Yacht charter on Swiss Lakes

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by Barnac1e
It gets worse. When the wind really gets up and it becomes interesting, lakeside strobe lights start flashing and all vessels must return to port. Water police will fine anyone still out on the lake.

Hmmm, yes the flashing lights (40 rpm and 120 rpm I think) signalise a coming storm, but I didn't now that you are obliged to go in port. And I never heard of anybody beeing fined for anything on the lake?!

Well, when I was approached by the water police on Thunersee and queried as to why my laser had no identification number on the hull - I could show the documentary proof it was registered with one - I was warned that next time I would be fined and that this time they would be lenient and let me go.

But that could be the difference of attitude between the German and French parts of Switzerland.

 

[Splashdown]

I realise this is an old thread but nevertheless some might find it when looking for information about Switzerland, as I did. I moved to Zurich almost a year ago and have been sailing on Lake Zurich for a couple of months. Yes, Switzerland is intensely bureaucratic and rule-bound, and god help you if you break any of them. However .... you can sail a boat on Lake Zurich under 15m2 sail area with no licence. I believe licenses are lake-specific too. I sail a 22 foot 1960 wooden racing boat with 15m2 sails plus genoa overlap which does not count towards the 15 m2. It is a pretty frustrating experience. The wind is very flukey, gusty, lots of dead spots, abrupt changes (as you should expect surrounded by mountains I guess). It can go from zero to 20 + knots in the blink of an eye, and shift 180 degrees, normally of course at the least convenient time. Near Zurich the lake is shared with paddleboarders, rowers, swimmers, power boats. It is also shared with ferries and steamers which do not give way to sail.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Having sailed with a friend once on lake Zurich I chose to have my boat in Valencia

 

[pandos]

I have sailed on Lake Geneva.. fantastic....especially in winter with turf burning in the stove and the boat on its ear.. in the summer beautiful water for swimming, not much wind some days but then sudden squalls which were amazing in intensity. (These are fairly well forecasted and there are lights around the lake to warn those on the water to get off)

I did a course in Evian and got some sort of license....but I sailed mostly on a boat owned by a Geneva based Irish guy (forumite on here) which was registered in Switzerland.

There is a story in an old PBO about a UK couple who toured the lakes with a McGregor trailer sailer....