Anyone sailing in the Bay of Wismar for the first time will probably be startled by the echo sounder; in many places, the seabed literally seems close enough to touch. However, this is usually due to the clear water and the light-coloured sandy bottom, which reflects the light perfectly - especially when the sun is high and the Baltic Sea is hardly moving with little wind. In reality, however, there is usually three to four metres of water under the keel before it becomes really shallow towards the shore.
As we set course from Lübeck towards the micro-region just outside Wismar, we unfortunately don't get the pleasure of exploring the bottom of the bay through a spyglass - the sun is already just over the horizon on this September evening. But even that has its charm. The backlight makes the water surface of Wismar Bay glisten almost magically, and the steep shore of Poel Island lights up in warm yellow tones as if illuminated by a gigantic spotlight. This is the first destination on our cruise through the Bay of Wismar.
Timmendorf - first destination in the Bay of Wismar
As we approach, just before sunset, we recognise the entrance to the small fishing and pilot harbour of Timmendorf and enter. There are around 30 guest moorings along the northern pier. However, as a freshening south-westerly wind is forecast for the night, it could be uncomfortable there due to swell. So we look for a berth on the southern side of the harbour. The berths here are occupied by permanent residents during the season. In early autumn, however, the first boats are already out of the water and consequently some of the berths are free.
As soon as the lines are secured, the sun sinks spectacularly into the Baltic Sea directly in front of the harbour over the Bay of Wismar. This fantastic spectacle of nature can be observed both from the piers and from the neighbouring beach to the north. However, we don't linger long at this fantastic sight on this day; the six-hour journey from Lübeck has made us hungry. As the restaurant "Zur Poeler Kogge" and "Krönings Fischbude" are still open, but their chefs have already finished work, we have to do without regional cuisine. Instead, we head a little way north along the Lotsenstieg to the local Italian restaurant "Portofino". The pizza is indeed delicious and the prices are fair.
The next morning, we walk along the steep bank and to the long beach. A few hundred metres from the harbour, we reach a sailing school that rents out beach kats here in summer. On the way back, we stroll through the village and discover the "Seekiste", a shop selling souvenirs and some groceries, next to a bakery. There is also a cutter in the harbour that sells smoked fish and fish sandwiches. For self-catering, there is a public barbecue area with a sea view nearby.
Boltenhagen in the west of the Bay of Wismar
Back on the water, we point the bow towards the opposite side of the bay. Boltenhagen lies there. Aft, the Timmendorf lighthouse is getting smaller and smaller. It has been showing shipping the way to Wismar for 150 years. Previously, a wooden beacon stood there, which also served as a lookout for ships for the pilots.
The west-south-westerly course takes us close past the Lieps, a sandbank that often falls dry and is the highest part of the shallows that extend from Tarnewitzer Huk eastwards into Wismar Bay. This flat forces sailors approaching the bay from the west to take a diversion. They first have to reach the Offentief approach before they can change course into the bay. Even if the narrow sandy strip of the Lieps invites exploration, it may not be entered. It is marked by the rear light, which rises out of the water next to it and is the leading light for ships heading out of the bay.
From Timmendorf on Poel, it's just under five nautical miles over to Boltenhagen in the Weiße Wiek marina. With 350 berths, it is quite large and well protected from all wind directions thanks to a stone breakwater. It is surrounded by flat blocks and a hotel. The directly adjacent beach is rather small, the Boltenhagen beach with the pier is located on the other side of the Tarnewitzer Huk about one and a half kilometres from the harbour. You will pass a supermarket on the way there.
The marina does not have the charm of a fishing harbour, but it is easier to find a berth here, especially in summer. There is also a petrol station and a yacht service outlet. The toilets and showers in the wash house are newer, and there is even a washing machine. All this service comes at a price: a ten-metre boat costs 27 euros - a record in the bay.
Alternative: Anchoring in the Wohlenberger Wiek
Sailors for whom this is too much or who like it quieter should still pay a visit to the Kamerun fishing centre in the Weiße Wiek. The fish is sold in a cutter, which serves as the roof of the sales room. We stock up on smoked eel and mackerel there and then leave the harbour in a southerly direction, following the shore of Wismar Bay. We drop anchor in the Wohlenberger Wiek near the campsite. In westerly winds, the harbour is very sheltered. The clear water mentioned at the beginning reveals its advantage for sailors: it is easy to find a sandy spot where the anchor will hold.
Via Hohen Wieschendorf to Kirchdorf
We enjoy the smoked fish, weigh anchor again and head around the Huk Hohen Wieschendorf to the harbour of the same name. Its floating jetties are protected by a large concrete pier. A few sailing yachts are anchored nearby in front of the bathing beach. The harbour is quiet, but doesn't offer much apart from a beach and an Italian restaurant on the pier. It is only a short stopover for us, we quickly set sail again and head for Poel again, but this time towards the southern end of the island. Behind it, we turn into the northbound fairway to Kirchdorf.
It is advisable to keep to its buoyage, as it becomes shallow outside the fairway. The so-called Kirchsee stretches two nautical miles into the centre of the island. Once we arrive in Kirchdorf, we have a choice: guest moorings are available both at the jetty of the municipal harbour and at the local sailing club. We moor there. The clubhouse has new sanitary facilities and the moorings are right in front of the fish restaurant in the harbour. There you can have dinner outside with a view of your own boat.
Kirchdorf is the largest village on the island and used to boast a fortress. It was located next to the church, which can still be recognised today by some of the earth walls. It was completed at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War and temporarily served as the headquarters of the Danish King Gustav Adolf when his army was in retreat. The original purpose of the bulwark, however, was to protect the fairway to Wismar. Over the centuries, the once imposing structure changed hands several times until it fell into disrepair in the 19th century and was only used as a quarry for new residential buildings in the village.
According to a sign, the fortress builder Adolf Friedrich Duke of Mecklenburg allegedly harboured ambitions to turn his country into a naval power. The Mecklenburg fleet was to be stationed here in Kirchdorf at the foot of his fortress. This makes you smile 400 years later, given the small harbour and shallow water.
The church next to the old ramparts is much older than the fortress and was used by Hanseatic merchants as a landmark when approaching Wismar. Bicycles can be hired in the village for a tour of the island. There is a bakery, an ice cream parlour, a supermarket and various places to eat.
The wind turns south overnight and picks up. Despite its sheltered location, the swell makes it into the harbour and causes the boats to rock noticeably. Never mind, we want to continue the next day anyway. On the itinerary is the metropolis of the area: Wismar. On the way, we pass the island of Walfisch. A defence system once stood there to secure access to the town by sea. Today, the island is a nature reserve and may not be entered.
Large protection zones in the Bay of Wismar
The protection zone also extends to the shallows off the island. Outside of this, however, there is nothing to stop us dropping anchor - or so we thought. However, the whale turned out to be so shallow that it did not provide the cover we had hoped for in the prevailing south-westerly wind. The bottom is also very weedy, so the anchor has nowhere to hold. So we move on.
Wismar - the metropolis in the Bay of Wismar
Shortly before reaching the town centre, we pass the Wismar Yacht Club, whose jetties are located right next to the fairway with an adjacent beach. There is usually a place to stay here, and it is only four kilometres into the city by bus. A little further on is the Wismar Sailing Club, which is located near the huge Wismar shipyard. In the city itself, visitors can choose between three other harbours. In the Old Harbour you are in prominent company - the Poeler Kogge, a replica of an old cargo sailing ship, is moored there. The second alternative is the Westhafen Marina, the city's largest pleasure craft harbour. However, it is often very full. The third option is the overseas harbour. In its basin, you first pass large excavators loading gravel from cargo ships into railway wagons before three floating jetties appear in the far corner. There is usually a free berth on these.
It is not far to the city from all three harbours. Close to the Old Harbour is the Water Gate, through which you can enter the old town that begins behind it. In the 13th century, Wismar was one of the most prosperous Hanseatic cities alongside Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund and Hamburg. The former wealth can still be seen today in the beautiful historic gabled houses, fortifications and churches. The city is very lively with its many shops, restaurants and bars. In summer, it is the destination of many cruise ships, which is when it often gets really crowded. We are spared this at the end of the season.
The church tower of St Mary's is well worth a visit. It towers the highest above the roofs of the town and can also be seen coming from the sea from the approach buoy. From up there, the view sweeps across the entire Bay of Wismar and all the destinations of the past few days can be seen in the distance.
The Wismar Bay offers plenty of variety
On our zigzag course through the bay, we visited harbours and bays that couldn't be more different: from small fishing harbours in idyllic locations to sheltered anchorages and marinas developed for tourism to lively towns, each destination is a highlight in its own way. Some places, such as Timmendorf on Poel, are worth the journey in themselves. However, many sailors from the Bay of Lübeck and Kühlungsborn also know this, which is why it can get crowded there in summer. The yachts then lie in packs between fishing boats or outside on the piles of the pits.
However, the anchorages south of Timmendorf off the steep shore and opposite Wohlenberger Wiek or off Hohen Wieschendorf are also worthwhile destinations for a short weekend trip. To get as far as Wismar, however, you should plan an extra day or two. Because no matter where you are travelling from on your own keel, whether from Travemünde, Großenbrode or Kühlungsborn, it is always around 20 nautical miles to Timmendorf. There are also around eight nautical miles to the Hanseatic city.
In fact, you could easily spend a whole week in this micro-region. In terms of sailing, it is not demanding, so family, beginner and small cruiser crews will also get their money's worth. A glance at the nautical chart reveals many shallows. But most of them are only an obstacle for deep-draft yachts. And besides: you can see them, thanks to the clear water.
Navigation rules in the Bay of Wismar
Eleven local water sports clubs have joined forces in the "Wismar Bay Nature Conservation" project and have drawn up special navigation rules for the particularly sensitive areas of the bay - in this way, they want to pre-empt official prohibition zones. In some harbours, there is a nautical chart with the affected zones and corresponding information. The website www.naturschutz-wismarbucht.de also explains how to behave. The measures are intended to protect seabirds; they hardly impose any restrictions on sailors. For example, speed is limited to eight knots to avoid wave impact.
The protected zones cover large parts of the Wohlenberger Wiek, the Lieps sandbank and some shallows as well as the Hannibal shoal at the entrance to the bay. There are also some shore zones around Hohen Wieschendorf and in the Kirchsee.
This article first appeared in YACHT 4/2021.
Area information for the Wismar Bay
Arrival & charter
If you are travelling with your own boat, you will have at least 20 nautical miles ahead of you before you reach the bay, regardless of where you are coming from. There are no charter fleets in Wismar. The nearest ones are on Fehmarn or in Heiligenhafen.
Wind & Weather
Wismar Bay is very sheltered. Sailors coming in from the sea quickly realise this as soon as they have passed the shallows at the entrance to the bay. The wind predominantly blows from the west. In strong south-westerly and southerly winds, Timmendorf and Kirchdorf on Poel can become unsettled. In this case, harbours or anchorages on the eastern shore of the bay offer more shelter. Navigation is easy throughout.
Literature
"Cruising guide Baltic Sea coast 2 - Wismar to Szczecin" by Jan Werner, 39.90 euros.
"Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Coastal Handbook" by M. Brandenburg, 39.90 euros.
