Private Ashes Spreading

Available: by arrangement

Price: 2 hours £600. 4 hours £900. Other options are available.
Places: Maximum 12 passengers. Larger groups by arrangement.

This is a private and dignified charter where ashes may be laid at sea.

For families, relatives and friends, this occasion could be days, months or even years after someone has passed. Often time is needed to arrange travel from homes and work far, wide or worldwide, so setting a date often involves changing plans. Getting everyone together is not always easy. The weather and sea state are also important factors which mean that once arranged, you might need a contingency date.

Popular choices include sailing to the near coast within sight of Dunbar, North Berwick, the Bass Rock or nearby islands, the East Lothian coast near Barns Ness or Siccar Point, or even sailing out to sea with the horizon ahead and land far behind.

At your chosen location, you may use the rear open viewing deck in privacy. Our crew stay inside yet we are alert to your safety on board. We recommend that you choose a bio-degradable container which can be placed on the sea surface. This is released to float on the waves for a few minutes before it slips beneath the surface.

Often, people wish to release the ashes and take time to reflect. Depending on your preferences, we can either drift whilst your group is together or we can sail to nearby landmarks where we’ll tell you a little bit about nature, history and the environment. You might like to bring your own snacks, a drink, a toast, hot drinks and take time to reflect. This often helps to lift spirits before we return to Dunbar harbour.

You may also choose to charter the boat and sail on to land at the Isle of May. This can be arranged around our permitted landing times at the isle.

On return to harbour, you might like to consider reserving a local restaurant or rooms for lunch or dinner. Dunbar has a wide selection of hotels and restaurants offering varied choices. See the Our Dunbar website.

On this charter …

• We offer two lengths of charter which we have found best suit most groups.
• A sail from Dunbar to the nearby coast or the Bass Rock typically takes up to 2 hours. This is priced at £600.
• A longer sail lasts between 90 minutes up to 4 hours and is priced at £900.
• We recommend that you use a bio-degradable container that can be laid in the sea.
• Our cabin boat carries 12 passengers inside where you will be seated when leaving the harbour and sailing to a location of your choice. Once there, you may use the open rear deck to sit or stand, depending on conditions.

Please note …

• There is no age restriction however please tell us at time of booking if you have very young children or babies.
• On private charters we do allow alcohol to be taken in moderation as a celebratory drink, toast or with food.

Other information..

• Please arrive at least 20-30 minutes prior to sailing time for a safety briefing and fitting life jackets.
• You should be sufficiently mobile to board and disembark at harbour steps which might be steep, or small jetties which might be wet or slippy (e.g. with seaweed or seawater). We’ll help you board and if you have any doubts or concerns, then please contact us in advance. Most people can board safely.
• Wrap up warmly in the winter and springtime. In summer, bring clothing layers and a waterproof/wind jacket.
• If you bring a snack or drink, we recommend no fizzy or carbonated drinks.
• Seating for all passengers is inside the cabin and there is also a viewing deck outside for use when the boat travels slowly.
• Leave no Trace – For safety and to avoid disturbing wildlife please do not throw litter into the sea or on islands. Please put your litter in bins on board or take it back to shore with you and dispose of it responsibly.
• The Isle of May is a National Nature Reserve and visitor numbers are limited each day. This means that BlueWild tours can visit once with only 12 people per day. If a scheduled tour is fully booked, a separate private tour is not possible, and vice versa.