Sailing Trips in the Baltic 2027 – Flauschtörn, Spaßtörn, Spinnertörn

Ahoy!

You are here because I would like to have you on board. Either I invited you myself, or somebody I invited wants you along – which to me amounts to much the same thing.

In 2026 I spent two weeks in the Baltic with two different crews: one easy-going week, and one week of several days and nights at sea in one go. Both were wonderful, and I want to do it again in 2027 – only longer.

The catch: it is the middle of 2026 and I know almost nothing yet. No dates, no boat, no co-skippers. Before I book anything I need a few things from you: whether you would be up for it at all, and if so, when you are most likely free and which concept appeals to you. That is what I build the planning out of.

Everything I already know is on this page. Everything I do not know yet is here too – just with a still open next to it. I keep this page up to date, the same as last year. And if something is unclear: ask me.

If I invited you personally, do feel free to pass the invitation on to people you think would be a good fit. If you were not invited by me but would really like to bring somebody along, please talk to me first.

Latest changes to this page

18 September 2026
- The 2027 page is online. From now on, whatever changes shows up here – so you do not have to re-read the whole thing every time.

Planning

What is settled – and what is not

Settled

The Baltic, and almost certainly a lot of Denmark
Early summer, summer or autumn 2027, several weeks back to back
A crew change every week – come for one week or for several
Three concepts: Flauschtörn, Spaßtörn, Spinnertörn
You can come and get thoroughly involved without a licence or any experience
I am there as skipper, plus one co-skipper per week
We cater for ourselves and cook together
German is the language on board – or English, as soon as anyone prefers it

Still unknown

The dates. They depend on when my co-skippers can go, and on you
How many weeks it will actually be
Which concept lands in which week, and which one might run twice
Which boat we charter
Which harbours the crew changes happen in

The three concepts

From sleeping in to sailing straight through

First, the names, which stay German: a Törn is simply a sailing trip, Flausch means fluff, Spaß means fun, and a Spinner is somebody who is a bit nuts. That probably tells you most of what you need to know. All three are hands-on trips with a watch system. On every one of them you can steer, navigate, keep the log, check the engine, help with manoeuvres and lead them yourself. It may look as though the Flauschtörn is for beginners and the Spinnertörn is for experienced sailors. That is nonsense. I had people on the Spinnertörn who had never sailed before, and they had a great time. Ask yourself honestly what you want!

tried and tested

The Flauschtörn

The relaxed holiday one.

On a typical day in 2026 we got up around 10, had a slow breakfast, cast off around 12 and arrived somewhere between 6 and 8 in the evening – a harbour or an anchorage. After that there was still time to eat together, wander around the place, go for a swim, or simply sit about in good company.

That sounds like very little sailing, but it is not. You are at sea for half the day and it still never gets stressful. There is plenty of time for explaining things, trying them out, doing them yourself. And time to lie on the foredeck, have a proper conversation, or disappear into your cabin for a while.

Getting up: around 10
Casting off: around 12
Arrival: 6–8 pm
Night sailing: none
Nights: harbour or anchorage
Alcohol: evenings in harbour, in moderation

Suits: Holidaymakers, late risers, and anyone who wants to see something of the places we stop in.

new for 2027

The Spaßtörn

Night sailing, without a whole week on watch rotation.

The new one! The best of both worlds. The idea is to spend a bit more time at sea. Either we all have breakfast together around 8 or 9 and cast off afterwards, or a few volunteers get up for an early departure before breakfast. In the evening we usually head for a harbour or drop anchor. Once or twice we sail through the night instead.

That takes us considerably further than the Flauschtörn and gives us more time at sea. And you get to experience night sailing, which for me is one of the best things about the whole sport: the stars, navigating by lighthouse, the watch plan, sunrise at sea. Most nights you still sleep right through.

Getting up: around 8
Casting off: sometimes before breakfast
Arrival: 6–10 pm, as agreed
Night sailing: once or twice a week
Nights: mostly harbour or anchor
Alcohol: evenings in harbour, in moderation

Suits: Anyone who wants to sail a lot but also sleep through a whole night now and then.

tried and tested

The Spinnertörn

Several days and nights at sea without stopping.

A round-the-clock watch system, sleep in small helpings spread across the day, cooking while the boat heels, out of your bunk at 4 in the morning because your watch is up. We remind each other not to forget eating, drinking and sleeping. If it ever genuinely gets too much for you, another crew member will step in for your watch – or you for theirs. This one only works as a team.

It is exhausting and it is not for everybody. Even so, 2026 was the week that generated the most enthusiasm and the best crew feeling of the lot. What you need to bring is motivation, staying power and team spirit. What you do not need to bring is sailing experience.

Getting up: whenever your watch is up
Casting off: rarely
Arrival: rarely
Night sailing: (almost) all of them
Nights: at sea, on watch rotation
Alcohol: none at all

Suits: People who really want to find out, and maybe push their limits a little while they are at it.

Who this is for

What you need to bring

The short version: enthusiasm, the ability to work in a team, and a bit of staying power. Everything else you learn on board.

What you should bring

A desire to sail and to get stuck in
Team spirit – we are ten people on 15 metres for a week
A willingness to take responsibility
A bit of staying power and patience (slightly more for the Spinnertörn)
Whatever is on the packing list

What you do not need

A sailing licence
Any previous experience
A cast-iron stomach. There is a surprising amount you can do to prevent seasickness, I bring medication for it, and the body usually gets used to it within a day or two.
Your own gear beyond the packing list

I am not sure I can do this

Then write to me. Let us talk it over and work out together whether sailing is for you, and if it is, which concept fits best.

Photos

What 2026 looked like

Two weeks, two crews, two very different ways of sailing. You can tell which week is which fairly easily.

Flauschtörn 2026

19 to 26 June. Short legs, long evenings, plenty of sun and very little rush.

Spinnertörn 2026

26 June to 3 July. Four days and nights at sea in one go, sunrises in oilskins, and a bit too much wind and swell towards the end.

All the photos are from the 2026 crews and are here with their consent.

Our home for a week

The boat

Boat for 2027: not booked yet still open
Starting point: probably Heiligenhafen again still open
Sailed in 2026: Bavaria 50 Cruiser „Artemis“, out of Heiligenhafen
Crew size: ten people on board at most

I only book the boat once the dates are settled. What I am looking for: big enough for eight to ten people, affordable, in decent condition. The Artemis ticked every box in 2026 – which is where I will start looking, even though getting there is a nuisance.

Money

What it will cost

Charter: around €500 per week estimate
Ship's kitty: around €200 per week estimate
Travel there and back: everyone pays their own

Those are my current working figures, not promises. I have neither a boat nor dates, and both of them determine the price. As soon as the boat is booked there will be a number here you can rely on.

What is the ship's kitty for?

Food, harbour fees, diesel, gas, water, and the occasional round of ice cream. We cater for ourselves entirely, which keeps the costs down. Alcohol is never paid for out of the kitty.

When do I have to pay?

Still open – I will settle that once the boat is booked. In 2026 it was a deposit when you signed up bindingly and the rest two months before departure. 2027 will probably work similarly. Right now this is only about non-binding interest, though; you pay nothing yet.

And if I have to cancel?

I will settle that once the dates are fixed as well. I pay for the charter up front as a private individual, so I cannot absorb late cancellations entirely. If we find somebody to take your place, it is never a problem.

What about insurance?

I take out skipper's liability insurance and deposit insurance and split the cost evenly between everybody. On top of that, I would recommend thinking about private travel cancellation insurance and international health cover.

How do I work out the charter price?

I calculate conservatively: with fewer people on board than will probably end up coming. That way the money is still enough if a few places stay empty.

What happens to surplus charter fees?

This is the part I want to do differently from last year: the surplus goes entirely into a pot that I use to organise future sailing trips. Out of it I can offer people who could not otherwise afford my trips a heavily reduced charter rate – right at the booking stage, not retrospectively.

The pot also cushions the risk of a badly booked trip, which gives me more room to plan. And eventually it should cover my living costs for the sailing weeks, so I can sail with you more than my (partly unpaid) holiday allows.

There and back

Getting there and back

Where we start depends on the boat. Probably Heiligenhafen again, and I will say it straight away: getting there by train is no fun. We managed it in 2026 anyway, and we will organise it together again – in groups, with an early and a late arrival on the day.

Crew changes

The crew changes every week, and for that we do not have to go back to Heiligenhafen. We pick harbours that are easier to reach. The criteria: a decent train connection, and somewhere that makes sense for the route. I do not know which ones yet – they will appear here as soon as the route does. Early enough for you to book your train tickets in peace.

In principle everybody is responsible for their own journey. But I am glad to help with the planning and with putting groups together.

Everyday life

What life on board is like

Ten people, one week, 15 metres of boat. It works remarkably well when everyone thinks along: tidying up before being asked, washing up without a discussion, noticing when somebody needs a bit of quiet.

What is the sailing area like?

The Baltic, and we will very probably spend most of the time in Danish waters. Manageable distances between harbours, pretty little towns, a few genuinely lovely anchorages. It is not always sheltered, though: there can be a serious amount of wind and swell, and that is part of it.

What language do we speak on board?

German by default. But as soon as one person on board is more comfortable in English, we all switch to English – not just for the safety briefing, but over dinner too. It is not fair if somebody spends half the week not knowing what everyone is laughing about.

For you that means: if you do not speak German, you can still come. And if you do speak German, your week may well run in English. Nobody needs perfect English – what matters is that everybody can follow.

What do we eat?

We cater for ourselves on board, and we take individual needs and preferences into account. Cooking vegan, or with a vegan option, is more or less standard by now. If you have more complicated needs (allergies, intolerances, ...), the best place to tell me is the form!

It would be great if you thought up a recipe for one evening, put together a shopping list for it, and then led the cooking – with help, of course. I am happy to advise on what the galley can manage and on possible recipes.

Breakfast, depending on appetite and circumstances, is fresh rolls, bake-off rolls or muesli, cornflakes, porridge, semolina – whatever is there, or whatever somebody is willing to cook. Coffee and tea too, obviously.

In between there are snacks, leftovers from the day before, sandwiches, pancakes, or a big pot of pasta with pesto. Nobody is going to starve.

When, where and how do we shop?

We put together a big shopping list for the whole week beforehand, and buy almost all of it in the harbour at the start. The arriving crew does the shopping while the skipper and co-skipper take the boat over, or while the previous crew clears out. Along the way we only top up small things: fresh vegetables, bread, and whatever turned out to be unexpectedly popular.

What about alcohol?

The Spinnertörn is an alcohol-free trip – we simply have no time for being tipsy and sobering up again. On the Flauschtörn and Spaßtörn, alcohol in the evening once we have tied up in harbour is fine in moderation. It is never paid for out of the ship's kitty.

Where do we sleep?

In two-berth cabins, depending on the boat. Everybody brings their own sheet and sleeping bag, because bedding from the charter company usually costs a disproportionate amount. I do my best to make sure you share a cabin with somebody you get on with.

What do we do all day?

There is always something going on. The watch on duty usually has their hands full with navigation, steering and keeping an overview. The others can help with sail handling, think along, make something to eat and become terribly popular that way, or just relax – whatever they feel like. For casting off and coming alongside we need all hands anyway.

How does the watch system work?

Why have a watch system at all?

I always sail with a watch system. It only becomes really important on long legs, to make sure crew members pace themselves and that there is always somebody around who is fresh. But I find it worthwhile on the gentler trips too, because it gives everybody a moment where they feel entitled and encouraged to take on tasks and responsibility.

What does a watch plan look like?

That depends on the size of the crew. On the last trip there were eight of us: three watch leaders, four crew members, and me as skipper. Each watch was one watch leader and one crew member, and the pairings rotated. That gave every watch leader one watch and then two off, and every crew member one watch and then three off. Watches were three hours during the day and four at night. There was often plenty to do for people who were technically off watch but up for it anyway. As skipper I had no watches, which was just as well, because I somehow always had something to do regardless.

What does a watch leader have to do?

During their watch, the watch leader carries the responsibility for the boat. They make sure somebody is taking care of the following – delegating is allowed and encouraged:

Steering the boat
Keeping an eye on traffic, course, sails and weather
Navigation and onward route planning, in consultation with the skipper where needed
Keeping the log
Working through the departure checklist if casting off falls in their watch
Talking to the skipper

The most important skill of a watch leader is recognising when to ask the skipper for help.

What do I need to pack?

It is far too early to pack, but people ask early anyway. Best is to put everything in a soft bag that stows away easily: we do not have much storage on board and cannot fit a hard-shell suitcase for everybody. Some experienced sailors travel with an IKEA bag.

Absolutely necessary

Clothes for every kind of weather (layers: several warm ones)
A rain jacket
Sturdy shoes with non-marking, non-slip soles
A sleeping bag
A fitted sheet (70–90 cm wide; in double cabins you can share a 140)
A towel, microfibre ideally, it dries faster
Sun cream
ID card or passport
Your health insurance card

If you have them, or if you need them

Any medication you need (I bring something for seasickness)
A pillow
A power bank – the sockets only work in harbour
Flip-flops for the harbour showers
Something to keep the sun off your head
Swimming things
Leggings or other comfortable trousers to wear under rain trousers
Earplugs, against noise and snoring cabin mates
Work gloves, fingerless ideally
A head torch, ideally with a red light for night-time
Your sailing licence and radio certificate, if you have them
A book, e-reader, offline music, headphones – whatever you need for downtime
Containers for leftovers are very welcome

What is so good about sailing?

An incomplete list of things I love about sailing:

Experiencing wind, weather and sea at first hand
Endless things to learn, practical and theoretical. You never stop learning.
An easy way in: you can take an active part with no previous experience
The feeling of being able to contribute from day one
Living and working in an intense social situation
Real cooperation, and clear roles within the crew
The remarkable feeling of handling a big boat together
Freedom, movement, and distance from everyday life

Cory's Sailing Trips 2027

Ahoy!