Sailing to Sweden: which way?

[BelleSerene]

What route would those who've done it recommend for sailing to the Kiel canal to get through to the Swedish archipelago?

Straight from Dover/ Ramsgate across to Scheveningen or thereabouts? Not sure I can brace myself for the slog right the way to the Elbe in one. Where is worth stopping along the Dutch coast or Frisian (Freezing?) islands? Call me a fair-weather sailor, but the prospect of all that North Sea bashing is putting me off the destination...

Once my keel is past Kiel, the whole venture has a greater appeal to me...

I'd be going in the summer.

 

[pagoda]

What route would those who've done it recommend for sailing to the Kiel canal to get through to the Swedish archipelago?

Straight from Dover/ Ramsgate across to Scheveningen or thereabouts? Not sure I can brace myself for the slog right the way to the Elbe in one. Where is worth stopping along the Dutch coast or Frisian (Freezing?) islands? Call me a fair-weather sailor, but the prospect of all that North Sea bashing is putting me off the destination...

Once my keel is past Kiel, the whole venture has a greater appeal to me...

I'd be going in the summer.

Why would it be a slog to go straight to Cuxhaven or thereabouts? Lots of commercial traffic agreed, but with any wind between W and SE it should be fine? It's Southern North Sea- not the real stuff between Scotland and Norway We did Kiel North to Norway via the Swedish west coast in 2017 if interested PM?

 

[johnalison]

I have done Home-Kiel a number of times, but from the East Coast. From Dover, you could either follow the Belgian/Dutch coast or go up the English side. From the Harwich region I have done Home-Kiel (Brunsbuttel) in 51 and 50 hours, but have also broken the trip by going via Lowestoft and Den Helder/Ijmuiden.

If it were me, I would choose a preferred route but plan for an alternative if the weather holds you back. You can, and I have, make progress in poor weather by going inland, at maybe Ijmuiden or Harlingen and comng out at Lauersoog or Delfzjl and then to Norderney. There is little point in stopping at Cuxhaven, since the tide will easily take you to Brunsbuttel if you get to the mouth of the Elbe at slack LW.

I've not found commercial traffic to be a problem, but you will encounter more if going the Continental side, with crunch points off Dover, Flushing and the Hook. Following the coast off the Frisians, as you must much of the way, you don't encounter much shipping except anchored vessels off the Jade/Weser and to and fro ships. If you want to visit Helgoland you have to take special care.

 

[Skylark]

I did a similar trip over Easter. Solent to Scheveningen to Den Helder to Cuxhaven to Hamburg,

What’s the boat and available crew?

 

[BelleSerene]

Thank you.

Beneteau 39'. Crew just me and usually volunteer crew: Their Ladyships turn up at the other end. I'm happy solo across the Channel (happier with good company of course) but I wouldn't cross the North Sea without a reasonably reliable other. And I have no intention of being alone at sea for that long even if I were harbour-hopping it over, say five days.

Pagoda, thanks. Norway appeals and I have enjoyed sailing from Bergen (a charter). But it's the seclusion of the Baltic that is calling my heart at the moment...

 

[johnalison]

Pagoda, thanks. Norway appeals and I have enjoyed sailing from Bergen (a charter). But it's the seclusion of the Baltic that is calling my heart at the moment...

I'm not sure what you mean by seclusion. It is true that the weather tends to be benign in the summer, but many places get busy in the season. Pre-July it's pretty quiet but after that it's a case of 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and the chance of a vacant berth on arrival'.

 

[pagoda]

I'm not sure what you mean by seclusion. It is true that the weather tends to be benign in the summer, but many places get busy in the season. Pre-July it's pretty quiet but after that it's a case of 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and the chance of a vacant berth on arrival'.

There are something like 8 million Swedes, and about 1million registered leisure craft. We were over there between early May and late July. The Baltic- particularly the West end is not remotely secluded in high summer. Ditto up the West coast and Southern Norway. Absolutely millions of German , Danish and Polish boats start heading North about Mid June. The Swedes, Danes and Norwegian summer Hols cover late June to End July. The whole place jumps with leisure sailors. Norwegians head South/East. Throw in a few Brits , Dutch and French and you get the flavour. It can be very pretty in places, but the hordes of wholly manic Scandi motor boaters can take the shine off! I think the East end of the Baltic - Sweden towards Finland might be a bit less crowded, but the Swedes have such a short summer season they decant en mass and really go for it.

It can be lovely....

 

[LadyInBed]

When I went through the Kiel Canal, I stopped over at Heligoland and timed it from there to get the flood up to the canal.

 

[johnalison]

I think that you may be at risk of putting people off a delightful area. I have only done a part of the Baltic, the South and the Kattegat, but fairly intensively. The point about the area is that there are vast numbers of harbours and it is seldom necessary to do a day's run of more than thirty miles, occasionally fifty. Thus, with no tides, one gets up, has breakfast, and then decides how far one can be bothered to go that day. Some places are popular, especially at weekends, but my experience has been that if you contrive to arrive almost anywhere by 4pm you will get a decent berth. after 6 you may have to raft up with the charterer-bavs. The first thing that strikes you is how clean and dry your boat stays, with little or no salt spray, and how bright the sun can be.

 

[BelleSerene]

I'm not sure what you mean by seclusion. It is true that the weather tends to be benign in the summer, but many places get busy in the season. Pre-July it's pretty quiet but after that it's a case of 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and the chance of a vacant berth on arrival'.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[BelleSerene]

after 6 you may have to raft up with the charterer-bavs.

I am rather dreaming of nudging the bows into some different glacier-polished boulder each afternoon with the anchor chucked off the stern, tying up to some tree or crevice and enjoying nature at no cost with no charterer bavs as they’ll all be partying in marinas. Is that naive?

 

[Pye_End]

Given the complexity now off the Schelde, it would be tempting to go up to the Harwich area and then head straight to Ijmuiden. Otherwise, check the latest Schelde information - should be fine so long as the wind direction is kind - can't imagine wanting to beat up that side in poor weather. Once there, assess forecast for next few days, and if unfavourable then choose the inland route - takes longer, but better than being holed up and not moving. Several opportunities to get out through the Fresians depending on forecast.

 

[Houleaux]

I am rather dreaming of nudging the bows into some different glacier-polished boulder each afternoon with the anchor chucked off the stern, tying up to some tree or crevice and enjoying nature at no cost with no charterer bavs as they’ll all be partying in marinas. Is that naive?

In high season expect to be "rafted" to other boats bows to and stern anchored in the Stockholm Archipelago. We were surprised how many boats flocked together to create impromptu marinas while we watched from a short distance away, swinging to our anchor and enjoying our own space.

 

[Ningaloo]

There are literally 1000s of anchorages in the Stockholm archipelago so you will find a spot of your own. Many are popular and highlighted in the commonly used pilot books, however once you get used to how things work you can find your own spots from the charts. I poked my bows onto one popular spot and felt it was too crowded but found another totally empty bay only a few hundred metres away. My spot wasn't in any pilot book that I used.
Note that outside the archipelagos (Stockholm, Gothenburg -> Norway) anchoring spots are harder to find.

 

[davidej]

Last summer we made Stockholm via Lerwick and Bergen but I don't suppose you want to do that! An earlier trip was via Lowestoft, Den Helder, Helgoland (not to be missed) and then the Kiel canal.

IMHO the Gothenburg archipelago is at least as nice as the Stockholm one and a much more realistic target for a one season Baltic trip.

 

[johnalison]

I have done the Swedish west coast a couple of times, as far as Stromstad, but not for many years. It is a great sailing area because you go up the 'motorway' inside the islands in sheltered water in any weather. It is really only the popular places which get overcrowded and many of the others are just as attractive. Just be warned that the Swedes are very creative when it comes to mooring and will squeeze into any place, however improbable.

Anchoring to rocks is widely done and great fun. A stern anchor reel makes it much easier. There are books of these places which may also show where the mooring rings are. One technique that I hadn't thought out for myself was the possibility to moor to more than one ring to fix one's bow in the best position. Lighting a fire on the rock is a definite no-no.

 

[lpdsn]

In high season expect to be "rafted" to other boats bows to and stern anchored in the Stockholm Archipelago. We were surprised how many boats flocked together to create impromptu marinas while we watched from a short distance away, swinging to our anchor and enjoying our own space.

I've only ever had to raft bow to stern in Finland where there are less rights to roam so boats do tend to congregate. It's a very awkward form of berthing and can get messy if the wind suddenly gets up. I avoided that but most Swedes seems to have 'war stories' about it going wrong.

Even in the Stockholm Archipelago it should be possible just to go somewhere else to get your own bit of rock. Edit: worth getting the book - lots of diagrams of natural harbours and the info about where you have enough depth to approach a rock is valuable.

Re the other poster and fires. Disposable barbecues were very common ashore when I was there, although people were careful to tidy up afterwards.

 

[johnalison]

Re the other poster and fires. Disposable barbecues were very common ashore when I was there, although people were careful to tidy up afterwards.

BBQ OK, but not fire on the rock, for good reasons. Life in Sweden is very enjoyable once you have cottoned on to the fact that they are mad.

 

[dolabriform]

BBQ OK, but not fire on the rock, for good reasons. Life in Sweden is very enjoyable once you have cottoned on to the fact that they are mad.

Don't say that to the Mother in Law! ( tho I agree )

 

[horatio_nelson]

I did a delivery of a Dufour 385 from Gosport to Kiel via Ramsgate, Roompot, Ijmuiden and a stop overnight at a stopping place on the canal. Done in manageable day sails.