South Coast England to Baltic Sea Options

[stephennoble]

I have family in Estonia, south of Finland for those about to reach for a map! I have driven there via Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland with a few ferries added in for fun. I have flown there also. Still to try the train via Sweden or Russia, coach through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The waters around Sweden and Finland appeal to me. The days are long in the summer up there and the archipelago's I have seen from the ferries are stunning. My question is what are the options of getting to Estonia by boat in particular by canal into the Baltic. If anyone has experience or thoughts I would like to hear. My boat is 23ft, long keeled and draws 3ft. I will most likely be single-handed.

 

[Joker]

The route I have used starts at Eastbourne and goes:
Boulogne > Dunkirk > Zeebrugge > Scheviningen >Den Helder > Ost Vlieland > Borkum > Nordeney > Cuxhaven.

Single-handed; 30 foot boat.

Of course, with 3' draught, you have the option of going inside the Friesian islands.

This year, left Gosport 1 April; got to Kuressaare about first week in May.

 

[BoyBlue49]

Very doable, Harwich to Ijmuiden (120nm) or Lowestoft to Ijmuiden (100nm), to Amsterdam, Lelystad, Lemmer, Groningen, Delfzijl, Norderney, Cuxhaven, Brunsbuttel, Keil.
Plenty of depth (min 2m) no tolls only some bridges (mast up all the way) single handed no problem, lots of places to stop.

 

[stephennoble]

Many thanks, always good to have some pins to put into the map when planning.

 

[Joker]

Single handed in the Dutch canals can be a little stressful.

 

[Woodlouse]

As above I'd head for the Kiel canal. After though I'd probably head north, see the east coast of Denmark and then go through the Gota Canal in Sweden to enter the Baltic. That then puts you just south of the Stockholm archipelago from where you can continue cruising or head north to Finland or east to Estonia. It shouldn't be hard to be at Gothenburg within a fortnight even with day sails if you're keen and push on fairly steadily. From there another five days or so should see you in the Baltic.

 

[davidaprice]

I'd recommend reading Martin Edge's book 'Bobbing to the Baltic'. In it he describes his experiences sailing from the UK through the Dutch and Kiel canals, across to the Gota canal, then through the Stockholm, Åland and Turku archipelagos and as far as the Russian border. He sails mostly single-handed in a Vancouver 27.

 

[Saguday]

Great info - this is something I've wanted to do for a long time, just need to organise my life so I've got a few months free to take off and do it. Travelled to Sweden and Finland many times on business and have sailing friends in Denmark so would love to loiter around and explore.

I'd thought Kiel canal was the obvious way to go but I have read about going through the Gota canal and that sounds very appealing too - maybe out through one, back through the other?

We have the advantage of being on the East Coast, so a slightly closer first step for us.

 

[AliM]

Others are more experienced on the south coast bit, but we have done the East Coast to the Baltic several times and so I can add a bit to the recommendations here. We usually do just one overnighter - Harwich or Lowestoft to IJmuiden or Den Helder. From there, if the weather is good, you can hop along the Frisian islands, say, Vlieland or Terschelling, Ameland, lauwersoog Borkum, Nordeney, and a long jump to Cuxhaven. Miss out Ameland if you are going outside, but with your draft, it is feasible and good fun to go inside, tides willing. for the Dutch bit, then the canals are quite easy - not too bad for a single handler, I'd have thought, they are more relaxed than in the south of the NL. Try the North Sea canal from IJmuiden into the ijselmeer, then Lemmer or Harlingen to Lauwersoog, and then through Groningen to emerge at Delfzijl. Then you can go out to Borkum. In the German section, hopping from island to island inside the islands is fun, but you can only do one or two islands a day. It is a relaxing way to do it. Once you emerge into the Jade then you need a good day to get to Cuxhaven. If you want to do it quickly, forget all this, and take the advice above. From Cuxhaven, then Brunsbuttel, Kiel canal and there you are.
The first time we did it, from Harwich, we took about a week. Every other time, we have been stuck somewhere by bad weather, for example, this summer it took nearly 4 weeks to get from the Baltic To Lowestoft, but that was during the hurricane Bertha period, so we spent a long time cowering in Cuxhaven!

 

[horatio_nelson]

I did a Delivery last summer to Kiel from Gosport. 620 miles in 8 days via the Kiel canal. Great trip, recommended.

 

[Joker]

I'd thought Kiel canal was the obvious way to go but I have read about going through the Gota canal

The Kiel Canal runs from the N Sea to the Baltic; the Gota canal cuts across Sweden [and isn't the quickest way to go].

 

[Fascadale]

Interesting comments about the Gota Canal
Unfortunately its website is not giving any prices
Does anyone have an idea of what they charge for a transit, five or six days, 10m boat?

 

[johnalison]

There was a mention of the Gotha canal in the YM I think. Without looking it up, I seem to remember the cost being very steep, something like £250, or it may have been £350, for a boat under 10m, but includes five nights harbour fees.

We met a chap in an Elizabethan 23 in Stralsund who I think had come from the South Coast, and he wasn't especially young, so it is doable. Going through Holland can take a long time and I would recommend the Harwich-Ijmuiden or
Den Helder crossing if at all possible. The Kiel canal can be enjoyable and is easy to split into two, or even three days.

 

[BabaYaga]

Interesting comments about the Gota Canal
Unfortunately its website is not giving any prices
Does anyone have an idea of what they charge for a transit, five or six days, 10m boat?

The fee for a boat 9 - 12 m is SEK 6 510, approx £ 540. This is in the summer season, June 3rd to August 20th. Off season (May 4th <> September 27th) is 30 percent cheaper, but then these are fixed transits that have to be pre-booked. As mentioned the guest harbour fees are included.
Göta Kanal takes you from Lake Vänern to the Baltic. Add another circa £ 75 for the few locks into Lake Vänern.

 

[Fascadale]

The fee for a boat 9 - 12 m is SEK 6 510, approx £ 540.

Thanks for that..............I may have to revise the passage plan a bit

 

[han34]

I did it from Portsmouth, no long passages, all day sailing. Just followed the coast and went through the standing mast route. Draft of 1.9m. Took about a month, may go again this year or next. Some small tolls for bridges in Holland and about 18 Euros for the Kiel canal. Once through the Kiel canal its a very pleasant cruising area. Mooring fees are reasonable compared with England's South Coast. Very popular in season. Quite a few large charter fleets as well

I would say from Portsmouth it is very straightforward.

 

[johnalison]

Mooring fees are reasonable compared with England's South Coast. Very popular in season. Quite a few large charter fleets as well.

That sums up the Baltic. The charter boats, or charter-bavs as we call them, like to get their money's worth and so turn up in harbour after 6pm. The trick when visiting busy places is to arrive around 4pm or occasionally earlier, and enjoy a choice of moorings.

 

[davidej]

Don't miss out on Helgoland.

A marvelous stop over before you enter the Elbe

And its DUTY FREE

stock up well !!

 

[petedg]

Standing mast route

I did it from Portsmouth, no long passages, all day sailing. Just followed the coast and went through the standing mast route. Draft of 1.9m. Took about a month, may go again this year or next. Some small tolls for bridges in Holland and about 18 Euros for the Kiel canal. Once through the Kiel canal its a very pleasant cruising area. Mooring fees are reasonable compared with England's South Coast. Very popular in season. Quite a few large charter fleets as well

I would say from Portsmouth it is very straightforward.

The standing mast route sounds interesting, any more details?

 

[Saguday]

The Kiel Canal runs from the N Sea to the Baltic; the Gota canal cuts across Sweden [and isn't the quickest way to go].

Yes, I know I was thinking about a circular trip - out via the Kiel Canal, poodle about in the Baltic, poodle over to the Archipelago, poodle into Stockholm and poodle back through the canal, then poodling around Denmark to see our Danish friends at some point. I hope I'm not implying any sense of urgency here.. Not sure which side of Denmark to come back down, but the easy option would be 'inside' and then return via the Kiel canal.

The cruising article in YM about the Göta canal was what got me thinking about it, it looked fab and worth paying the fee for.