Practical_Boat_Owner_-_November_2015_

W

hy the Baltic?

Why in a

trailer-sailer?

The Baltic Sea

must be one

of the most beautiful areas in

which to cruise a yacht of any

size, but seems particularly

well-suited to a small yacht. It

has many islands close together,

which means that there is

always a choice of destination,

whatever the wind direction, and

shelter is available when you get

there if the wind is strong.

Almost every island has a

place where a boat can be

moored directly to the shore,

allowing the crew to simply

step off and explore. The water

is warm for swimming, there’s

interesting wildlife and the

scenery is outstanding.

The distance to the Baltic may

seem rather daunting, but the

beauty of a trailer-sailer is that by

quickly covering the distance from

home to the cruising ground, one

can maximise holiday time in the

place one came to see. Even

factoring in the cost of the ferry

crossing and the fuel for the towing

vehicle, there is a significant cost

saving compared to a charter.

It’s great to sail your own boat in

a new location, because as well as

costing less, being familiar with all

the details of your boat means you

can bring more luggage compared

to a charter. The main downside is

that a trailer-sailer is smaller than a

charter boat, but we turned that to

Aurora safely moored in the

sheltered anchorage at Storön

in the Svenska Högarna.

INSET Launching on the

public slipway at Högmarsö

Stockholm

O

Göteborg

O

Tilbury

O

Immingham

O

Cruising

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Erb came

to sailing only a

decade ago, when

he discovered it

was possible on a

limited budget.

Living in the Midlands, he

chose a trailer-sailer and

bought Aurora three years

ago, trailing her to many

areas around the UK coast

with his family.

Trailer-sailer to

the Baltic

When Charles Erb took his family of

four for a month’s cruise in the Baltic,

using a trailer-sailer maximised the

time spent exploring this idyllic and

accessible sailing ground