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On board with Baltic Yachts owner Hans Georg Näder

Hans Georg Näder was so impressed with his 46 metre Baltic Pink Gin he bought the company. But for the German entrepreneur, super sailing yachts are only one part of his innovative empire, as David Edwards discovers...

Hans Georg Näder was cruising in Sardinia last summer on his 46 metre sloop Pink Gin, which is currently listed for sale. With him was Henry Hawkins, his long-time captain whom Näder appointed CEO of Baltic Yachts when he bought the Finnish yard in 2013. They spied a Tesla, prompting Hawkins to ask his boss whether he would ever buy one of the American electric cars. “I said, never. I’m branded, you know: Porsche, Porsche and Porsche,” recalls Näder, a proud German born 55 years ago in Duderstadt, Lower Saxony, who still lives there, as well as in Berlin and Munich, and, as CEO and president of prosthetics maker Ottobock, is one of Germany’s most successful entrepreneurs.

“Four weeks ago I ordered the Tesla SUV. We had the chance in Porto Cervo to test drive one. I’ve never experienced something like this. The head of Tesla Germany brought an SUV down and we went close to the Romazzino [hotel] and he said ‘stop’. And then full power. It was like on a Ducati. I’ve never seen something like this in a car.”

That, in a nutshell, encapsulates Näder. It would be easy for him to be stuck in his successful ways. He was 28 when he took over the family firm, founded in 1919 by his grandfather Otto Bock, who made wooden legs for WWI victims, and continued by his father Max Näder. Under Hans, turnover has risen from €100m to €1.2bn, staff numbers have increased from 1,000 to 8,000 and the company now does business in 56 countries. Ottobock was once again the official technical service at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, repairing and maintaining the prosthetics, orthotics and wheelchairs of all athletes for the 13th successive Games. The company has done extremely well. Professor Näder has done extremely well. There are Porsches, plural.

The company’s work and achievements are celebrated at the Ottobock Science Centre in Berlin, and it’s here that you begin to see how Näder likes to do things differently. Interactive displays explain how patients can now use prosthetic arms intuitively to grip and pick up things thanks to ground-breaking nerve and muscle surgery. Or how the latest prosthetic leg not only uses a microprocessor in the knee joint to better understand a patient’s gait but it is also waterproof, allowing a whole new range of activities for the amputee.

Standing confidently just off Potsdamer Platz and along from the Brandenburg Gate, the centre, built in 2009 and visited by more than one million people since, resembles the gleaming white superstructure of a modern yacht. That is no coincidence. Yachts have been in Näder’s blood from the minute, aged six, that he first set foot in an Optimist. He bought his first sailing boat at 23, an 11.3 metre called Pink Gin that was built by Sweden Yachts , and progressed steadily through four more Pink Gins towards the 54 metre Pink Gin VI that Baltic will launch for him in May next year.

But what is really in his blood is innovation. Each of his many boats has not just been bigger, they have been better. They use better materials, better technology, better design. Now he has his own yard, the scope for innovation is huge.

He arrives for our meeting, at the science centre, straight from another of his Berlin bases – the Open Innovation Space, housed in the grounds of a former brewery that Näder is converting. Under his arm is another arm, a carbon fibre model produced by 3D printer.

In his other hand is a very flesh-like silicon arm. He is clearly proud and excited by what’s going on at the Open Innovation Space. “I created a platform where young start-ups, mainly in digital transformation and production, can come,” he says. “We act like a fitness club so you sign in and you can use the machines and all you pay is the minutes or seconds you use the machines. You have to see it and then you understand.”

So we do. And it’s striking to see this casually dressed fifty-something billionaire strolling around chatting to the twenty-something tech types starting out on their innovative journey. Ottobock design engineers work here too, among other things developing an app with Adidas so that patients can follow a recuperative physiotherapy routine much more effectively. The open structure of the space encourages collaboration and Näder has a track record for bringing bright young minds into his company. The professor is in his element.

Ask him who he admires and the answers are telling. First, the patriot and businessman in him says Hasso Plattner, co-founder of software giant SAP – “the most successful start-up in Germany after WWII”. He then goes on… “I admire what the Silicon Valley guys are doing. They are changing the world in a radical and disruptive way.” This word keeps cropping up. “I like it. Not many people are able to think disruptive.” And this disruption is not just in the world of medical technology but in relation to yachts and Baltic in particular.

“Over the years at Ottobock we changed technical orthopaedics very often in an almost disruptive way, creating mechatronic upper extremity prosthetics when even the word mechatronic did not exist. I think it’s the same in shipbuilding. The heritage and character of craftsmanship and shipbuilding is a base for disruptive change. We just delivered one boat to a famous Italian sailor and we think it’s the most advanced sailing boat ever built.”

He’s referring to 39.6 metre racer-cruiser My Song , with its interchangeable mainsails and Baltic’s custom retractable propulsion system, but there’s so much more that can be done he thinks. “Yachting has a lot of potential because, if you look into boats, not all technologies are really state of the art. Some are quite old fashioned. If you look at the plumbing, this is not state of the art. Or hydraulics. Or engines. I’ve just ordered the SUV from Tesla and if this [electric engine] works in a car, why shouldn’t it work in a boat?

“It’s nice to have at Baltic a luxury brand where we can drive innovation. It’s also cool to have owners who are keen to be disruptive with big boats. So from my point of view what we do at the moment at Baltic is so much cooler than the first Wallys were.”

One such example is the Arrow460-Granturismo, a very disruptive Mercedes-Benz-styled 14 metre powerboat that Baltic is making components for and assembling at its Jakobstad yard in northern Finland as part of its collaboration with Silver Arrows Marine.

“I love the head of design of Mercedes [Gorden Wagener]. He’s giving this brand a new design language and it’s really successful. You see other automotive brands like Audi or Volkswagen, they are missing their next evolution of design, and turnover goes down.”

Näder and Hawkins have big plans for Baltic. They want to expand its refit operations, which already extend to facilities at STP in Mallorca. Among recent refits were 32 metre Wally Nariida – “when the owner came out to Finland he was so happy to get an even better than new Nariida back” – and Sunny Day , the 24.7 metre Alalunga motor yacht, launched in 1989, that was owned by Näder’s father and has just been given a complete overhaul by Baltic. “It’s amazing what kind of character we were able to keep and what kind of new DNA we injected into this boat.”

The yard known for its super sailing yachts is dipping a toe into own-brand motor yacht waters, too. It has a custom 23.8 metre, designed by Mani Frers, son of Germán, in build and the company is negotiating to buy an old Italian motor yacht marque. “If somebody shows up who brings technology and quality, and having young guys doing cool designs, I think there’s a market,” says Näder.

Large composite sailing yachts remain the bread and butter and Näder himself is awaiting possibly the best slice yet. His sixth Pink Gin will be the largest carbon-fibre sloop in the world and will feature an electrical “forced feedback” steering system, developed with the help of Swiss automotive engineer Peter Kägi – another of those state-of-the-art upgrades. “I think the new Pink Gin will be my mountain peak,” says Näder. “It’s like with a house. First you build a big house, then the children leave, then you don’t need the big house and you go to an apartment.”

Näder, whose two daughters are in their twenties and who is divorced from his second wife, is already planning his post Pink Gin “downsizing”. He is rather taken with the BlackCat 50 metre catamaran concept that Baltic is now involved with and which it presented at the Monaco Yacht Show . “We had five, six parties very interested,” says Näder. “For me, as I’m getting older, maybe _Pink Gin V_I for the next 10 years and then build such a catamaran?” It could be just what he’s looking for to bring a new, exciting audience into yachting. “The young guys from Silicon Valley, who are much more green and ecologically driven in their ideas, people like Musk, Zuckerberg and so on, these are candidates for disruptive sailing yacht concepts.”

There is always the next thing. This is what drives him. “It’s, how we say in German, neugierig. You’re curious to find out. I have this in my genome, having I think more than 1,000 patents worldwide and constantly meeting people who innovate. Innovation is not for the sole purpose of innovation. Innovation is the means to find solutions.”

Images courtesy of Getty; Alamy; Ottobock; Jeff Brown/Breed Media

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Half a century at the cutting edge

Fifty years ago in Finland five young men shared a controversial idea and an ambitious plan. They quit their jobs at Nautor and set out to create a new style of offshore cruiser racer – lighter, stiffer and faster than almost anything else on the market.

‘We just got together one day and the idea came up,’ says Per-Göran “PG” Johansson, one of the five founding fathers of Baltic Yachts back then and still one of its directors today. ‘We were not alone thinking “light is better” but most boatyards and naval architects favoured heavier designs. Some of our competitors published studies for marketing purposes arguing that heavy was better. One of their claims was “heavy does not stop in waves due to the inertia of the mass”. Another was “the client gets more kilos for his money”. We remained convinced and carried on with our lightweight, hi-tech way.’

History soon proved Johansson and his colleagues to be absolutely correct and the company they founded became a world leader in the production of large, high-performance sailing yachts.

Before any of it could happen, first they had to clear a patch of pine forest at Bosund near Jakobstad and build a shed in which to do it.

Still in use as a joinery workshop, that first shed is finally about to be decommissioned along with the whole facility that grew up around it. This year, Baltic Yachts is moving all operations to Jakobstad where a new state-of-the-art building will more than double the size of its existing waterfront location.

There’s a world of difference between the series-produced Baltics of the 1970s and the full-custom superyachts that have become the yard’s primary focus alongside its ongoing small-series, semi-custom production.

However, from the first Baltic 46 Diva (now Queen Anne) all the way to its current projects via some of the most advanced sailing yachts in each of the last three decades, the core DNA is arguably unchanged.

‘Baltic Yachts is still very much true to its original values,’ Johansson says. ‘We started as a series production yard but with more flexibility built in than most competitors, using hi-tech methods to achieve better sailing performance and handling characteristics. With time we moved over more and more to full custom projects, which required changes in our approach.

‘The projects became more individual in concept, in styling and in materials and methods used.

In that process you lose some of the things that originally earned your company its reputation. However, even our cruising projects have been very hi-tech and in that sense they’ve followed our original philosophy, “lighter is faster and better”. Some of the high-performance projects challenged us to take technology much further, increasing our know-how and potential.’

Eagerness to embrace technology prompted the founding of Baltic Yachts in the first place. Johansson was project manager of the Swan 65 when he tried and failed to convince his managers that it could be built lighter, stiffer and better using sandwich construction with unidirectional fibres instead of a single laminate with woven rovings.

The five who left Nautor – boatbuilders Jan-Erik Nyfelt and Nils Luoma, purchasing manager Ingmar Sundelin, designer Tor Hinders and Johansson – became the nucleus of Baltic Yachts.

Baltic Yachts – major milestone boats 1974-2022

1974 Baltic 46 Ahead of its time: tank tests, sandwich construction, unidirectional fibres, balanced spade rudder, epoxy bonded teak deck…

1977 Baltic 39 Most popular model, 74 in six years. From 1980, one of the first yachts to have computer-generated VPP

1979 Baltic 51 Notable for interior design innovations. First double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit, slanted bulkheads for optimal use of space

1982 Baltic 80 Midnight Sun Baltic Yachts’ first maxi racer and one of the first maxis with full glassfibre composite construction.

1985 Baltic 43 Bully The first offshore sailing yacht in the world built entirely with epoxy resin

1996 Baltic 67 Aledoa The first cruising yacht built entirely in pre-preg carbon

1996 Baltic 87 Anny First Baltic with a lifting keel, complex hydraulics and push-button sail controls

1997 Baltic 70 Vittfarne First Baltic yacht to combine classic appearance with hitech construction and modern hydrodynamics

1997 Baltic 70 Loftfari The first yacht with a fully fitted interior built entirely in pre-preg carbon and Nomex honeycomb, all invisible under the teak veneer finish

Baltic 78 Super Baltic 5 Canting keel with its entire mechanism under the cabin sole; 3.5kts faster than the same yacht with a fixed keel

2002 Baltic 147 Visione The first superyacht capable of planing at 30 knots. Packed with unique innovations, ultra-light displacement (105T) and almost literally no expense spared

2003 Baltic 141 Canica A very complex build and fitout with hi-tech materials, construction techniques and systems. The first Baltic ‘super cruiser’

2011 Baltic 197 Hetairos Largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world at 221ft LOA. Classic look, superb finish. Hi-tech build and hydrodynamics

Baltic 175 Pink Gin The largest full carbon sloop in the world to date. Unique fold-down, through-hull platforms in the saloon and owner’s suite

2019 Baltic 142 Canova First DSS foil on an ocean cruising superyacht. First hybrid drive with full regeneration. Advanced composite engineering. A giant leap into the future

2022 Baltic 68 Pink Gin Verde First Baltic yacht built with 50% flax fibre. Advanced electric/hybrid propulsion, super efficient systems

‘They had a strong belief in themselves, courage to swim upstream and test new ideas,’ Baltic Yachts’ marketing manager Elisabet Holm explains. ‘They all had a passion for boats, a strong driving force to learn new things and research technology, and they were always ready to meet new challenges.’

The original Baltic 46 was far ahead of its time. At a time when nearly all new designs simply relied on the naval architect’s eye, experience and intuition, several different hull models were tank tested across a range of speeds, at various heel and leeway angles before the design of the 46 was finalised and only then was it built. It had a balanced spade rudder and solid rod rigging, which were then used only on hi-tech racing yachts and its teak deck was laid with epoxy resin. But the hull laminate itself was the key innovation.

‘In those days most yards building larger yachts used woven rovings with fibres bent, not straight, hence not structurally optimal and they also resulted in resin concentration,’ Johasson explains.

‘You could see the roving patterns on the surface, due to resin shrinking, so before applying the rovings they used several layers of chopped mat, which has very low structural value, especially on larger yachts, but added a lot of weight.

‘We used a very thin surface cloth and the rest of the laminate was unidirectional fibres, oriented in the direction of the stresses and perfectly straight, hence stronger and stiffer.

‘The fibres we used did not create resin concentration so there was less print-through on the hull surface. Unidirectional does not build up thickness like woven rovings so we used them with a core material in sandwich construction. This achieved much higher panel stiffness than a single laminate and gave us more flexibility for panel sizes.’

End grain balsa was the core for the 46 but Baltic soon switched to foam cores with a variety of densities and strengths. Carbon fibre was used from 1979, initially in rudder posts, beam tops and to reinforce high-stress areas of the hull where extra stiffness was needed. As stabilised foams for high-temperature cures and then Nomex for pre-preg carbon construction became available, Baltic pioneered the use of those materials.

Baltic Yachts’ early achievements belie the fact that it faced strong headwinds right from the start. 1973 was a bad year to launch a new brand of sailing yachts, with the global oil crisis looming.

The yachting industry as a whole was hit hard and by 1977 Baltic had to seek outside investment to stay in business. Ironically that same year saw their first major commercial success, selling 12 Baltic 39s at the Hamburg Boat Show, which was unheard of at the time.

Hollming, a Finnish shipbuilder, acquired Baltic. Two of the founders, Nils Luoma and Ingmar Sundelin, quit but the takeover turned out to be a positive move. Hollming provided stability and investment to help Baltic grow. A huge production hall was built, funds were provided for new model development and marketing.

An unusual aspect of Baltic Yachts that undoubtedly worked in its favour was the dual role of Johansson. It’s rare that the technical guru of a major boatbuilder is also its head of sales and marketing, yet he combined both jobs with great success for 40 years.

Even now, though officially retired, he still frequently offers a guiding hand in the development of new projects and the current EVP, Henry Hawkins, describes him as ‘an unbelievably useful sounding board and wise head’.

Baltic’s in-house designer Tor Hinders made his mark by changing the way boats are fitted out down below. His stand-out innovation, which was met with hostility when introduced in 1979 on the Baltic 51 but has since been copied by almost every sailing yacht builder in the world, was to put a double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit.

Another key factor in Baltic Yachts’ early success was its partnership with the Canadian naval architects C&C Design, whose chief engineer Rob Ball was among the first in the industry to start using computers. From 1980 he supplied VPP – polar curves and tables of numbers – for the Baltic 39, 51 and 37, with detailed instructions on how to use them. Despite being generated by 2D computing (as 3D models were not yet available), Johansson says those first VPP numbers were accurate and useful.

The yard was quick to develop its own computing expertise. ‘As soon as programmable calculators and then the Epson HX-20 computer became available we saw their potential and started to use them,’ Johansson says. ‘There was no software so we did our own coding.’ By the early 1980s they were already using these tools for displacement, flotation and trim calculations, laminate design and rating optimisation.

A huge quantity of data has been compiled since then and the initially simple programs have evolved into a sophisticated suite of software that enables the technical team to make extremely detailed weight and load calculations for the hull and rig of any new design, study engine power, prop pitch and range for electric and conventional propulsion systems, and much more. The yard has never had any ambition to design its own yachts, but is quite often asked by clients to do preliminary studies before a naval architect is appointed.

The 1980s were the peak of series production but Baltic Yachts but they also began pushing the boundaries of performance with custom builds with more scope for creative technical development.

‘A series production model is always to some degree a compromise,’ Johansson says. ‘On custom projects you can take things much further. For very knowledgeable clients looking for performance we have taken things to the edge.’

The 80ft Midnight Sun was one of the first maxis with full composite construction, launched in 1982. ‘The forward part was a large, empty sail store and we used specially designed longitudinal bulkheads and framework in the upper corner between hull and deck to create the required stiffness,’ Johansson recalls.

The Baltic 43 Bully was the first offshore yacht built entirely in epoxy resin, in 1985. In technical terms this was a spin-off from an earlier R&D project, developing ultra-strong vacuum-infused sandwich laminates for a Soviet deep-sea submarine, which ruffled diplomatic feathers when the Americans found out about it. ‘The main unit was solid steel; we built a streamlined cover around the equipment,’ he says. ‘If you send a normal laminate down to 6,000m it will not be the same afterwards. We learned a few things from that project.’

In 1990, Baltic regained its independence. Finland’s industrial sector was in recession and Hollming needed to focus on its core business. ‘They asked us to arrange a management takeover,’ Johansson explains. ‘The yard was an important workplace for the local community and to shut it would have been very destructive. We were 32 employees who got together, took over and continued the business.’

Marketing manager Lisbeth Staffans stepped up to be managing director and led Baltic Yachts for two decades from a challenging start. ‘With a bad order book and uncertain future there were sleepless nights at the beginning of this new era,’ Johansson says. ‘Lisbeth was a very good person for that job. We couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and she made sure we didn’t. But this period is the one I’m most proud of. We did a good job, moved up in the size of our projects and stayed profitable.’

Innovation continued apace with production manager Christer Lill running a remarkably tight operation as the yachts ramped up rapidly in sophistication and size. In 1996 they launched 67ft Aledoa, the world’s first pre-preg carbon cruiser, and 87ft Anny – their first with a lifting keel, twin rudders and complex hydraulics. She had full push-button sail controls and a tender could be driven straight into the automatic opening-andlowering garage in her stern.

The following year, the Baltic 70 Vittfarne heralded a new style of yacht combining classic appearance and fine traditional craftsmanship with hitech construction, light displacement and modern hydrodynamics. ‘Bill Dixon’s team did a fantastic job on the design and our carpenters performed magic in building it,’ Johansson says.

Another Baltic 70, also launched in 1997, took carbon composite sandwich construction to a new level. The fully fitted interior of Loftfari was built almost entirely in pre-preg carbon/ Nomex honeycomb as well as her hull and deck, saving a large amount of additional weight.

It looked traditional, though, with thin veneers and fillets of teak covering all of the composite surfaces. Most Baltic yachts are now fitted out in a similar way.

The 78ft Super Baltic 5, delivered in 2000, was a major feat of engineering with a canting keel whose entire mechanism was installed in the shallow bilge beneath the saloon sole. She was calculated to be at least 3.5kts faster than an identical yacht with a fixed keel.

At the turn of the millennium Loftfari’s owner came back to Baltic with an impossible design brief, ‘or so it seemed at first,’ Johansson says. ‘To build a yacht in excess of 140ft capable of planing at 30 knots or more.’

The project was an immense challenge, not least because their largest build up to then was a 97- footer. Two years of development work followed before the owner gave the green light for the build to proceed. Remarkably the yacht was delivered six months ahead of schedule and exceeded all expectations.

Packed with unique innovations and with almost literally no expense spared, the Baltic 147 Visione was far ahead of her time and despite being 20 years old she is still quite capable of taking line honours in superyacht regattas today.

In build at the same time, the 141ft Canica challenged the yard in different ways. Performance was key but a lot of equipment and systems were also required to ensure a very high level of comfort on board. ‘That was the first yacht we built with a full floating interior,’ Baltic sales director Kenneth Nyfelt, son of founder Jan- Erik, explains.

‘We installed a highly complex Siemens PLC monitoring and control system, and it was the first project where we used noise and vibration consultants.’ With half the displacement of a typical 140ft cruising yacht, the performance targets were achieved and Canica can now be regarded as the first in a gradually evolving style of high-performance Baltic ‘super cruisers’ that continues to this day. A similar and parallel evolution of successful cruiser-racers began with Nilaya in 2010.

A stand-out project delivered in 2011, at 221ft LOA the Baltic 197 Hetairos is largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing with an incredible sail area : displacement ratio and a regular winner in superyacht regattas, the 60-metre ketch is classic on deck but thoroughly modern below the waterline with a unique lifting rudder as well as a lifting keel.

Around this time, the people who had staged the 1990 management takeover began to retire so new owners were needed. Two local investors bought shares in 2010; three years later an 80 per cent stake in Baltic Yachts was acquired by the German family-owned company Otto Bock – led by Professor Hans Georg Näder, a longstanding client of Baltic Yachts – and its future was secured. Henry Hawkins, a yacht captain with vast practical experience including many thousands of ocean miles as skipper of Näder’s yachts, joined Baltic, taking on a large part of Johansson’s role.

Näder’s own 175ft Pink Gin VI is one of the most notable recent builds and currently the world’s largest carbon composite sloop with a rig 16m taller than a J Class. Her key features include fold-down platforms in her topsides just above the waterline that are large enough to walk through, one amidships in the main saloon and one forward in the owner’s suite.

While relatively easy to build on a large motor yacht, putting large apertures in highly stressed parts of a sailing yacht hull without reducing its stiffness was a major engineering challenge, solved by mechanically locking the platforms firmly in place to become structural parts of the hull.

Another recent showcase of Baltic’s innovation is the 142ft Canova, which made headlines in 2019 as the world’s first superyacht with a DSS foil to reduce pitching and heeling, plus a host of other advanced features such as an immensely strong coachroof with a featherlight look and an electric drive system that provides enough regeneration capability under sail to cross the Atlantic without using any fossil fuel – with both sailing and hotel systems running.

After four years of cruising, a wide range of what used to be bleeding-edge technologies are now proven to work reliably.

To mark Baltic Yachts’ 50th anniversary, the first Baltic 46 Queen Anne returned to the yard last spring for a refit. Two of the men who built her – Johansson and Jan-Erik Nyfelt, whose grandchildren now work at Baltic – were delighted to find her in excellent condition, which a survey duly confirmed.

‘No structural works are needed, the hull appendages are sound, as is the mast,’ Hawkins says. ‘It’s also interesting that the original propulsion setup was still operational and in good order. The enjoyment at our end was the size of everything compared to today, from fibre technology to deck fittings. There are 18 winches on that boat; a modern 100-footer uses just seven or eight!’ She will be relaunched in June after a cosmetic refit, with a new engine.

What direction is Baltic Yachts likely to take in the future? The 68ft cruiser-racer Pink Gin Verde might hold a few clues with its 50 per cent flax fibre hull and micro-turbine hybrid propulsion system, but as Baltic’s CEO Anders Kurtén puts it, ‘That all depends on where our customers want to take us.’

‘We are fortunate and honoured to build some of the most exciting, groundbreaking custom sailing yachts in the world which means the next major milestone will forever be the next launch, summer 2023 being a perfect example,’ he says. ‘My best guess for the future is ever increasing sustainable practices and yachts with diminishing lifecycle emissions, as well as quantum leaps in terms of pure sailing performance.’

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History of Baltic Yachts

Baltic Yachts is a world-leading yacht builder that's built on a strong heritage of design and engineering excellence. The company was founded in 1973 by a team of experienced yachtsmen and craftsmen who sought to create a range of high-performance, custom-made yachts that blended innovative technology with traditional craftsmanship. Since its inception, the Finland-based company has consistently pushed the boundaries of yacht design and construction, establishing itself as a market leader in the luxury yacht sector.

The boat manufacturer started operations in the village of Bosund on the west coast of Finland. The early years were focused on catering to the local market, but Baltic Yachts quickly gained international recognition, with its sailboats being praised for their advanced design, excellent performance, and superior build quality. Significant milestones in the company's history include launching the cutting-edge Baltic 141 Canova in 2019, which showcased the manufacturer's technological prowess with its innovative DSS foil system.

Today, Baltic Yachts continues its tradition of excellence at its state-of-the-art shipyard in Jakobstad, Finland. The shipyard is renowned for its advanced facilities and skilled workforce, excelling in carbon fibre technology to deliver some of the world's most advanced yachts. Despite progressing towards larger and more complex yachts, the company remains true to its core values, delivering boats of exceptional quality and performance that exemplify the best of Scandinavian design and craftsmanship.

Which models do Baltic Yachts produce?

Baltic Yachts produce a range of boats including the Baltic Yachts 51 , Baltic Yachts 66 , Baltic Yachts 46 and Baltic Yachts 62 . For the full list of Baltic Yachts models currently listed on TheYachtMarket.com, see the model list in the search options on this page.

What types of boats do Baltic Yachts build?

Baltic Yachts manufactures a range of different types of boats. The ones listed on TheYachtMarket include Sloop , Cruiser , Cruiser/racer , Offshore cruiser and Bluewater cruiser .

How much does a boat from Baltic Yachts cost?

Used boats from Baltic Yachts on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £50,200 GBP to £2,120,000 GBP with an average price of £574,000 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Baltic Yachts, for example the model, age and condition.

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• Service & Refit
• Baltic Yachts Rendezvous

An interview with Professor Hans Georg Näder

26 april 2017.

In 2013, Professor Hans Georg Näder became the majority shareholder in Baltic Yachts. Now he shares more about his vision and thoughts on the future in Super Yacht Report 3/2013. 

Professor Näder is not your typical corporate executive. With his shock of ivory hair and penchant for colourful scarves and Cuban cigars, he looks more like an artist or composer than the CEO of a company that produces 60 per cent of the world’s prosthetic aids, generates annual revenues of over a billion euros and employs some 8,000 people in more than 50 countries. In fact, this first impression is not so far from the truth. Näder sees himself as the ‘conductor’ of the Ottobock empire, identifying technological innovation and the employment of the right people in the right place as the keys to the success of the familymanaged company set up by his grandfather almost a century ago. Since acquiring an 80 per cent stake in Baltic Yachts, he is applying the same business principles to reignite the Finnish brand in today’s challenging market. “I shouldn’t give advice to people who have been in the industry for many years,” says Näder in his self-effacing way. “I can only focus on best practice, which for me is driven by quality, innovation and expanding the portfolio.”

The muscle house

Our meeting takes place at the Ottobock Science Center in downtown Berlin. Known as the ‘muscle house’ for its organic facade inspired by human muscle fibres that also recalls the flowing lines of a yacht, the building is an eye-catching piece of architecture among the city’s traditional stone buildings. Näder has just flown in from Rio de Janiero where he had attended the Paralympic Games. His company has been at the heart of the Paralympic movement since the 1988 Games in Seoul, and the Science Center provides interactive insight into the technologies the company has developed to enhance mobility. These solutions range from carbon-fibre running blades and custom wheelchairs for Paralympic athletes to microprocessor-controlled limbs that simulate the natural movement of the knee joint and bionic hands that can be controlled by muscle signals to execute different types of grasping. The company’s commitment to neuro-orthopaedic research is personified by two bronze sculptures of a homunculus on the roof of the Science Center. Derived from the Latin for ‘little man’, the curious figures represent a neurological map in human form of the motor and sensory parts of the body.

Disruptive design

The link between prosthetics and superyachts might seem a tenuous one, but the synergy derives from Näder’s fascination with technology and progress. ‘Neugierig’ is one of those wonderfully concise German adjectives used to express our curiosity to know more and discover new things. Struggling to find the right translation, Näder draws on the word to describe his own inquisitive nature and, in particular, his obsession with innovation through disruption. “Innovation is all about finding solutions that work,” he says, flourishing a prototype prosthetic hand made from silicon. “At Ottobock, we innovate every day and have progressed from mechanical to mechatronic solutions in a disruptive way. We’re now working on mind-body interfaces and moving into biotech with 3D-printed muscles and tissues.” In the same manner, Näder views the superyacht industry as fertile ground for disruptive design and technology. Pink Gin VI, in build at Baltic Yachts, is a prime example of his philosophy at work. When the 54m sailing yacht is launched later this year, it will be the largest carbon-fibre sloop in the world

Read the full story  here  in the latest issue (03/2017) of the SuperYacht Report. 

We’re constantly updating our website to bring you news of launchings, new commissions and Baltic inspired innovation.

BAVARIA YACHTS

45 years of yachting, welcome to the world of bavaria yachts.

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News from the world of BAVARIA YACHTS

One of the annual highlights for BAVARIA YACHTS for a long time. The cult regatta around the Kornati islands in Croatia. Our press spokesman Marcus Schlichting is also on board!

Gaining additional practical experience, learning new things and exchanging ideas with each other - more than 35 service technicians from our dealers were able to do all of this during a week-long BAVARIA service workshop at our shipyard.

It is the Oscar of the yachting industry, the European Yacht of the Year Award. The BAVARIA YACHTS team is all the more proud that the BAVARIA C46 was able to beat six competitors in the "Family Cruiser" category

Last week, the last BAVARIA VISION 42 was completed in Giebelstadt. On Friday morning, part of the BAVARIA YACHTS team gathered to give her a fitting farewell. The sailing yacht celebrated its premiere at the boot Düsseldorf in 2012 and the almost 13 metre long yacht was built in the shipyard for just over 12 years. 

We will answer all your questions about spare parts supply and repairs, and provide tips and assistance.  We will help you to get your yacht back on the water!

At the beginning of last year, the BAVARIA SR41 won the "British Motorboat Award", the BAVARIA SR36 won the "Best of Boat Award" just a few months later and was nominated for the "European Powerboat of the Year". This year, the latest motorboat from Giebelstadt also remains true to this "award tradition".

BAVARIA YACHTS got off to a flying start at the Cannes Yachting Festival, where the German shipyard was represented with a total of eight motor and sailing yachts.

With the world premiere of the new BAVARIA C46, BAVARIA YACHTS starts the new boat show season at the Yachting Festival in Cannes. The new BAVARIA C46 develops, interprets and expands the design concept of the German shipyard's very successful C-LINE

14.05.2024 What happens in our Product Development? Read more

30.04.2024 Day and night - what is important when sailing around the clock? Read more

27.03.2024 Sailing Area Mallorca - information & tips Read more

BAVARIA YACHTS – 45 Years of Yachting

BAVARIA YACHTS has been a manufacturer of innovative series yachts for 45 years. Over 42,000 sailing yachts and motorboats have been built on the 200,000 m² site since 1978.

What makes us special and what we especially show greatness in, is the experience of our employees. We deliver perfection, for which about 700 employees give their best. 

Every day, with every move - We are BAVARIA!

The Sanctuary Boat Show on the Australian Gold Coast takes place this year from May 23 - 26. We look forward to welcoming you to our stand.

Experience the pure joy of yachting.

Discover the Baltic Sea, German coastline, Denmark, Sweden

Cruising areas, visas, climate, nautical infrastructure, tips for cruising in the baltic sea with denmark and sweden.

Germany is not only known for culture, cars, motorways without speed limits, punctuality, good beer, tidiness and cleanliness, but also for its excellent infrastructure for all kinds of water sports with 136 marinas, especially for very varied yachting cruises. Two of the world's largest yacht manufacturers are based in Germany: Hanse-Yachts and Bavaria-Yachts.

The country Germany

You can find a general report on Germany as a tourist destination here:

5000 different types of beer in Germany

Delicious German sausage with sauerkraut

Fresh from the coast: North Sea prawns

Tiles courtesy of jawgmaps - Map data © OpenStreetmap contributors , under ODbL. — About   — uMap

Charter base in Heiligenhafen

Marina Warnemünde near Rostock

Binz Quay, Island of Rügen

The Hanseatic City of Wismar

Nyhavn Quay Copenhagen

German Baltic Sea coast impression

Island of Hiddensee

Cape Arkona, Island of Rügen

INFORMATIONS

Entry to the eu and visas.

Here you will find detailed information on the regulations and possible visas required to enter the EU:   >>>LINK

If in doubt, please contact the German embassy or consulate in your country.

Hamburg (HAM) also from Madrid (MAD) to Hamburg, about 134 km from the charter base.

From Hamburg airport to the rental base 150 € / 4 persons, round trip 250 €, please book in advance.

€ Euro. Withdraw cash at many ATMs with a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express). Tip: Withdraw a certain basic amount for your travel fund as soon as you arrive at the airport.

The German Baltic Sea coast has a moderate maritime climate with warm summers and cool winds. Temperatures are moderate. If it rains, it doesn't last long: the cool onshore winds quickly blow the clouds away.

The ideal sailing season is from May to September.

Nautical infrastructure

Germany's Baltic Sea coast stretches 964 kilometres from Flensburg in the north on the Danish border to Ahlbeck in the east on the Polish border, bordered by two large and interesting islands: Fehmarn in the west and Rügen in the east.

There is an excellent infrastructure for all kinds of water sports with 134 marinas, large, small, modern, romantic, idyllic, there is a marina for every taste.

Numerous and varied yachting routes make this a very attractive sailing area.

The "Danish South Sea" to the north is also a popular sailing area in the Baltic Sea. With more than 55 attractive islands and good winds, it offers everything yachtsmen could wish for.

The lateral "A" buoy system also applies in the Baltic Sea: channels and also underwater shallows and other obstacles are well marked with buoys at all times.

In the Baltic Sea there are hardly any tides, the sea level only moves by 10 to 15 centimetres.

Cruising regions

The German Baltic Sea offers several sailing regions:        

Along the German coast, in a northerly or easterly direction.

The Danish "South Sea

Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmö in Sweden

Along the German coast, in a northerly or easterly direction

In a north-westerly directio n: Laboe/Kiel, Massholm, Flensburg, Sonderburg (Denmark) Alsensund, around Alsen and across the Danish island AErö with the town of Marstal back to the charter base.

Eastbound :  along the German coast with the Hanseatic towns of Lübeck, Wismar, Rostock, Stralsund to the island of Rügen and back. Numerous modern marinas, very interesting historical towns, beautiful sandy beaches, numerous small islands near Rügen.

The Danish “Southern Sea” In only 19 miles from the charter base you reach the "Danish South Sea", a large sea area with numerous small and medium-sized islands with countless sailing routes. There you will also find very good marinas, large and small, as well as beautiful anchorages.

Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmö in Sweden From the charter base it is about 110 mn to Copenhagen or Malmö. On the way, numerous destinations, harbours and places of interest are worth seeing: Fehmarn, Nykobing, Vordingborg, Klintholm in Mön, Mön chalk cliffs, Dragör marina to Copenhagen, Malmö and back.

The charter company

Our Baltic Sea charter company has been in existence for 37 years in Heiligenhafen, today in the second generation. Since then we have been working together to the satisfaction of all our customers.

Click here to see our yachts in Germany , base Heiligenhafen

Level of difficulty

Simple everywhere

Perfect for

Families with children - Couples - Groups of friends

Navigation licence(s)

Not all sailing licences of non-EU citizens are recognised in Germany. Please send us a copy of your sailing licence with your charter application. We will check the validity with the charter base in advance.

Skipper/Captain

We strongly recommend that you hire a local skipper for your planned charter. He speaks the local language and in any case also English. The skipper knows the local conditions, recommends suitable routes taking into account weather and wind forecasts. He knows the best marinas and books moorings for the night, helps with restaurant reservations, shopping and much more. For the skipper, always consider a separate cabin on board.

Daily distances

Short distances along the German coast and within the Danish South Sea. Partly average distances, e.g. if you want to sail to Copenhagen or to the island of Rügen and back in 1 week.

Here you will find an international distance calculator .

(Hint: move the map with the mouse pointer in the centre to the destination area).

Cruising recommendations

From the charter base in Heiligenhafen: 1 week and 2 weeks. Destinations can be combined as desired depending on the wind.

That is why even today many coastal towns are still officially called "Hanseatic City" Hamburg, "Hanseatic City" Lübeck, "Hanseatic City" Wismar, Rostock, Stralsund, Visby - even car number plates still show this historical addition, e.g. HH= Hanseatic City of Hamburg, HL= Hanseatic City of Lübeck.

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The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Luxury Baltic and Northern Europe Voyages

During our inaugural season in Northern Europe, Ilma sails for the British Isles, Nordic shores and jewels of the Baltic Sea. Fairytale castles and historic cathedrals await discovery in iconic capital cities, while colorful villages are nestled within the majestic fjords of Iceland and Norway.

Bruges (Zeebrugge)

Faroe Islands

Mariehamn, Åland Islands

Biarritz (St. Jean de Luz)

Rostock (Warnemünde)

Grundarfjordur

Heimaey Island

Siglufjordur

Stykkishólmur

Londonderry

Netherlands

Kristiansand

Kristiansund

Helsingborg

Visby, Gotland

United Kingdom

Cowes, Isle of Wight, England

Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland

Guernsey, Channel Island

Holyhead, Wales

Invergordon, Scotland

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Kirkwall, Scotland

Lerwick, Sheltland Islands

Liverpool, England

London (Greenwich), England

Portsmouth, England

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Sailing the Baltic Sea: where to go

• Rachael Sprot
• October 13, 2022

Is the Baltic the new Mediterranean? Rachael Sprot takes a closer look at this underrated cruising ground

Knowing how to tie up to a rock is a vital skill when sailing the Baltic Sea. Credit: Martin Leisborn Credit: Martin Leisborn

Sailing the Baltic Sea: where to go & the skills you need

‘Showers are destroyed,’ pronounced a workman, gesturing towards the dilapidated marina building at the Riga Yacht Club. I had no Latvian and he spoke very little English but valiantly explained the futility of my search.

We’d arrived in Riga at 0500. It was the end of April and according to the pilot charts the ice in the Gulf of Riga may have only just receded.

The generator, our main source of hot water, had packed up somewhere off Gdansk. So we were all a little crestfallen at the news. ‘WiFi?’ asked a crew member before hurriedly retracting it with, ‘just joking!’ as I glowered at him.

But I remember it now because it was the low point in an otherwise magical tour of the Baltic that inspired me to return and sail there again and again.

Sailing the Baltic Sea: Culture, history, wilderness

History and geography make the Baltic a rich and rewarding place to sail.

Hanseatic trade routes once crisscrossed the sea and a group of states grew around these maritime connections. As such it is uniquely suited to exploration by water.

Sunset at a bustling eatery on Bohuslän. Credit: Frank Chmura/Alamy Stock Photo

The concentration of beautiful cities, many of them capitals, which you can sail right into is unrivalled.

It also played a pivotal role in some of the defining events of the 21st century: the first battle of the Second World War and the fall of the USSR began on its shores. But there’s wilderness too.

Sail out of Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo or Gothenburg and you are soon surrounded by nature in tranquil archipelagos.

At its widest point it measures 150 miles across – far more compact the Mediterranean and a summer cruise could be done entirely day-sailing, especially since the days are so long.

At the height of the season there’s a festival atmosphere as everyone heads to the coast, but before July or by late August you’ll have it largely to yourself.

How to get to the Baltic Sea

The main challenge in sailing the Baltic Sea is getting there in the first place.

It’s 350 miles from Dover to Brunsbüttel, the start of the Kiel canal. There’s an Inshore Traffic Zone along the Dutch and German coasts keeping yachts clear of the busy shipping routes, but it’s a busy stretch of water and you’ll need to keep a careful lookout.

Sailing boats on the Kiel Canal, Baltic coast, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

The Friesian islands make for lovely places to stop along the way, Vlieland has a good marina, easy access and picturesque scenery.

The duty-free island of Helgoland in the German Bight is also worth paying a visit if you need to top up on ‘essential’ supplies of the alcoholic kind.

The 53 miles of the Kiel or Nord-Ostsee canal is an event in itself. Sharing the narrow waterway with large ships is intimidating.

Yachts must keep clear by staying well to starboard and following instructions and light signals. Navigable during daylight hours only, the transit can be completed in a long summer day.

Riga, the capital of Latvia. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Alternatively spend a night in the marina at Rendsburg or one of several anchorages along the way and take a break from ship dodging.

Exiting the locks at Holtenau, you enter the large waterway of Kieler Förder, with excellent facilities and several good marinas.

From the north it’s just under 440 miles from Hartlepool to Skagen on the tip of Denmark. This route has different challenges.

Dense concentrations of shipping isn’t one of them, but there are wind farms to negotiate and oil rigs breathing fire into the night.

It can feel as though you’re crossing a construction site at times. Most rigs have a 500m exclusion zone and a patrol boat on standby.

Check the North Sea navigation warnings before departure and keep a listening watch on Channel 16.

For those with time, there are two alternatives to the Kiel canal: the Limfjord which cuts through the north of Denmark; and the much smaller Eider canal which runs north of the Kiel canal before joining it towards the end.

Both are lovely diversions if you have time.

Navigating the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea’s cruising grounds. Credit: Maxine Heath

The Baltic is a straightforward cruising ground compared with British waters.

There’s no tide as the body of water is too small to generate the oscillations which fringe the major oceans.

Instead, there’s a steady outpouring of water through the Kattegat, powered by the net input of freshwater from rivers.

Streams can reach a couple of knots in pinch points such as the Øresund between Copenhagen and Malmö.

In other areas, there are noticeable wind-driven currents. These are most pronounced after prolonged periods of the strong wind from the same direction, and they have the effect of changing the water levels too.

An open pulpit, and bow ladder, will make Baltic mooring easier, whether in a marina or to a rock. Credit: Martin Leisborn

Consistent NE winds can cause a SW setting current which ‘drains’ the Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland, reducing depths by more than 1m in extreme scenarios.

Further south a combination of high pressure and wind-driven currents causes fluctuations of 0.1 – 0.3m.

For shallow passages you’ll need to take account of recent weather patterns and ask for local advice before committing.

Weather conditions are generally more benign than on our tempestuous Atlantic shores. In many areas there’s little fetch for a seastate to develop, although when it does it can be short and sharp.

The climate feels more continental than maritime, with colder winters and slightly warmer summers than the UK.

At the height of the season temperatures often reach 30°, and sea temperatures can be 20° in the archipelagos.

You might be pleasantly surprised by the cost of sailing the Baltic Sea. Although alcohol is considerably more expensive in the Nordic countries, you can stock up in Germany and Poland en route.

Berthing fees are generally fairly modest: even in Scandinavia they tend to be cheaper than those charged in the south coast of the UK, so the increased cost of other things tends to even itself out.

Berthing is often paid on an app and reserved in advance, which is a good idea in the height of season (July – mid-August).

It’s rare to see the harbour master doing rounds: they tend to rely on an honesty system. Many of the marinas are on a much smaller scale than the UK.

Facilities are admittedly much simpler but spotlessly clean.

It’s a breath of fresh air compared to more commercialised cruising grounds that are so popular elsewhere.

Continues below…

An expert guide to box berthing

Dutch boatbuilder Eeuwe Kooi has been box berthing all his life. He shows Chris Beeson how the pros do it

Navigating wind farms: The dos and the don’ts

Wind farms want to restrict where yachts can sail around them. The RYA is fighting for freedom of navigation. Stuart…

Sailing Sweden: dodging the rocks

Phil Woollam and his family weave their way through the islands of Sweden’s east coast on their Cornish Shrimper

8 uses for a kedge anchor

Is your kedge anchor lying forgotten in its locker? Vyv Cox outlines 8 ways you can put it to good

Southern Denmark, Copenhagen and SW Sweden

Credit: Maxine Heath

Denmark and southern Sweden are easy to access and make an excellent introduction to Baltic cruising.

Many people pass through quickly on the way to the archipelagos further north, but gentle landscapes and pretty towns reward those hopping along the coast.

Copenhagen is the jewel in the crown of the southern Baltic. Tie up in the bustling old Nyhavn and be part of the action or one of the large marinas further north for a quiet night.

Though Danish, the island of Bornholm actually lies closer to Sweden. It’s known for its picturesque harbours, pristine beaches, round churches and traditional smokehouses.

Colourful Copenhagen as seen from the Nyhavn Canal. Credit: Kim Petersen/Alamy Stock Photo

But it’s the tiny, fortified island of Christiansø, just east of Bornholm, which is a truly special spot.

The harbour feels as though it’s barely changed since the 1600s. The Swedish coast is low-lying here, with long stretches of beach flanked by some of the country’s best farmland.

There are few anchorages until you reach the SE corner, but the gorgeous town of Ystad, with its medieval timber houses, and Karlskrona, the UNESCO listed naval port, more than make up for it.

The ultimate stopping off point when heading to or from the east coast is Utklippen, a tiny fishing station formed by blasting a gap between two rocky islets.

North Denmark, Bohuslän Coast and Southern Norway

The fjords of southern Norway, such as here in Berefjord, are smaller than those further north, but are still dramatic places to explore

Heading north from Copenhagen into the Kattegat, most yachts have their eyes on Sweden’s Bohuslän coast.

The Skärgård, a tapestry of pink granite islands, fringes the mainland coast from Gothenburg up to the Norwegian border creating an inexhaustible cruising ground.

It’s a place where the locals moor alongside the rocks and cook crayfish on the BBQ.

There are lots of natural harbours, many of them former fishing stations, with timber huts painted in distinctive rust-red paint.

Navigation is intricate and challenging, but you’ll be rewarded with exhilarating passages in flat water.

A natural harbour at Bogen Island, Bohuslän, west coast of Sweden. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Keep heading north and you’ll cross the border into Norway and eventually arrive in Oslo.

The skärgård continues but there’s added interest as we enter the land of the fjords. Although less dramatic than the deep fjords of the west coast, Oslofjord has lots of good cruising and it’s a great introduction to a country with the most spectacular coastline in Europe .

The topography of the Danish side means that harbours tend to be man-made, with sleepy fishing ports and rural landscapes.

The islands of Anholt and Læsø are both worth a stop for their beautiful beaches and Læsø’s seaweed-roofed huts.

The windswept dunes of Skagen form the northern tip of the country. It has a strong artistic heritage and is a busy holiday destination for the Danes, who often gather on the sandy strip where land turns imperceptibly to sea.

The coastline may not hold the same intrigue as the Swedish and Norwegian side, but you might find the elusive quality of hygge and decide to stay put instead, which would certainly save a few miles on the summer cruise!

Eastern Sweden and Finland

For me, the big decision is whether to aim for the east or west coast of Sweden. Both routes have beautiful archipelagos, lots of interest en route and wonderful cities.

If there were no real-life variables, Stockholm and the coastline south of it would clinch it for me. Stockholm is a waterside city in the truest sense.

The perfectly preserved wreck of the Vasa , a 17th-century warship which sank in the harbour on its maiden voyage, is now a museum on one of the city’s many islands.

The incredible story of how it was painstakingly raised and preserved is as astounding as the ship itself.

The surrounding archipelago is equally gorgeous and unlike the west coast the islands are clad in pine trees whose scent wafts out to sea.

Islands of the Stockholm archipelago in autumn. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

The large offshore islands of Gotland and Oland are fascinating places to stop en route. Both feature on the UNESCO list, Oland for its ancient agricultural landscape and Gotland for Visby, the hub of the Hanseatic League in medieval times and its 13th-century walled town.

Visby’s ramparts and winding lanes certainly rival Tuscany for atmosphere.

Before arriving in the Stockholm archipelago , the Blå Kusten or Blue Coast could easily distract you from your target.

It’s another long skärgård with wild islands, narrow sounds and total serenity. Often overlooked, it is just as beautiful as the better-known archipelagos.

The autonomous Åland archipelago between Sweden and Finland is a hallowed cruising ground for locals and visitors alike.

Many islands in Finland are privately owned. Seek permission before mooring. Credit: Katy Stickland

However, the fringe of skerries continues right along the coast of Finland to the Russian border, with Helsinki as a useful and attractive stopping point along the way.

Most islands are privately owned, so beware of encroaching on people’s privacy. A respectful crew are normally warmly received and often invited to use the sauna.

After a few days in Finland you realise the Swedish archipelagos were merely a warm-up act.

In some areas the islands are so densely packed that there’s more land than sea. By the end of a two-week cruise you’ll have an advanced diploma in rock-dodging, and much shorter fingernails.

The Gulf of Bothnia is a rather long cul-de-sac for foreign yachts, although the Finns, Swedes and Germans head up there to get away from it all.

It’s 350 miles to the top, which is also the border between Finland and Sweden. Head up there for solitude and wilderness.

Germany & Poland

If the Scandi-chic of the northern Baltic is a bit too much, or the price of beer has begun to wear thin, don’t miss a trip to the southern Baltic.

Many of the former Hanseatic towns along this coast have been painstakingly restored after damage in the Second World War.

Lubeck, Wismar and Stralsund all have UNESCO world heritage status.

With inexpensive marinas close to the centre of town, cobbled streets and town squares, you could easily while away a fortnight on this beautiful coastline.

Inside the beech-forested island of Rügen are the intriguing waterways of the Boddensee.

The Hanseatic town of Stralsund has UNESCO world heritage status. Credit: Iurii Buriak/Alamy Stock Photo

Take a detour through the reeds to Peenemünde, the factory where the V1 and V2 rockets were developed. It’s now a museum with a poignant message about the relationship between science and war.

The Polish coast is challenging, with long sandy stretches and ports which are often inaccessible in onshore winds.

Cruising takes the shape of long passages, followed by a few days in port to explore the surrounding area, rather than the island hopping of the north.

It’s worth taking the time to explore though, whether heading inshore to the extensive national parks, or beachcombing for nuggets of amber which wash up after gales.

Although out on a limb, Gdansk is unmissable.

The chalk cliffs of Jasmund National Park on the island of Rugen make a striking backdrop. Credit: Aleksandr Ugorenkov/Alamy Stock Photo

The approach takes you past the Westerplatte, the peninsula that was attacked by the German warship Schleswig-Holstein on 1 September 1939, initiating the Second World War.

The route continues for a further 4 miles up through the shipyards, some derelict, some in use, which were the birthplace of the Solidarity Movement that was pivotal in the fall of the USSR.

In the heart of the city though, it’s the imposing medieval wooden crane which dominates the harbour.

Once the largest cargo crane in Europe, it was damaged in 1945 when 80 per cent of the city was destroyed in the final throes of the war.

Now restored, it’s a spectacular sight and a reminder that the city’s identity stretches much further than recent history.

Baltic States

A very different kind of adventure can be found on the coasts of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Riga and Tallinn are beautiful cities with UNESCO status and good marinas.

Cruising is cheaper here than it is in Scandinavia but English is not as widely spoken.

The lighthouse on the tip of Sorve Cape, Saaremaar, Estonia. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Despite this, foreign yachts are given a warm welcome and most people will generously engage in marina charades as you try to act out a washing machine.

The main cruising ground is the Estonian islands at the northern end of the Gulf of Riga. It provides plenty of opportunities for intricate pilotage and there’s often a sauna ashore for weary sailors.

Latvia has several commercial ports which are accessible to yachts, including Ventspils and Liepāja, both of which are about 90nm from Gotland.

Lithuania’s coastline is dominated by the Curonian Spit.

Stretching for over 60nm, the tree-clad sand dunes don’t offer much shelter to sailors but Klaipėda, Lithuania’s main port, is a pleasant town.

The magical approach to St Petersburg is currently a no-go. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

There are two Russian coasts in the Baltic: the Gulf of Finland from about 27°E, and Kaliningrad between Poland and Lithuania.

Even before this year they had a strong military presence.

In happier times, St Petersburg was the adventurer’s ultimate prize. Each year a few dozen yachts would apply for visas and make the approach via the TSS to this mesmerising city.

For now it is probably best given a wide berth.

Itineraries for sailing the Baltic Sea from Kiel

Germany, Bornhom and southern Sweden

Copenhagen & western Sweden

Circumnavigate Denmark

Denmark & western Sweden, exit via the Limfjord

Germany, Gdansk, Gotland & Sweden’s Blue Coast

Circumnavigate Sweden by cutting through the Göte Kanal

Denmark > Gothenburg > Bohuslän Coast – Oslofjord – Exit via the Skagerrak

Germany > Poland > Tallinn > Helsinki > Åland archipelago > Stockholm archipelago

Charts & Pilot books for sailing the Baltic Sea

The RCCPF Baltic Sea Pilot guide is a good place to start when researching a trip. It gives a good overview of each area and is perfectly adequate if passing through. In the archipelagos though, a local pilot guide is essential.

The Swedish Hamnguiden are superb, with aerial photographs of every harbour and anchorage, showing what kind or berth or mooring is to be found, where to do a rock mooring , and where to drop the hook for a ‘normal’ anchorage.

Electronic chart coverage can be excellent, but it’s hard work passage planning on electronic charts, especially in intricate waters.

Most countries have their own leisure charts in easy-to-use format so that you can flip through as you follow a lead in the skerries.

They often have the recommended routes drawn on, including an indication of the maximum draught and are worth investing in if you’re planning to explore beyond the main ports.

German company NV produces inexpensive coverage of the southern Baltic. Chart packs are accompanied by a pilot book with harbour details.

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Hans Georg Näder has a new yacht in his collection and his Baltic Yachts shipyard gets a new site

Sources: Boote Magazin 26 January 2023, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 12 September 2020

What yachtsman can claim to be the owner of his own shipyard? Hans Georg Näder, 61, from Duderstadt, is one of the few who have this privilege. The chairman of the board and owner of Ottobock has owned the majority shares in Baltic Yachts for several years. Now, however, some circumstances are changing in the company’s portfolio, and also in Professor Näder’s portfolio. The shipyard is to get a new production site. And Hans Georg Näder has also set his sights on something better. For this, however, an old love has to give way.

Baltic Yachts

Baltic Yachts was founded in 1973 in Jakobstad, Finland. The company specializes in building high-quality yachts and is now considered one of the leading manufacturers of luxury yachts in Europe. The company’s main location is in Jakobstad, but Baltic Yachts also has offices in Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Over the years, Baltic Yachts has produced a number of well-known and successful yachts that are used in the regatta scene and cruising around the world. Some well-known models include the Baltic 142, the Baltic 52 and the Baltic 47.

In terms of sales, Baltic Yachts is a successful company, but its financial figures are not publicly known. However, it is believed that the company holds a significant share of the world market for high-quality yachts and generates a satisfactory turnover every year.

New production site

Until now, all yachts manufactured in Bosund had to undergo an unpleasant procedure in terms of the delivery route: Over 21 kilometers had to be covered by heavy goods transport through the Finnish coniferous forest. For motorists who found themselves behind the special-format truck, this was usually an extremely time-consuming affair that put both nerves and patience to the test. It took over two and a half hours for the 167-ton, 55-meter-long carbon sloop “Path” to reach the shipyard’s own quay for rescue. This is not only associated with an enormously high expenditure of time, but also with a lot of money. In order to be able to save this in the future, a new production site was planned. New standards were also to be set in terms of sustainability.

The new building was to be located directly behind the old production site. A structural connection is to enable the staff to transport material and documents back and forth between the locations without any problems. However, the new building is much larger and more energy efficient. At approximately 100 meters by 35 meters, the building is more than twice the size of the existing building in the north of Jakobstad. The old building will be primarily used as a storage area for materials.

The enormous dimensions of the roof offer quite a bit of space to install solar panels there. In total, the site is to cover 7700 square meters. The panels installed there will provide renewable energy, which will supply the company with electricity. In addition, the roof will be built from recyclable materials. The bitumen roof has the advantage of requiring around 25 percent less energy for heating than conventional covers. In terms of sustainability and climate protection, this would be a small but not insignificant step.

A firm completion date has not yet been set. However, several sources indicate that the more than 200 employees are expected to be working at the new site by around the end of 2023 / beginning of 2024. The current construction progress suggests that this time window can be met.

The new achievement: Pink Gin Verde

Baltic Yachts is also focusing on sustainability and climate protection in its products. The “Pink Gin Verde” sets new standards. The owner is none other than the owner of the German company Ottobock: Hans Georg Näder.

At just 22 meters, this yacht is a lot smaller than his previous possessions. However, in terms of technical details and appearance, the “Pink Gin Verde” is in no way inferior to the other “Pink Gins”. Elegant lines and a negative stern meet exactly the current style of the time. On the occasion of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in the fall of 2022, the luxury yacht was presented to the public. The focus on environmentally friendly technology is in the ship’s propulsion: the Baltic 68 Pink Gin Verde is fully electrified. This results in a C02 footprint of zero.

The old love: Pink Gin VI

Now it’s official. The rumors that one of Hans Georg Näder’s yachts is for sale have come true. The “Pink Gin VI” is currently for sale for 29.5 million euros. A proud price, but those who have the necessary money to purchase this gem will get a great deal.

The Pink Gin VI is one of the most prestigious and best sailing yachts to be launched in recent years. She is the largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world and boasts some of the most innovative features of any yacht. She is the highest quality and most impressive carbon composite sailing yacht in the world. She is among the best the company has to offer in its portfolio to date.

This magnificent design was created by Judel Vrolijk at Baltic Yachts in Finland and is the second largest yacht the shipyard has built in its 46-year history. She is a perfect example of innovation on a large scale, using deep knowledge of composite construction. This was followed by a complex construction program of precision engineering. It is designed for serious world travel that could stretch over several months. Näder spent almost the entire summer on his ship, which he used not only for living and working, but also as a place for numerous parties with family, friends and business partners. The interior features a mix of oak parquet flooring and gilded furnishings. One of the highlights is the retractable sun deck in the bedroom - even in yachts of this price range, something like this is not often found.

Room for something new?

The question of why Hans Georg Näder is parting with his Pink Gin VI remains open. Does he simply want to make room for something new? Does he want to make others happy by leaving this boat to the buyer? Or does the Ottobock owner simply lack the capital to finance a new Pink Gin? Most recently, Näder repeatedly reached into the company coffers to finance his hobbies.

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Baltic Sea nations react warily to a reported Russian proposal to revise its maritime border

Leaders around the Baltic Sea reacted warily Wednesday to reports that Russia could revise the borders of its territorial waters in the region, with Lithuania’s foreign minister calling it an “obvious escalation” that must be met with an “appropriately firm response.”

In a draft proposal reported by some Russian media, Russia’s Defense Ministry suggests updating the coordinates used to measure the strip of territorial waters off its mainland coast and that of its islands in the Baltic Sea.

The existing coordinates were approved in 1985, the ministry says; adding they were “based on small-scale nautical navigation maps” and don’t correspond to the “modern geographical situation.”

It wasn’t immediately clear from the draft whether the proposed changes would shift the border or merely clarify it.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Russia had signed a United Nations convention that regulates how to make such changes. “Both we and Finland assume that Russia — which is a signatory party to that convention — lives up to that responsibility,” he said, according to Swedish news agency TT.

If Russians were to challenge borders, “then Russia violates a U.N. convention, then Russia has the whole world against it,” Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE.

She said, however, it likely was a routine act by Russia and not a provocation.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on X that Russia had not been in contact with Finland on the matter. “Finland acts as always: calmly and based on facts,” he wrote.

Also on X , Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis asserted that Russia was “attempting to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about their intentions in the Baltic Sea.” There has been great concern in Lithuania about Russian troops’ latest gains in northeastern Ukraine .

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius , who was on a visit to Lithuania on Wednesday, echoed Landbergis remarks saying that “whatever this was or actually is, it appears to be another example of the thoroughly perfidious kind of hybrid warfare that Putin is practicing,” German news agency dpa reported.

The Baltic News Service said Lithuania summoned the Russian representative for a detailed explanation.

However, Russia’s Interfax news agency later Wednesday cited an unnamed military diplomatic source as saying Moscow does not intend to revise the border or the width of its territorial waters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there was “nothing political” in the Defense Ministry’s proposal.

“You see how tensions and the level of confrontation are escalating, especially in the Baltic region. This requires appropriate steps from our relevant bodies to ensure our security,” Peskov said.

The proposal was published on an official government website for draft legislation but appeared deleted Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear why.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Finland and Sweden have joined NATO . The Baltic Sea — Russia’s maritime point of access to the city of St. Petersburg and its Kaliningrad enclave — is now almost surrounded by members of the military alliance.

Kaliningrad is sandwiched between Lithuania to the north and east and Poland to the south. It is home to the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet.

The Associated Press

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Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, additional reporting Anastasia Malenko; editing by Mark Heinrich, William Maclean

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A two-storey restaurant building collapsed on the beach in Palma de Mallorca on Thursday, killing at least four people and injuring 16 people in the tourism hot spot in Spain's Balearic Islands, the country's national police said.

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