Complete guide
How HollaSea works
The platform that connects skippers with passionate sailing crews. Find a voyage, build your crew or rent a boat — all in one place.
For passengers
Find your voyage
Looking for an adventure at sea? Apply to open voyages or post a request and let skippers come to you with offers.
See the steps →
For skippers
Build your crew
Own a boat or run one? Post voyages, receive applications and pick your ideal crew — or send offers to passenger requests.
See the steps →
For passengers
From the shore, straight on board
You don't need experience to get started. Many skippers happily welcome beginners — you just need to find the right voyage for you.
1
Create your free account
Signing up takes a minute. Complete your profile with your experience (or lack of it — that's ok!), the languages you speak and a photo, so skippers know who they're sailing with.
Free forever
2
Search for a voyage — or post a request
Browse the open voyages by destination, dates and budget. Can't find anything that fits? Post a request with your destination and dates, and skippers will come to you with offers.
Search by destination & date
Or post a request & get offers
3
Apply and talk to the skipper
Tell the skipper who you are and why you want to come aboard. If you're accepted, the crew chat opens so you can sort out the details: meeting point, what to bring, cost sharing.
4
Sail and leave a review
After the voyage, rate your skipper: technical skills, communication, atmosphere. Your reviews keep the community safe and help the next passengers choose well.
Reviews with real photos from on board
For skippers
Your ideal crew is waiting
Whether you're sharing the costs of a leisure trip, looking for crew for a delivery or running a charter — this is where you find serious sailing people.
1
Complete your skipper profile
Add your sailing experience, the boats you skipper and a few photos, so passengers know who they'll be sailing with before they apply.
Add your experience & boat
2
Post your voyage
Route with waypoints, dates, boat type, available spots, cost per person and what you expect from your crew — night watch, cooking rotation, minimum experience. You set the rules.
3
Choose your crew
You receive applications with each person's experience and motivation. Accept, decline or ask questions in the chat. In parallel, you can browse passenger requests and send offers directly to people looking for exactly what you offer.
Applications to your voyage
Offers to passenger requests
4
Set sail with a full crew
The crew chat keeps everyone in sync before departure. After the voyage, the reviews you receive build your reputation — and make your next crew easier to find.
Voyage Requests
Can't find the voyage? Request it.
HollaSea's reverse marketplace: the passenger says where and when they want to sail, and skippers bid with offers. That's how a voyage that didn't exist is born.
STEP 1
Post your request
Destination, dates, number of people, boat type and your experience. No budget needed — the price comes from the skipper.
STEP 2
Receive offers
Interested skippers send you offers with a price per person — sometimes with an existing voyage attached. You compare and choose.
STEP 3
Private chat
Accept the offer and a private chat with the skipper opens automatically. Discuss the route, the boat, the details — no middlemen.
STEP 4
Voyage invitation
The skipper officially invites you to the voyage right from the chat. Accept and you're in the crew — your spot is booked automatically.
Trust & safety
Trust that's
earned, not assumed.
At sea, trust is not optional. That's why every part of the platform is built around verification and transparency.
Honest profiles
Skippers and crew build complete profiles — experience, boats, sailing history — so you know who you're sailing with before you apply.
Reviews from on board
Only passengers who actually sailed can leave a review. With photos from on board and ratings for skills, communication and atmosphere — no fake stars.
Moderated community
The HollaSea team monitors the platform and acts quickly on every report. Accounts that break the community rules are removed.
Frequently asked questions
Good to know
What is HollaSea?▼
HollaSea connects people who love sailing. You can join a voyage as crew, find a skipper for your own trip, rent a boat from charter companies, or — as a skipper — post voyages and build your crew. Everything happens in one place: search, chat, bookings and reviews.
Is it free to create an account?▼
Yes. Creating an account, browsing voyages, skippers and boats, and applying to join a voyage are free. Skippers need a membership to post voyages and free dates, and posting a request has a small fee — see Membership for current prices.
I have no sailing experience. Can I still join?▼
Yes. Every voyage shows the minimum experience needed, and many skippers welcome beginners. Look for voyages with experience "None" and tell the skipper it's your first time — attitude matters more than a sailing CV.
How do I join a voyage?▼
Find one on Voyages, open it and click Apply. Tell the skipper about your experience and why you'd like to come aboard. You'll see the answer in My Activity → Voyages → Joined, and once you're accepted the crew chat opens.
What does the price per person include?▼
It depends on the voyage — the skipper describes the costs on the voyage page, including shared extras such as fuel, marina fees or food. Ask in the chat before you confirm, so there are no surprises.
I can't find the right voyage. What can I do?▼
Post a request: your destination, dates, number of people and the kind of boat you'd like. Skippers send you offers with a price per person, you pick the one you like, and a private chat opens so you can settle the details. Requests are for crew and passengers — skippers answer them with offers.
I don't own a boat. Is HollaSea for me?▼
Absolutely. You can rent a boat from Rent a Boat and post your voyage on it, or add your free dates so crews and boat renters can hire you as a skipper.
What's the difference between Request, Hold and Reserve?▼
Request — we email you the full price offer for your dates; nothing is reserved. Hold — the boat is kept for you for free until a date set by the charter company, and you can cancel anytime until then. Reserve (coming soon) — the boat is kept for you for a short time so you can pay online; it becomes a firm booking once we receive your first payment and the charter company confirms it, otherwise the boat is released.
Do I need a skipper licence to rent a boat?▼
Most boats require a valid skipper licence (such as the ICC) at check-in, appropriate for the boat and the sailing area. If you don't have one, choose Request a skipper for these dates when you book, and free skippers on HollaSea will send you offers.
How do I know a skipper is trustworthy?▼
Read the reviews from people who sailed with them, and look at their profile: experience, certifications, boats and past voyages. Skippers declare their certifications and sign the Skipper Agreement; HollaSea doesn't independently check documents, so reviews and a chat before you commit are your best guide.
Ready to raise the anchor?
The sea doesn't sail itself. Join the HollaSea community and find your crew.