Planning for the Baltic part 2

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mattonthesea

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Beginning the budget planning for a Baltic sojourn. I'm trying to work out what the costs for:

- mooring in comparison to say the S Coast UK
- provisions
- storage over winter
- canal transit (Holland, Kiel, Sweden)

We're 9.5 metres, plan to anchor a lot and only occasional alcohol drinks. We're planning to go whatever way the weather works for us so probably won't use all the canals and have no definite plans. We'd like to go through Sweden on the way back so we could nip up around Norway and over to Shetland for a West Coast return to Bristol but... Mice and Men! I expect that St Petersburg, although on a bucket list, will be too far on two, leisurely seasons.

I will be joining the CA for help with more detailed stuff later; at this point all I need is a general so I can plan our costs

Thanks in advance
 
The Dutch canals are free and the K-canal is cheap.
Overnight stop in the Kcanal, you can tie up at disused industrial wharves on the spur near the floating bridge, to avoid paying for the marina (the laybys on the main cut always seem to be full).
Stop at Heltenau and go to the amazing engineering museum.
Take on as many stores as you can possibly carry, before arriving in Scandinavia. Heltenau has a good supermarkt.
 
As a general rule, moorings in the Baltic are cheap, partly because non-tidal harbours cost less to build, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. Some larger marinas, such as the perfectly good one at Laboe, will charge nearer what we are used to. You will, though, usually be charged for electricity, and often the odd euro for showers.

Provisions will vary according to the country. We have found Germany and Poland to be reasonable or cheap, whereas the Nordic countries very expensive for items such as meat. Alcohol is not bad in Denmark, and you can get reasonable value even in Sweden if you don't go mad on it. Eating out in these countries can be expensive, especially with wine, but bistro-type food in Germany can be good value, and plentiful!
 
Clearly one factor is that with Sterling dropping everything overseas has gone up in price, sadly.
As others have said,
- moorings in Baltic very cheap - we left boat for a month for £100, which gets just 3 days in Scotland!
- food was pricey but not too bad - before sterling crashed. Alchohol a different matter, but a choice
- overwinter the CA information is fantastic for this - and prices depend on outside with cover, fully wintered (cheap) to heated indoor shed (not!). Baltic Germany often cheaper than Sweden
- Gota Kanal fun but certainly not cheap, though less if go through outside high season. All prices online
Enjoy
 
The Cruising Association hosts a whole day seminar every year for folks going to the Baltic. Everything you want to know is available there in masses of detail. Next event is Feb 15th next year.
 
Planning is obviously a good idea but can be overdone. Many of the nicest places we have visited in the Baltic were on the basis of recommendation of other sailors that we met while there. Many of these scarcely get a mention in the pilots or are treated dismissively, when their very isolation and quietness was part of their charm. There are a few places that are really just dormitory stops, such as Gedser, but many small harbours are key to unexpected adventure.
 
There are 25,000 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and 25 miles away across the Baltic there are another 60,000. None of them are like Gedser.
 
pandroid said:
There are 25,000 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and 25 miles away across the Baltic there are another 60,000. None of them are like Gedser.
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Quite, and also in the Gothenburg archipelago, but pilots and guides will tend to take you through the main harbours and small places of character often get little mention. Gedser is a useful stop but no more. On the other hand, we once found ourselves in Schaprode, a place of no great distinction. Our German neighbour turned up, like us having failed to get a berth in Vitte, and said something like 'Is there anything here. My book says it's a dull place'. I was able to tell him (in his country!) that there was a handy shop nearby, an attractive village, one of the oldest churches on Rugen giving a concert tonight, and a memorial stone to the chap who designed the Gotha Canal.
 
johnalison said:
Planning is obviously a good idea but can be overdone. Many of the nicest places we have visited in the Baltic were on the basis of recommendation of other sailors that we met while there. Many of these scarcely get a mention in the pilots or are treated dismissively, when their very isolation and quietness was part of their charm. There are a few places that are really just dormitory stops, such as Gedser, but many small harbours are key to unexpected adventure.
Click to expand...
Agree totally. Plan consists of: late April, watch for weather window, give 48 hours notice of lock out to Bristol Dockmaster, West to Lands End and then East. Once level with Dover we will make decision about our approach. But the more information we have the better:)
 
In the OP, I didn't see any indication of how long you plan to be away at any one time.

Assuming that you are a British citizen, you may have problems in the event of a Brexit between now and your start date.

If Brexit comes to pass, as a British citizen your visit to countries in the Schengen Area will be limited to a total of 90 days in any period of 180 days.

For example, if you were to enter Germany as your first stop on 30th April, you would have to depart the SA no later than 29th July. You would not be able to re-enter the SA until after the end of October.

Assuming the boat remains in the Baltic, that means 9/10 months storage fees until the next year and no boat for a large part of the summer.
 
You will be hard pushed to find any immigration officials who give a monkeys about your movements, let alone figure out your international cruising itinerary..
 
"You will be hard pushed to find any immigration officials who give a monkeys about your movements"

Really? I was boarded by Swedish Customs last year, and the official was most upset that I didn't have a Schengen form. If that was the case when we were still members of the EU, imagine what it's going to be like afterwards.
 
Joker said:
"You will be hard pushed to find any immigration officials who give a monkeys about your movements"

Really? I was boarded by Swedish Customs last year, and the official was most upset that I didn't have a Schengen form. If that was the case when we were still members of the EU, imagine what it's going to be like afterwards.
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And we were met and boarded by three Norwegian customs / police within minutes of arriving in Norway, having crossed from the UK.
Fortunately I had made up my own official looking Schengen crewlist using a word processor before leaving home, and this was checked with rigour. They also were concerned that we had not used the automated computer system for advising of arrivals, though this was challenged by the CA
 
Sorry to hear about all this official interference, I must have the luck of the devil to have avoided it!

(Mind you I had my fair share in Zeebrugge, where the armed and scowling port police made me paint my (non-applicable for SSR) port of registry on the transom, right now immediately, as they edgily fingered their side-arms; I chose Queenborough, in italic calligraphy, and savoured their attempts to pronounce it..)
I will be prepared in Scandinavia with paperwork next time, just in case..
 
Ohlin Karcher said:
armed and scowling port police made me paint my (non-applicable for SSR) port of registry on the transom, right now immediately, as they edgily fingered their side-arms; I chose Queenborough, in italic calligraphy, and savoured their attempts to pronounce it..)
Click to expand...

Luckily they didn't check up, otherwise they would have found that Queenborough is not a Port of Registry! :eek:

May I suggest anyone with similar intentions tries 'Aberystwyth'. ;)
 
I see in today's paper that they are banning fishing in the Baltic for cod, due to diminishing stocks. Cod is known as dorsch in Germany and quite common on menus. I find it quite dull compared to our Atlantic cod, but it makes an acceptable meal if well prepared.

Fish is one of the pleasures of the Baltic in my view. A wide variety of herring is sold, with sauces varying from dill to mustard and is usually served cold. I am partial to the matje herring they serve in Germany, either with salad or in a roll for a snack. As well as cod, imported fish such as pangasius is seen, but a finer fish is zander, usually a couple of euros more. Trout can be very good, and salmon is also popular, with gravadlax being a basic food instead of a treat. They smoke almost anything with the hot process. As well as salmon, which is often too rich for me, smoked butterfish is worth a try. I can save you the bother of trying smoked flounder - it is absolutely dreadful.
 
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