Sailing - Mazury [2/3]

As I wrote in "How to", we can divide sailing into inland and sea sailing. Inland especialy lakes. In out country we have several places(lakelands) to sail. The biggest one is "Mazury lakeland", another one is "Iławskie lakeland", I mentioned only this two, because I sail only on that, but there are few more.

I sail every year since 10 years, and I don`t feel bored :) Sailing it is great way to travel and tour new places. You can see those places from other side than usual, for me it is more interesting and exciting because you feel not only as a pure turist, but you live with(inside) that place and nature.

How to rent a yacht?

It is easy, there is a lot of companies where you can charter your boat. You can find them on eg.:

http://mazury.info.pl/czartery/index.html

http://www.na-mazurach.pl/

Price vary on model of the yacht you want to. It could be less than 100zł per day for the simplest boats, but can rise event to 700-900zł per day for the top level models.

Where to sail?

Mazury are divided into northern and southern, they are connected by channel.

In the north, the main cities are Węgorzewo, Sztynort and Giżyco. This part of Mazury has cleaner water, almost crystal clear, therefore, the lake Mamry is a good place for diving. This teritory is more wild, but there is fewer places to moor at the shore because of reed.

At the west shore of Mamry lake, there are abandoned german bunkers, it is popular turist attraction:

Most obrotowy w giżycku:

Kanały:

There starts southern Mazury, the most known and popular city is Mikołajki:

Near is the biggest lake in the country, Śniardwy:

Nice attraction is lock in Guzianka, it is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels:

And few more nice pictures:

Sailing - How to [1/3]

So what is "sailing?

Sailing, yachting - the discipline of sport and tourism which uses power of sails. Sailing can be divided into racing and tourism, sea and inland.

Sailing is:

- Thinking (!), The ability to carry the boat, knowledge and experience from many disciplines (such as the traditions of sailing, meteorology, the construction of the river, sailing knots, elements of physics, rescue, and even singing at the fire ... etc.)

- Is also the specific lifestyle - Sailing has its nice customs, traditions, vocabulary, style, call the other (always by name!), Singing at the fire till the morning, nature, etc.

- Work in a team - the crew is a group of people with which you have to work and rule as necessary (and often on small area, seeing every day each other for example two weeks ...)

- Meet new people, meet new regions, the countries.

- Tactics, strategic, planning, analysis, etc. (eg the sailing race)

- And everything else that is hard to enumerate ...

How to start?

It is not difficult. First, the important thing is that age does not matter . Any age is good to learn sailing and then sailing.
You should know that, in sailing there are licences. The licences currently are divided into 4 degrees (ie patents yacht): inland skipper, coastal skipper, yacht skipper and yacht master (although the plan is to reduce that number to 3 degrees).

What do you need those licences for?

When you want to rent a yacht, lenders may ask you to show the relevant licence, which attests to your skills and knowledge. At sea, you can not be a officer (to simplify the officer can be described as the "second-in-command captain") if you do not have adequate licence, and can not be captain of this boat ... The police also have the right to check your sailing licence directly on the water. Of course, the crew does not have to have any licences (eg, wife, friend).
You can of course steer a boat without licence (really!). But the boat must have up to 7.5 meters in length.

How do you get the licence?

At the beginning you can try to obtain a licence "inlad skipper" - only if you are over 12 years. On the first two steps you need to pass the sailing exam (organized by the Yachting Association). Admission is practical (on the boat), and theoretical. You can pass it very simply!. To take the exam you must complete the course. The course can be any - weekend course, at sailing camp, on Mazury, etc. They will teach you everything there.
But remember, that the patent is only a "pass", you do not know everything yet, have only a little bit of skills - you have to continuously enhance your knowledge, for your own and your crew, good.

So what you can do with this licence?

In a nutshell: with an "inland skipper", you can sail a boat on inland waters without limitation (a sail, deck area, etc.). Additionally, you can drive a boat up to 8.5 meters in length on sea, but only in the day, and zone of 2 nautical miles from shore.
Having a licence "coastal skipper" you will be able to not only sail the inland yachts without restrictions, but also sail yourself on yacht to 12 feet long at closed sea (eg Baltic Sea). On the other sea waters you have additional restriction - to 20 nautical miles from shore.
"Yacht skipper" can carry a boat with a length up to 18 meters on the sea waters without restrictions. A "yach master" - has no restrictions. And what is important - exams are only on the degree of sailor and Skipper. At higher levels you have to show only relevant experience.

Have you ever tried sailing? Do you enjoy it?