Aland Islands anyone sailed there?

[trouville]

Ive just discovered somewhere called Finnland! As my printer is running out of ink i only have a fuzzy map, There is definate blue of lakes covering most of the land mass,and next to Finnland is Russia!!! Including St Petersburg.
As with all my first ideas i imagin its not possiable nor easy to sail along the coast to St Petersburg? I expect there are navigational obstructions such as rocks and shallows between? not to mention uniformed ones?
In the other direction are the Aland Islands i wonder if they are inhabited? and if its possiable to anchor about them? Then where would the nearest Sweedish port be Stockholm?? Does the Baltic really have no tidal range?
Getting back to Finnland, do they sail on some of those lakes?? is there a canal system to get to the coast??
And i wonder what the best way would be to get from Finnland to Retern to France? or to Poland to carry out work at a boat yard charging polish prices( they are ment to be reasonable?) to fit (if necassary) push pit pullpit stantions, perhaps a baby blake to my folkboat (which i havent bought nor found yet!!) and perhaps to replace the outboard with a small diesel ready for the med!

Any advise tips or helpful comments!!! Oh great and wise forum .

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[chrisb]

read this monts yachting monthly for description

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[trouville]

OK but how? cant get a copy everywhere is it on line??

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[mike_bryon]

We are planning a trip to the Baltic and have found useful the RCC pilot The Baltic Sea. It lists a lot of websites for further information. I have not looked them up yet so I cannot comment but they might be helpful We too want to visit the Aland islands which the pilot suggests are 70nm from Stockholm. We sail with children and looking at the charts I came to the conclusion that we will need a competent person both on the helm and at the chart table – otherwise it could get interesting.

Best of wishes with you folkboat plans.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[roger]

Suggestion 1 Buy the new version of the Finland CIS from the Cruising Association. This is a plug. I have just spent a lot of time editing it. None the less it has as much info as I could get in.
Suggestion 2 Dont go anywhere near Finland unless you have a holding tank you can empty through a deck fitting at a pump out station. New laws come into force Jan 1 2005 prohibit using sea toilets inside the 12 mile limit.
Suggestion 3 - Do cruise Finland It is a wonderful cruising ground - just remember "the shoals are mostly of granite."

<hr width=100% size=1>Roger

 

[chrisb]

on my visits to france and spain ym seems to be available on the stands and in the yacht clubs. the article doesnot say alot other than sceenically attractractive friendly locals and need for careful passagemaking. useal ym article bookshelf not particularly good for serious navigators. would not go miles to search for it

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Guest]

This summer I did the trip you refer to - sailing from Kiel area, up East coast of Sweden via Stockholm, through the Aland Islands to St Petersburg, then back to Riga. To answer each of your questions in turn:

It is possible, indeed, wonderful, to sail along the Finnish coast as far as the Russian border. The furthest East that you can do this is an island called Hapasaari (sp?) right on the Russian border where there is Finnish passport point. From there to St. Petersburg you have to do it non-stop - there is no Russian passport checkpoint (barring Vyborg, which is the wrong direction), until St. petersburg, and the Russians forbid any stopping/anchoring until you have stopped. There is not really anywhere you can stop anyway. The same applies on leaving - having checked out of passport control, you have to get to Finland without stopping anywhere. If driven back by bad weather, you may have problems. Formalities is mainly that a visa is required. Most yachts appoint an agent to see them through customs etc. We didn't, but we speak Russian, and the procedure was a real pain to put it mildly.

The other issue is that the Gulf of Finland can be nasty in a strong westerly. If your visa is running out but you can't leave, you have problems, so make sure there's plenty of spare time on your visa. Getting the visa takes quite a bit of time and money...

Aland Islands are a lovely cruising ground. Invest in a pack of the Finnish charts covering the area. Yes, they're inhabited - population about 26,000, spread over about 6,000 islands if I remember correctly.

Yes, there's almost no tidal range in the Baltic.

If you need somewhere to leave a boat in Poland, I live there, so may be able to point you in the right direction if you want that. The main issue would probably be finding a boatyard that has a spare cradle. Also whether you want to leave the boat inside or out. Prices in Poland should be EXTREMELY reasonable, at least by UK standards.

Hope that helps!

Simon

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[pandroid]

Yes, its about 70 miles from Stockholm, but only 25 in open sea. Its considerably easier than crossing the English Channel. You cant get lost, just follow all the other yachts, and if not, then the ferries.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[trouville]

I think im going to buy my folkboat either in Finnland or Sweeden. The plastic IF and the baltic folkboat both have in general buckets??what happens in Jan2005???
The yachting mags are mostly three weeks old and cost 20euros!! 100pages but only 9/10 non advertising!! when the classic boat people sold out for the second time to the monoply 10 or more years ago i stoped buying PBO clasic boat and crusing world.Sorry!
I had thought of trailing back to France but it seems a wonderful oppertunity to see somewhere ive always wanted to go and sail! im hopeing ill really like it and leave the boat there for two years! That will be another post later "where to leave the boat" other than the place its bought from when and if possiable.
I supose the baltic has wind but i hope not as in the med--all or nothing--?? the granit sounds a bit intimidating ! As it is i worry when i see land to near, but a folk boat made in that region for that region with just over 3foot draft and 54% ballast ought to be alright? i just hope the 54% ballast ration wasent used as the baltic only has gales!!!
On another point, does Poland have a canal/river to France? and are there boat yards for private boats?? before Poland came into the EEC (bad future for Poland) a large Charter boat brought out to Italy people (shipwrites??) to repair service and improve the boat (18meter sailboat) while it was one berth from me i spoke to one of theses workers--clearly they were illegal workers but the were paid just $200 PM!! one said, after the first chat on the key they were forbiden from leaving the boat which went back to the bay?? are there Polish boat yards and do they do good work or must one find people from the large shipyards??? and would they still be paid $200 PM???

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by trouville on 16/12/2004 23:31 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[steve_l]

Yep, it's very easy to sail all along the Finnish coast from Tornio in the Gulf of Bothnia in the north to the Russian border in the East, but not all year round )
Charts are published in about A2 sized booklets, the south coast being covered by two of those books (ring bound, water resistant, easy to use).
Yes, you can get to the lakes from the sea, but only to the Saimaa complex via the Saimaa Canal which runs NW from the Russian Gulf of Finland at Vyborg (Viipuri) to lake Saimaa in Finland (the canal used to be in Finland but some "territory exchange" took place after WW2)
The rocks are generally marked very well. Lots of use of leading lines to mark the channels. So much so that in the summer it's a bit like driving on the motorway with long lines of boats all obeying the rules and following the lines!
You'll probably find Cardinal marks more often the Lateral (channel) marks, even to mark the channels!
If you want to explore further on the lakes (or even buy the folkboat inland) then road transport is very cheap and plentiful.

Few links...

Åland Islands (English language) home page http://www.fma.fi/e/
Finnish Meteorological Institute http://www.purjehtija.fi/
(this is the Finnish language page. There is also an English version you can select from here but it's a bit limited in content if you compare the site maps)
Helsinki Boat Show in February 2004 <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.finnboat.fi/en/index.html>http://www.finnboat.fi/en/index.html</A>
(useful to make contacts and get more info about cruising areas)

Finland is a wonderful place to sail. Still enjoying it after seven years )

Good luck and enjoy!
-steve-

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[castaway]

Read Grif Rees Jones's ( Alas Smith n Jones chap) book, 'With Bob to the Baltic' or 'To the Baltic with Bob'. I've lent out the book and can't remember exactly.

Amusing read from Grif who got as far as St Petersberg in his own 'classic' wooden boat.

Nick

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Sgeir]

Hmm..... Is it just faintly possible that Trouville is ever-so-slightly having us on?

<hr width=100% size=1>Just another irrelevant footnote.

 

[trouville]

No!! The meds FULL!! and even the bays are full in summer. I suppose you wonder why i want to sail a boat which has a cabin smaller than my aft cabin and bash your head if you try to stand up!! No hot running water or Head?
Well i find myself spending to much time below, shes not less affected by jet ski and motorboat wash at anchor, And ive always liked the Folkboat, the only reason i bought my East Anglian was that it was fast an had head room, later i found the headroom was a leaky compomise,
I did toy with the idea of another motor boat (11.50X3.80) but as it was in the Isle of Skye and motor boats an i well dont always work out i decided against it, in any case my Hillyards not much slower!! but far more economical
Im just being practical, The Folk boat i want hasent the coach roof extended beyond the mast -shes called a "baltic" folkboat as opposed to the"IF" with lots of teak!
By now i know what i want the benifits of the folk boat include less people coming to stay during summer!! more flexability as many cranes can lift 5 tons and even more 3,3tons and many many fisher ports become possiable . I bought a J24 thinking it would be my fast compact cruiser!!
The J24s fast!! but very uncomfortable, you have to stand if possiable due to the pounding! or slow down!! the cabins moldes white plastic and even less head room than the folk boat--i sold that thing the following season. No i know the wooden Folkboat and really like it--and besides with Tony Blair Shroder and Chirac how can i afford to keep another boat??

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[jenku]

About the wind in the Baltic. There is wind. Gales during the summer are rare. Total calms also. Usually there is between 6-20 knots of wind. However the folkboats and IFs are West coast designs, so they are not really constructed for the Baltic but for the Swedish west coast. In light winds they are usually slow and underpowered. There also is no such thing as a Baltic folkboat. The original wooden folkboat class is called Nordic folkboat. Then there is the IF. All other types are converted folkboats or derivates that may sail well but can not be raced in class races.

<hr width=100% size=1>The Alacrity website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://alacrity.webhop.org/>http://alacrity.webhop.org/</A>

 

[trouville]

Yes!I see i have still to learn more about the "folkboat"!! i know what i want or rather would like! Tonight i have had to many glasses of very good wine!! I will post again tommorow!But are the folkboats IF or Nordic clinkerbuilt or patten plastic or wood??That is those built in Sweeden /Finnland?
And as most have an outboard and all? that race are they really slow in light wind? and do they all have 5/8 rig?
Just post this in case anyones hear before tommorow?Do folkboats all have an outboard if they want to race??

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[jenku]

Folkboat and IF classes

Well. All IFs are GRP. Folkboats can be wooden (clinker) or GRP. Wooden and GRP folkboats can be raced against each other. All IFs and folkboats have 7/8 rigging and the sails are exchangeable. Folkboats can fly a spinnaker but it depends on the country you are in if it's allowed while racing. In Sweden it is not, I think in Germany and USA it is OK.

If you want to race them you can not have an inboard. (I only talk about class racing, you can of course race them under LYS/PYS/whatever, too).

And yes, they are a bit slow in light winds. If you want a light wind boat of similar quality and design you should look at the Mälar 15 or Skärgårdskryssare-classes. However they are of course not as seaworthy and they also sail very wet, which the folkboat doesn't.

That said the folkboat works very well in almost every weather. Both folkboats and plenty of IFs have sailed around the world. They are also racing classes in many countries, even outside Europe.

One more thing. Many wooden folkboats are varnished, not painted. You would not want this if you transfer the boat to the Med. Paint the boat or it will not last long in the sun you are having down there. I have seen a folkboat sink in it's berth during a hot summer even up here i Sweden (Negligence by the owner of course, but it shows how vulnerable clinker built boats are to sun and heat. The wood above the waterline dries out and the seams open. If rain water or the usual slight leaking makes the boat heavier, it settles deeper in the water and the dry planking gets under water...you can guess what happens. The boat can sink over night).

<hr width=100% size=1>The Alacrity website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://alacrity.webhop.org/>http://alacrity.webhop.org/</A>

 

[trouville]

Re: Folkboat and IF classes

Sink!!!! in Cogolin ive seen a wooden varnished folkboat afloat at a secure boat yard its been there for at least 10 years and its still afloat!!
I havent any experiance of clinker, how ever about a month ago i was given(free) a small (5.5meter) fishing boat which has damaged plankes where she was pounding at a stone key and rot in the transum, in the new year i will repair her and float her first on a very small pond to check for leaks.
I read through my very old books on boat making and repair, it seems i have to check the plank faces are clean then let her take up??
I will leave this fishing boat varnished but when i find a Folkboat i will paint as its far easier to keep up and is cooler and i like a freshly painted boat thats the big advantage of wood Although i want to look at a plastic IF im not against plastic but i only ever had one plastic boat and that was a motor boat and very hard to keep clean the sun made the plastic "powdery" and it collected the dirt!! we left black foot prints every where!!

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[kaj]

Adlard Coles sailed there ...

Adlard Coles sailed the Baltic a while ago and in his book "In Finnish Waters" he includes his Aaland visits. Griff Rhys-Jones also gives his recent account, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread. The father of one of the regulars ('French Lady Stockings' /forums/images/icons/smile.gif) once sailed to Mariehamn, Aaland Islands, wherefrom many ships in "The Last Grain Race" (by Eric Newby) set out.

Can't recall whether Arthur Ransome ("Racundra's First Cruise") went to Aaland but quite close anyway.

The Aaland Islands are a very popular cruising ground, probably because it is (arguably) the best in the world. The summer is short, though (about three days, you can't say which in advance. The sailing season is six months at most.

The Folkboat is a perfectly suitable vessel for the sheltered waters of the Northern Baltic and the Gulf of Finland provided you are comfortable with restricted comfort. I enjoyed a very pleasant cruise myself in a Folkboat just the other summer in these very waters. I've cruised these enthralling waters in smaller as well as bigger boats. Go Aaland!



<hr width=100% size=1>