Anyone who sails into a popular harbour during the high season will recognise the moment: packed jetties, berths filled to capacity, and seemingly no space left. Particularly in the Danish South Sea, but also in other heavily frequented Baltic Sea areas, the situation can quickly seem hopeless. In fact, a berth can often still be found if skippers remain flexible, manoeuvre carefully and don’t just look for the classic vacant berth.
Some ports are chronically full
It’s true that there are a few almost infamous harbours that are chronically overcrowded in the summer. Marstal, Svendborg, Bogense and even smaller island harbours such as those on Samsø, Endelave or Anholt are among them. Sailors should expect the jetties there to be packed. Regular berths are generally unavailable for anyone arriving towards evening.
There’s no need to stress, though – anyone can enjoy a completely relaxed day’s sailing. Come the evening, you’ll somehow manage to find a spot for the boat. Even in crowded harbours. You just need to know where to look. And be prepared, if in doubt, to moor in an unconventional spot. It doesn’t always have to be a standard berth complete with stern posts and mooring lines.
Summer 2026 update: As well as making do with whatever’s available in the harbour, digital preparation is also proving helpful in many places these days. Visitors to marinas can already book free berths in some areas via an app or check in advance which systems individual marinas use. This doesn’t replace a look around in person, but it can save time and take the pressure off planning your trip. Find out more in the overview of Booking a mooring via an app on the Baltic Sea coast.
Talk to the harbour master and neighbouring crews
Naturally, one should proceed with caution when looking for the last available berth, for example by asking when the crew whose berth you’re blocking intend to cast off – so that you can be on board by then. Ideally, they’ll even lend a hand with the manoeuvre. Experience shows that people are far more likely to be accommodating than uncooperative. It’s not uncommon, after a successful mooring, to suddenly find yourself sitting in the cockpit with your neighbours, having a beer and a chat.
Especially when space is tight, you need to take the wind, swell, manoeuvring space and the route to shore into account even more carefully than usual. It is not just a matter of mooring somewhere, but of ensuring you are safely moored there.
As a general rule: Don’t be afraid to leave a gap! Not least because it means you can relax and enjoy your time on the water beforehand.
This article is part of a charter special. The contents:
15 ways to find a berth even when the harbours are full
1. The equipment
Few crews take a fender board with them on a holiday cruise. Admittedly, such a board is bulky, but it’s ideal for mooring to bollards. A dinghy can also be very useful at times. Used as a ferry, it allows you to moor in the pit lane without having to use a jetty or a neighbouring yacht to get ashore.
2. The classic: lying in a bundle
Of course, every skipper is familiar with this: mooring alongside a yacht that’s already at the jetty or in the last berth. In summer, clusters of three or even four boats in a row are not uncommon. This works particularly well at the head of long jetties, as there aren’t always piles driven in there for berths all the way round.
It is important to agree on the order in which the boats will cast off in the morning and to position fenders and lines generously. The tighter the formation, the more important it is to have clear arrangements in place right from the moment of mooring.
3. For smaller boats: two people in the box
Berth sizes, along with the average sizes of yachts, have grown slowly but steadily over recent decades. Small boats therefore sometimes end up in berths that are actually far too large, with very long stern lines, simply because no more suitable ones were available. Occasionally, there is still enough space for a boat of the same size or smaller to moor alongside. In this case, speak to the skipper of the boat already moored in the berth and ask if they would release their stern line so that you can moor your own boat alongside them. Take care when entering the berth; you may need to approach it at a slight angle.
4. One after the other into the box
This manoeuvre requires a smaller vessel to be moored in a large berth. Once you’ve checked with the vessel ahead, you can then approach with your bow astern and secure two bow lines to the stern cleats of the vessel ahead, as well as additional lines to the bollards. Alternatively, if there is plenty of space, you can drop a stern anchor. However, as this means you are looking directly into the cockpit of the yacht ahead and must also climb over to it, such solutions are more commonly seen among crews who know each other well.
5. Running alongside the pit lane posts
If you ask the people moored at the buoys when they plan to set off in the morning, you can block off one or two buoys on the outer side of the jetty in the evening. To do this, position the fenders either using the fender board or by laying two lines across and securing them. The problem then is getting ashore. With a bit of luck, you’ll find a spot from which you can climb onto the jetty via the bow. Alternatively, use your own dinghy, SUP or similar as a jetty shuttle. If possible, look for a spot with an offshore wind. That way, there’s less risk of the fenders slipping off the posts during the night.
Where harbours use digital systems, it is worth carrying out a quick check before entering to see whether any free guest berths or information from the harbour operator are already available online. This can help you to better assess the situation in the harbour, but it is no substitute for checking on site.
6. Between the parcels
If space is limited, the convoys can be extended – even the space between them can be used if necessary. The advantage of this is that the convoy does not become any larger and the crew can go ashore straight away. However, the convoy’s mooring lines may need to be re-secured.
7. At the head of the jetty
The narrow end of a jetty can provide a solution for the night if no other mooring can be found. The fenders are then secured to the jetty, whilst the bow line and stern line are tied to the two yachts moored on either side of the jetty. Their skippers must, of course, agree to this.
8. Having the courage to leave a gap alongside
If two large sailing or motor yachts are moored alongside the jetty, a narrow gap between them might seem inaccessible – but it’s actually a good mooring spot. If you manoeuvre skilfully, you can moor comfortably at the jetty and even free up a space for other boats arriving later.
9. Move closer together lengthways
It is becoming increasingly common to see yachts moored one behind the other at a long, lengthways pier, leaving an unnecessarily large gap between one bow and the next stern. If it is not possible to moor in the space next to it – for example, because this would block access – you should ask the skippers to move closer to the boat in front. Often, simply moving one boat forward is enough to create space for another behind it.
10. At a boat launch, crane or petrol station
Although moorings next to the listed facilities are actually supposed to be kept clear – and signs usually indicate this – in many harbours even the harbour masters generally tolerate boats mooring next to slipways or beneath mast cranes, at least later in the evening. Exception: The slipway is still needed in the evenings for dinghy training by the local club. Anyone mooring there must be prepared, if necessary, to move their boat at short notice. And be careful at petrol stations with EC card machines: these are available 24 hours a day, so they should actually always remain clear. However, this is rarely necessary. Anyone mooring there should ensure they are free to leave at short notice and be able to move the boat at any time.
11. Make use of flat areas
This option is particularly suitable for vessels with little draught or a draught that can be reduced. It is also suitable for very narrow or small yachts. These moorings are not entirely without risk, as it is often unclear how deep the water is there. They should only be used when the wind is blowing offshore, and it is best for the skipper to reconnoitre the spot beforehand by touching the bow against the last bollard to check the seabed. Alternatively, they can first moor provisionally somewhere else and take a closer look at the chosen spot from the shore. If there are lots of rocks visible, head back out to sea. If the seabed is soft, you can approach cautiously.
12. At the end of the pit lane
This is often a very convenient spot, as – unlike when moored at the pit lane on posts – you don’t have to climb over other boats to get ashore, but can simply step ashore from alongside the boat. Important: Discuss with the skippers of the boats in the two berths you’re blocking when they plan to set off. And keep an eye on how shallow the water gets. At some of these inner berths, the seabed rises.
13. In commercial shipping
High sheet pile walls for ferries or supply vessels are not very inviting, and mooring for pleasure craft is usually prohibited. However, a closer look at the timetable or a chat with the staff on site may reveal that a yacht can moor here as a one-off exception.
14. Outside on the pier
It’s rare, but it does happen: there really isn’t a single berth left in the harbour. If the weather is calm or the wind is even blowing offshore, you can sometimes moor on the outer side of the breakwater. Especially if it’s fitted with bollards or rings. Then you can moor alongside or, for example, drop the bow anchor and moor with the stern. It’s important, of course, that the water is deep enough in front of the pier and that you’re not in the way of larger ships or ferries. In any case, they can also cause a lot of swell. And: check carefully that there is no rubble at the base of the pier that could damage your rudder! One advantage is that you can see immediately if a yacht is leaving, and can take the opportunity to move in.
15. Position the bow at the far end of the jetty
The narrow head of a jetty can serve as a mooring point for many boats, provided they each drop a stern anchor. Accordingly, there should be sufficient space behind the sterns so as not to obstruct boats entering or leaving. The bow line is secured to the jetty.
If you want to start looking for a berth before you arrive, you’ll find an overview here of the Booking a mooring via an app on the Baltic Sea coast. However, when it comes to busy summer ports, the following still applies: whilst technology helps, good preparation, clear communication and the courage to seize the right opportunity remain crucial.
This article is part of a charter special. The contents:
Proper insurance cover for your charter holiday – important tips
Do you have any other tips? Feel free to share them in the comments. 👇
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital