Northern Europe during Pandemic -- Summers 2020 & 2021 & onwards

[Dockhead]

I am in Denmark where the boat overwintered this year, and yesterday, a beautiful spring-like day, the local yacht club launched a bunch of club member boats. My neighbor has been out sailing. It looks like expectations here are that it will be possible to sail this summer, even through travelling from port to port for pleasure would not seem to fulfill the advisory to "avoid unnecessary travel".

Just across The Sound from here, Sweden is taking the least strict approach in Europe and has not locked down the population. The borders are open to travellers from other European countries (Schengen as a whole is closed to non-Schengen travel). Restaurants are open. Here too there is an advisory against "unnecessary travel". There are a lot of cases -- over 3000 as of today. Maybe it will peak faster and be over with -- maybe Sweden will be a possible cruising destination this summer?

Finland is under restrictions and the province in which Helsinki is located has been closed -- an extraordinary measure. Nevertheless, my Finnish friends are launching their boats and hoping there will be sailing in the summer. At the moment, guidance seems to indicated that sailing will be allowed. My yacht club has closed its club house, locker rooms, etc., but the harbor works as normal. Training for racing continues in groups of less than 6 people. The club private islands are all usable, but social distancing rules apply. So Finland might be a decent place to be sailing PROVIDED one has a way to get in. I have a residence permit so maybe I will be allowed to sail there from Denmark -- at least single handed. With friendly Sweden in between it might even be possible to make a cruise out of it.

The borders of Estonia are closed and the Western Islands are closed to non-residents of the islands -- even Estonians -- so much for cruising there, if those restrictions are not lifted by summer.

Norway was one of the first European countries to close borders. Don't know what other restrictions there are there.

What plans do others have in this area?