Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Törnfinder is an innovative online portal for sailing trips, sailing courses and sail training. Providers can present their crewing opportunities, training trips, seminars and courses easily and in an appealing design. Sailing enthusiasts have a wide range of search and filter options to quickly find the right sailing trip, training trip, sailing course or seminar.

In addition to the classic search by travel period and by your preferred country and sailing area, Törnfinder also lets you filter by trip type (for example sail training or cabin charter), boat type (for example monohull or catamaran), preferred boat length, trip duration, nautical miles and price. And if that's not enough, a free text search is also available.

Toernfinder.de is not the organiser or agent of the listed sailing trips, but provides the platform on which providers of sailing trips can list their trips. If you're interested in one of the listed trips, you can contact the relevant provider via the contact form.

Der schnellste Weg zum Anbieter führt über das Kontaktformular, welches unter der jeweiligen Törnbeschreibung zu finden ist. Einfach deinen Namen und deine Kontaktdaten eintragen und der Anbieter bekommt eine vorgefertigte E-Mail mit den Törndaten und meldet sich schnellstmöglich bei dir.

A sailing trip (in German "Törn") refers to any route or journey covered by a sailing boat.

On most of the trips offered on toernfinder.de, crew members with and without sailing experience are welcome – including beginners. Only a few trips require prior sailing experience, which is usually noted in the trip descriptions. For precise information about the sailing skills required, you can contact the provider via the contact form on the relevant trip.

This depends heavily on the sailing area and personal preferences. From late spring to autumn, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean, for example, are popular sailing areas. In the winter months, the Canary Islands, the Caribbean and various tropical areas offer excellent wind and weather conditions. But the sailing areas offered by our providers are as varied as personal tastes – so there's something for everyone. Enjoy browsing!

To make the trips easier to find for sailing enthusiasts, we've given our providers the option to assign their trips to specific categories. The following categories are currently available: sail training, event sailing, family sailing, flotilla sailing, hand for a bunk, mile building, cabin charter, regatta sailing and skipper training. The exact details of each trip should be arranged with the provider.

On a sail training trip, the focus is on learning to sail – for example, preparing for skipper licence exams.

Event sailing refers to trips with a special theme – for example, trips that focus not only on sailing but also on yoga, climbing, culinary experiences or similar.

Family sailing is aimed specifically at families with children. Particular attention is paid to family-friendly route planning and to the needs of children on board.

Flotilla sailing refers to trips with several yachts sailing together in a loose group. On shore, participants often take part in shared activities and swap the day's sailing experiences.

On a "hand for a bunk" trip, a bunk is provided free of charge in exchange for helping out on board. This help can involve, for example, actively taking part in sailing, cooking, repairs or other tasks. The exact tasks and conditions of such a trip should be agreed with the relevant provider in advance.

On a mile-building trip, the focus is on sailing long distances and clocking up sea miles, rather than on shore excursions and exploring bays.

A cabin charter is the classic form of joining a crew as a paying guest.

Regatta sailing focuses on taking part in regattas or on special training to prepare for regatta racing.

The skipper training category focuses on developing skipper skills – for example, practising harbour manoeuvres or heavy-weather sailing.

With the "private yacht with a skipper" trip type, you don't just charter individual bunks, but the entire boat including a professional skipper. Together with the skipper, you decide on the route, the schedule and the activities, and you have exclusive use of the yacht with your own group. As usual, the quickest way to get in touch is via the contact form on the relevant listing or via the link to the provider's website.

A monohull is a sailing yacht with only one hull, which is why it's also called a single-hull boat. A monohull usually has just one engine.

A catamaran is a sailing yacht with two hulls, which is why it's also called a multihull. In most cases, there's an engine in each of the hulls.

A trimaran is a sailing yacht with three hulls, which is why it's also called a multihull. Similar to a monohull, such a yacht usually has just one engine, located in the central hull.

A tall ship (also called a windjammer) is a sailing ship with several masts that sails mainly with square sails. Square sails are sails set across the keel line (at right angles to the ship's length).

A traditional sailing vessel is a historic sailing ship that is largely preserved in its original condition or has been restored to its original state.

The trip descriptions are written by the respective provider of the sailing trip. The providers are responsible for the information given there. If you have any questions about a trip description, you can simply send them to the provider via the relevant contact form. Below, we explain a few general terms that appear repeatedly in the trip descriptions.

On sailing trips, it's common for the crew to set up a kitty to help cover the additional costs of a trip. Traditionally, the skipper usually doesn't contribute to the kitty. Which costs are covered by the kitty is mostly decided by the crew and, of course, also depends on the respective organiser and provider of the trip. The following costs are usually paid from the kitty:

• Food / provisions
• Fuel
• Mooring fees
• Final cleaning
• Gas for cooking
• Bed linen

In some cases, restaurant visits or a deposit insurance are also covered by the kitty.

With some providers, a so-called transit log is settled through the kitty. This usually refers to the costs charged by the charter company – for example, for check-in/check-out, registration fees at the marina or with the authorities, submission of crew lists, gas checks and sometimes also the final cleaning.

A logged sea miles certificate serves as proof of the nautical miles covered on a sailing trip and is issued by the skipper of the respective trip. You can use the logged sea miles certificate, for example, as evidence of sea miles for skipper licences. You'll find a template for a logged sea miles certificate here.

On a one-way trip, the destination is different from the trip's starting point.

A bunk is a sleeping berth on a boat.

On a boat, a cabin is an enclosed space that contains the bunks. On a modern sailing boat, a cabin usually contains two bunks.

This depends heavily on the trip and the provider, so it's best to ask the relevant trip provider directly – for example, simply via the contact form on the respective trip page.

This varies depending on the respective trip provider and/or the sailing yachts used. Ordinary sailing yachts have between 2 and 6 cabins with a corresponding number of crew members. On tall ships, the number of crew members can be considerably higher. If the number of crew members isn't clear from the trip description, it's best to contact the trip provider via the contact form.

No. toernfinder.de doesn't offer any sailing courses itself. We simply display offers from providers who publish sailing courses, seminars and training on our platform. Those interested are directed straight to the respective provider's website – or can alternatively contact the provider directly and most quickly via the contact form on the relevant course or trip listing.

You can find sailing courses and seminars using the search and filter function. Simply select the category "sailing course" or "seminar" to see matching offers. For quick contact, the contact form is also available on each listing.

This depends on the respective provider. Many courses are suitable for beginners and don't require any prior experience. In the course details, you'll find information about the requirements and course level. If you have any questions, you can contact the provider directly via the contact form on the listing – this is usually the quickest way.

The quickest way to reach a provider is via the contact form, which you'll find below each course description. Simply enter your name and contact details, and the provider will receive a pre-filled email with the course details and get back to you as soon as possible.

Yes. Many providers publish theory seminars such as navigation, meteorology or safety training. You can find these in the search too. If you're interested, you can contact the provider directly via the contact form on the relevant listing – usually the quickest way to clear up any open questions.