Cruise planning poole - Sweden

Fergus

Fergus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Aug 2004
Messages
1,212
Location
Poole
Visit site
Intending to go through Kiel canal (only me and swmbo for the most part). Thought to hug s coast as far as Eastbourne then cross to dieppe maybe - bit constrained by depth and want to keep it nice & easy for you know who so marinas where poss. Seems like not much between eastbourne & dover. Not in any rush. Any suggestions welcome - debating about east vs west coast of Sweden. For some reason Denmark is not included in navionics "Europe"!
 
Don't want to hijack this thread but I am also planning the baltic this summer as well.

Can anyone suggest a good first stop in the Baltic for a crew change and flights/ train connections to London.

FWIW I am planning Lowestoft, Den Helder, Nordeney, Cuxhaven. Alternative suggestions welcome - am east coast rather than South coast based. For you, I would add ramsgate
 
Last edited:
davidej said:
Don't want to hijack this thread but I am also planning the baltic this summer as well.

Can anyone suggest a good first stop in the Baltic for a crew change and flights/ train connections to London.

FWIW I am planning Lowestoft, Den Helder, Nordeney, Cuxhaven. Alternative suggestions welcome - am east coast rather than South coast based. For you, I would add ramsgate
Click to expand...


We did similar 2 yrs ago and are going back this year.
Same route but exchanging Borkum for Nordenay.
Borkum is any state of tide and approahing from the west is deep water all the way in.

To answer the OP's question of West or East Sweden. The Stockholm Archipelago is in our opinion Magical. So many completely sheltered anchorages.

Not much Navigational use but our trip from 2011 is here www.sailblogs.com/zipeetoo

Maybe see both of you there!.

Trev
 
We travelled south from Norway to Uk last summer. Do not underestimate the swedish west coast archipelago, the Bohuslan coast. Gorgeous and varied anchorages, as quiet as you like, good and protected sailing. Syd Koster, a nature reserve/island, Fjallbacka, Stromstad. Our crews changed over at Gothenburg and Cuxhaven.Both easy, for the latter they flew into Hamburg, then train to Cuxhaven. Highly recommend Helgoland as a mad place to visit, not forgetting that when it was in British ownership in the 19th century we swapped it for Uganda as the Kaiser wanted it back ..........
 
davidej said:
Don't want to hijack this thread but I am also planning the baltic this summer as well.

Can anyone suggest a good first stop in the Baltic for a crew change and flights/ train connections to London.

FWIW I am planning Lowestoft, Den Helder, Nordeney, Cuxhaven. Alternative suggestions welcome - am east coast rather than South coast based. For you, I would add ramsgate
Click to expand...

Cuxhaven works perfectly. Short train ride direct to Hamburg and cheap flights from there.
 
davidej said:
Can anyone suggest a good first stop in the Baltic for a crew change and flights/ train connections to London.

FWIW I am planning Lowestoft, Den Helder, Nordeney, Cuxhaven. Alternative suggestions welcome - am east coast rather than South coast based. For you, I would add ramsgate
Click to expand...
Hi,
some suggestions:
1. I would think about a stop in Helgoland instead of Norderney, can be approached in any weather and the cheapest fuel, alcohol, perfume and ciggies you will find on the trip. Don’t do this during the mid of May if you do not like being the 20th boat out!
2. If you do not draw more than 1.6 to 1.8 m you could consider going through the Eider instead of the Elbe; one day more probably, but much better scenery, stay overnight at Tönning. Once you are outside the tidal part of the Eider you could anchor. Bring a fender board for the locks!
3. You can break your transit of the Kiel Canal at Rendsburg or (my preference) Borgstedt (Marina Schreiber) Good place to fill up your tanks.
4. There are railway connections to Hamburg and the airport from Cuxhaven, Tönning, Rendsburg and Kiel.
 
When are People leaving?
Ice should be breaking up by mid April.

We are also planning to head North to Stockholm and Gotland to see the Family up there this year, hope to stop in Stockholm area for a week or 2/3 so next generation can all get to know each other better, other than at funerals, with boat as cheap hotel close to Centrum.

We are hoping to start mid/late April, in enjoyable stages and home in time for SIBS in Sept, all being well. ASAP with crew to Baltic, but allowing 4 weeks so enjoyable/weather not stressing, then 2/3/4 week cruises, home for a week or two, repeat until back home.

THought of stocking up with Guinness, going Chi Hbr, over to French side, cruise up Channel, pick up some decent wine in boxes at a cave, and quick soup, as French do it very well, then trundle North, keeping the boxes for entertaining when in Sweden-usually long way to a Systemb outlet and short hours opening, esp Sat, plus pricey, tho quality usually good.

Quite fancy the Eider route, didn't manage it in 98, weather as bad as last year, and in Wayfarer then.

Might divert to cruise Vastkusten if held up by weather-+1-it is lovely up there, and haven't been back since 1998. Also good train service and M-ways from Stockholm, and the younger Swedish Family love it there, so reunions no worries.

Trevorr/Mike Alpha,
Cheers for crew change info- some of our pals can only do a week or so, so v. useful-was a concern.

Have fender board and 12 fenders, plus long lines for those 15m Baltic boxes(won't have to use spinnaker sheets and trizer belt like in W trip!).

Also Spare water containers- 20l collapsable, engine spares-Yanmar, approx 40l spare 'clean' cans for white diesel and main tank will be going pale pink by then, have fuel receipts from year dot, and will confirm ships papers posn for transit countries.

Assembling own charts and pilots, collecting reciprocal favours in charts, buying cc of 'Batturist' via Family.

We have split pulpit and stern ladder and folding stool and steps for over the front onto quay.

Also lots of X strong peppermints, crystallised ginger, HP sauce, UK baked beans, stacks of bacon and home made marmalade & jams,+ peanut butter and mushy peas.

Anything else you found needful/really expensive last year
 
Tidewaiter2
That's a fascinating list that you have - we are nothing like as well prepared!
We are planning to leave Hamble end May, target is Stockholm, back to Hamble late September. Current thinking is to go up Dover - Harwich - Den Helder - Norderney - Kiel. Just started the passage planning whilst snowbound.
What Swedish charts are you getting, and from where?
Have also had to move the papers into a bigger file and create a more rigorous classification after yesterday, when I booked something like ten different flights for family and foreign friends.

Still to do this month: address split pulpit and bow ladder; update plotter cards for Baltic; order charts of the swedish east coast and some of Denmark; book hire liferaft. Passage plan some more.
Oh, and scrape the hull and re antifoul in March, polish hull sides.

Getting excited!
 
Resolution said:
Tidewaiter2
That's a fascinating list that you have - we are nothing like as well prepared!
We are planning to leave Hamble end May, target is Stockholm, back to Hamble late September. Current thinking is to go up Dover - Harwich - Den Helder - Norderney - Kiel. Just started the passage planning whilst snowbound.
What Swedish charts are you getting, and from where?
Have also had to move the papers into a bigger file and create a more rigorous classification after yesterday, when I booked something like ten different flights for family and foreign friends.

Still to do this month: address split pulpit and bow ladder; update plotter cards for Baltic; order charts of the swedish east coast and some of Denmark; book hire liferaft. Passage plan some more.
Oh, and scrape the hull and re antifoul in March, polish hull sides.

Getting excited!
Click to expand...

Funnily enough, I'm trying to tear myself away from screen this to sift through the hard copy charts I have got & list + recommending German chart agents, etc. before SWMBO comes back from short mat bowls to go to our 'wrinkles' Friday evening at local.
Here's the link;
"Dick,

If your German is up to it, you can order a wide variety of charts from from http://www.seekartenverkauf.de

I'm not sure if they a credit card payment system--it looks like a trade site so they send bills which have to be paid by international inter-bank transfer.

Tony"
Needless to say my German nbg, but I can do a bit of Swedish, French and 'Milord Anglais'. Hope our youngest remembers his German.

Will let you know what I've accumulated so far by PM, or can post, I know there are gaps in my hard charts so far.
My fairly new plotter seems to have at least very basic info on screen up into Stockholm from Chi, if a bit dated, when tested.
Oh and i got the liferaft serviced by SEago this week and back on board, and the outbd done before the snow too!
 
Last edited:
Probably leave end of june- boat partner wants it first half of month.

We are a bit ahead of you by leaving from the Blackwater. I am planning three two week segments with partial change of crews. Prepared to come back thru the dutch canals if strong SWs but would rather go outside.
 
trevorr said:
To answer the OP's question of West or East Sweden. The Stockholm Archipelago is in our opinion Magical. So many completely sheltered anchorages.
Click to expand...

We have been in the Archipelago twice now and had a wonderful time on both occasions. We haven't yet done the West but will do one day. If you are time constrained, I would definitely do the East.
 
Tidewaiter2 said:
If your German is up to it, you can order a wide variety of charts from from http://www.seekartenverkauf.de

I'm not sure if they a credit card payment system--it looks like a trade site so they send bills which have to be paid by international inter-bank transfer.
Click to expand...

It offers PayPal and Credit card as well bank transfers or invoicing but you have to register first to buy anything.

1,90% + 0,35 EUR surcharge for PayPal

No charge for transfer, at least from a German account

+ 6,80 EUR for COD but that may be Germany only

3,4% + 0,55 EUR surcharge for Credit Cards

Watch out for shipping charges being added (versandkosten)
 
Hope to see some of you there - last year, we saw just two British boats in about 3 months in the Baltic, and both of them had overwintered in Germany. Last year, we spent most of the time in the Danish islands, including Bornholm, but will aim for more of Sweden this year. Same route as the others, but we wandered in the inside route in the Frisians, more - good fun!

The Navionics exclusion of Denmark in the Europe chart is annoying. You may do better to buy UK which gets you to the kIel canal, and Denmark, which does much of the Baltic.

We used the German chart packs which are excellent, but have some duplication. German railways are pretty good, so Cuxhaven, Neustadt, Kiel, weimar, most of the east coast of Denmark are easily accessible from a Hamburg flight. The Deutsch Bahnhof website allows you to look up any train timetable, to sort out connections.

Our blog, in case you are interested is
Alshira2012.blogspot.com
 
It sounds as if far too many people are going east this year. Please leave some room for us.

We have changed crews at Neustadt more than once. It is a long day or a day and a half from the Canal and is a nice place. About 40 mins by train to Lubeck. You can stop near the station in the Town harbour or a further 20 mins walk from Ancora marina or the Yacht club, which we prefer. We have dumped crew in all sorts of places and they've never had much trouble getting home.

Bikes are useful for shopping in many places but Heiligenhafen is about the nearest to the boat anywhere near Kiel that we know.
 
The Gota canal is another option with its own archipelago in Lake Vanern, it brings you out close to the saint anna archipelago south of Arkosund. Plenty of great places to cruise
 
Been reading Mark Brackenbury's baltic Pilot (1983 edition!!!) and he suggests entering the Baltic via Limfjord -near the top of Jutland- and returning via the Kiel.

Anyone got any experience of this?

Also I know that Baltic sailors all seem to moor up bow first. We have a typical med-type AWB with a sugarscoop stern but a high bow and no split pulpit/ ladder. Am unwilling to make major change for one trip so any reason why can't I moor stern in?

Been checking chart situation. I am right in thinking Imray don't cover this area?

Note to self : must check in chartplotter chip covers it !
 
Last edited:
I have done the Limfjord route and it is a very pleasant cut through. The only thing is to watch the weather forecast, as the west coast of Denmark is a nasty lee shore if it blows. You can then cross over to Sweden, and then up through the Gota Canal, or cruise the Bohuslan islands up to the Norwegian border, which are a fantastic cruising ground.

I found the only problem with the Baltic is that there is so much of it, and it is such a fascinating and beautiful cruising ground. The biggest source of regret with all you will meet is not having enough time to explore it fully. The Stockholm archipelago and back in one season is a big journey, and you will pass by some lovely areas without having a chance to explore them. Why not plan on laying up there. The Cruising Assoc has a lay up directory, and finding a helpful, reasonably priced yard is not too difficult. We went over there to spend one winter and ended up spending four years as there was so much to do, and we only scratched the surface.

For charts it is worth joining the CA and advertising for them, as they have done several rallies over there. Second hand ones should be OK as they are backing up your plotter, and most navigation issues centre around the rocks, which don't move very much!
 
I have some norway/swedish/danish/ german/dutch charts form our trip in the last 2 summers, see above. If you are interested let me know and I will tel you what i have. they were all new in 2011 (norway) and 2012 (sweden/denmark/germany/holland). They will be a bargain compared with new.....
 
davidej said:
Can anyone suggest a good first stop in the Baltic for a crew change and flights/ train connections to London.

FWIW I am planning Lowestoft, Den Helder, Nordeney, Cuxhaven. Alternative suggestions welcome - am east coast rather than South coast based. For you, I would add ramsgate
Click to expand...

I dropped my crew at Sonderborg. If you moor at an the town quay you are close to the station. Crew then got train back to UK.

You could go up to Flensburg. Moorings are a bit further from the station, but at least it is on the main line.

No doubt you can get somewhere nearer in Germany, but my crew wanted to got to Denmark!

Regarding route - once you leave home port, I would just see how it goes! It depends so much on weather/time pressures etc. Treat the Elbe with respect as far as tide and wind are concerned - it can get choppy wind against tide. Helgoland can be a good staging point - a bizarre island but well worth a visit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top