is recommended. If your stay is limited to the tropics a hooded smock or longjacket will suffice. Adequate preparation will greatly add to physical comfort during the passage.

Medical
The ship is equipped with a first aid kit. You must inform the shore crew and captain of any medical conditions you have or prescription drugs you are taking. If you are concerned about sea sickness, talk with a doctor about prescription remedies before leaving home.

Limitation of Liability
You are advised to take out suitable travel insurance. You also agree not to hold the vessel Alvei or any of it's crew or owners responsible in any way for injury or loss of life that may occur during your association with the vessel.

What NOT to bring
Ships power is 24 volt DC, leave radio, boom box, hair dryer and cumbersome electronic devices at home. The sea is a particularly corrosive environment for such items. It should not be necessary to point out that illicit drugs, fire arms or other weapons must not be brought aboard.

Personal Items
Books, cameras and musical instruments, be advised some electronic items may be effected by the high humidity at sea. You may want to bring a rigging knife with a lanyard attached. Only knives with lanyards will be allowed aloft. Please bring your own safety harness for going aloft.

Toiletries
You should bring a towel, wash cloth, shampoo and liquid soap, (for use with salt water). Plus any personal toiletries you may require.

Bedding
The ship provides a pillow and mattress with cover. You may bring sheets, pillow cases, blankets or sleeping bag, your choice of personal bedding is your own. It is wise to bring sheets and towels in dark colors.

Money
The ship cannot cash personal checks. You should bring enough cash or travelers checks (which can be cashed at a local bank) to cover your expenses during your stay. Alvei is run on a cash only basis and operates on the USD exchange rate. 

We cannot take credit cards or cash travelers checks. It is possible in most ports to cash travelers checks or get credit card advances at a bank. If we plan to be in ports where there are no banks for more than a month, the captain will ask for enough to cover the time until we reach another port with a bank.

Spending 
The cost of the voyage includes a berth on the vessel and 3 meal basic meals a day. Any additional expenses are not covered by the vessel. Beyond room and board, you are responsible for purchasing items to fit your personal needs while on board both in port and at sea. Crew may choose to bring small amounts of personal snacks or beverages not generally stocked by the boat. (Nutella comes immediately to mind.) 

The vessel cannot be responsible for travel expenses to or from the ship or for any other travel related expenses.