Eight places to explore by sailboat that you will always carry in your heart

In this second installment(HERE is the link to part 1) we continue our journey in week-long boat itineraries to unusual places, light years

from mass tourism, starting from locations reachable by flights
low-cost. These are the “Sailing Explorations” that the experienced skipper Alex Mazzetti has chosen for you, which he personally “experienced.” Let’s explore pristine archipelagos between the Black Sea and the Atlantic. Where we would all like to sail once in a lifetime.

Eight unconventional places to explore by sailboat

Pros continues our sailing trip(after the first installment) to unusual destinations accompanied by Alex Mazzetti, a nonprofessional skipper who has been boating for nearly 50 years and who, tired of sailing in the most ‘token’ seas, has embarked on adventures in less stereotypical places.

Thus he told us himself, “Thus my concept of “Sailing Explorations” was born: week-long, chartered sailings in seas suitable for novices and experts alike, in locations reachable by low-cost flights. Using the boat as if it were a “camper” rented locally, it is possible to combine visits to the historic centers of seaside towns with sailing in the wilder archipelagos. It is a form of “responsible hiking” that is conscious and respectful of the environment and local cultures. The most intriguing aspect is that the locations are new even to the skipper, so the sailing takes on an adventurous and exploratory connotation, nothing like cruises where the skipper acts as a tour guide, yawning in front of Facebook, while others are excitedly taking selfies on the boat. In this second installment, I reveal eight more destinations I have explored in recent years, between the Black Sea and the Atlantic“.

TURKEY – BLACK SEA

“Black Sea? Terrible!” said the owner during the check-in of the chartered boat in Istanbul, “very big waves!” Indeed, the Black Sea is big: from Odessa to Istanbul is 330 miles of open sea, almost as big as the French Riviera-Algeria. But it is enough to skirt the northern coast of Turkey to savor its charms. Byzantium until 330 CE, then Constantinople until 1930 and finally Istanbul; it was the capital of the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Latin Empire and Ottoman Empire. It’s like sailing through a history book.

And then there is the Bosphorus, the strait that joins the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and marks the border between Asia and Europe, pardon between Thrace and Anatolia. Crossing the Bosphorus, you flow into the Black Sea, a sea without recreation: in the marinas, no dinghies, no speedboats, no sailboats, only fishing boats.

The fishermen will be considerate to help you moor and will even offer you tea, but do not try to repay them by offering them a nice cold beer, because if it happens to be Ramadan, they cannot drink until sunset.

Where to rent the boat: Fenerbahçe (Istanbul)

Week-long itinerary: Kaşık Adası, Esenköy, İstinye, Rumelifeneri, Şile.

Why go: to eddy in front of the Blue Mosque.

Fun fact: At 3 a.m. you will be jolted awake by the psalmody of the harbor Muezzin.

SWEDEN – STOCKHOLM ARCHIPELAGO

Stockholm is one of the most elegant and fascinating cities in the world. The city consists of 14 islands and can all be visited on foot. It pays to rent the boat at one of the marinas a little outside the city, so you can enjoy the upwind entrance to Stockholm and the docking at the city’s most beautiful marina, Vasahamnen, right in front of the Vasa galleon, which sank in 1628 half a mile from the launch.

Sailing is widespread in Sweden, thanks to the fact that the Stockholm archipelago has tens of thousands of islands, some with eloquent names such as “Paradiset” or “Sandhamn” (sand harbor). Some islands seem insignificant at first glance, then you discover that entering a cove leads to a small harbor hidden inland, look at the map, and realize that the island has a snail-like shape.

Where to rent the boat: Duvnäsviken. www.sailmarine.com

Week-long itinerary: Napoleonviken (Ägnö), Malmakvarn, Sandhamn, Paradiset (Finnhamn), Lådna, Waxholms, Wasahamnen (Stockholm)

Why go: to get lost in an archipelago of 24,000 islands.

Fun fact: the mooring fee includes electricity, water and of course sauna!

DENMARK – ØRESUND SEA

Between Sweden and Denmark is a small sea, called the Øresund Sea. It came to prominence a few years ago for hosting the America’s Cup “Louis Vuitton Act” regattas. It is a windy sea but not too windy, with very few waves and especially with three very conspicuous points: Copenhagen, Malmö and Kronborg.

Recently declared “the safest city in the world,” Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, allows you to dock for a noodle in the spectacular Nyhavn, the old harbor, in spite of the name that would literally mean new harbor. Unfortunately, the “little mermaid” is not easily visible from the boat, but it is worth walking there to take a selfie. Malmö, on the other hand, is in Sweden and is a small, friendly city that has invested heavily in sustainable city design and is at the forefront in Scandinavia.

The sailor is offered a futuristic backdrop by edging in front of the “Turning Torso,” a skyscraper twisted in on itself by Calatrava. But the icing on the cake of the Øresund Sea is Kronborg Castle, residence of the Kings of Denmark where William Shakespeare set his famous tragedy Hamlet. This castle stands in Helsingør (Elsinore) at the narrowest point of entry to the Baltic Sea because in the 15th century it served as a “tollhouse” for toll collection.

Where to rent the boat: Malmö (Sweden).

Week-long itinerary: Landskrona, Kyrkbacken (Ven Island), Helsingborg (Sweden) Gilleleje, Helsingør (Denmark), Copenhagen.

Why go there: to moor in front of Hamlet Castle.

Fun fact: Some Danish harbors are unstaffed, and mooring is automated by a boat meter: you put in money by stating the length of the boat, and it assigns you a place in the dock, enabling the water and electricity column for the time you set.

UK/FRANCE – ENGLISH CHANNEL

Adventurous sailing enthusiasts will find. adrenaline in the English Channel crossing by sail, a navigation steeped in history and tradition. It is worth embarking in Portsmouth (UK), where the “Spinnaker Tower,” a 170-meter-high panoramic tower in the shape of a spinnaker (not to be confused with the hotel in Dubai), soars.

Before venturing across the English Channel, it is worth exploring a bit of the Solent Canal, the myth, the most “sailing” canal in the world. Not to be missed is a stop in Cowes, Isle of Wight, where the America’s Cup was born back in 1851 (Italy at that time still had the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Papal States, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, etc.). Those who are no longer kids will remember that the Isle of Wight held “the greatest rock festival of all time” in 1970, at the height of the hippie era.

The Channel crossing takes us to Normandy (France), where we will find redoubt in the port of Cherbourg, but beware, the route and sailing times are strongly influenced by the tides and currents.

Where to charter the boat: Portsmouth. www.solentyachtcharter.com

Week-long itinerary: Yarmouth, The Needles, Cherbourg, Barfleur, Cowes (Isle of Wight).

Why go there: to make the “Normandy landings.”

Fun fact: If you put on autopilot, your course will be “S”-shaped because in the 10-hour crossing of the English Channel, the tidal current reverses twice.

FRANCE – BRITTANY

The Breton Sea is fierce, but if you know how to tame it it becomes your friend: the tidal current can double your speed if you know what time it turns in your favor, but if you get the time wrong you will find yourself moving backwards even with the engine at full forward. Navigation in Brittany is not marked by meal times, but by tide times. The southern coast of Brittany offers two opposing scenarios: from the open sea, with its huge ocean waves, to the Gulf of Morbihan, with its labyrinth of ridges and tidal currents. It is no coincidence that the historic Glénans Islands Sailing School is located there.

The tide forces you not only to pay attention to the bottom, but also to bridge crossings, whose height from sea level can halve at high tide. Please note: on French nautical charts, sea depth is referred to the lowest tide in history, but bridge height is referred to the average high tide.

Where to rent the boat: La Trinité-sur-Mer. www.alternative-sailing.com

Week-long itinerary: Le Palais (Belle-Île), Port Tudy (Groix), Doëlan, Îles des Glénan, Auray, Vannes.

Why go: to experience tidal currents faster than your boat (8 knots).

Fun fact: Buoy moorings are made to two buoys, one at the bow and one at the stern, to keep the boat aligned with the current rather than bow to the wind.

SPAIN – CANTABRIAN SEA

The Cantabrian Sea is that corner of the Atlantic Ocean that bathes the Basque Country on the northeast coast of Spain, rich in history, folklore, and gastronomy. Embarking in the vicinity of Bilbao, the capital of Biscay, head east and, after several picturesque villages, land in San Sebastian, renowned for its spectacular natural basin whose beach triples in immensity at low tide.

Continuing on, you reach Hondarribia, the most characteristic of the area; if you are lucky you may catch a game of Pelota Basque, which is the most popular sport in those parts. Finally we reach the French border and reach Biarritz, a mythical seaside resort where surfers evolve under the fairy-tale Villa Belza.

Where to rent the boat: Bermeo.

One-week itinerary: Lekeitio, San Sebastian, Hondarribia, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz, Mutriku, Getaria.

Why go there: to navigate an area where they are neither Spanish nor French, only Basque.

Fun fact: The Basque fishermen’s cottages are reminiscent of the mountain cottages of our Trentino region.

PORTUGAL – LISBON

Lisbon (Portugal) is an enlightened city. The Tagus River and the sun, which shines almost all the time, make the Portuguese capital a colorful mirror. Visiting Lisbon from the boat amplifies the spectacle because most of the monuments face the sea, especially in the Belém area. Sailing westward we find the aristocratic Costa do Estoril, the summer residence of the King of Portugal, and arrive in Cascais, a port frequented By oceanic navigators. The coast to the south is a huge beach frequented by few people and many dolphins.

Give yourself a day ashore to take the train and go to Sintra, a few kilometers inland, where the fairy-tale castle “Palácio da Pena” towers, UNESCO heritage. Sailing in Lisbon offers the opportunity to confront the waves of the Atlantic Ocean in complete safety, sharing excitement and tranquility.

Where to rent the boat: Lisbon. www.palmayachts.com

Week-long itinerary: Baía do Seixal, Cascais, Sesimbra, Setúbal (train excursion to Sintra).

Why go there: to jibe where Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Bartholomew Diaz left.

Fun fact: Parque Natural da Arrábida is home to one of the largest colonies of dolphins in the wild.

PORTUGAL – THE AZORES

The Azores are 9 Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. One of Europe’s last nature havens, far from mass tourism, the Azores offer 2,400-meter mountains with lush vegetation and extinct volcanoes whose craters have become verdant basins. Among the most thriving industries in the Azores today is trekking in the green valleys and whale and dolphin spotting. Marina de Horta, on the island of Faial, is a cosmopolitan hub for Atlantic sailors, who like to gather in Peter’s historic Café Sport. Horta’s breakwater quay is filled with murals painted by various crews in memory of their Atlantic crossing.

The oldest city in the archipelago is Angra do Heroísmo, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most beautiful nature spectacles are found on San Miguel Island, which is a bit far from the other islands (150 miles from Horta) but is served by numerous internal flights and is worth stopping a couple of days to trek among volcanic lakes and ominously named trails such as “Miradouro da boca do Inferno.”

Where to rent the boat: Horta (Faial). www.sailazores.pt

Week-long itinerary: Lajes do Pico, Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira), Velas (São Jorge).

Why go: to find yourself in the middle of the Ocean without crossing it.

Fun fact: You can bathe in natural pools where with each wave of the sea cold ocean water enters and hot water from the volcano below comes out.

To learn more and discover Alex Mazzetti’s Sailing Explorations itineraries: www.nodobandiera.it

SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT US!

The journalists of the Sailing Newspaper, strive every day to ensure quality, up-to-date and correct information about the boating world free of charge through their websites. If you appreciate our work, support us by subscribing to the magazine. The annual subscription costs only 49 euros and we give you a nice gift

DISCOVER THE SAILING NEWSPAPER YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Daily interviews, boat trials, webinars. The whole sail, minute by minute. But on video! CLICK HERE To sign up, it’s free!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

To stay up-to-date on all the news from the world of sailing, selected by our editorial staff, sign up for the Sailing Newspaper newsletter! It’s super easy, just enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “Sign Me Up” button. You will then receive on your email, twice a week, the best sailing news! It’s a free service and you can unsubscribe at any time, with no obligation!