Mile building: Saimaa lakes

A voyage around the Saimaa lakes.

We will start and finish in Laappenranta.

This is good training for the IYT Bareboat Skipper certificate and for those who want to take the boat on charter, but are not sure of their navigation skills and the ability to moor a yacht in all conditions.

It is also suitable for the Yachtmaster Coastal in matters of navigation and route planning.

Saimaa lakes are the best place to start the yachting season in the Baltic. While in the open water it can be still cold and too windy, in Saimaa it is always calmer and warmer. You can safely work on maneuvers, navigation and laying the route.

Of course, given the peculiarities of this place terrain, you can fully relax only on land, because Finnish skerries have the biggest number of navigational signs. The navigational practice is equal to a week in the Mediterranean.

Sailing in Finland is particularly comfortable thanks to the infrastructure. Every third of the Finnish families owns some kind of boat. Even on the smallest islet, there is a place to relax, where you can fry kebabs or fish, a free sauna and the opportunity to swim in the clearest water, electricity, and water in larger mooring places.

The weekly training program is packed:

* Yacht design and marine terminology in English and Russian. (So that you can talk to the charter company and understand the commands of a foreign skipper)

* Preparation for going to sea (check-in, an inspection of the yacht, purchase of products)

* Work on the deck (setting sails, changing sails)

* Work with the helm 

* Navigation

* Planning of the crossing

* Maneuvering

* How to act in an emergency

* Mooring, anchoring

* What they don’t write in textbooks or Good marine practice.

In addition to good practice, this is a great vacation, and beautiful nature with a very interesting coastline. Fishermen will be interested in fishing, just don’t forget to let us know beforehand! In the first months of summer, there will be white nights. After a good day’s work, you can sit on a yacht or on the beach with a drink enjoying white nights and sunsets.