Marine things in Lithuania

[tamkvaitis]

I am Lithuanian and i am interested what do you think about Lithuania from sea perspective. Please say what you know and what you think.

[Raggi_Thor]

I think "Micro Class", but maybe that's Latvia?
And of course, from now on I think about you :-) :-)
As you see, I don't know much....

[D'ARTOIS]

Tamkvaitis, we don't know anything. That's for you to tell. Tell us about your people and a bit of your history - marine if possible. That will bring us a bit further.

[Sander Rave]

Dear Tamkviatis,

What do you mean to ask? I've passed your coastline from St. Petersburg by Latvia to Kalliningrad and Gdansk by car this autumn, so that's not a marine perspective. My heart is there though, and I was realy surprised by the rest and quietness of the Finnish gulf and Oostzee.

What I realy appreciated was the vast and quiet nature. What realy surprised me was the shallow water. Here and there you had to walk for almost 500 meters before it was possible to try and swim. I'm not sure if that's promising.

Minor point is the shallow water. Plus point is the Unesco part; Curonian Spit? But You'll spoil the pitoresque and vast quietness of Neringa and alike. Klaipeda Has a huge opportunity to become a marina of importance in the right political climate. Tourist industru already there, city center is close enough for walking. To be honest I don't know the coast of Sweden, so I don't know what to choose on my passage to St. Petersburg from Amsterdam. If you look at Riga you see what can happen if a cheap airline starts selling tickets, although Klaipeda is not Vilnius.

Whithout understanding the question, I'd say looots of water, shallow water though.

Regards,

Sander

[tamkvaitis]

Well, I was interested in what do you know, about our sailors, boat building and design capibalities, Ports coastline etc...

[tamkvaitis]

I can give you a short brief about lithuania
Lithuania is a country in eastern europe. Klaipeda is only seaport in Lithuania. We have about 100 sailing yachts and about 50 dingies (basicly junior sailors). Lithuania's naval history isn't very long. There vere coastal fishermens hundreds of years before, but they vere not real sailors. You can think that first atempt to sail in open sea, then Lithuanians went to fight with vikings (sweden nowdays) after they have pirated coastal vilages. Lithuanian sailing history begans in 1923 then Lithuanians gained the control of klaipeda port. Lithuanians began sailing. Sailing in Soviet union fast on its high, sailors had huge funds and could train a lot, during thye winter Lithuanians trained in black sea. More than ten poeple had won the soviet national championship (my father included ), but because of soviet burocracy, Lithuanians couldn't sail in world class races. Only once Lithuanian was sailing in the olympics and thas third (470 class). Offshore sailing was also on its high Lithuanians were and are good sailors, only it was practicly imposible to sail to other countrys, only soviet countries.

Nowdays, because of lack of money sailing is on it's down, new boats are coming every year, but it isn't much like it was before. We have a factory witch makes sailing yachts and motor boats. there are few boat repairing yards, with can do any repair or rebuild work.
Personaly I am sailing an ex-whitbread racer. It was named Liqeur 43.

If you have any questions about Lithuania ask

[tamkvaitis]

I fhave forgoten toi mention about coastline. Well shore is realy shalow, But the curonian lagoon is very nice place to sail. Some people says that all Lithuania is one huge sanctuary, thats why the nature is so beautifull. Klaipeda the only seaport of lithuania has few marinas, and small bnut beatfull oldtown. Nida (small town that is inside the curonian lagoon) is very beautifull small vilage, bigest pproblem is that the boat must be less thann 2m deep to sail there.

[JonathanCole]

Originally Posted by tamkvaitis

We have a factory witch makes sailing yachts and motor boats. there are few boat repairing yards, with can do any repair or rebuild work.

If you have any questions about Lithuania ask

My grandmother was born in Lithuania.

What is the contact for the boat building factory? What do you think of the quality of their work? I have been looking for places in Eastern Europe to build my live aboard solar electric catamaran. Maybe this boat factory could help me?

Jonathan

[tamkvaitis]

what size is your boat gaoing to be? the factory is 200 km away from sea, but if you want to build a boat using steel there is company witch makes steel and aliuminium boats (not sure about aliuminium). They have done some projects, of steel motorsailers. this is a foto of sailing boat which is made in Lithuania.

[Raggi_Thor]

Nice boat!

[tamkvaitis]

Yes it is nice, but it is a bit heavy 1750kg i guess, and only 700 is used in balast...but for the price it is worth it is a bargain, i dont know now but earlier it costed about 20 000 euros.