MASTERCLASS

RACHAEL SPROT ON BALTIC BERTHING AND ANCHORING

The Baltic offers rich and extensive cruising grounds, but much of its appeal lies in the opportunity to anchor in remote archipelagos which require a few specialised techniques to confidently tie up.

It’s worth noting that the average yacht in the Baltic is smaller than those in the UK, with 30-35ft seemingly the standard size for a family cruiser. These are often boats built in the 1970s or 1980s with a narrow beam and low freeboard, which means boat handling tends to rely on a push and shove rather than springs and pivot points. Boats over 40ft are more unusual, although they can be accommodated.

There is very little alongside berthing in the Baltic. Last time I was there, a Finnish skipper of a 36-footer berthed alongside a wall took out his seamanship manual to remind himself how to spring off against a cross wind. He did it beautifully, there was no question of his seamanship, it was just a manoeuvre which is rarely required.

There are also very few cleats: the strong points onshore tend to be rings, so you can’t rely on lassoing the dock from the boat. You either need to get a crewmember close enough to feed a line through the ring, or use a boathook with a special mooring clip on it to secure to.

Marina berthing requires nifty line handling from the crew. Berths can be approached sternto if that’s your preference, which will certainly make leaving the next day a bit easier, in which case just reverse the procedure to set a bowline first and then attach a stern line to the dock.

Y BERTHS