Sailing through the Baltic Sea, English Channel and North Atlantic

Risa-Benny
- 12m Bavaria 390 Lagoon
- General (Europe)
- Checked in 1 hour ago

Sailing through the Baltic Sea, English Channel and North Atlantic

Ahoy!
I’m Benny, sailing along on Risa, a cosy 12m sailing yacht. Cruising around, enjoying nice Anchorages and exploring the English Channel and the Baltic sea later this year.

I will sail on end of April through the english Channel to the Baltic Sea and Back to Gibraltar end of the year.

The rough plan of the passages is:
Mai: English Channel, North Sea, Around Denmark to Kiel
June: Sailing around the German Coast, with some breaks for maintainance and optimizations
July: Sailing to Helsinki
August Sailing back from Helsinki to Kiel
September/October: Kiel, maybe(London), english Channel, Bay of Biscay, Lisboa
November: Lisboa to Cadiz

Right now, I’m taking a maximum of 3 crew members at a time to keep things comfortable. I have three Cabins. two of them are for the guests, one is the V-Berth in the front and then two bunk berth on the port side so everyone gets his one bed
A minimum stay of two weeks is appreciated especially if you have no or not much sailing experience.

If you are interested please provide the following information:
When (roughly) do you want to sail?
How long (roughly) do you want to sail?
Do you wanna join with friends/partners? How many?
How good are your sailing skills? (None, a bit, I am comfortable with night watches, I could be the skipper)
Cooking (I just can’t/want, a bit, I could be a chef)
Can you swim? (Yes, no)
Any critical medical conditions?

This is not a paid position! If you are expecting money to be on board i am sure you will find another opportunity. The costs for food, diesel, marinas and the boat are shared. You should expect a minimum of 200-300€ per week depending on the conditions, the area and how often we want to eat out on a restauerant. Details about the costs we can discuss directly when i know where and when you will join, there are to much variables that have an influence to make a valid forecast over the whole trip. (Just to make it clear because I always get asked for paid positions) If you have usefull skills like gelcoat repair, cauking the deck, plumber work, electrics etc., we can talk about an arrangement where you could help me with some tasks.

If you dont reply on messages after 10 days, i consider you as not longer interested - feel free to message me after that if there is still a berth free we can of course proceed. I need to make this clear because sometimes there are a few crew candidates „on hold“ because they are not responding (some never do) and i want not to hold back a nice sailing journey for others who are obviously more interested.

Position

Crew positionNovice Crew
Availability 1 May 2026 until 30 Nov -0001
Expenses to/from vesselNegotiable
Expenses onboardNegotiable
Team / SoloNot important

Vessel

TypeSailing Yacht
Make/modelBavaria 390 Lagoon
Length12 metres
Berth7
Sailing from General (Europe)
Sailing to Local sailing
Language spoke aboardEnglish
Boat description3 cabins with two berth each. two of them with a double berth and one with two single berths. nice pantry and cosy salon. two heads (one of them with a shower) a nice bathing platform with an outdoor shower warm water after the engine was used automatic life vests for a crew of 4 and a liferaft for 4 persons a nice big cockpit thats quite comfortable even in rougher seas

Skipper

NationalityGerman
Age43
GenderMale
Fluent languages English
German
Qualifications 1st Aid
Boat Operator Licence
Short Range VHF / GMDSS
Sea Miles 10,000+

Feedback

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Great experience sailing on RISA

I spent a week sailing with Benny around the island of Corsica in October, and then we crossed over to Nice. RISA is very well equipped and allows for a truly enjoyable sailing experience. Benny, besides being a pleasant companion to share conversations and moments with, was an excellent captain—always willing to share his knowledge. In short, a very good and highly recommended experience.

26th Oct 2025

FedeCasalins

Italian west coast

I sailed with Benny on Risa for 7 days and over 200nm in September and October 2025 and it was a great trip. Benny runs a safe and capable boat and has a calm and enjoyable approach to sailing. He’s very knowledgeable and keen to teach as well. I would not hesitate to recommend sailing with him.

2nd Oct 2025

Mike L

A great Skipper willing to share his knowledge

I had a great time sailing the Cyclades with Benny at the end of March-April 2025. My father and I were able to learn quickly as he was more than willing to show us the lines. We managed to sail to multiple beautiful anchorages with good vibes, and plenty of home cooked meals from the Skipper (even taking a stab at some Greek food). He takes safety as a priority and remained calm in stressful situations. We truly enjoyed our time sailing together, and were able to do a night sail which was a great first experience for me. Note, you should be smoke friendly as he enjoys a cigarette occasionally. Contribution was very fair. One vberth and a couple bunks available were all clean. I definitely recommend visiting Benny and beautiful RISA.

21st Apr 2025

MarshMan

Sicilia-Corfu

I had a great time with Ben! He's patient and we talked about sooo many things, and I was absolutely impressed with his skills. We had some lively discussions, always in good spirit :) He really knows how to create an environment for learning, and I believe we both did learn from each other! The cabin I had was perfect for me, leesail was safe, not much space for being flung around by the waves so thats good! All necessary equipment worked and worked well, kitchen fully equipped, and i just am so grateful that Ben didnt turn out to be a pervert. I never once felt uncomfortable, being alone with him for a few weeks that was really important to me. If you are considering applying here, dont hesitate to shoot me a message with any questions :) Ben i'll see you again!

4th Apr 2025

Deckie-juju

Torrevieja-Mallorca-Menorca-Sardinia-Sicilia

I had the pleasure of sailing with Benny on his sailboat for three weeks, and it was a fantastic experience. The boat is equipped with all necessary safety measures and is also quite comfortable in rough seas. Benny is very competent and has great knowledge about all the things needed to keep a boat afloat and moving. His professionalism and knowledge made the trip not only safe but also very enjoyable. Additionally, Benny is a competent instructor and a very good cook. I can recommend this sailing opportunity to anyone looking for a safe and well-managed sailing experience!

19th Dec 2024

FalkDinkelacker

Mallorca-Menorca-Sardina-Sicily

I'm glad that he gave me the opportunity to sail with him and I managed to gain my first sea experience. I got to see what it's really like to live on a boat. We sailed for two weeks, covering nearly 600 miles. He is patient, funny, responsible, good teacher. He is a great chef, trust me (i’m picky a bit). I hope I will have the opportunity to sail with him again, or even meet him with my own sailboat to drink a beer. :D I felt good, I had a lasting experience. Fair wind, calm sea, god speed!

8th Dec 2024

Atesz

Leg from Porto Santo to Ronta

I sailed with Benny from Porto Santo to Ronta and then stayed on the boat for a while being in the Marine. When I joined Benny he "just" bought the boat. It was a great sail and even he had less practical expierence that was not noticable at all. In fact I sailed with people having more experience where I felt less comfortable. He has a great skillset and great approach towards challanges. He also likes to teach whatever he knows. I would defenitly sail again with him and can only recommend anyone to do so.

15th Nov 2024

Yvonsche

Amazing Trip with Skipper Benny on the Bavaria 390 Lagoon MK II (10th - 21st Oct 2024)

I had the pleasure of joining Skipper Benny on an unforgettable sailing trip from Rota, through the Strait of Gibraltar, to Malaga. The first few days we had to weather out in port due to the conditions, which gave us time to fix some minor things on the boat. I quickly learned: there’s always something to repair on a sailboat! Despite the weather, the atmosphere was relaxed, and Benny used the time to teach me the basics of sailing. The boat is in great shape, equipped with radio and an EPIRB (emergency beacon). AIS will be installed soon, which I consider a valuable safety upgrade. Nonetheless, I never felt unsafe during the trip – Benny has a calm, professional approach that inspires confidence. Over four sailing days, we covered 180 nautical miles, and that’s despite me having no prior sailing experience. Benny’s patient and thorough teaching helped me to not only steer the boat but also handle most of the essential maneuvers by the end of the trip. This has made me seriously consider boat life as a future option. Beyond the sailing, we had a lot of fun – we fished regularly and even caught a 5kg bonito, which made for some great meals. Benny answered all my questions with patience and good humor, and you can tell his background as a professional team leader really shines through in how he manages everything. I’m already looking forward to my next trip with Benny and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a safe, relaxed, and educational sailing adventure. Fair winds!

21st Oct 2024