Protecting your skin from the sun is incredibly important, both in the short term to make sure you don’t look and feel like a cooked lobster on your bareboat charter adventure, but also to ensure your long-term health and good looks. There are a few basic things that every charterer should pack for their trip to make this easy.

Sunscreen

With as many options of sunscreen that are out there, you will be sure to find something that works well for your skin type. For a bareboat charter vacation, the minimum you want to look for is water proof, at least SPF 30, and hopefully, reef safe. We could write a whole article about sunscreen, and in the future we will, as there are so many choices, but for now, you know your skin the best, bring along a bunch of what you know works well, and put it on, multiple times a day!

Wide-Brimmed Hat

A quality, comfortable, wide-brimmed hat is essential for keeping the sun off your face, ears and neck. No amount of sunscreen can be as effective as simply tossing a hat on. For Bareboat chartering, you want to look for a hat that will hold up to a breeze, dry quickly, not be damaged by salt water, and that you like enough to actually put on your head.

Rash Guard Long Sleeve Shirt

Once thought of just for snorkeling, rash guards have really come a long way. These lightweight, quick drying shirts are wonderful for keeping your arms, shoulders, back and chest from frying in the sun, and best of all, they are chemical free, so there is no chance of impacting the reef with your sunblock chemicals. There are a huge variety of sleeve lengths, hooded, not hooded, even cropped options out there, find what works for you, and bring along a couple. You’ll find they’re quite comfortable, and you may wear them even more than you thought you would.