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The demands of water-based activities—be it a long weekend of sailing, a white-water kayaking trip, or an afternoon spent paddleboarding—all require one essential piece of gear: reliable, durable luggage. While specific needs might call for a completely waterproof backpack or a minimal roll-top dry bag, for most adventurers, a favourite solution is the best waterproof duffel bag they can find.

A great duffel provides a wide-mouth opening for effortless packing and unpacking of bulky kit like wetsuits, dry suits, and technical waterproof jackets. Crucially, it must protect your clothing and electronics from moisture, whether that’s a quick soaking in a tender, relentless rain, or sitting in a damp locker below deck.

We’ve tested this extensive line-up of the best waterproof duffel bags, ranging in size from a compact 30L for essentials up to a massive 130L expedition capacity, to help you find the perfect bag.

Our guide breaks down the core compromise: fully waterproof bags feature welded seams for maximum protection (ideal for dinghy sailors and kayakers) but fewer pockets, while water-resistant options offer superior organisation and convenience through traditional sewn seams. We look at the top models from Helly Hansen, Lomo, Overboard, and more to ensure your gear stays dry on your next aquatic adventure.

At a glance – Our 3 top choices for best duffel bag

Best 30L – 40L Waterproof Duffel bag 

 

 

Helly Hansen Duffel Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 30L | Dimensions: L 50 x H 27 x W 27 cm

Reasons to buy: Good amount of storage for essentials |  Hardwearing and long lasting
Reasons to avoid: Seams aren’t waterproofed so they can’t be exposed to water for a length of time | Handles are stiff and it can get in the way of straps.

The Helly Hansen 30L duffel is made from a sturdy plastic canvas. so it is water resistant to a degree. Though the seams aren’t waterproofed, so it isn’t advisable to dunk this bag for any length of time.

The rucksack straps neatly stow away into the zip flap on top, though this makes it a bit stiff to handle, it does get those straps out of the way, especially when you’re onboard and you want them flailing around. Under the top flap there’s a mesh pocket too. I find this useful to stow my sailing gloves, buff and hat.

In the cold the material on this bag can get quite stiff. But, mine has stood the test of time so far, as can be seen in the pics at the top of this buyer’s guide. The purple bag is the earlier model to this one. They’ve improved the bag by adding webbing straps and handles on each end which is handy for strapping it down to stop it flying off a bunk.

Lomo 30L White Holdall Duffel Waterproof Rolltop Dry Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 30L | Dimensions: ‎L 52 x H 28 x W 31cm

Reasons to buy: It’s a budget-friendly buy | The duffel bag has good waterproofing
Reasons to avoid: Would benefit from additional storage compartments | As the material is thick, the bag can be stiff during the winter months

This 30L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with waterproof submergibility.

I personally love a white bag when I’m heading into dark spaces, such as yacht cabins. It means you can see the contents inside your bag more easily. Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non-waterproof duffels, the trade-off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet. Those of you sailing smaller J boats, I’m looking at you…

The other trade-off with this type of waterproof bag is that by its very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. This can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather. This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place. Some folks have used this as a pillow by trapping air inside.

Gill 30L Team Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 30L | Dimensions: H 31 x W 52 x D 27cm

Reasons to buy: Perfect bag for small voyages | You can attach parts of your kit to the webbing loops
Reasons to avoid: It doesn’t have rucksack straps making it harder to spread the weight from the contents of your bag | The waterproofing isn’t as effective if the roll top isn’t secured correctly | It’s a small bag – avoid it if travelling on a longer trip

This small holdall from Gill is made from PVC with welded seams and roll top to give a waterproof duffel.

It has a removable shoulder strap, but as with the other waterproof bag in this size, it doesn’t have rucksack straps. The roll top keeps a watertight seal and can be used to trap air inside the bag making it buoyant or useful as a pillow.

It features some handy webbing loop handles on each end plus additional webbing loops to attach other bits of kit to. On one side it also had a label window so that you can put your name on it to identify its owner.

The welded PVC is a little stiffer in the cold and can be tougher to handle, but when warm it’s handles very nicely.

Victorinox Touring 2.0 Travel 2in1 Duffel

Specifications: Capacity 38L | Dimensions: H 28 x L 32 x W 57cm

Reasons to buy: The side pockets are a bonus as they help you to keep your bag organised | Rucksack straps distribute weight, good news for anyone carrying a lot of gear | It makes a great gift due to the personalisation
Reasons to avoid: Expensive

Victorinox don’t shout very loudly about their luggage. Indeed, if you go to their website, they don’t smother you with sales guff. They let their products talk for themselves.

This premium priced duffel from this Swiss knife maker is every bit as innovative and full of hidden handy bits. You can read what I think about their Skippers knife here

There’s a shoe pocket, lots of organised side pockets, pull out hidden rucksack straps, or a detachable shoulder strap. There’s a waterproof internal document pocket. And, if you’re into personalisation, there’s a little plastic thingyme-jig that can be customised with your own name or message on it that is attached to the bag.

Overboard 100% Waterproof Classic Duffel Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 40L | Dimensions: ‎L 52.07 x  H 32 x  W 23.11cm

Reasons to buy: Durable duffel which will stand up against all types of weather | Great for kayak or paddle boarders due to its excellent waterproof functionality
Reasons to avoid: With its smaller capacity, we wouldn’t recommend it for longer trips

A 100% waterproof welded seam duffel bag with roll top closure. Overboard have this rated to IP66 so you can be confident that if you’re luggage is sitting a pool of water in the wet locker of a boat, your kit will still be dry inside. Equally if it gets repeatedly dripped on by a leaking hatch, as long as the top is rolled over correctly and fastened, then your kit will remain dry.

It’s been designed for a bit of rough handling and should stand up well to the rigours of frequent use in wet conditions. Ideal for carrying wet gear back with you too, so if you go open water swimming, surfing, or kayaking and find yourself needing to pack a wetsuit and wet gear, then shove them in this for the journey home and your car will remain dry.

The attachment points on this bag also enable you to strap it down, so it either won’t fly out of a bunk or it will remain strapped to your touring kayak or paddleboard.

Best 40L – 65L Waterproof Duffel Bag 

Helly Hansen Offshore Waterproof Duffel bag, 50L

Specifications: Capacity: 50L | Dimensions: L 28 x W 64 x D 28cm

Reasons to buy: Lots of room to put your gear in | You can load and unload the bag effortlessly
Reasons to avoid: The duffel doesn’t guarantee complete protection if submerged in water | Some compartments would be beneficial for storing smaller tools and essentials

Helly Hansen do a fair range of waterproof duffel bags. This middle of the size range duffel is a version with welded seams and a roll top.

It can sit in pools of water all day and your kit will stay dry.

They suggest it can be strapped to a car top and it remain waterproof too, though I haven’t tried this so can’t verify whether kit will stray dry with rain pelting it at 70mph on a motorway.

As per other welded waterproof bags, this one isn’t designed to be fully submersible but it is as waterproof as you can get without full dunking.

It has end handles which are useful for strapping the bag down, but very few other bells or whistles.

There’s no rucksack straps with this, but there is a removable shoulder strap.

Red Original Kit Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 60L | Dimensions: L 76.5 x W 33 x H 29.5cm

Reasons to buy: One of the lighter options we tested | Made from recycled TPU | Plenty of storage for a first aid kit, towel and more
Reasons to avoid: It’s easy to forget to pack the waterproof padded mat | Waterproof zip closure rather than roll top

If you watch the Red marketing hype you’d think this bag will make you a paddleboard, camping and hiking expert and all round wilderness guru.

In this bag we are given a waterproof zip closure rather than the roll top of other 100% waterproof bags. It has welded seams as the others do, but it is made from a slightly lighter weight material.

It has a waterproof padded mat inside it which can be removed and used as a changing mat to stand on.

The Red Equipment bag has a range of strap options, including rucksack straps and shoulder strap.

There’s some mild eco credentials on this as it is made from recycled TPU. Though I guess those credentials need thoroughly scrutinising as who knows where this bag was made and how many air miles it took to get to you.

The bag does pack some seriously good organisation and innovation though, with high quality components used and sturdy long lasting fasteners.

Typhoon Osea Dry Duffel Pack 60L

Specifications: Capacity: 60L | Dimension: L 70 x W 32 x H 56cm

Reasons to buy: Good value for money | Excellent waterproofing thanks to the 500D tarp and roll top functionality | Along with the rucksack straps, the waist straps transfer the weight from your back to your hips
Reasons to avoid: Not the most stylish duffel on this list

The Typhoon Osea Dry Duffel is made from 500D tarp which is 100% waterproof.

This roll top bag is 100% waterproof and comes with removable rucksack straps as well as waist straps, which is very handy in any rucksack with a larger capacity.

This duffel also comes with an unusual buckle attached to a chest strap that has a built-in whistle. This is a nod towards Typhoons origins as a commercial safety gear manufacturer.

A feature I really like on this duffel is a compression valve, which means you can sit on this bag and squash the air out of it, close off the valve and you’ve saved a ton of space in the cabin.

I like the understated functionality of this bag and whilst it doesn’t shout style appeal, it really is a great duffel for keeping your kit dry, or for keeping your wet kit from leaking all over the place.

Lomo Blaze Expedition

Specifications: Capacity: 60L | Dimensions: ‎L 64 x H 34 x  W 34 cm

Reasons to buy: Budget friendly | Bungee loops to help you secure your bag | Room for plenty of essentials thanks to its large capacity 

Reasons to avoid: Not fully submersible with its waterproofing

This Lomo orange duffel is made from waterproof material with welded seams on the sides. This means the bag can sit in a pool of water without letting any in.

It isn’t submersible though as this has a zipped closure on a large top flap. There’s a mesh pocket inside and some useful webbing loops externally mounted for clipping on gear.

The duffel is fitted with a strong D shaped dual zip closure and bungee loops for strapping the bag down.

Excellent value for money this bag has decent capacity and there’s a huge range of complimentary other dry bags and pouches available from this Scottish based manufacturer.

They keep their prices lower by cutting out the middle-seller and they sell direct to customer using popular platforms such as Amazon and Ebay and their own website.

Lomo 60L Dry Bag Duffel

Specifications: Capacity: 60L | Dimensions: L 78 x  H 37 x  W 30xm

Reasons to buy: Bright design makes the bag easier to locate | Good waterproofing for a budget duffel
Reasons to avoid: It doesn’t feature any additional compartments for essentials

This 60L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with waterproof submergibility.

I love a brightly coloured bag, as they cheer up dark spaces, such as windless yacht cabins. they also allow you to see the contents within your bag more easily.

Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non-waterproof duffels, the trade-off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet.

The other trade-off with this type of waterproof bag is that by its very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. This can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather.

This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place.

Best Waterproof Duffel Bag – 90L -130L

HH Duffel Bag 2

Specifications: Capacity: 90L | Dimensions: L 40 x W 64 x D 28cm

Reasons to buy: Large storage capability | Good design and is very versatile
Reasons to avoid: It’s not 100% waterproof | Heavy to carry and doesn’t have additional straps to distribute weight

This Helly Hansen 90 Litre duffel offers versatility and conversion between bag and backpack as per the smaller model I introduced at the top of this buyer’s guide. The material is hardwearing and waterproof, though as per the others in this range, it isn’t 100% waterproof as the seams aren’t welded.

This allows for an internal and external pocket and this model also comes with a pack away bag that can be used for other things when the bag is out.

I use this bag for flying with a lot of kit, as seen in the image at the top, in the white version. I’m not sure if they sell white ones anymore. I’ve managed to get most of my foul weather gear plus a very neatly folded asymmetrical spinnaker for a 36 foot yacht in this bag.

My back did not approve of the weight though. Beware of overloading large bags and doing your back in.

Musto Essential Duffel Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 90L | Dimensions: L 40 x W 38 x D 40cm

Reasons to buy: Large bag that a lot of tools and essentials | Soft and easy to store away when the duffel is empty
Reasons to avoid: Although water resistant, the contents will get wet if fully submerged

Made from water resistant and durable nylon diamond ripstop shell with 600D TPU base, this extra-large bag will fit a fair amount of bulky kit and still squash down quite small when it’s empty.

It has stowable backpack straps to help you haul this beast around too.

The end pocket is a zipped section where you can shove some wet shoes or kit. There’s an additional zipped exterior pocket to the side.

The structured ends help the bag to maintain its shape as with some of the larger bags they can go wildly misshapen when half filled, making them hard to zip and unzip.

Thule Chasm Sport Duffel Bag

Specifications: Capacity: 130L | Dimensions: L 86 x W 47cm

Reasons to buy: Largest capacity waterproof duffel bag we tested | Converts into a rucksack | Lots of pockets to help keep you organised
Reasons to avoid: It’s very large and thus heavy to carry | Although made from waterproof material, it’s not fully waterproof

Seriously huge, they named this bag Chasm. I can’t help but snigger at that name, but I’m a puerile eejit. So, Thule, they do luggage for the top of cars and roof racks right? Yes, and they do some great duffels too.

The top flap on this is huge. It not only opens the top, but down the side too. This makes fitting and finding bulky sailing gear a doddle.

As with most of the duffels I’ve chosen to show you, this one also converts to a rucksack. Though given the size of it, if you really do stuff this thing full to capacity, your spine might need a bit of a decompression after hauling this load around.

Internally it has mesh pockets to help with organisation and externally it has compression straps to help keep the bag snuggly fastened and not flopping around if it is only half filled.

The bag has a carry case pouch which it folds down to fit into for storage, but the pouch can be used too, such as for your dirty undies or other kit.

The bottom of the bag is padded and there’s a lockable zip which means this bag is a good candidate for flying with your gear and will withstand being handled and thrown into and out of plane holds.

The bag isn’t 100% waterproof, but it is made from waterproof material. You might not want to go laying this around in pools of water all day long, but it will slide into a bunk space easily and compress down once you’ve removed all of your bulky sailing gear to hang up.

Although he’s the crew boss and watch captain of 100ft Maxi yacht Scallywag in his own right, Pete Cumming is always eager to learn from the best. After operating as a driver/trimmer on board Volvo 70 Tschüss 2’s line honours victory in the Transatlantic Race 2025 in June, he was inspired by the calm leadership of watch captains Neal McDonald and Stu Bannatyne.

“Neal and Stu are really good at making sure everyone on the boat is connected with the decision-making process, which keeps everyone motivated and all pushing towards the same objective. Which might seem really obvious, but I’ve been on plenty of boats where the front end of the boat has no idea what the people at the back are thinking.

“The moment Neal or Stu come off watch, they’re checking in with the navigator, Campbell Field, just getting an overview of what’s going on before they go to sleep. Are there going to be any sails challenges coming up in the next four hours while they’re off?”

Done right, the watch captain spans many roles, from co-ordinating the boat handling up on deck to making sure everybody on their watch is physically and mentally able to work to their best within a demanding and maybe even sometimes hostile working environment.

Here are Pete’s five key tips for being the best watch captain you can be.

Staying in the loop

I think it was Brad Butterworth who said that when a team breaks down, lunatics start running the asylum.

When there’s no communication through the boat, and maybe a lack of trust, you get in situations when the crew suddenly decide they’re going to call the gybe because the navigator’s asleep and you don’t want to disturb him. With the seasoned pros this lack of comms is never allowed to happen.

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It’s the watch captain’s job to make sure the chain of communication is always operating smoothly. Splinter groups develop on boats all the time, but if you can work with the navigator and the guys on deck so that everyone’s got buy-in to the strategy and the decision-making process, it makes the world of difference to the atmosphere on board, and ultimately to the team’s performance.

Earn respect

To be an effective watch captain you’ve got to earn the respect of the people around you, and that generally only comes with experience, a sense of competence and a good deal of self-confidence without arrogance.
If someone questions you, you’ve got to be able to cope with that and not look weak with your decision-making. Sometimes there can be big egos on board and you have to be able to stand your ground. You also need to lead from the front and occasionally show the guys that you’re prepared to get your hands dirty and do a tough or unpleasant job yourself.

That said, it’s important to choose the right moment. Don’t go down a rabbit hole of trying to get one small job done if that takes your attention away from the big picture. That’s your main job. Ultimately you’ve got to have good knowledge of most areas on the boat, without being an expert at everything, which is why watch captains tend to be recruited from the middle of the boat – a trimmer or someone who’s worked in the pit area who’s connected to the front and the back of the boat and understands the challenges of both ends.

Questions, not commands

A good watch captain empowers his team to make their own decisions, to run their own part of the boat as best they can. You have to be able to ask questions of each other, to check in on each other and ask for thoughts and ideas rather than pretending that you’ve got all the answers.

Stu and Neal are brilliant on watch and they might ask me: “Pedro, question for you: is the staysail over-trimmed? I’ll leave it with you.” It’s not an order, it’s a prompt. So I’ll go forward and I’ll see if the staysail needs a bit of an ease. They’re very good at empowering every team member to make their own decisions.

Keep it fun

Sometimes you can forget why you’re out there. We do this because it’s fun, and it has to be fun for all the crew. You might be capable of extracting the best performance in the world, but if you’re a miserable bugger you can shut that watch down pretty quickly. It reaches a point where everyone just counts down the minutes until they can go off watch.

Don’t be that person. Keep it fun, maintain an open dialogue where everyone feels comfortable talking to everyone else and enjoying each other’s company.

Have a quiet word

If there’s a bad atmosphere, as a watch captain you need to get to the root of the problem quickly. If someone is playing up or not fitting in with the team for whatever reason, the worst thing you can do is try and shame that person in front of the crew. It’s not always easy to find a place on board to have a quiet word with them, but that’s the way to approach it.

Find your moment to hear what they’ve got to say, because sometimes the reason for the upset can be completely different to what you might have imagined. Most people will appreciate the fact you’ve tackled the problem head on.

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Without medical services, how do you keep yourself, your crew, or your family healthy? It’s one of the most daunting elements of sailing offshore.

We joined crews preparing for the Grand Large Odyssey: a three-year, 35,000-mile round the world rally organised by Grand Large Yachting, builders of Outremer, Gunboat, ORC, RM, Allures and Garcia brands, for owners of those boats (the next edition starts in November this year).

Ahead of the rally start, GLY held a ‘World Odyssey University’; a week-long series of seminars and networking events crammed with information for participants.

One of the recurring topics was healthcare on board, including a full-day seminar led by Dr Matthieu Coudreuse, an ER doctor who specialises in medicine in isolated and offshore environments. Coudreuse has worked as the onboard doctor on an icebreaking expedition vessel, in remote tropical clinics and with disaster relief teams. The GLY entrants also heard a presentation by previous rally crews on how to avoid or handle health issues based on their experiences and learnings. These are some of the key takeaways:

Before you go

Preparing the humans is as important as preparing the yacht. Just as you wouldn’t set out without servicing the boat’s engine, allow enough time for medical checks, including a visit to the GP, optician and dentist. Advice is that ‘men of a certain age’ should also consider visiting a urologist.

If you have any health conditions that require ongoing medication, such as diabetes meds or blood thinners, discuss with your doctor how to carry enough supplies to allow for delays or re-routing.

Look at the areas you plan on, or might consider, visiting and ensure you’re up to date on vaccinations (eg hepatitis, rabies, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever or encephalitis). Proof of vaccination is mandatory for some countries. Make sure any crew or guests planning on joining the voyage do the same, and that everyone on board has comprehensive health insurance.

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On a long passage, also plan to incorporate ongoing health checks – many countries along the way will offer good, affordable health and dental care. Previous GLY rally crews accessed treatment in Panama, Tahiti, Noumea, Reunion, Mauritius and South Africa.

Dedicate time to more advanced medical training – a basic First Aid at Sea should be the minimum, but there are multi-day courses suitable for situations where you may not be able to access medical help for days, including from marine specialists such as MSOS (msos.org.uk).

You might consider signing up for a tele-med service – there are several private providers that offer a dedicated e-medicine service for offshore sailors, in addition to the MRCC-connected TMAS services (see over the page). Anyone using the French TMAS service can send their medical records to their Toulouse base in advance.

And consider your own fitness – back sprains etc are a common problem and can be debilitating. Working on your own strength, core stability and balance before setting off can help reduce the risk of injury.

Get prepared

Preparing for all medical eventualities is impossible, and health issues completely unrelated to sailing can always rear their head, but having a good awareness of your own health is key as getting an early and accurate diagnosis is critical.

You can work out what your greatest risk factors are, to prepare to mitigate them. The most common risks include: skin problems due to exposure to sun; wet/saltwater and problems with wound healing; food and drinking water contamination; the boat itself; and risks associated with stopovers.

During the previous two-year GLY world rally there were a small number of serious incidents, including a broken leg when a crew member was flicked overboard by the mainsheet while sailing in 4m waves, and safely recovered. Another dislocated their shoulder falling through an open hatch when walking on deck. A skipper dived to attempt to free their stuck anchor, but their air tank ran empty at 15m depth and they ascended too rapidly. And a seemingly innocuous incident led to a helicopter medi-vac after one crew member cut their feet on coral, which caused an infection that didn’t respond to antibiotics.

What to pack

When offshore or in many remote areas, your onboard medical kit will be your only resource, so spend time considering what to carry. There is no compulsory list of medicines to carry, only advisories – rally organisers and tele-med services can help, while TMAS France publishes two lists, for vessels 0-60 miles offshore, and 60 miles-plus.

As a starting point, you should carry treatments for seasickness, cuts and wounds, burns, bruising and broken bones, allergic reactions, hypothermia and sunstroke, infections, skin problems, and digestive problems.
Every first aid kit should have some sort of pain relief – from paracetamol and ibuprofen. Stronger analgesics, such as opiates and anti-inflammatories, will need a prescription (also include anti-sickness medication, as opiates can make many people sick). Always talk to a medical professional before administering opiates, and be aware of laws on restricted substances, such as morphine, when crossing international borders.

If any crew have known allergies or asthma they should have their own EpiPen or inhaler, with spares in the first aid kit. Even if you have no known allergies on board, consider carrying an EpiPen as you’ll likely come into contact with new foods, insects etc.

A range of dressings can be useful, including gauze, steristrips and tape. Suturing can be immensely difficult for inexperienced first-aiders, particularly on a moving boat, so a staple kit can be easier – but still requires training and practice beforehand. Consider carrying plastic or inflatable splints and a neck brace for any suspected broken bones or spinal issues.

Burns are surprisingly common at sea. Make sure the boat has both washes for chemical burns and scald treatments, as well as waterproof dressings to prevent infection. Diagnostic tools such as a pen torch to assess pupil dilation, mirrors, urine dip sticks, a thermometer, scalpels, scissors, needles and syringes should be kept in sterile waterproof packaging.

Consider if you want to carry a small bottle of oxygen in case of suspected drowning or respiratory issues. Or even a defibrillator – which can be helpful in an emergency, but is relatively heavy and bulky.

But the more comprehensive your onboard medical kit, the more you need to be aware of drug interactions – for example, medication that a crew member is taking for a chronic condition with a drug taken to treat a new issue. Do not administer prescription medicines without medical advice from a tele-med service or similar.

Prevention over cure

Tropical environments bring their own challenges. For example, mosquitos can fly more than two miles over sea, potentially carrying malaria, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, or zika fever. Prevention – avoiding getting bitten – is best, although you can do a self-test for malaria onboard to avoid taking anti-malarials, which just involves a single blood prick.

Digestive issues such as gastroenteritis and parasites again mostly require prevention. A rule to reduce risk is ‘Cook it, boil it, peel it, or forget it.’

Watch out for drinking water and ice served ashore, as well as making sure your own water supply on board is safe (keep on top of filters, tank hygiene etc). There’s an added risk of dehydration when gastro issues combine with sailing, so carry rehydration and electrolyte sachets.

Travellers in the tropics can be at risk of Leptospirosis – avoid by not eating fallen fruits from the ground, or drinking from bottles in cafes/beach bars. Ciguatera can be avoided by not eating fish caught in some areas – check official and local sources to avoid risky catches.

In Vanuatu, nearly all the rally crews picked up some kind of infection, even from a simple splinter. Antibacterial gel is often ineffective – focus instead on handwashing with soap and being careful to dry your hands, and use alcohol to treat. Other key items to have in your armoury are tweezers and natural topical treatments which often have no expiry date, such as tea tree oil (antibacterial and anti-fungal), lavender aspic to treat insect bites, helichrysum or peppermint oil for bruises, and tiger balm for sprains and strains.

If you need help

If you do have an emergency or require medical assistance on board while offshore, Dr Coudreuse emphasised that the first thing to do is check that the boat is secure, and the rest of the crew is safe. Prevent further accidents – before you begin taking care of the patient.

Assess the severity of the situation: are they bleeding? Have they lost consciousness?

Carry out any basic first aid needed: recovery position, chest compressions etc. If possible, take photos of their injury, skin colour etc, which can be useful for a tele-med diagnosis.

In a critical situation, first call TMAS or the tele-med service, but have email ready to send photographs or other information.

Make sure you know the medical history of the patient: do they have any allergies, pre-existing conditions etc? Then you will likely need to examine them: determine location of any pain, measure blood pressure, heart rate, breathing frequency, oxygen saturation levels, temperature and other key observations. There are forms you can download in advance with prompts to guide you through the process.

Dr Coudreuse explained that it’s important when observing and describing a patient’s condition to be very specific. For example, saying they have ‘difficulty breathing’ gives limited information. While a wheezing noise on exhalation is a classic sign of asthma, in children a noise on inhalation often indicates an object in the upper airways. Likewise, when describing pain, the more specific you can be, the more able a remote doctor will be to diagnose the problem – for example, kidney stones cause a very characteristic type of pain.

But be reassured, according to Dr Coudreuse when the crew are the eyes and ears of the doctors, 70% of situations can be satisfactorily handled on board.

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“Mom, wake up! We’re approaching Cabo Frio.” My daughter’s voice cut through my drowsy thoughts as I dozed in the starboard cabin. I got up immediately, not wanting to miss it. In our 14 years of sailing as a family, it was our fifth time rounding this cape – but the first time we’d see it clearly in daylight with good visibility.

Aboard Thunderbird, our 15m performance cruising trimaran, was my husband, James, and our six children: Tormi (16), Raivo (14), Pearl (12), Zan (9), Jade (6), and Atlas (4).

Time has passed quickly since we last rounded Cabo Frio in 2020. I was pregnant then with my youngest child, heavy with a growing baby and uncertainty. We were sailing south-east from Vitória to Ilhabela, riding the early waves of the pandemic.

Back then it was night. Thunderbird had just cleared the point, and I was on watch with three reefs in the main and a partially rolled-in jib. I remember 30 knot gusts, big seas, the white flash of the lighthouse catching my peripheral vision. I watched the instruments, adjusting the pilot with shifting wind and currents. Even with reduced sail area, we were flying: 11 to 13 knots average, surfing peaks at 17 to 20.

Despite the speed of the boat, the motion of the trimaran was so smooth that the rest of the crew – then all under age 12 – were fast asleep, oblivious, below. Even though we had three cabins that could accommodate six, five kids piled together on the giant family sea bed in the main salon. Jade, the youngest at the time, was curled against me in the corner of my watch seat, her warm weight the only comfort in that tense darkness.

Today couldn’t be more different. Warm sun, gentle swells, and the smell of land mixing with salt air. James and Tormi held the morning watch, James studied the plotter. We’d grown into a proper crew over these years. James and I traded two-hour watches while our three oldest handled two-on, four-off rotations. The little ones joined whenever curiosity called them – which was often.

Tormi was watching for hazards, quietly absorbing the scenery of back-lit mountains. Even in grayscale, Cabo Frio’s dramatic stone cliffs erupt from the ocean with Brazil’s characteristic grandeur. As James steered us close to Ilha do Faro, the entire crew appeared in the cockpit, in awe of its massive sea caves and 16m cast iron tower.

As we rounded the point, the sun bathed the eastern side of the cape in morning light. Colours exploded to life as the light revealed vibrant greens and the rich tones of the stone hidden earlier in silhouette. We saw a couple of boats exit bays we had not yet explored. We knew white sand beaches and turquoise waters awaited us there, but we couldn’t stop – our time with Brazilian customs was up and we had pressure to move to new waters.

A sharp sensation hit my stomach just as it had the night before when I watched Rio’s illuminated cityscape drift by in the dark. These iconic landscapes brought back everything we’d experienced living in South America, the dramatic landscapes and people who had made this part of the world feel like home.

Sailing around South America

Over the last five years we’d sailed between Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The first two and half years, when international ports were closed, we stayed in Brazilian waters. I gave birth to Atlas in August 2020, in Ubatuba – São Paulo’s ‘Capital of Surf’. Though we sailed numerous times between Rio and Itajaí, much of our slower cruising time was devoted to exploring anchorages between Ilha Grande and Ilhabela.

With a foreign flagged boat, the pandemic offered us a unique opportunity to deeply experience this section of coast with the gift of time. The Brazilian sailing community loved our wild scene, a mess of feral kids on a fast trimaran, and embraced us with open hearts. We participated in local races and made wonderful friends.

When borders reopened, we sailed back and forth between Brazil and Uruguay. Then in October 2023, all movements stopped when James was diagnosed with cancer. Months of tests and doctor’s visits in Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile culminated in James having successful surgery in Santiago, Chile.

The medical treatment drained us financially. But instead of new sails and boat upgrades, we’d bought something more valuable: a clean bill of health and a new lease on his life. James wanted only one thing: to keep sailing with our family. We felt the same.

In May 2024, six months post-surgery, we took a critical look at our 90m2 carbon mainsail. Most of the delamination was in the lower part of the sail. James and the kids cut it off at the third reef. They selected the best cut offs and used it to patch problems areas in the sail that remained. The final product was more like a rigid wing. But we believed it would work.

We tested our patched main with a successful winter voyage up the La Plata River to Buenos Aires. When we returned, everyone was committed to continuing sailing. Our plan was ambitious: sail from Uruguay to Brazil, then onward to the Caribbean and Panama.

It was January 2025, still early in the season for heading north. The summer high pressure systems were lower down in the southern hemisphere, bringing beautiful warm summer weather, but this also meant a flow pattern that pushed persistent north and north-easterly winds down the Brazilian coast – directly against our intended route.

We wanted to make it directly to São Sebastiao state, so we needed the right low-pressure system: powerful enough for 4-5 days of southerly wind to make the 800 miles, but not so intense that we’d be battered up the coast. With the state of our current sails, going offshore was not an option. We would stay coastal to manage risk.

The timing had to be perfect. Too early and the system might overtake us; too late and we’d face messy seas or dying wind. We missed our first window in January waiting for an AIS unit to be repaired. The next six weeks, we watched in frustration as big summer high-pressure systems repeatedly elongated, squeezing promising lows into nothing. Finally, in mid-February, we saw our chance.

We left La Paloma on a four-day passage, beam-reaching and motor-sailing up the coast. One afternoon we had a short-lived opportunity to fly our gennaker, but the rest of the trip was an uphill fight.

We sailed to Ilhabela, Ilha Anchieta, and Ubatuba – home of Manuel Aparecido Jesus de Oliveira, our local problem solver. There we repaired our Mitsubishi electronic program controller, re-sealed our fuel tanks, and did routine maintenance on our engine.

Another 65 miles took Thunderbird up the coast to Ilha Grande Bay. We planned to base ourselves out of Paraty to prepare for the next phase of our voyage: 4,000 miles to the Caribbean. We spent a month living a very simple life on the hook, collecting fresh water from waterfall-fed springs. We took the tender deep into the mangroves to see red-clawed tree crabs.

The kids climbed giant boulders, ran barefoot on mossy trails through the Mâta Atlantica, swam and dived every day. Their energy was fuelled by tropical fruit, rice, beans, veggies and farofa. After just three weeks in the warm water, Atlas was swimming strong with no flotation. It felt fitting for our Ubatuba boy to learn how to swim in Brazilian waters.

We changed anchorages almost daily, from the tropical fjords and surreal emerald-green mangroves of Mamangua, to the beautiful mountainous bays and smaller islands surrounding Paraty.

Everyone got comfortable hand-steering the boat and using line of sight navigation. In Ilha Grande Bay, there was flat water and steady wind. It was an idyllic place, especially for young children, to learn how to sail.

‘Days became a blur of sea, sunrises, sunsets and nights’

The second month, we stopped our motion to focus on final preparations. We stayed anchored, disconnected far from roads and cell service. To get anything like food, parts, or supplies, we drove the dinghy 15 minutes to a small dock, then took a small local bus into Paraty. In this way, we started to meet the wonderful community of indigenous Guarani who lived along this peninsula.

We dived regularly on the boat, keeping the bottom clean and ready to go. We ordered a new AIS unit to replace the repaired one from Uruguay that had suddenly quit. We replaced solar panels, installed our spare Lewmar Mamba autopilot, did a rig check, reinforced our netting, and changed Thunderbird’s hydraulic fluid.

We checked and re-glued some of the patches on our mainsail. The main was holding up pretty well, but our jib did not look like it would last much longer. So we reached out to the local sailing community in a last-ditch search for some used sails.

A Brazilian friend, Silvio Ramos, who organises the BRally up the Amazon River, offered us a lifeline. He had an old main and jib from his 40-footer spare. They were Dacron, cross cut, smaller and lighter than we needed, but at least we’d have a back-up on board.

Then Roberto Paradeda from Quantum Sails Brazil got in touch. He had a used tri-radial taffeta jib sitting in his loft. It would be better for going upwind. The sail needed minor work but was a gift: we were blown away by his generosity.

When the sail arrived, we installed it immediately. Though slightly smaller than our original jib, it looked incredibly strong, and the loft’s workmanship on the new clew, luff and leech was perfect. We felt a rush of relief, certain we would now make it up the coast.

We made a test sail the next day to Tarituba, a small fishing village, staging ourselves closer to the channels that would take us out to the open ocean. We were ready.

The following morning, we departed Tarituba and phase two of our epic voyage began, the mountains of Ilha Grande fading behind us as the sun set. We felt nostalgic for the wild southern anchorages of the big island, especially the surf and squeaking white sand beaches of Praia de Lopes Mendes.

This nostalgia was replaced quickly with the sudden responsibility of ocean navigation, and the mental toughness needed for our first night at sea after being in protected waters for two months.

Twenty-four hours later, the long days of voyage preparation (which had felt so gruelling at the time) seemed like a lazy vacation fading into distant memory. We were back in intense voyage mode and had found our rhythm again. Here we were, rounding the infamous cape that had humbled us so many times before.

The following days, the Brazilian coast unfolded like a familiar painting viewed under different light. We’d sailed these waters before, but never with such acute awareness of how precious each mile was for all of us. The days became a blur of sea, sunrises, sunsets and nights – a mix of upwind, beam reaching, and motor-sailing. Our goal was to traverse the remainder of Brazil’s coastline with minimal stops before reaching French Guiana.

As each child discovered what they could offer on board – and rose to meet that responsibility – we witnessed the kind of growth that only comes from being essential to a project, not optional. Their evolution from passengers to crew was proof that our decision to keep sailing, despite all its challenges, had been the right one.

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Magical mangroves

We passed Cabo São Tome in the dark. Then we sailed along the coast of Espiritu Santo, making a rushed fuel stop in Guarapari. Even though it was only half a mile up the river entrance and back, we begrudged every minute that took us away from our northward momentum.

After six days of minimal sleep we decided to stop in Camamu, a port in Bahia we had never been to before.

We were tired and the plan was to pick up a mooring for the night in a narrow, protected waterway by Ilha do Goió. We had squally conditions on our approach: rain, lightning and gusts to 34 knots, so slowed the boat down so we could enter the river mouth at first light.

Dawn appeared, and we found ourselves in a magical, braided waterway surrounded by mangroves and coconut trees. The air was filled with the smell of flowers and the sound of singing birds. Brazil was showing us yet another face we hadn’t known she possessed.

Our next stop came three days later. Stella Marina, in the port of Barra de São Miguel had fuel. But it meant navigating an intimidating entrance.

Our Brazilian friends assured us it was no problem, but we thought long and hard about whether or not we should go in. Getting into the channel required a 90° turn towards land, over a narrow sandbar flanked by reefs, followed by a sharp right turn that threaded us between the beach and breaking waves, before the relative safety of the river’s channel. We studied all our charts and looked at any other options for refuelling.

With the pressure of time on us, we decided to trust our friends and contacted Stella Marina to advise them we were, nervously, coming in. They sent two boats out to guide us. As soon as we committed to going in, I kind of wished that we hadn’t. After everything we’d been through, risking mechanical failure felt like tempting fate.

But it was too late. We were suddenly going for it, trusting the universe would keep us out of danger. We followed the marina’s RIB, surfing over the sandbar, the engine at 3,000rpm pushing hard against the current, and into the unmarked channel. I held my breath many times as we snaked our way along the curves of the river.

James’ 48 years of experience at sea was evident in these high stress moments, his hand calm and steady on the wheel, not letting us get spun off course by the strong currents, the pressure, or any hesitation.

We made it out safely the next morning the same way we went in, then all looked at each other once we were released to the sea, promising to never, ever, do that again.

Approaching Recife two days later, we felt the sea state had already changed beneath us. The wind’s angle shifted subtly, the current that had fought us for weeks finally began to help, and suddenly we were sailing with Brazil instead of against it. Finally there was only the quiet of the ocean as the engine was silenced.

As we passed Cabedelo, where our Brazilian adventure had begun five years ago, the symmetry felt intentional, like a gift from the ocean. What followed was pure sailing magic. With 15-20 knot winds on our quarter, we flew the gennaker day after day, the kids taking turns on the sheets, their competence a testament to how far we’d all come. At night, when fatigue made trimming too complex, we ran the jib that Roberto had given us.

So much salt covered everything that we stopped adding any to our food. Everyone’s hair got lighter and faces had a bronze patina from the sun and wind. We were turning into creatures of the sea.

Into the North

The sargassum began appearing as we moved north, bright yellow patches that set off our depth sounder alarm, sometimes slowing the boat enough to make the pilot malfunction. As we approached the equator, the blooms grew thicker and more frequent, becoming more of a navigational hazard, and so we steered to avoid them.

We crossed the equator in the darkness, without any fanfare. It was Atlas’s 1st, Jade’s 2nd, Pearl and Zan’s 4th, mine and the oldest kids’ 5th and James’s 7th. The kids noticed a distinct line on the sea where blue water turned to green as we sailed along the mouth of the Amazon.

Soon after, we were out of Brazilian waters and in French Guiana. Eleven days after leaving Barra de Sao Miguel, we anchored at Îles du Salut in French Guiana.
We had a crew discussion about going to see the island, but everyone just wanted to keep going. Another 600 miles to the Caribbean now felt like nothing. We continued north.

Four days later, Thunderbird was in the Caribbean Sea. We waited outside of the Bocas del Dragón for the tide to shift so we could enter the Gulf of Paria. The kids hovered excitedly in the cockpit, their salt-stained clothes telling the story of our passage better than any logbook entry.

Two months of preparation, 30 days of sailing, and five years of living in South America was all about to become memories. I had the familiar bittersweet feeling that comes at the end of every passage; relief and loss intertwined. I looked at James, whose eyes held a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. The scar from his surgery had faded, but the gift of this moment – of being here, together, alive – would never diminish.

The trip was transformative in such a positive way.

We were not the same family that left La Paloma three months earlier. The dynamic nature of life at sea cultivated qualities like adaptability, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. When you can’t just pull over or call for help, everyone had to rise to the occasion.

Gliding through the Boca, I felt pride for our six children who had evolved so beautifully to meet the challenges of fulfilling their father’s dream to keep on sailing. I also felt thankful for our strong boat, our trusty mainsail that had held together, and for the kindness of friends who helped make this trip possible.

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