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

[AKA-None]

Sigh
I should have taken that offer for 2weeks of sailing in Sweden back in 2019

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Sigh
I should have taken that offer for 2weeks of sailing in Sweden back in 2019

Indeed. We've had almost normal cruising in the Baltic throughout the whole pandemic.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Indeed. We've had almost normal cruising in the Baltic throughout the whole pandemic.

Have not kept up with all the posts in this thread so pardon me if this question was covered recently.

Found a boat I'm interested in but it's in located up in your cruising area, Jakobstad Finland. Considering a trip over to take a look at it but what's your advise about travel to that area, any restrictions for Americans or other suggestions?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Have not kept up with all the posts in this thread so pardon me if this question was covered recently.

Found a boat I'm interested in but it's in located up in your cruising area, Jakobstad Finland. Considering a trip over to take a look at it but what's your advise about travel to that area, any restrictions for Americans or other suggestions?

Finland is open to anyone who is fully vaxxed.


https://raja.fi/en/guidelines-for-bo...uring-pandemic


Double, triple check yourself before buying your ticket.


Situation in Finland is almost comletely normal. Everything is open; practically no restrictions. Remember however that almost the whole country is above 60N so it is rapidly getting cold. Sea will be frozen in a couple of months.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Finland is open to anyone who is fully vaxxed.
https://raja.fi/en/guidelines-for-bo...uring-pandemic

Thanks. I'll qualify. Even got my booster.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Double, triple check yourself before buying your ticket.

Most definitely although most airlines (at least over here) now have very liberal rebooking and cancellation policies, especially if you can show Covid restrictions were a factor.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Remember however that almost the whole country is above 60N so it is rapidly getting cold. Sea will be frozen in a couple of months.

Yes, kind of figured I wouldn't need shorts.

If this sorts out I may inspect the boat over the winter and schedule final sea trial and closing in the spring. Would like to combine a trip to the Netherlands for the spring tulip happenings in mid/late April then to Finland for the boat. Think the water would be liquid or at least a little slushy by 1 May?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by skipmac

. . . If this sorts out I may inspect the boat over the winter and schedule final sea trial and closing in the spring. Would like to combine a trip to the Netherlands for the spring tulip happenings in mid/late April then to Finland for the boat. Think the water would be liquid or at least a little slushy by 1 May?

Sure. Actually the sea hasn't frozen at all for two of the last three years -- climate change. Normally you can drive a car on it for a couple of months in the winter, and it was frozen pretty good this year.

But from 1 April you can certainly sail -- with proper cold weather clothing. And from 1 May is generally considered already the season, although some yacht harbours are closed until 1 June (you can usually stay in them, but there are no services, and it's free).

April-May is a good time to be sailing SW, as this is a time with a high frequency of E wind. Take your time -- there is a lot of beautiful territory to cover from Finland to the other end of the Baltic. Some of the best cruising in the world, especially -- the Finnish archipelagos, Aland and the Archipelago Sea, the Estonian islands, the Stockholm archi, Gotland, Kalmarsund, Bornholm, Rügen.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Sure. Actually the sea hasn't frozen at all for two of the last three years -- climate change. Normally you can drive a car on it for a couple of months in the winter, and it was frozen pretty good this year.

But from 1 April you can certainly sail -- with proper cold weather clothing. And from 1 May is generally considered already the season, although some yacht harbours are closed until 1 June (you can usually stay in them, but there are no services, and it's free).

April-May is a good time to be sailing SW, as this is a time with a high frequency of E wind. Take your time -- there is a lot of beautiful territory to cover from Finland to the other end of the Baltic. Some of the best cruising in the world, especially -- the Finnish archipelagos, Aland and the Archipelago Sea, the Estonian islands, the Stockholm archi, Gotland, Kalmarsund, Bornholm, Rügen.

Thank you. Hope this works out. Have not yet been to any of the Scandinavian countries and this would be a great opportunity to remedy that. So many places to see and so little time.