Boats for Baltic cruising

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer

- Duncan Kent

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