Impressions of the Baltic

[CarstenWL]

There is no such thing as a guide to anchorages -- the idea is absurd.

Have to disagree on this one. The Havneguiden series (Havneguiden) or Havneguiden is basically just that, a great resource for GREAT anchorages.

Also available as a digital subscription.

Agree that you will find 'some more anchorages' on your own too but would highly recommend these guides in areas they cover.

Regards,

Carsten

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Roy M

And, you can even cruise the several very large lakes in Sweden. Some day, I hope to go there in my own multihull, though I am slightly too beamy (24 feet) for the entrance of the Gota Canal, which takes you, via canals, locks and lakes all the way to Stockholm. I'll have to enter from Stockholm and exit from there as well. But it will be worth it.

The Gøta canal is known as the divorce canal since couples get on each others nerves after 2 months in a canal

but damn - go for it!

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

Have to disagree on this one. The Havneguiden series (Havneguiden) or Havneguiden is basically just that, a great resource for GREAT anchorages.

Also available as a digital subscription.

Agree that you will find 'some more anchorages' on your own too but would highly recommend these guides in areas they cover.

Regards,

Carsten

Well crsten from another carsten) I disagree. these books are fine for a start- but if you are looking for detailed descriptions, it is difficult

but they are ok for a start

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Lars_L

. . .
During the night we hade tree hours watches.
19 to 22 evening watch.
22 to 01 sun set watch.
01 to 04 sun rise watch.
04 to 07 morning watch. . . .

Yes, no discussion about Baltic cruising would be complete without discussing the magnificent light . . .

For some weeks before and after the solstice, it never gets completely dark. The twilight goes on for hours, and segues directly into the dawn . . . It is fabulous . . .

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

Have to disagree on this one. The Havneguiden series (Havneguiden) or Havneguiden is basically just that, a great resource for GREAT anchorages.

Also available as a digital subscription.

Agree that you will find 'some more anchorages' on your own too but would highly recommend these guides in areas they cover.

Regards,

Carsten

Havenguiden is a guide to havens -- ports -- not anchorages! There are far too many places to anchor, to ever write a guide to them!

The closest thing is something called "165 Rocks", by Martin Edge, which describes 165 random places he anchored in Eastern Sweden and Southern Finland. It's no kind of a "guide", but gives you a flavor.

It sells, because non-Baltic sailors don't like to anchor in places they haven't read about first. Especially the English -- I remember reading an article in YM about "how to find your very own anchorage" -- as if it is something crazy, to anchor somewhere not in the guide.

You get used to it. The most important thing is to scan the potential anchorage, watching your depth gauge, to make sure you're not putting the hook down among a bunch of boulders, where you will lose it.

[Lars_L]

You don’t need to go down to Britain to get an ice-free winter. Even the Norwegian cost is ice-free. And you reset your VAT account.

We hade a boot from my club that visited Kaliningrad some years ago. They needed a personal invitation from a local boot club. But in return they received a personal guide all the time they where there. Russia is Russia.

[CarstenWL]

Havenguiden is a guide to havens -- ports -- not anchorages!

Simply not true ... There are hundreds of anchorages in each guide too.

Carsten

[Christerart]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

Simply not true ... There are hundreds of anchorages in each guide too.

Carsten

True.

I am sitting here looking at the one for the northern west coast of Sweden (Gothenburg to Svinesund) - Hamnguiden 5. It has 275 pages with color pictures and descriptions of both nature anchorages as well as popular tourist harbors and marinas - 360 in all.

There are 11 of these multi language guides that includes both harbors and nature anchorages as well as where you can tie up to (mainly) rocks, using available "anchor rings/mooring bolts" put in by locals and often by SXK - The Swedish Cruising Club.

The guides go from just north of Stockholm on the east coast of Sweden and cover parts of Polen, Germany, all of Denmark and Norway's southern coast and up to and including Bergen on the west coast.

The SXK also publishes it's own guide with hundreds and hundreds of "smultronställen" (sweet spots) to tie up to or anchor and also put out a number of buoys if you prefer to not tie up to a rock.

You're supposed to be a member of SXK (and fly their standard) in order to use these buoys but unfortunately most transients ignore that - especially during the time when the west coast is really crowded - like July when it looks like a freeway with all the boats moving up and down the coast.

I lived in Gothenburg for 6 years during the 80's, left to go back to the US in December '90 and now living in the UK my wife and I just bought a Maxi 95 which I and a friend will pick up in Malmö in mid April and then sail up to Björkö just north west of Gothenburg where we are members of SS FRAM.

We intend to keep it on the west coast year round, bought a berth in a small marina - lucky that - available berths here are as rare as hen's teeth.

As for Finland - great country, fantastic saunas, beautiful blondes (many more than in Sweden) and absolutely worth visiting..=*^)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

Simply not true ... There are hundreds of anchorages in each guide too.

Carsten

Well, if you say so -- I'll have to have a look.

The words "Hafen" "Hamn" "Havn", Russian "Gavan", and English "Haven" do not generally refer to anchorages, but rather to ports. But if that is not true here, I will be glad to be shown to be wrong, and will even be glad to buy the book

[CarstenWL]

You're supposed to be a member of SXK

In fact I would strongly recommend to become a member of the SXK (Welcome to the Swedish Cruising Association! | www.sxk.se) if you are sailing in Sweden often. Just using their moorings is worth the membership (in my opinion), there are other benefits too.

Regards,

Carsten

[Christerart]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, if you say so -- I'll have to have a look.

The words "Hafen" "Hamn" "Havn", Russian "Gavan", and English "Haven" do not generally refer to anchorages, but rather to ports. But if that is not true here, I will be glad to be shown to be wrong, and will even be glad to buy the book

Havneguiden

[Christerart]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

In fact I would strongly recommend to become a member of the SXK (Welcome to the Swedish Cruising Association! | www.sxk.se) if you are sailing in Sweden often. Just using their moorings is worth the membership (in my opinion), there are other benefits too.

Regards,

Carsten

Absolutely.

Here's a page from the west coast section:

Västkustkretsen | Startsidan / HAK

SXK creates it's own guides you can purchase - both printed and apps for iPhone and iPad and since 2014 also for Android.

So far they've drilled and installed more than 5,500 anchor bolts...

on the west coast alone..=*^)

I just downloaded the app and learned that the west coast section has 13,000 members. Get the app and just take a peek and you'll get an idea of hat SXK is all about and what the west coast looks like.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, if you say so -- I'll have to have a look.

The words "Hafen" "Hamn" "Havn", Russian "Gavan", and English "Haven" do not generally refer to anchorages, but rather to ports. But if that is not true here, I will be glad to be shown to be wrong, and will even be glad to buy the book

Technically that's not really correct. All ports are in "havens" (i.e. harbors) but not all havens became ports. Although the more modern usage certainly favors equating haven with port.

Here in New England, our closest version of the Baltic style sailing (except for the size of the tides of course) is Down East Maine. Reading about all the coves, islands and wilderness being next to civilization in the Blatic keeps reminding me of my trips Down East. Even the shortness of the summer season is similar. May be that's what kept the hoards of humans from overpopulating both areas.

Maine with a population of well under 1.5mil has a shoreline of about 3,500 miles. Now that's a wilderness by any standard.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Lars_L

. . .
We hade a boot from my club that visited Kaliningrad some years ago. They needed a personal invitation from a local boot club. But in return they received a personal guide all the time they where there. Russia is Russia.

I haven't been in Kaliningrad, but I did sail to Vyborg, in the Eastern Gulf of Finland, last summer. Surrealistically beautiful. I long to go back there, maybe more than any place I have ever sailed to. Even though it was hot and dusty under the bridge under the ramparts of the medieval Swedish castle.

It was probably the single most fascinating place I visited in the Baltic -- definitely the highlight of the whole cruise.

You don't need any invitation to sail into Russian waters -- you can just show up. But you are supposed to have a bunch of documents in triplicate copies with you (crew list, boat docs, crew passports, some other things). I screwed that up and failed to have the necessary copies, and what's worse, arrived, after hours. The Russian border guards scolded me for that, but then opened up their closed after hours office and let me use their copy machine to make the necessary copies. They were extremely friendly and helpful. It helped that I speak Russian; I'm not sure anyone there speaks much English. So YMMV, but I still highly recommend a visit, to anyone already in the Eastern Baltic.

[Normanby]

I'm currently in the south west of the UK (near Plymouth) and have been really inspired by this thread.
I have the whole summer at my disposal and I'd like to head for the Baltic. I came here from Australia and have just finished getting my new-to-me Contessa 26 cruise-ready.
The Baltic is a long-ish way from here and I'd be grateful for suggestions as to what route to take to get there. On the chart it looks like the simplest is up channel and through the Keil canal, though that canal looks like a very boring slog with the outboard.
Is going around Denmark a viable option? There's and interesting YouTube clip of a couple taking their trailer-sailer from NW Scotland to the northern tip of Denmark in three days, then cruising down the east coast towards the Baltic.
I'm solo, with only the dog for crew, so would like to make a plan that has the potential for sleep-anchorages along the way.
Any tips from Baltic non-virgins gratefully received.
Matt


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