Joining a ‘More Sailing’ Croatia Sailing Trip as a Solo Traveller (What It’s Really Like)

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I was invited to join a 3 night/4 day More Sailing group trip sailing around some of the Croatian islands on a catamaran. I’ve done plenty of day boat trips over the years, but I have never actually been on a multi day trip/cruise!

More Sailing “offers unique, full-service sailing trips, creating unforgettable memories in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere“. They wanted to make sailing more accessible to everyone, including solo travellers. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially when it came to shared cabins! But here’s what it’s actually like day to day on a sailing trip!

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What a “Group Sailing Trip” in Croatia Actually Is

The trip I took was on an Excess 11 catamaran. This boat has 4 double cabins (8 guests), plus 2 crew cabins.

On my trip there were 2 pairs travelling together and 4 solo travellers, covering 5 different nationalities. We were all creators and I knew of the 2 other Brits on board but we had never actually met in real life and I didn’t know they were going to be on the trip until the day of travel!

@englandandeverywhere

Ad | I went on a 3 night sailing trip around Croatia with @moresailing and here’s a look at our catamaran! #moresailing #sailingcroatia #croatiasailing #croatiatravel #sailingtrip

♬ original sound – Kylie✈️Budget Conscious Travel

When it comes to the shared accommodation, the 4 solo travellers kind of naturally fell into 2 pairs. I had requested that I didn’t really want to share a cabin with a male (as you do share a bed as well as a cabin!), and the person organising the trip had told me in advance that this wouldn’t be a problem.

The girl I was sharing with was a similar height to me and we worked out that if we slept in the opposite direction to the mattress position, that we would have a bigger gap between us and not need to climb over each other if we went to bed at different times or needed the toilet in the night. You do have individual duvets, so you are not expected to share a cover with a stranger!

The cabins are pretty tight for space. Together we worked out the best way to store our luggage so we both had a space that worked for us. Then due to us having different sleep schedules it then gave us space to get ready without getting in the way!

The 2 cabins on either side of the catamaran then had a shared bathroom between them (total of 2 bathrooms on board), which had a toilet, sink and shower. We were told that we could shower on the boat, but to keep them short due to needing to fill the on-board water tanks. But whenever we stopped at a marina they had toilets and shower facilities that we could use on land.

What It’s Like Arriving Alone (First 24 Hours)

Due to flight times, I arrived the day before the sailing trip began, so I spent the night in Trogir at a hotel I arranged for myself.

During this time our host, Ronja, created a WhatsApp group chat to keep us informed of when we were able to board the boat. Originally we were told to get to the boat no later than 5pm, and aim to be at the marina for 3pm.

On the day, our boat was ready from 1pm and if we were ready we could board early and try and beat the on-coming storm!

It’s also worth having mobile data, I use Airalo (Use code: KYLIE6856 for £2.50 off your first eSim). Our boat also didn’t have Wi-Fi and we did continue to use group chat to communicate with either other, especially in the evenings when we were docked in the marinas.

We all met at the More Sailing office (mostly running frantically through the pouring rain and turning up like drowned rats…a fun first impression!). We were super lucky that we all just clicked, honestly it was a great group!

We had a quick little intro session before setting sail and Ronja created us amazing snack platters.

I can imagine if the weather was nicer, everyone would then spread out around the boat, but as we were all sheltering in the indoor kitchen area, this gave us more chance to get to know each other.

Our first stop was in Maslinica on the island of Solta. We decided to all meet for dinner on the first night, but had a little bit of time to explore the village in our own time, unpack, have a shower beforehand etc.

Daily Life on a Croatia Sailing Trip

Mornings On Board

I loved the mornings on board. Breakfast was ready from 8am but we were free to wake up when we wanted, as long as we were ready to go from around 9am.

I used to get up around 7am and go for a wander wherever we were docked, to spend a bit more time exploring and taking photos.

I grew up going on caravan holidays, so the routine of heading to the toilet block was something that made me feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside from my younger travel memories!

Ronja would then create us an amazing breakfast spread each morning with things like boiled eggs, apple & cinnamon porridge, bread, cheese, cereal, fruit, French toast, croissants, tea & coffee etc. The food was amazing!

After breakfast our skipper, Magnus, would then show us a map and explain where we were planning on sailing to that day. It’s often based on weather and conditions, so there’s no set itinerary beforehand.

Sailing Between Islands

We would then spend around 3 hours sailing or on engine, exploring the coastline and looking at various coves.

Thankfully the weather improved on our other days so we were able to spread out around the boat. There were 4 main areas where we could hang out:

• The inside kitchen/dining area
• Outside back seating area
• On the roof…yes, either side of the sail had a sun lounger mattress on the roof!
• Or the front of the boat which had a couple of seats, 2 more sun lounger mattresses and 2 overwater nets (you did sometimes get splashed!)

We had free choice to then do whatever we wanted. Often we would spend time chatting, reading, relaxing etc.

But something else cool is that we were encouraged to join in with the sailing if we wanted to and get more ‘hands on’. One of our group does sailing themselves so often liked to help with that aspect. A couple others helped out with the sails, anchoring up etc. We weren’t pressured to do this but had that opportunity if it was something we were interested in.

Swim Stops

Around midday we would then anchor up in a bay for a couple of hours. Here we could swim, snorkel (I took my own equipment), you can also request a stand up paddle board and they will arrange for a rental if there is one available.

During this time lunch would be prepared too. Before sailing we could let them know of any dietary requirements and these would be catered for to. Our lunches included: chicken & rice and lemon pasta.

We also had snack/treat time during the day too! Ronja baked cakes of us on 2 days (one of our group had a birthday while on board!) and we had a version of ‘Sangria’ with lemon sorbet and rose wine.

After lunch we’d then set sail again for another couple of hours to our mooring for the night. 

Evenings In Port

For my trip we had 2 marina moorings in Maslinica on Solta and Stari Grad on Hvar. On these evenings we were free to come and go as we pleased. For the most part we would do a little bit of exploring on our own and then meet up again for dinner or drinks.

These 2 nights had access to the on-land toilet and shower facilities so people often chose to use these in the evenings while in the marinas too. When in the marinas we were also connected to 220v so were able to charge using the plug sockets on board. (They were also live while the engine was running, so it was best to charge electronics during these times). 

Our last night had a buoy mooring in Sesula bay, just round the corner from Maslinica. This evening was a little bit different as we used a small motorboat to get to shore.

We all decided to have our last dinner together and invited Ronja and Magnus to join us, which was a lovely end to the trip.

On this evening, we only had access to the on-board toilet and shower facilities. We also ran the generator for an hour so we could use the plug sockets, otherwise the only other way to charge was via the 12v USB (ONLY) ports, that remained live the whole time (running off the same system as the lights).

For those with USB-Cs, at current time it’s best to buy a USB to USB-C adaptor (I use one in reverse to connect items to my laptop so they can be useful!) or use a power bank for charging on these types of moorings.

Although there are less facilities on the buoy moorings, they were a little more peaceful as the boats were spread out rather than being side by side.

Our Itinerary 

*Shortened Itinerary due to PR Trip*

Day 1:

• Set sail at 4pm ish
• Moor at the marina in Maslinica, Solta (dinner at Sakajet)

Day 2:

• Set sail at 10am
• Anchor in Mala Maslinica, Solta for a lunch and swim stop (and a guy serving mojitos from a tiny mojito boat bar! We all loved him and most of us bought one for €10 each)
• Sail from 3pm until 7pm. ‘Sightseeing’ the port of Milna, Brac
• Moor at the marina in Stari Grad, Hvar (dinner at Jurin Podrum)

Day 3:

• Set sail at 9.30am
• Anchor in Uvala Stracinska, Solta for lunch and a swim. (There’s shipwreck here, so you can see that if you have a snorkel!)
• Sail from 3pm-5.30pm
• Buoy mooring Sesula, Solta (dinner at Sismis)

Day 4:

• Due to timings, we set sail at 4am but could stay in bed or get up and watch sunrise.
• Arrive back at Trogir marina at 6am
• Quick breakfast before needing to be off the boat at 8.30am

The Social Dynamic

As mentioned, we did luck out with our group, we all got on really well. But there was no pressure to participate or join in with everyone or everything. 

We all had slightly different sleep schedules, some people wanted alone time at points whether that be quietly reading, spending time in the cabins, going for walks in the evenings (or in the mornings like me). 

It was often obvious who was up for a chat or who just wanted to have some time alone. But it’s worth getting to know the other travellers (and the crew!), everyone has so many different stories to tell when they come from all walks of life!

As a solo traveller I was often asked if I wanted to join others for a drink in the evening, and then the group choosing to have dinners together most nights too, so I was never left out just because I was travelling solo, but I wasn’t pressured to join in if I didn’t want to.

Is It Awkward Going Solo?

So was it awkward going solo? In my experience, no, absolutely not. Everyone connected pretty quickly, after all we were all there for the same reason and experience! We all swapped contact details too, so we could continue to follow each other after the trip ended.

On my sailing trip it was a 50/50 split for those travelling together and those travelling in pairs, so we weren’t in the minority as solo travellers. After we left the boat on the last morning, I actually spent some more time with some of the group before our onward flights.

What It Costs (& What’s Included)

I was invited to join the sailing trip. As it was a PR trip they were running ‘special’ shorter trips for us to be able to get a taste of life on board and be able to share the experience from our perspective. So in full transparency, this part of my trip was covered by More Sailing. 

When booking a trip with More Sailing the price does depend on the destination (they run trips in Croatia, Greece, Sweden, Italy and the Caribbean) and the time of year. Most of the More Sailing Croatia sailings run from Saturday to Saturday (you can find the current prices by clicking on the link).

The regular trip price includes:

• the boat (obviously) with a skipper and a host
• shared accommodation (either with other people in your travel party or with another solo traveller) plus bedding and towels
• breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks on-board
• all sailing fees (marina moorings, fuel etc)
• return flights from select airports (London Gatwick for UK customers), 1 checked bag and transfers to and from the boat (if you choose to not have flights and transfers included, you receive a discount off the trip price).

Evening dinners are on your own expense, but you can choose how much you want to spend or eat. Most of us were quite full by the time it got to dinner time, so often just a starter and a drink were enough!)

I covered my flights from London to Split and my first night accommodation in Trogir*. You can arrange airport transfers through More Sailing, but I just got the local bus for €2.50 each way so I had a bit of flexibility.

What You Should Know Before You Go

The nature of sailing can be quite spontaneous and weather dependent, so it does require a level of flexibility when it comes to the itinerary and moorings.

You’ll also be living mostly out of a bag (soft sided is easier to squash into tight spaces). I used my regular 30L backpack, and did a post sharing my full sailing trip packing list here. Be prepared to charge electronics either at specific times of the day or use a USB cable or power bank.

Space is small and shared and there’s limited privacy. Everyone on my trip was very respectful and gave people the chance to get changed in private or have alone time though.

Take precautions if you usually suffer from seasickness. Our skipper tried to choose the smoothest routes that would be the most comfortable for us, but due to the nature of sailing this can’t always be avoided.

I took 1 tablet in the morning and was usually ok, but the crew also carry tablets and seasickness chewing gum too. I found laying on the net on the front deck worked well for me and my balance. But going down into the bathrooms or the cabins often made me feel a little rough though.

Who This Trip Is Perfect For (and Who It’s Not)

Travelling with More Sailing is perfect for:

• solo travellers
• social travellers
• group travel for special events like milestone birthdays.
• coastal / swim-focused travellers
• people who are happy to not have strict itineraries

On the other side of the scale, it’s not ideal for:

• luxury resort expectations – although the food was amazing and the boat was very nice, just a bit small (to buy an Excess 11 catamaran is around £400,000)
• privacy-focused travellers
• rigid planners

What I’d Do Differently

I should have got up for sunrise on the last morning! I peaked through the window of my cabin and saw the start of it, but I was pretty exhausted and couldn’t bring myself to get up at 5am! (My flight to Croatia was a 3am start and what with it being a work trip, you never truly switch off…even though it’s important to try and get some down time! And you don’t really want to miss out on spending time with the group in the evenings).

I should have also taken advantage and got some more photos taken by fellow travellers! People often asked if I wanted any taken but as a solo traveller I’m used to not really being in my own content as it’s usually self timer or selfies, so often just said no (unless it was something adventurous like videos jumping off the boat or snorkelling!). I was happy to take photos of others in the group too.

It would also be interesting to see how group dynamics are when we aren’t kind of in the same industry. As we were all travel creators in some capacity, even though we have different niches and audiences, it made it easy to connect because we have so much common ground, even though we would branch out in to general life chit chat! I did see they have some specific sailings that focus on fitness etc, so those could be good for travelling with other likeminded people.

Overall, I had a positive experience with More Sailing and would be open to going on another one of their sailings. I’ve never been on a cruise and enjoyed the small group travel and the travelling from A to B and going to sleep in a different mooring each night! We saw quite a lot in just a few days, it felt like we had actually been together a lot longer!