East Coast to Sweden

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jezjez

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I'm hoping to make a 6 month trip to Sweden and back. It's only a pipe dream at the moment. I'm thinking of going in 4-5 years' time. Anyone have any suggestions of good places to find information on such a trip like routes or books/ logs / blogs available from those who have already been. (The only one I know is To the Baltic with Bob, which is not that helpful but quite amusing). I'm thinking of going through the Dutch and German canals to Kiel, hug the coast of Denmark and then through the inland waterways of sweden via the Gota canal to Stockholm and back as my wife would prefer to avoid open water as much as possible. Possibly in a motorsailor. For the summer. Anyone think this is a bad / good idea?
 
We did the route as far as the Aarhus in Denmark and back a couple of years ago. Apart from the North Sea, it was all easy as day-sails. We had good weather on the way up in April/May, and went outside the Fresians, where the tides and prevailing winds really help you. On the way back (August/September), the weather was horrible, and we went into the canals at Delfziel to Harlingen. The whole area is lovely to sail - I mean the Fresians, Waddensea, the canals, the Baltic ... super.

Funnily enough, I read the Griff Rhys Jones book before we went, and it was that that convinced me that we might be able to do it - but at that point we were very naive beginners, having bought our first boat only 5 months before we went! If we could do it, I'm sure you could! (PM if you want more.)

We'll do it again, and like you, head for Sweden and Norway when we have a bit more time.
 
Sounds amazing - I am always astounded at how far other people new to sailing go! That sounds like a great trip. If you have any more info on your trip, I'd be really interested to know. PM - is that post me?
Aarhus is North-West Denmark, right?
 
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Sounds amazing - I am always astounded at how far other people new to sailing go!

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It's, IMHO, the only way to learn.
I tend to advocate the "in at the deep end" approach to sailing.
More rewarding and it does more for your confidence; but it can also be slightly more expensive.

Not much to be learned by staying in the familiar shallow end every WE. We've pretty much sailed when-ever/where-ever the first few years (the weather forecast is for farmers!). Now I KNOW that we - the family/crew/boat - can handle almost anything.
 
I've done the route twice there and once back, and about to set off in the opposite direction (ie. back) the day after tomorrow... But am/was mostly going outside route rather than using the canals.

Things not to miss include: Sweden, generally. I'm kinda fond of Helgoland personally, though that may be an acquired taste. The Frisian Islands generally - it's not really necessary to make recommendations round there as half the fun is exploring, but the obvious deeper water places in the Frisians, all of which are very nice are Borkum, Norderney, Oost Vlieland, also the Ijselmeer. Denmark is very pleasant, but Sweden's much more so.
 
Canals - do take rather longer than going round, unless blowing hard, in which case they are better than being storm bound.

If you are going to the Baltic, don't stop to cruise on the way as you can do that another time, or do it on the way back after the weather has broken. the Baltic season (once you are there) will seem short enough as it is without taking time en route.

Denmark lovely place to cruise - especially all the islands. beautiful harbours and of course fantastic Danish pastry, fresh, for every meal.

I didn't get as far as Sweden in my '6 months' in the Baltic as Denmark held me back.
 
Actually I'm going the other way, from N Germany via Denmark, then back to East Coast and probably up to SE Scotland, though still thinking about that. I dunno how long - I'll be taking it in moderate hops of no more than 60-70Nm, preferably less, as I'll be on my own for most or all of it, and will be against the prevailing winds, and will be extra picky about weather etc. So it'll take however long it will take /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

But going from East Coast to Denmark/Sweden with crew, you should get into the Baltic reasonably comfortably in the course of about 2 weeks I'd say, allowing time to visit places on the way. If you're going through the canals for most of the way then allow considerably more time - it really takes ages all that waiting for bridges locks etc. But if you're going the outside route be prepared to be stuck in ports for periods while bad weather blows over - the seegats are no places to be in nasty NW-erlies so you may have to duck into the canals or be stuck in one place if the forecast is for strong from N to W
 
There are a stream of ships around where they come through the Kattegat and go under the south of Sweden, but nothing scary, especially if you're used to eg. the Channel, and hardly anything outside this well trodden path. Also ships in the Kiel Canal, but you just stick to the shallower bit at the edge where they can't go.

BTW you mention the Gota Canal, but bear in mind that the East Coast of Sweden is very sheltered especially from Kalmar upwards - you just take the "inside route" among the islands all the way up to Stockholm. Likewise the sailing around east Denmark is pretty gentle, so I don't think there's any need to go throught the Gota Canal unless you really want to (but then again, I hear it's very pretty - haven't been through it myself though).
 
I just want my wife to agree to it! At this stage, we are still getting used to the East Coast Rivers. Although i have sailed a lot, i've never crossed the channel. Is that the hardest part?
 
Hardest parts are crossing to wherever you're going in Belgium/Netherlands, then the hops outside the Frisian Islands if you take the outside route. Not sure how far you can take the inside route east of Delfzijl without dropping the mast/whether the canals are deep enough East of there. The north side of the Baltic is normally relatively forgiving compared to N Sea/has plenty of shelter.
 
Hi one place you should try to visit is Visby on the island of Gotland,, its an ancient walled city,,the swedes call it their secret,,its a beautiful place with a great marina...
Dave
 
thankyou, dave, i've heard of it.
Can anyone suggest a good guide - pilot guides, or a book about that trip. Ali M and I have both read To the Baltic with Bob. There must be something else out there.
My wife says going round the round the outside is a definite no-no. I've got to work on her a bit longer. Offer her a hot bath in a hotel every 10 days maybe!
 
Put your wife on the ferry and pick her up in Denmark. Ferry to Esbjerg very good, and can get rail nearby to the other side very easily. The North Sea crossing is likely to be the worst - to get the best out of the Baltic you will probably want to leave UK in May, and you have a good chance of being out in weather that you would prefer not to. May / June 50% chance of Easterly wind!

Also the other bad patch is getting up the Elbe. It is a treck - if you get good weather when you are any where near it, take it, even if it 24 to 48 hours - you may not see it again for a while.

My personal experiances of the Southern North Sea are worse than the sea outside the Frisians (apart from Elbe - all the stories are true!). May be coincidence.

Once you are in the Baltic I found that even in strong winds the sea was generally much more manageable than East Coast - very little tide and usually the breeze is off the land. Also means that you can leave after breakfast and arrive before dark and not worry about tide tables!
 
There are the Brian Navin guides (pub. Imran, I think). The Germany and Denmark one was better for Denmark than Germany. The Netherlands one was quite helpful. He also wrote one about crossing the North Sea, which I haven't read.
 
It is definitely doable! I have had the same plan for a couple of years and have the same problem with SWMBO not being too keen on the big crossings. I have twice been over to Holland and Belgium on two different boats and routes and found that it is not too big a deal apart from the excitement of crossing the shipping lanes the first time, but they are well defined and it is like crossing a dual carriageway. Maybe try that first to get her used to the idea. Coming back from Oostende a few weeks ago we sailed/motorsailed back in 14 hours to Harwich. When you do go to Sweden do not miss out on the archipelagos around Stockholm, Blekinge on the south coast, the coast north of Gothenburg up to Norway and Åland halfway to Finland from Stockholm. Another worthwile detour is in the big lake of Vänern on the Göta Kanal, turning north west up to Dalslands Kanal for the experience of crossing a river on a canal on a bridge!
 
Try Adlard Coles' book, "Racundra's First Cruise." It covers the Baltic (far end) to Southwold, in the 1920s.

Classic - such a lovely book. Quite accurate about Southwold too and I haven't checked the rest of it!
 
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