Packing Guide for a Week Aboard a Boat

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "A week in a bamboo beach hut on India's Andaman Islands."

Travel Motto: "Travel light, often, and in good company."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window—best view in the house."

See recent posts by Ashley Rossi

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Whether you’re taking a cruise or chartering your own boat for a week, boat living requires some items that you wouldn’t need on any other vacation. You’ll be spending a lot of time not only onboard but also in the water, and will still need outfits for offshore activities and dinners (think multi-functional and quick-drying pieces). Here’s what to pack and where to buy it if you’re planning a boating vacation this summer.

Mouse over the photos below for detailed explanations of the items. Any time you see the Thinglink icon on a photo (bottom right), you can mouse over it to interact with the image.

Where to Buy:

Tops (from left to right)

2 active wear tops: Sunshine Salutation Tank, $58 from lululemon
1 dressy top: Striped Lace Top, $45 from Lands’ End
1-2x tank tops: Perfect-Fit Shell, $22.50 from J. Crew
1-2x basic t-shirts: Vintage Cotton T-Shirt, $29.50 from J. Crew

Sweaters

1 sweatshirt: Sexy Sweat Half Zip, $54.99 from lucy
1 UPF jacket: Vitamin Sea Jacket, $69 from Athleta
1 open cardigan: Open-Front Sweater, $29 from Old Navy

Dresses

1 mid-length dress: Daily Mantra Dress, $89 from lucy
1 cotton dress: Short-Sleeve Cotton Shirtdress, $98 from J. Crew
1 casual striped dress: Striped Vacances Dress, $88 from Madewell

Bottoms

2 pairs active shorts: Surf Short II Reversible, $68 from lululemon
1 skirt: Seaside Fold Over Skirt, $39 from Athleta
1 pair of leggings: Align Crop, $88 from lululemon
1 pair linen shorts: Linen Market Shorts, $29.99 from Lands’ End

Swim

1 full piece bathing suit: Strappy Back Onepiece, $118 from lululemon
1-2x mix and match two-piece bathing suits: Palm Cove Bikini Top, $59 from Athleta; Streamline Bottom, $49 from Athleta
1 cover up: Ombre-Gauze Tassel Swim Cover-Up, $34 from Old Navy

Shoes

1 pair of water shoes: Original Sandal, $37.50 from Teva
1 pair dressy flats: Splendid Cassandra sandal, $78 from Zappos
1 pair of white bottom slip on’s: Paul Sperry Swell Emmy Sneaker, $80 from Sperry

Extras

Sea sickness relief: Sea-Band Wristbands, $7.79 from Amazon
Quick dry hat: The North Face Breakaway Hat, $16.50 from EMS
2-3x books: Voyager: Travel Writings, $16.24 from Amazon
Sport/polarized sunglasses: Drop in Polarized, $180 from Oakley
2x quick-dry towels: Large Towels, $44.99 from Dock & Bay
Chemical free sunscreen: Honest Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, $13.95 from The Honest Company
All purpose soap: Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Travel Soap, $1.79 from Target
Clothespins: hegs Clothespins, $9.99 for 18 pack from Amazon
Dry bag day pack: 15L Dry Bag, $99 from So iLL

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