Baltic Sea harbours 2026: Search for berths in SH requires patience

YACHT wrote to more than 200 harbours and marinas along the German Baltic Sea coast for a berth report. 45 harbours in Schleswig-Holstein provided detailed feedback on their current situation. The result confirms what many owners are already experiencing first-hand: If you want to moor your ship here permanently, you need patience - a lot of patience. The waiting lists remain long and most harbours are completely full.

Hardly any choice for seekers

69 per cent of the ports surveyed in Schleswig-Holstein report not a single free permanent berth. The area between Flensburg and Travemünde is almost fully utilised - noticeably more densely occupied than the areas in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The few free capacities are concentrated in a few hotspots. Five large facilities, including ancora Marina in Neustadt and Marina Wendtorf, hold around a quarter of all available berths. The choice for sailors is limited. In fact, only 14 harbours reported free berths.

More about the mooring situation on the Baltic Sea:

• Moorings on the Baltic Sea: Mr Stahlhut, is the all-clear for the jetties?
• Berths on the Baltic Sea: Ports under pressure despite full capacity utilisation - the situation in Kiel
• Baltic Sea harbours 2026: Sailors can still find free berths here

Higher prices in Schleswig-Holstein

The shortage is driving up prices. Permanent berth holders in Schleswig-Holstein pay an average of 44.50 euros per square metre for the season, compared to just 38.10 euros in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. However, the differences vary considerably from harbour to harbour: The range in Schleswig-Holstein extends from 15 to 76 euros per square metre.

Especially in conurbations such as Kiel or Travemünde, it is more expensive than in neighbouring regions. The services are also decisive - and these vary significantly depending on the marina.

Price comparison: where SH and MV differ

Relaxation for guest tenants

The situation is much more relaxed for holidaymakers. The daily fluctuation ensures that occupied permanent berths become available - crews travelling through usually have no problem finding a box on the trip. On average, a twelve-metre yacht costs around 25 euros per night in Schleswig-Holstein, compared to 23.38 euros in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The large price difference that is significant for permanent berths does not exist here.