Boats for Baltic cruising
Practical Boat Owner|July 2024
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer
Duncan Kent
Boats for Baltic cruising

Sailing to the Baltic is quite demanding as you'll be crossing the often-turbulent North Sea and some of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe. So you'll need a sound, seaworthy craft fit for the purpose and suitably equipped for long, open sea passages.

When you arrive, you'll find the sailing season is fairly short within the Baltic Sea itself, so if you plan to keep sailing to the very limits of the season you'll need to think about heating and cosy, well-insulated interiors. A deck saloon yacht is often a good solution. That way you don't have to leave the warmth of the inside helm other than to adjust your sails.

In certain areas, however, it's not advisable to stay afloat too close to winter as the sea can often freeze up and severely damage your hull. Some boats have even been sunk by the sheer weight of snow and ice on the decks, which is why most boats are hauled out and kept in heated sheds where possible.

Although there are effectively no tides in the Baltic, there are certainly plenty of rocks. Solidly constructed boats are a must in these waters.

Being quite shallow and rocky close to the edges, bow-to-mooring is commonplace to protect your rudder most local boats have open pulpits and a sturdy bow plank. Another popular method of mooring in the Baltic is the 'box' berth, whereby you tie the bows ashore and the stern to two posts, one on each of your aft quarters. If this is the case you need to keep your quarter rails free from too much clobber that can be accidentally dislodged as you berth.

20-25ft LOA

Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA PRACTICAL BOAT OWNERSe alt
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Practical Boat Owner

Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.

time-read
1 min  |
Summer 2024
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
Practical Boat Owner

No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash

A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.

time-read
2 mins  |
Summer 2024
Multihull sail work
Practical Boat Owner

Multihull sail work

Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing

time-read
4 mins  |
Summer 2024
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Practical Boat Owner

Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them

Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea

time-read
10+ mins  |
Summer 2024
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Practical Boat Owner

Sail the Atlantic with strangers

Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that

time-read
10 mins  |
Summer 2024
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Practical Boat Owner

IZIBoat: simple sailing

Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft

time-read
7 mins  |
Summer 2024
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
Practical Boat Owner

30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT

From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew

time-read
10+ mins  |
Summer 2024
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for restoring under £20,000

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget

time-read
10+ mins  |
Summer 2024
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
Practical Boat Owner

Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

time-read
5 mins  |
Summer 2024
Playing with coloured sails
Practical Boat Owner

Playing with coloured sails

Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2024