Estonian yacht harbours

A comparative study

by

AARE OLL

Ministry of Transport and Communications

Tallinn 2001

LIST OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Estonia and its people ...... 1 Legislative framework ...... 2 Navigational safety in Estonian waters ...... 3 Estonian ports by ownership ...... 4 Estonian ports by activities ...... 6 Yachting in Estonia ...... 7 Estonian and foreign pleasure boats ...... 9 Travel conditions in Western Estonia Archipelago ...... 10 Customs regulations ...... 11 Official regulations ...... 14 Sources of information ...... 15 Map of Estonian yacht harbours……………………………………………...16

Ports and harbours

Dirhami ...... 17 Haapsalu ...... 22 Heltermaa ...... 27 Kihnu ...... 34 Kuivastu ...... 40 Kuressaare ...... 46 Kõiguste ...... 53 Lehtma ...... 57 Lohusalu ...... 62 Narva- Jõesuu ...... 66 Narva ...... 70 Nasva ...... 74 Orissaare ...... 78 Orjaku ...... 82 Paldiski Nord ...... 87 Pirita Kalevi Jahtklubi ...... 91 Pirita ...... 96 Prangli ...... 101 Pärnu ...... 107 Rohuküla ...... 111 Roomassaare ...... 117 Ruhnu ...... 123 Suursadam ...... 128 Sviby ...... 132 Triigi ...... 139 Veere ...... 143 Vergi ...... 148 Virtsu ...... 152

Appendices

Appendix 1: Estonian charts of 1: 250 000 ...... 159 Appendix 2: Estonian charts of 1: 100 000 ...... 160 Appendix 3: Estonian charts of 1: 50 000 ...... 161 Appendix 4: Estonian charts of 1: 25 000 ...... 162 Appendix 5: Islands of Estonia ...... Abruka ...... 164 Hiiumaa ...... 166 Kihnu ...... 168 Manilaid ...... 170 Muhu ...... 172 Prangli ...... 174 Ruhnu ...... 176 Saaremaa ...... 178 Vilsandi ...... 180 Vormsi ...... 182 Appendix 6: Ownership and activities of Estonian ports ...... 184 Appendix 7: Turnover of Estonian yacht harbours 1996- 2000 ...... 186

GENERAL INFORMATION

ESTONIA AND ITS PEOPLE

Estonia has recently shaken off 700 years of oppression. Starting with the Crusaders in the 12th century, successive empires battled for and conquered the land. Danes, Germans, Swedes, Poles and Russians all have ruled and left their mark.

Local time Estonian local time is UTC+2h, and during the summer season (April - September) UTC+3h.

Climate The average temperature in Estonia is generally 6 - 7 C higher than in other countries on the same latitude. In coastal areas the average temperature is 16 to18 C. Summers tend to be warm and dry but autumn days are often rainy. Fog is not common in summer. The sailing season lasts from May, 15 to September, 15 depending on the weather.

Currency The monetary unit of Estonia is the Estonian crone (EEK), which is divided into 100 cents. Estonian crone is tied up with German mark- 1DEM= 8EEK. There are many currency exchange points in towns, and in most of harbours. Credit cards are used in some shops particularly in the principal towns.

Business hours Shops and public services are opened from 9 to 18 on workdays, from 9 to 19 Saturdays and shops and public services are usually closed on Sundays. Local business hours may vary.

Health care Medical treatment is available in customs harbours and in all towns. There are chemist shops in most of municipalities and they carry a good range of medicines

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

In Estonia there are 2 basic laws that regulate ports’ and ships’ safety and environment protection in connection with port activities: the Port Act and the Maritime Safety Act. Several Resolutions of the Government and Minister of Transport and Communications are proceeding from the mentioned acts. The construction and building of ports are regulated with the Construction and Planning Act. Environment questions are regulated by the Environment Impact Assessment Act. Commercial activities of ports are regulated by the Business Act.

There are many other legislative acts related to border guard and customs formalities that ports have to follow while carrying out their activities.

According to the Port Act each port has a land area and a sea area and port’s administration is responsible for ships and cargo safety in its area. Ports are responsible for the actual depth in water basin matching the declared depth. Ports also have to take care of navigational marks if they serve only one specific port even when located outside the port area. If navigational marks serve more than one port, the Estonian National Maritime Board takes care of them.

NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY IN ESTONIAN WATERS

The Estonian National Maritime Board is responsible for maritime safety in Estonian waters. Since 1993 it has issued several navigational charts in different scales. All Estonian waters have already been covered with 9 charts of 1: 100 000. By now 7 charts of 1: 50 000 covering from Narva- Jõesuu to Osmussaare have been printed and bounded into album. Additional 14 charts of 1: 50 000 is needed to cover the rest of the Estonian waters. They will be printed in the near future and bounded into 2 albums. These albums are very useful for yacht tourists as they are exact and convenient to use. Charts of 1: 25 000 will be the most exact and worked out for regions with intensive ships’ and pleasure boats’ traffic. These are the only charts that do not cover the whole coastline but certain areas. Two charts of 1: 250 000 cover the Finnish Gulf and Riga Gulf.

In appendices 1- 4 can be seen which charts are ready, which are in the process and which are planned to be printed. All charts have been digitalised. At the moment Tallinn and Muuga Bay are being covered with VTS system.

Both cardinal and lateral beacons and buoys are used as floating aids in accordance with the A-system of IALA

In addition the ENMB has issued the editions of List of Lights of Estonia and Pilot Book of Estonia (Tallinn and Muuga Bay). The List of Lights contains profound information on 392 aids to navigation (except spar buoys) located in the Estonian waters and is corrected to April 1, 1998.

Estonian territorial waters are covered with maritime communication means. Sea area A1 meets the requirements of GDSS. Channels VHF 17 and 70 (DSC) are observed around the clock.

ESTONIAN PORTS BY OWNERSHIP

The coastline of Estonia is approximately 3780 km long and it is dotted with more than 100 ports, harbours and lauter.

After the breakdown of the Soviet Union many ports, which attracted investors, were privatised. In some cases, the state established a commercial company to run a port. E.g. Port of Tallinn Ltd. and Saarte Liinid Ltd. are private juridical bodies, but 100% of shears are owned by the state. Strategically important ports were left as state’s property. Other ports were municipalized. However, there are exemptions from that approach.

Thus, the ports can be divided into 4 groups on the basis of ownership: 1. Commercial ports; 2. State owned ports; 3. Municipality ports; 4. Ports owned by non- profit making institutions.

Commercial ports can further be subdivided into 2 groups: 1. Shares in the hand of private sector; 2. Shares in the hand of public sector.

Commercial ports In general, commercial ports are well developed because they are able to generate profit and make investments. The state does not interfere in the port activities as long as they follow the legislation. The ports are regarded as any other commercial undertaking and it is in the interest of the state to promote their development. State provides the ports with infrastructure on land side as well as on sea side so that the ports could develop and compete with each other and would also be competitive at international level.

State is responsible for providing a good connection between the main land and the islands. Estonian territory includes over 1500 islands, out of them 10 are inhabited. Islands of Estonia are described in appendix 5. The heaviest traffic is on the lines of Saaremaa and Muhu, Hiiumaa and Vormsi (the 4 biggest islands). In order to organise the traffic between the mentioned islands and the main land in the best way, the state has set up a commercial company Saarte Liinid Ltd. which owns and runs the ports through which the traffic goes to the mentioned islands: Virtsu, Kuivastu,Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Sviby and Roomassaare.

Another company, where shares are owned by the state is Port of Tallinn Ltd. and it owns 4 ports: Old City Port, Muuga Port, Paljassaare Port and Paldiski South Port. These ports are oriented to cargo- and passenger ships and they do not provide services to yachts and other pleasure boats.

Other commercial ports are in private hands.

State owned ports State owned ports are military ports, hydrography ports and border guard ports that are supervised by the Ministry of Military Affairs, the National Maritime Board and the Border Guard Board respectively. These ports do not provide any kind of commercial services.

Municipality ports These ports are not very attractive for investors because cargo turnover and ships/ yachts turnover is not big enough to make the investments pay off. However, they have got some assistance from the state for reconstruction and development.

Ports owned by non- profit making institutions Yacht Clubs are non- profit making institutions and they own some ports in Estonia (Pirita (partly), Nasva, Haapsalu). Yacht Clubs also provide services to visitors. Yacht Clubs train mainly young yachtsmen and they are given financial assistance by the state. Yacht Clubs have managed to keep their ports in good order.

ESTONIAN PORTS BY ACTIVITIES

By far the biggest port company in Estonia is Port of Tallinn Ltd. In 1999 4 ports of it handled in total 26,4 mln. tons of cargo, of which 76,5 % was made up by transit cargo. Small amount of transit is also handled in Miiduranna and Vene- Balti Port. However, it can be said that nobody in Estonia can compete with the Port of Tallinn for transit cargo. It is because other ports have no railway connection with appropriate infrastructure.

As it comes to providing services to Estonian export and import, there is tough competition between ports and the Port of Tallinn does not enjoy monopoly situation.

By activities ports can be divided as follows: 1. Cargo ports; 2. Passenger ports; 3. Fishing ports; 4. Yacht ports; 5. Yacht clubs; 6. Combination of the above mentioned ports.

YACHTING IN ESTONIA

The number of yacht harbours in Estonia and their facilities has been rapidly increasing during the 1990s. Cargo harbours have been opened to yachts and facilities for yachting tourists have been provided. In addition some new harbours have been established.

Yacht harbours are broken down by ownership and activities in appendix 6. As it can be seen from that there are only 3 pure yacht harbours: Pirita, Lohusalu and Kõiguste. Some ports concentrate on servicing yachts with possibilities also to carry out other activities. Many cargo and ferry ports have facilities for yachts and other pleasure boats. However they put the main emphasis on cargo handling and/ or serving passenger and yacht services are of secondary importance. All yacht clubs have capacity to serve visiting yachts.

Season for boat tourism is very short in Estonia and therefore the turnover of yachts and other pleasure boats at ports is rather small. In addition the number of local boats is very low. Therefore it is difficult to make the investments pay off. That explains why there are very few pure yacht ports in Estonia. The rest of the ports are polyfunctional- yacht services are backed up with other activities like yacht clubs, cargo handling and serving ferry- or fishing boats.

Price level varies from port to port, but an average cost is 100 EEK per yacht per 24 h.

By country, most of the visiting yachts in 1999 came from Finland- 4463, Sweden 162, Germany 64 and Latvia 40.

The Institute for Islands Development has studied the yachting and boat tourism in the Western-Estonian archipelago. The investigation was based on the results of an anonymous inquiry of boaters.

The short summary gives a review of the pros and cons of yachting as tourism in Estonia. This data might come in handy for planning your itinerary. * On the average, a boat crew consisted of 3.07 people. Sailors were 57.1% men, 42.9% women. Distribution of visitors according to age groups: children under age 7 - 5.6%7 to 18 years - 12.7%18 to 45 years - 33.1%45 to 63 years - 43.8%over 63 years - 4.7%. * An average voyage in Estonian waters lasted 12.5 days. * The average number of harbours called at was 5.6. * Eighty one percent of those questioned considered their voyage in our waters safe enough. …..*Ninety four percent of the respondents left with positive impressions. No negative opinions were expressed.

In Estonia there are 44 ports, which are involved in serving sea tourists in some way or another. 10 out of them are visited by less than 20 boats in a year. The present research concentrates on the ports that serve more than 20 yachts or pleasure boats in a year. Yacht ports are listed by the turnover in appendix 7.

Depth of yacht harbours have not been measured in the recent past in many ports. Therefore the harbour maps (planzets), that are presented about each harbour, may not correspond to the actual situation.

In 1999 there were 5 Blue Flag harbours in Estonia: Vergi, Pirita, Haapsalu, Pärnu and Roomassaare.

ESTONIAN AND FOREIGN PLEASURE BOATS

Total turnover of Estonian yacht harbours in 1999 was 8662 boats. More than 80% of the boat turnover is made up by visitors from abroad.

Number of local boats in Estonia is rather small. 105 yachts and approximately 250 pleasure motorboats have been registered in the Registry of Small Ships of Estonia as dated 01.November 2000. 51% of yachts have been registered in Tallinn, 14% in Haapsalu, 8% in Pärnu and 15% in Kuressaare. The exact figure for pleasure motorboats is not known because all kind of motorboats are registered together.

The total number of yachts in Estonia is approximately 300 out of which 105 have been registered. Approximately 195 yachts have not been registered yet as the ships’ registry act entered into force on July 1, 1998, but it is matter of time when they are registered.

Every year 3-4 new yachts are registered. It means that Estonian yacht fleet is increasing by 1- 1,3 % per year an average

Local boats are mainly based in yacht clubs of Pirita, Haapsalu, Pärnu, Nasva but also in other ports like Lohusalu, Roomassaare, Vergi.

Most of Estonian ports do not have permanent quays for local boats because there is no need for it as the number of local boats is very low and 6-7 harbours are enough to accommodate them. In addition many ports have concentrated on cargo handling and yachting activities are of secondary importance.

TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN THE WESTERN ESTONIA ARHIPELAGO

In the summer months, SW winds prevail in Western Estonia and there is a northern current in the Gulf of Riga that runs parallel to the eastern shore of Saaremaa, as well in the Väinameri. There is a southern current which can shift boats off Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. On fair days, the velocity of the currents averages ½ knots with constant winds, 1 - 1½ knots with SW-W storms, 3 knots and in the Strait of Soela, up to 4 knots.

In the Väinameri strait, the water level is higher than average with S and W winds, and lower than average with N and E winds. In the gulfs, the water rise is rapid. In the summer months, there are on average two days with gale-force winds per month.

The average wind velocity is between 5-6 m/s, and days of complete calm occur about 5-8 days a month. Galeforce winds create a relatively high and sudden surf (2-3m) in the Gulf of Riga and in the Väinameri strait although the sea tends to calm quickly after the winds die down.

Hazardous fog does appear in spring. The horizon is subject to increased refraction of light rays, which may lead to errors in accurately judging distances visually.

The shores of the islands are low, 3-10 m over sea level, and are covered by forests. Wooded knolls of around 25-50 m on the mainland will be visible first and will appear to be actual islands. The waters near the shore are rocky. The shores are primarily clay or gravel, although there are also cliffs with heights up to 20 m, as well as sandy beaches. Because of shoals and reefs, putting to shore outside harbours is complicated and dangerous. The sea bottom is predominantly suitable for anchoring.

Required lights and other marks function properly during the navigation season. Shore markers do exist but may be poorly visible.

Fishing nets usually do not have the beacons, lights and radar reflectors that are used in Western Europe. Nets are placed away from sea lanes, closer to the shore and are marked with multicoloured flags. When approaching harbours, follow local markings.

In case of an emergency contact VHF 16. The Estonian Border Guard's rescue service can provide you efficient help.

Travelling only along denoted waterways and only putting to shore at harbours through entry routes will make your passage in the Western Estonian archipelago as safe as travel in the islands of Sweden or Finland.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

1) On arrival in Estonia a traveller must declare to Customs the goods that are brought in by him and are liable to import duties or taxes or to import restrictions.

ñ goods liable to import duties or taxes (cf. Part II0) ñ an amount of currency (foreign currency, Estonian crones, travellers cheques) equal to or exceeding 80 000 Estonian crones (the amount must be declared in full). In the case of a sum exceeding 200 000 Estonian crones the origin of the sum must be indicated in the declaration and a document proving its legal origin must be enclosed.

Travellers must fill in the declaration for individual persons (form TK-003) if he brings in goods or personal items for which a special permit is required (cf. Part C

2) Nothing to declare

ñ Manufactured articles of total value not over 5000 Estonian crones (except vehicles) ñ Foodstuffs of total quantity not exceeding 10 kg including the total quantity of coffee, tea, spices, seeds etc. not exceeding 3 kg. ñ Alcoholic beverages and beer: persons aged 21 years over: 1 l over 21 % vol, 1 l up to 21 % vol and 10 l of beer or 2 l up to 21 % vol and 10 l of beer. persons aged 18 - 20 years: 2 l up to 21 % volt and 10 l of beer. ñ Tobacco and tobacco products: persons aged 16 years or over: 200 cigarettes or 20 cigars or 250 g of tobacco. Importation of excess amounts of tobacco or tobacco products is prohibited and shall be subject to confiscation. ñ clothing and shoes ñ personal toilet articles ñ personal jewellery ñ still, video-and motion picture camera with accessories, films and cassettes ñ binoculars ñ musical instruments ñ portable computers with diskettes ñ portable slide and film projectors with accessories and reasonable ñ amounts of films or slides ñ portable radio receivers ñ portable disk players with disks ñ portable sound recorders (incl. dictating machines) and tape recorders with tapes and cassettes ñ portable TV sets ñ mobile telephones and pagers ñ portable typewriters ñ baby carriages ñ equipment necessary for scientific investigation and research ñ requisites for sport, travelling, hunting and fishing (e.g. passenger cars, vans, tents, bicycles, canoes, skis, tennis rackets, inflatable boats, fishing rods) etc. ñ other personal items of similar use.

3) Restrictions on the importation and exportation of certain articles.

The following articles may be brought over the border by a travellers only in compliance with the order established by the relevant authorities and are subjects to special permits:

ñ firearms and ammunition; offensive blade weapons; special equipment necessary for police and special services ñ gas pistols, their cartridges; tear and nerve gas balloons ñ explosive materials and pyrotechnical products; medicines, narcotic and psychotropic substances; hormone and blood preparations; vaccines ñ poisonous substances, radioactive substances and materials ñ radio transmission equipment (equipment radiating HF-signals) ñ live animals and birds; live fish; bees; products of livestock raising and poultry raising; fodder; untreated skins, natural wool; honey and bees-wax ñ plants and vegetable products ñ agrochemicals ñ specimens of plants and animals of the endangered species, species of animals and fossils under protection in Estonia; hunting trophies ñ articles of cultural value ñ distinguished services awards and insignia officially used on the uniforms of the Estonian Defence Forces ñ articles enlisted in the "List of Strategic Goods of the Republic of Estonia"

A traveller is not allowed to bring over the border

ñ diamonds (except in jewellery), scrap and waste of precious metals ñ firearm silencers

OFFICIAL REGULATION

Documentation

Citizens of United States of America, Commonwealth of Australia, Principality of Andorra, United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and Hong- Kong, Republic of Bulgaria, Japan, Republic of Lithuania, Principality of Liechtenstein, Republic of Latvia, Principality of Monaco, Republic of Poland, Republic of San Marino, Slovak Republic, Kingdom of Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Hungary, New Zealand, Vatican City State, Republic of Korea (15 days), Singapour (14 days) Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Slovania, Malta, Cypr and Switzerland need only a passport, a visa is generally required for citizens arriving from the other countries. (dated 02. 03. 98).

All travellers need health insurance

The captain of the boat should have the International Certificate of competence.

Ship's registration papers:

ñ a ship's registration document, ñ evidence of marine insurance, ñ the list of crew,

Arrival by sea

Estonian territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from the coast. Peaceful passage of foreign pleasure craft in the territorial sea is permitted. Once cleared in, it is not necessary to clear out until leaving territorial waters. Yachtsmen are recommended to ask the harbour office to advise the next port of their arrival.

Nature reserves

National Parks of Estonia are Lahemaa National Park, Vilsandi National Park,Karula National Park and Soomaa National Park. Nature Reserves of Estonia are Nigula Nature Reserve, Matsalu Nature Reserve, Viidumäe Nature Reserve, Endla Nature Reserve, Naissaare Nature Reserve.

Flag usage

A boat abroad should wear the national ensign of its country of registration. A courtesy ensigning of the country being visited should be flown from the starboard yardarm

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1. Estonian Marine Tourism Association http://www.artun.ee/sadamad/

2. Small guide of the islands http://www.saared.ee/teejuht/english.html

3. Harbours of the Western Estonia archipelago http://www.tt.ee/renza/sadamad/

DIRHAMI HARBOUR 59 12,7’N; 23 30,2’E

1. INVENTORY

Contact address

Dirhami Sadam 91202 Dirhami Lääne MK Tel. (372) 47 97 221 Fax (372) 47 241 163

Type of harbour

Fishing and trade harbour with some possibilities to serve yachts and other pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Dirhami harbour is owned and operated by DS Ltd.

Capacity

There is no visitor jetty at the harbour. The harbour can accommodate up to 15 yachts. Yachts should moor at a place marked on the chart. Depth at mooring is 1,5- 4 m. Access channel has the depth of 4,4 m, width of 60 m and length of 1,5 miles. Cargo turnover in 1999 was 2000 tons.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by a lighted line. Enter line at line boy. Entry complicated with W and NW winds. Well- sheltered from storms. Mooring to hull. Jetty’s height 2 m. Suitable as a harbour of refuge. Navigational chart of 1: 50000 has been worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Location

Dirhami harbour is situated on the Western cost of the mainland of Estonia, at the crossing point of the Gulf of Finland and the Strait of Suur Väin. The port can also be used by pleasure boats as a port of refuge.

Network quality

The closest available ports are Rohuküla 34 km s and Nõva 14 km N- E of Dirhami. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. County seat Haapsaly 45 km. Bus stop. Bus departs for Haapsalu once a day.

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. WC. Customs and passport control upon request. Small store in the neighbourhood. Post office, campground, restaurant, currency exchange 6 km. Fuel station. Water and electricity on the quay. Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Attractiveness

Until 1944 the Dirhami region was long an area settled by Estonian Swedes. Abundant forests, few people. A hill at the tip of Põõsaspea (Spithami) Cape near the village of Põõsaspea affords a panoramic view of the area.

Development opportunities

Dirhami harbour has a good opportunity to get involved more seriously in servicing yachts. At the moment the harbour is not able to provide service up to international standards. The harbour would attract more yachts if it provided better services.

There are plans to establish ferry line between Dirhami and Lehtma in winter time when the traffic between Rohuküla and Heltermaa is complicated due to the ice. Dirhami and Lehtma are ice- free ports.

Development limitations

Owner of the harbour is interested in developing cargo handling activities. Yachts

and other pleasure boats are of secondary importance.

The development of Dirhami harbour is not limited.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 174 185 164 142 160 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

2. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type of harbour are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership is not planned.

Increase of capacity

The harbour is going to be expanded and dredged up to 6,0 m. Special quay for yachts will be built with 10 spaces.

Improvement of safety

Lighted line will be reconstructed. Depth in water area will be measured and new planzet will be produced.

Improvement of location quality

Bus connection with Haapsalu will be intensified.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 25000 is going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Administrative building with WC and shower will be reconstructed.

Improvement of attractiveness

Development plan for Dirhami will be worked out in 2001. Attractiveness will be improved by improving services and making harbour safer.

Overcoming development limitations due to

HAAPSALU HARBOUR 58 57,5’N; 23 31,8’E

3. INVENTORY

Contact address

Vesivärav Ltd. Lootsi 6 80012 Pärnu Estonia Tel. (372) 44 71 752 Fax (372) 44 71 751 E- mail: [email protected]

Haapsalu Jahtklubi Holmi 5a 90502 Haapsalu Tel. (372) 47 45 582 Fax (372) 47 45 536

Type of harbour

Yacht Club and visitor harbour

Ownership and operator

Haapsalu port is owned by Haapsalu Yacht Club Ltd. 100% of the shares of Haapsalu Yacht Club Ltd. is owned by the Port of Pärnu Ltd. Haapsalu harbour is operated by Vesivärav Ltd. In addition to Haapsalu harbour the named company operates Pärnu Yacht harbour, Vergi harbour and Kuressaare harbour.

Capacity

For guests the Yacht Club has reserved 40 moorings or buoy (20 spaces for local boats and 20 for visitors). Depth at mooring is 1,9- 2,5m. Access channel has the depth of 2,5 m, width of 15 m and length of 0,5 miles.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. Entry into the port for yachts with a draft

of up to 2,5 m. Ships and boats of deeper draft can arrive at the wharf that belongs to the fishing factory, where the maximum draft is 4 m. To moor at the wharf, a yacht or

boat must receive permission from VHF 16 (“Haapsalu 32”). Mooring boys.

Location

Haapsalu harbour is situated in Haapsalu city, on the west coast of Estonia in

Haapsalu bay.

Network quality

The closest available harbour is Rohuküla 11 km S- W of Haapsalu. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Bus stop. Bus departs to the centre in every 1 hour. Centre of Haapsalu 1,5 km. Connections by bus to Tallinn (101 km).

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water are available on jetty. WC, shower, sauna. Currency exchange, bar, summer café, 21- room hotel. Fuel upon order. Dock crane (3 tons). Bicycle rental. Harbour master. Custom clearance and border control are made in the neighbouring port 4 times a day. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Attractiveness

The harbour is in good order. Haapsalu city which is attractive summer resort, makes the port also attractive among the sea tourists. Quality of services has reached a good level in Haapsalu harbour.

Haapsalu city is nestled between bays. For this reason it has frequently been compared to Venice. The Bishop of Saaremaa and Western Estonia, who in 1265 established here his cathedral and seat, had also seen the natural potential of Haapsalu as a harbour. Haapsalu city is well known as a health resort, the first facility for mud baths was established in1825. Haapsalu, home to 14 000 people, wants to re-establish itself as a health resort.

Development opportunities

Development opportunities are related to the development of city as a summer and health resort.

Development limitations

The development of Haapsalu harbour is limited by the surrounding city. The harbour and the access channel have to be dredged. So far the harbour neither the municipality has not managed to rise funds for it

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 493 657 706 663 718 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

4. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type of harbour are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Vesivärav Ltd., Haapsalu Yacht Club Ltd. and Vergi Meresadam Ltd. are planning to

merge. As a result of that a big company will be formed that owns the harbours of

Haapsalu and Vergi and rents them out to operators.

Increase of capacity

The harbour is going to be expanded and dredged up to 3,5 m.

Improvement of safety

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Fuel station and restaurant is planned to be built.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

HELTERMAA PORT 58 52,0’N; 23 03,0’E

1. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372) 45 33 871, Fax (372) 45 33 872 E- mail: [email protected]

Heltermaa sadam 92312 Heltermaa Pühalepa vald Hiiu MK Tel./ Fax (372) 46 31 649 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Heltermaa port is a ferry port with possibilities to serve cargo ships and yachts.

Ownership and operator

Heltermaa port is owned and operated by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state because it is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Vormsi. AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby. The main function of Heltermaa port is to provide good service to the ferries and passangers as the connection between the main land and the island of Hiiumaa goes through the ports of Rohuküla and Heltermaa.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 16 yachts. Mooring boys. Depth at mooring 2,7- 3,0 m. Access channel has the depth of 5m, width 70m and length of 1,5 miles. In 1999 the port had passenger turnover of 335 348 and cars turnover of 110 902.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The depth of water in the port area is overmeasured and on basis of that a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port is exposed to N, NE and E winds.

Location

Heltermaa port is situated on the east coast of Hiiumaa, facing the main land and Rohuküla port. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to Tallinn (101 km), Haapsalu (9 km), Kärdla (34 km). The port is suitable as a port of refuge.

Network quality

The closest available port is Rohuküla port 21 km E of Heltermaa port.

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water are available near quay. WC, shower and sauna. Hotel with 48 rooms. Café, bar, store. Fuel upon order. Bus stop. Bus departs 4 times/ day for County seat Kärdla (26 km). Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border control upon request.

Attractiveness

The port is kept in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level. Some boat tourists may find the port not very attractive because of the noise and air pollution generated by intensive ferry and highway traffic. In addition cargo handling generates also noise and dust.

6 km away in Pühalepa is Hiiumaa’s oldest St. Lawrence’s Church. Construction is believed to have begun in the 13th Century.

Development opportunities

Development limitations

In principle the development of Heltermaa port is not limited. As far as boat tourism is concerned Heltermaa port has a competitive disadvantage in comparison with other visiting ports due to the ferry and car traffic.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 4 11 0 32 20 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

2. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

As far as the main activity of the port is to provide services to the passenger traffic the ownership is not going to be changed. It can not be foreseen that the passenger traffic is moved to somewhere else.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of visitor jetty is not going to be increased within the next 6 years.

Improvement of safety

In 2001 quay No 2 will be reconstructed and gangways for passengers will be built. In years 2002- 2004 2 new breakwaters (4) will be built to protect the port from the waves and make the access to the port possible under any adverse weather conditions.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is complicated due to the fact that land area may not be enough for further expansion. Surrounding land belongs to physical persons.

Existing plan of Heltermaa port (2000)

Development plan of Heltermaa port

KUIVASTU PORT 58 34,4’N; 23 23,8’E

5. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372) 45 33 871, Fax (372) 45 872 E- mail: [email protected] Home Page: opened in autumn 2000

Kuivastu sadam 94702 Kuivastu Muhu vald Saare MK Tel/ fax (372) 45 45 430

Type of harbour

Ferry port and with some berths for pleasure boats. In order to make better use of port installations, more emphasises are put on attracting pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Kuivastu port is owned and operated by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Saarte Liinid Ltd. private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state. Saarte Liinid Ltd. is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. The company owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby. The main function of Kuivastu port is to provide good service to the ferries and passengers as the connection between the main land and the islands of Muhu and Saaremaa goes through the ports of Kuivastu and Virtsu.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 5 yachts. Depth at the visitor jetty side is 5 m. No access channel. All ships with draft up to 5 m can enter the port. In 1999 the port had passanger turnover of 878 563 and cars turnover of 283 401.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The depth of water in the port area is overmeasured and on basis of that a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port is exposed to E, SE and S winds.

Location

The port is located in the village Kuivastu, on the east coast of Muhu. The port is facing the main land and Virtsu port. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to Tallinn (138 km), Viljandi (171 km), Tartu (252 km), Pärnu (74 km) and Kuressaare (76 km). Kuivastu port is suitable for a stop en route to the Gulf of Riga or Väinameri. The port can also be used by pleasure boats as a port of refugee.

Network quality

The closest available port is Virtsu port 8 km east of Kuivastu port.

Services available

Mooring boys. Local markers near jetty. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water on jetty. WC, shower, café, bar, post office, telephone and convenience store are in the administrative building. Fuel and taxi upon order. Filling station 200 m away. Bus stop. Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border control at the request.

Attractiveness

The port is kept in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level. Some boat tourists may find the port not very attractive because of the noise and air pollution generated by very intensive ferry and highway traffic.

In Muhu there are 2 main tourists attractions: 1. the recently renovated Muhu church (10 km from the port), which was probably built in the late 13 th Century; 2. the open air- museum (105 buildings preserved) at Koguva village (18 km from the port). The museum is unique since the museum is actually a living village.

Development opportunities

The port has free space available for further development. If the bridge is built between the mainland and Muhu (it is being discussed at the governmental level), there will be no need to serve ferries and passengers. In that case the ferry quays could be used for pleasure boats.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Kuivastu port is not limited. As far as boat tourism is concerned Kuivastu port has little disadvantage in comparison with other visiting ports due to the heavy ferry and car traffic.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 52 25 3 13 11 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

6. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

As long as the passanger traffic to and from Saaremaa goes trough Kuivastu port, the type of the port is not going to be changed.

In years 2003- 2005 2 breakwaters will be built to protect the port from the waves and make the access to the port possible under adverse weather conditions.

Change of ownership and operator

As far as the main activity of the port is to provide services to the passanger traffic, the government will not sell the port. If the bridge is built the port is likely to be sold to private hands.

Increase of capacity

At the moment there is enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists. According to the development plan of the port, the visitor jetty will not be expanded until 2006.

Improvement of safety

In 2000 pollars and fenders will be replaced with new ones, the illumination will be reconstructed, gangways for passengers will be built. In years 2003- 2006 2 breakwaters will be built to protect the port from the waves and ice and make the access to the port possible under adverse weather conditions.

Improvement of location quality

In 2002 the administrative building will be reconstructed.

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the

Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. Due to the expansion of the port some environmental

problems may arise but they can be overcome.

Existing plan of Kuivastu port (2000)

Development plan of Kuivastu port

KURESSAARE HARBOUR 58°14,7’ N; 22°28,3’ E

Contact address

Vesivärav Ltd. Lootsi 6 80012 Pärnu Estonia Tel. (372) 44 71 752 Fax (372) 44 71 751 E- mail: [email protected]

Kuressaare Jahisadam Tori 4 Kuressaare 93815 Tel (372) 45 33 876 Fax (372) 45 33 540 E- mail: kastanit.ee

Type of harbour

Young seamen training and yacht harbour. In the harbour there are also facilities for local fishing boats.

Ownership and operator

Kuressaare harbour is owned by Kuressaare Municipality and operated by Vesivärav Ltd.

Vesivärav Ltd. also operates Haapsalu yacht harbour, Vergi harbour and Pärnu Yacht harbour.

Capacity

Kuressaare harbour has 64 spaces for visitors. Depth alongside yacht’s jetty 2,7 m, motorboat’s jetty 2,5 m, fishing boat’s jetty 1,3 m. Access channel has depth of 2,5 m, width 24 m and length 2,8 km.

Safety

The harbour has long and narrow access channel, there is no lighted routes for entry. Access channel is marked by 15 pairs of boys with radar transponders and sparklers. Receiving buoy is at f= 58°13,0093’ N l= 22°28,1537’ E. Mooring by boy. The harbour is well sheltered against all winds. Harbour water area is measured in 2001.

Location

Kuressaare harbour is situated in Kuressaare city, just nearby the historical Kuressaare bishopric castle, 1 km from the centre of the city. For more than 900 years the harbour located near Kuressaare was used as a trading, fishing and visitors’ harbour. At this place, abandoned during recent years, the construction of the new Kuressaare marina was started in 1998 and completed in 1999, except the dredging of access channel, which was completed in 2000. The harbour was designed by COWI and funded by the PHARE programme mainly.

Network quality

The harbour is well integrated into the city’s infrastructure. Centre of Kuressaare 1 km. Bus stop 300 m from the harbour. Kuressaare has a good bus connection with Tallinn (9 departures a day), Tartu, Pärnu and Viljandi (2 departures a day). The closest available harbours are Roomassaare 4 km S- E and Nasva 5,5 km S- W of Kuressaare.

Services available

Electricity and water on jetty. Filling station. Custom clearance and border control upon request 8.00- 22.00. Toilet, shower, sauna and bar. Parking for caravans. Rent of cars, bicycles, boats, small yachts and water bicycles. Possibility for minor repair works. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Within the radius of 200 m: currency exchange, hotel, Mud Treatment Establishment, pharmacy, store.

Plenty of bars, pubs, restaurants etc. nearby in the city.

Attractiveness

Kuressaare is rich in history and culture. One is most outstanding tourist attraction in Saaremaa, Kuressaare Bishopric Castle is located here. From this mediaeval stone castle, the islanders have been ruled by Germans, Danes, Swedes and Russians across several centuries. Even today, when the castle has been turned into a museum, it has ruling position over the town panorama.

Kuressaare Bishopric Castle is the only castle in the Baltic States that has survived throughout the centuries as an entirety. In 15th- 18th centuries protective walls and bastions were erected around it.

The island location has assisted in preserving many values. Both baroque and classisistic styles are represented in Kuressaare.

In addition to the castle, there is many sightseeing in Kuressaare. Town park (founded in 1860’s) around the castle, Resort club (1899, restored 1988) in the southern part of the town park, the Knighthood building (end of 18th century), Kuressaare Town Hall (1670, Baroque) etc.

Within the radius of 0,5 km from the harbour there are many possibilities to spend leisure time: sandy beach with necessary infrastructure, tennis court, stadium.

Development opportunities

Development of the harbour is related to the training of young seamen and attracting sea tourists.

Development limitations

Development is limited by long and narrow access channel, which needs a lot of effort to maintain.

Harbour use

In 1999 the harbour was visited by 20 yachts in spite of the fact that the access channel had not been dredged by that time.

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Owner of the harbour is Kuressaare municipality and the ownership will not be changed. The operator of the harbour may be changed in 2001 as Vesivärav Ltd. has lost the interest to operate Kuressaare Yacht Harbour.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of the harbour is going to be increased to 96 spaces by installing one more floating quay.

Improvement of safety

The access channel will be deepened and made wider (3,0 m and 50 m respectively).

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

The harbour building is planned to be expanded in order to be ready for bigger demand in the near future. A quay will be built for motorboats to connect small islands of Ruhnu and Abruka with Saaremaa. A rescue station will also be built in the harbour.

Improvement of attractiveness

Kuressaare municipality is planning to develop seaside recreational area (over 200 ha) and the harbour is a part of it. According to the Plan for the Recreation Area there are/ will be many hotels, public parking areas, sports facilities, café’s, hospital, the Castle Complex, beach, open air swimming pool, service buildings, song ground, full size golf area etc. Many things are already there, many still to be built. The municipality has created good environment for enterpreneurship and hopes to attract private investment in order to bring the plan into existence.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Situation plan of Kuressaare yachting harbour

Existing plan of Kuressaare yachting harbour (2000)

Access channel of Kuressaare yachting harbour

KÕIGUSTE HARBOUR 58 22,2’N; 22 58,4’E

7. INVENTORY

Contact address

Kõiguste Sadam 94401 Kõiguste Laimjala vald Saare MK Tel/ fax (358) 9 297 7896 GSM (358) 400 417 410

Type of harbour

Visiting harbour.

Ownership and operator

Kõiguste harbour is owned and operated by OÜ Kõiguste.

Capacity

The harbour has 20- 25 yacht spaces. Depth at mooring 3- 4 m. Mooring by buoys. No access channel has been dredged.

Safety

Entry to the harbour by an unlighted lane. The minimum depth of the entrance lines is 2,7 m. The harbour is well sheltered from storms.

Location

Kõiguste harbour is located on the north coast of Saaremaa. The harbour is in a secluded area, and one where a seafarer can take some time off from his itinerary.

No rail access. County seat Kuressaare (39 km).

Network quality

The closest available port is Roomassaare port 41 km north- west of Kõiguste. The port has gravel road access 3 km. Bust stop 3,2 km. Bus goes to Kuressaare and Kuivastu 3 times a day.

Services available

Mooring by boys. Guard on duty around the clock. Electricity and water available on jetty. Shower, WC and sauna. Washing machine. Bar- kiosk. Cafe. Possibility to order fuel.

Attractiveness

Kõiguste is a harbour in a secluded area, in the middle of intact nature and one where a seafarer can take some time off from his itinerary.

Development opportunities

Kõiguste harbour has overcapasity and it could also be used for other activities (yacht club, fishing, caravans parking). Kõiguste harbour has free space available for further expansion if it is needed.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Kõiguste harbour is not limited. It depends on the demand for the port services.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 69 91 73 83 87 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

8. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership of the harbour is not planned to be changed

Increase of capacity

At the moment the harbour has enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists. The capacity can easily be increased up to 100 spaces by installing floating quays.

Improvement of safety

Lighted entrance line will be in working order by the next season.

Improvement of location quality

The access road is planned to be covered with asphalt.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50000 is being worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Fuel station for diesel is planned to be built on the quay by the next season. A tavern

and a guest house for 6 persons are going to be built. The harbour will start to rent

cars from the next season. The harbour is going to provide services to car caravans.

Special parking area is going to be built for this purpose.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. Kõiguste harbour could be developed more rapidly and

dynamically if there was bigger demand from the port users.

LEHTMA HARBOUR 59 03,9’N; 22 42,1’E

3. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Dagomar Sadama 15 92412 Kärdla Hiiu MK Tel. (372) 46 320 31 Fax ((372) 46 320 34

Lehtma Sadam 92211 Lehtma Tel.(372) 46 91 214 Fax (372) 46 91 225

Type of harbour

Fishing and trade harbour with possibilities to serve yachts and other pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Lehtma harbour is owned and operated by DAGOmar Ltd. In addition to it the named company owns Suursadam harbour in Hiiumaa and Veere harbour in Saaremaa.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 15 yachts. Mooring by boys. Depth at mooring 4,2 m. Access channel has the depth of 4,2 m, width 50 m and length of 300 miles. The harbour can accommodate ships with length up to 100 m.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by a lighted line. Harbour is exposed to S and SE winds. The harbour is dredged and proper planzet is made in 2000.

Location

Lehtma harbour is situated on the north coast of Hiiumaa, it is Hiiumaa’s gateway to the sea to the north.

Network quality

The closest available ports are Suursadam 15 km S-E. Bus stop 7 km. Bus departures for county centre Kärla (12 km) 6 times a day. Lehtma harbour has good road access.

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water available along jetty. Nearby are two saunas, toilets, showers and washing machine. Hotel for 15 people, bar. Passport control and customs from May 15- September 15, 8 am to 10 pm. Reservations have to be made for other times. Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Fuel upon order.

Attractiveness

Hiiumaa is Estonia’s second largest island and it is attractive for its nature and interesting history. There are many historical memorials influenced by Swedish and Baltic- German culture.

It is said that if you have not seen the Kõpu lighthouse, completed in 1538 and still in use, you have not been to Hiiumaa. At the Soera Farm Museum one can visit an ancient smoke sauna and dance in the farm yard. It is also possible to reserve an experienced guide.

Development opportunities

The harbour has free space available for further development. At the moment there is no need to expand the harbour for yachts. The harbour puts emphasis on developing cargo and fish handling. However development opportunities are also related to making the harbour more attractive for yacht tourists.

There are plans to establish ferry line between Dirhami and Lehtma in winter time when the traffic between Rohuküla and Heltermaa is complicated due to the ice. Dirhami and Lehtma are ice- free ports.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Lehtma port is not limited. Owner of the harbour does not consider yachting activities of utmost importance.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 360 474 433 486 349 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

4. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type of the harbour are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership is not planned.

Increase of capacity

At the moment the harbour has enough capacity to serve yachts. In the near future the capacity is not planned to be increased.

Improvement of safety

Illumination is going to be renovated. Water and electricity supply to the quay will be improved. Pavement of the quays will be repaired.

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be renovated. Parking place for cars will be built. Telephone lines will be replaced with new ones (digital and ISDN).

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Administration building will be reconstructed

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

LOHUSALU HARBOUR 59 24,2’N; 24 12,6’E

9. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS EE Grupp Lohusalu Sadam Lohusalu küla 76702 Keila vald Harju MK Tel. (372) 6 771 640 GSM (372) 50 64 618 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Visitor harbour

Ownership and operator

Lohusalu harbour is owned and operated by EE Grupp Ltd.

Capacity

Visitor jetty is equipped for 15 yachts. There are 45 places for local boats and 20 places for local yachts. Depth alongside jetties 2,6 m. The harbour has no access channel.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by unlighted line. Well sheltered against surf during storms Navigational chart of 1: 50000 has been worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Location

Lohusalu is situated 40 km S- W of Tallinn, in the region of Laulasmaa, that has for decades been Tallinn’s recreation area with secluded houses and beautiful scenery

Network quality

Lohusalu harbour is situated in between the ports of Paldiski and Tallinn. The closest available port is Paldiski Nord 17 km S- W of Lohusalu harbour. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Bus from harbour departs for Tallinn 9 times a day.

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water are available on jetty. WC,

shower and washing machine. Restaurant, pub, fast food. Mailbox. Filling station.

Car rental. Bus stop. Harbour master. The port takes care of pilge water. Custom clearance and border control upon request.

Attractiveness

The region of Laulasmaa has for decades been a recreation zone for the city of Tallinn with its private summer cottages and beautiful scenery.

Lohusalu harbour has developed into one of Estonia’s best yacht harbours. Just nearby the harbour there is sandy beach with children’s playground. There is no industry in the vicinity of Lohusalu. At Niitvälja, 15 km from Lohusalu, are a riding centre and 18- hole golf course.

Development opportunities

Development opportunities are related to the development of Laulasmaa as a recreation area.

Development limitations

The development of Lohusalu harbour as a yacht harbour is limited because it is difficult to make investments into yachting facilities pay off.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 236 625 340 308 276 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

10. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type of harbour are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership is not planned

Increase of capacity

The capacity is increased by 40- 50 places.

Improvement of safety

Lighted line will be installed by the next season in 2001. The entrance will be marked with buoys.

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be repaired

Improving network quality

The harbour’s water area is measured in 2000 and new planzet will be produced.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Permanent customs and border- control in summer is likely to be opened by the next season at Lohusalu harbour. Sauna will be built. Facilities for the reception of fekal water will be installed. Cash dispenser and point of sale will be installed.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

NARVA- JÕESUU HARBOUR 59°27,9’ N; 28°2,8’ E

Contact address

Narva- Jõesuu City Government Koidu 25 29023 Narva- Jõesuu Tel. (372) 35 77 023 Tel/ Fax (372) 35 77 577 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Visitor, border guard, fishing and ships’ repair harbour.

Ownership and operator

Narva- Jõesuu harbour consists of 4 quays. Visitor quay is owned by the municipality of Narva- Jõesuu, border guard quay is owned by the Board of Estonian Border Guard, fishing and ships’ repair quays are owned by private companies.

Capacity

Narva- Jõesuu harbour has 20 places for yachts. Depth alongside visitor jetty is up to 12 m. Narva river is not needed to be dredged apart from the river estuary where the sediments are transported. There is the dredged channel in the estuary with depth of 2,8 m, width of 60 m and length of 250 m. There is no access channel to the harbour.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by unlighted line. Mooring into hull. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms. Navigation charts of 1: 100000 and 1: 50000 have been produced for this region. The harbour is situated close the waterfall that makes the water flow turbulate. On the river there is hydro power plant and as a result of that water level fluctuates in the harbour region. In addition fluctuation of the sea level generates even bigger fluctuation on the river.

Location

Narva- Jõesuu harbour is situated in the city of Narva- Jõesuu, on the left bank of Narva river, 14 km N- W of Narva. The quays reach from almost the estuary up to 1,5 km down river.

Network quality

The harbour is close to the centre of Narva- Jõesuu (500 m). Access road has to be repaired. There is no railway. The closest available port is Narva 14 km S- E of Narva- Jõesuu. Bus from Narva- Jõesuu departs for Narva in every 0,5 h a day. Narva- Jõesuu is connected to Tallinn (226 km), Rakvere (130 km), Kohtla- Järve (72 km) via Narva.

Services available

Restaurants, pubs, car rental, bus stop nearby in the city. Custom clearance and border control upon request. Fuel upon request. At the moment there are no services that are expected by yacht tourists (water, electricity, shower, sauna and guards).

Attractiveness

Narva- Jõesuu is a summer resort with nice sandy beaches, sanatoriums, camps. Narva- Jõesuu is going to be further developed as a summer resort and the harbour is playing an important role in that.

Nearby Narva- Jõesuu is an old trading centre Narva. In 14th and 15th century (flourishing period for Hansa trade) Narva played an important role in promoting trade between east and west in spite of the fact that it was not a member of Hanseatic League. In 1944 old city of Narva was destroyed to a great extend. However there are still many historical buildings like Narva Castle (also museum), Aleksandri Church, Ülestõusmise Church, City Hall etc. Just opposite to Narva Castle on the other side of the river is situated Ivangorod Castle. It is the only place in the world where 2 castles are so close to each- other.

Development opportunities

Narva harbour is going to be developed as yacht and pleasure ships harbour. Narva- Jõesuu could also be a home port for local yachts.

Finnish Gulf and Peipsi Lake may be connected to each other via Narva River. It could give a very strong impetus to the development of Narva- Jõesuu harbour.

Development limitations

Development of the harbour is limited by 2 factors: 1. since Narva River is a border river, navigation on it depends on the restrictions proceeding from the border requirements; 2. navigability of river estuary is affected by the heavy sediment transportation.

Harbour use

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 11 9 34 8 31 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The main activities of the municipality harbour will be serving yachts and providing facilities for local yachts.

Change of ownership and operator

Final decision about the ownership and operator has not been made yet. Ownership of the port may be changed if the City Government finds strategical investor into the harbour. In that case a commercial company, partly owned by the municipality, partly by strategical investor, may be established. Narva- Jõesuu City Government may also give the harbour to a private company to operate under special agreement.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of the harbour is going to be increased up to 50 yacht places.

Improvement of safety

The existing hydrotechnical installations will be reconstructed and modernised. The port is going to be illuminated and supplied with saving equipment. Entrance line of the harbour will be lighted

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be repaired.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 25000 will be worked out for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Water and electricity will be made available on the quay. Filling station will be built. The harbour will be provided with reception facilities for waste waters and solid waste. Up to standard toilet, shower and sauna will be built. Communication services will be made available. Catering for tourists.

Improvement of attractiveness

River estuary will be dredged and protected from sediment transportation by building a new breakwater.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Ownership relations of different quays are very complicated.

NARVA HARBOUR

Contact address

Narva City Government Peetri plats 5 20308 Narva Tel. (372) 35 22 448 Fax (372) 60 241 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Visitor and sport club harbour. Sport Club of Young Seamen is involved in activities like rowing, oaring and sailing.

Ownership and operator

Narva harbour consists of 3 quays and they are owned by local municipality- the city of Narva who also operates the harbour.

Capacity

Narva harbour has 20 places for yachts. Depth alongside jetties 2- 3 m. Narva river is not needed to be dredged apart from the river estuary where sediments are transported. There is the dredged channel in the estuary with depth of 2,8 m, width of 60 m and length of 250 m. There is no access channel to the port.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by unlighted line. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms. Water area of Narva harbour was measured in 1996. The harbour has 3 quays 2 of them are urgently needed to be reconstructed. The harbour is situated close the waterfall that makes the water flow turbulate. On the river there is hydro power plant and as a result of that water level fluctuates in the harbour region. In addition fluctuation of the sea level generates even bigger fluctuation on the river.

Location

Narva harbour is situated in the city of Narva, on the left bank of Narva river, opposite to Russian city Ivangorod.

Network quality

Narva harbour is a historical harbour close to the centre of Narva (0,5 km). Access road has to be repaired. There is no railway as well as walking way between the harbour and the centre of Narva. The closest available port is Narva- Jõesuu 14 km N of Narva. Bus from Narva departs for cities like Tallinn (212 km), Rakvere (116 km), Kohtla- Järve (58 km).

Services available

Electricity is available on jetty. WC and shower. Restaurants, pubs, car rental, bus stop nearby in the city. Custom clearance and border control upon request. Fuel upon request.

Attractiveness

The harbour is situated in an old trading centre Narva. In 14th and 15th century (flourishing period for Hansa trade) Narva played an important role in promoting trade between east and west in spite of the fact that it was not a member of Hanseatic League. In 1944 old city of Narva was destroyed to a great extend. However there are still many historical buildings like Narva Castle (also museum), Aleksandri Church, Ülestõusmise Church, City Hall etc. Just opposite to Narva Castle on the other side of the river is situated Ivangorad Castle. It is the only place in the world where 2 castles are so close to each- other. 13 km N- W of Narva is situated summer resort Narva- Jõesuu with nice sandy beaches, sanatoriums, camps.

Development opportunities

Narva harbour is going to be developed as yacht and sport club harbour. Activities like repairing yachts and keeping them over winter can also take place. Narva could also be a home port for local yachts.

Finnish Gulf and Peipsi Lake may be connected to each other via Narva River. It could give a very strong impetus to the development of Narva- Jõesuu harbour.

Development limitations

Development of the harbour is limited by 3 factors: 1. the harbour does not have much space for expansion due to the surrounding city; 2. since Narva River is a border river, navigation on it depends on the restrictions proceeding from the border requirements; 3. navigability of river estuary is affected by the heavy sediment transportation.

Harbour use

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL - 16 10 31 *Statistics by ownership of boats and size classes is not available

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The main activities of the harbour will be the serving of yachts and providing facilities for local sport club and also for local yachts. New activities like repairing yachts, keeping them over winter, building of yachts will be developed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership of the port is not going to be changed. Narva City Government may give the harbour to a private company to operate under special agreement.

Increase of capacity

The harbour has enough capacity to meet the demand and therefore the capacity is not planned to be increased.

Improvement of safety

The existing hydrotechnical installations will be reconstructed by the next season. The port is going to be illuminated and supplied with saving equipment.

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be repaired. Electricity and water supply to the port will be reconstructed as well as telephone lines.

Improving network quality

River estuary will be dredged and protected from the sediment transportation by building a new breakwater.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Reconstruction of electricity supply. Quays are also supplied with water. Filling station will be built. The harbour will be equipped with reception facilities for waste waters and solid waste. Up to standard toilet, shower and sauna will be built. Communication services will be improved. Bank services. Catering for tourists. Repair, maintenance and building of yachts. Keeping yachts over winter.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is limited by the heavy sediment transportation at the estuary of Narva River.

NASVA HARBOUR 58 13,0’N; 22 23,7’E

11. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Nasva Jahtklubi 93822 Nasva Saare MK Tel (372) 45 44 044 Fax (372) 45 44 028 E- mail: [email protected] http://www.saaremaa.ee/nasvahotel

Type of harbour

Yacht Club and visitor harbour.

Ownership and operator

Nasva harbour is owned by 2 companies: Nasva Jahtklubi Ltd. and Saare Töölaevad Ltd.

The first one provides services to yachts and other pleasure ships and trains young seamen. The second one repairs ships and planning to start building boats. These companies are separated from each- other with fence. Yacht Club is situated behind the ship repair yard.

Capacity

The port has 30 spaces along the jetty. Depth along jetty is 2,5 m. Access channel has to be dredged every year because of heavy transport of bottom sediments. Access channel- width 50 m and length 500 m.

Safety

Upon entry local markers should be followed. Well- sheltered from winds. Actual

depth in the harbour water area may not correspond to the declared one.

Location

Nasva harbour is situated 10 km west of Kuressaare at the mouth of the river Nasva. The harbour is surrounded by fishing village Nasva with several fish processing plants. Other companies in the village deal with boat and yacht building. Local economy is influenced by the proximity to Kuressaare.

Network quality

The closest available harbours are Kuressaare 5,5 km N- E and Roomassaare 6 km E of Nasva.

The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to

Kuressaare (10 km), bus stop 1,5 km. In weekdays bus departures in every hour to

county seat Kuressaare.

Services available

Mooring boys. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water on jetty. WC, shower and sauna. Convenience store. Café, bar, telephone and mailbox. Filling station. Fuel and taxi upon order. Harbour master. Bus stop. Hotel for up to 40 persons.

The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border

control upon request.

Attractiveness

The port is in good order. Visitor jetty is up to Scandinavian standards. The recently opened Yacht Club’s hotel is one of the best in Saaremaa. In 1995, yachtsmen considered Nasva Estonia’s best harbour.

Sandy beaches of Järve and Mändajala just nearby.

The vicinity of Kuressaare makes Nasva harbour more attractive.

Development opportunities

The development of Nasva Jahtclub is related to the hotel, training of young yachtsmen and providing services to sea tourists as well as other people to spend their leisure time.

Development limitations

The development of Nasva harbour is limited by unfavourable natural conditions as sediment transportation. It could be considered as competitive disadvantage. Nasva harbour is facing very strong competition from the neighbouring harbours of Roomassaare and Kuressaare.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 52 83 95 71 44 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

12. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of harbour is not going to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership can be changed.

Increase of capacity

The capacity is not planned to be increased. At the moment there is enough capacity to meet the demand.

Improvement of safety

Quays will be reconstructed.

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the

Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Access channel will be dredged and protected from the sediment transportation. Research regarding how sediment transportation could be stopped is going to be carried out.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Improvement of attractiveness

Nasva harbour is situated just nearby Järve and Mändjala sandy beaches. This could be regarded as one recreational area and it is situated in the territory of Kaarma municipality. Development plan for recreational area of Nasva, Järve and Mändjala is going to be worked out.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is limited by unfavourable natural conditions.

ORISSAARE HARBOUR 58 33,8’N; 23 05,7’E

13. INVENTORY

Contact address

Government of Orissaare Municipality Kuivastu mnt. 33 94601 Orissaare Tel. (372) 45 45 563 Fax (372) 45 45 648

Type of harbour

Yacht club and visiting harbour.

Ownership and operator

Orissaare harbou is owned by Orissaare Municipality .

Orissaare Municipality is located in the north- eastern part of Saaremaa.

Capacity

The harbour has 29 visitor spaces. Depth at mooring 2,5 m. Mooring by buoys or to piles

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by a lighted lane. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms.

Location

Orissaare is Saaremaa’s second largest township. It has developed thanks to a road connecting the eastern and western regions of the province. Orissaare was the landing site for mail boats until the construction of a causeway between Saaremaa and Muhu (1894- 1897). Reconstruction of Orissaare harbour was completed in 1994 and it was financed by the Port of Tallinn.

The port has road access. No rail access. Bus stop in the center of township- 0,5 km from the harbour. Connections by bus to county seat Kuressaare (57 km).

Network quality

The closest available port is Triigi 20 km E of Orissaare. There is a regular and tense buss connection from Orissaare to Kuressaare and also to other cities like Tallinn (159 km), Pärnu (95 km) and Tartu (273 km).

Access road (300 m) has the gravel pavement, needs to be repaired.

Services available

Mooring by boys or to piles. Electricity and water available on jetty. Shower, WC and sauna. Cafe. Taxi and fuel upon order. Currency exchange, stores, restaurant, bus stop 0,5 km.

Attractiveness

The port is in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level.

In the vicinity of the harbour there are the ruins of Soneburg 3 km away. The fortress was founded in the 14th century and demolished in 1576. It is useful to request a guide from the local tourist office.

It is also recommended to visit the open- air museum at the village of Koguva on Muhu island, the church of Muhu (built in the 13th century and renovated in 1994) and Eemu Windmill that is still used for grinding meal. For more exotic experiences, horceback riding is available on the island of Muhu.

Pöide church, the biggest sacral building in Saaremaa, built in 14th century, is situated 4 km away.

In the harbour a wreck of the so-called Maasilinna ship that dates back to the 16th century, can be seen. It was raised from the bottom a couple of years ago.

According to a survey yachtsmen considered Orissaare Estonia’s best visitor harbour after Nasva in 1995.

Development opportunities

Orissaare harbour has free space available for further expansion if it is needed.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Orissaare harbour is not limited.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 114 96 108 112 105 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

14. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the port is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership is not planned to be changed

Increase of capacity

At the moment the harbour has enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists.

Improvement of safety

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be repaired

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50000 is being worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. Orissaare harbour could develop more rapidly and

dynamically if there was bigger demand from the port users.

ORJAKU HARBOUR 58 47,3’N; 22 46,4’E

5. INVENTORY

Contact address

OÜ Neli Aastaaega Hiiu mnt. 28 92101 Käina vald Hiiu MK Tel (372) 46 97 125 Fax (372) 46 36 270

Type of harbour

Yacht Club and visiting harbour.

Ownership and operator

Orjaku harbour is owned and operated by OÜ Neli Aastaaega Ltd.

Käina Municipality owns the OÜ Neli Aastaaega Ltd. Käina Municipality is one of four Hiiumaa’s municipalities situated on S- E part of Hiiumaa.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 15 yachts. Mooring by boys. Depth at mooring 2,5- 3 m. Access channel has the depth of 3,0 m, width 35 m and length of 8 km.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by a lighted line. Access is easy under adverse weather conditions. The harbour has no problems with sediment transportation- the last time it was dredged in 1937. The harbour has 2 floating quays.

Location

Orjaku harbour is situated on the island of Kassari. Kassari is 1 km off S- E coast of Hiiumaa and it is connected to Hiiumaa with dike- road.

Network quality

Road connection to the harbour is in good order.

The closest available ports are Sõru 20 km S-W and Triigi 21 km S of Orjaku. Bus stop. Bus departures for county centre Kärla (28 km) and parish centre Käina (8 km) 4 times a day.

Services available

Guards on duty 8.00- 18.00. Electricity available on jetty. Dry Closet. Fuel on order. Bus stop. Customs and border- guard upon order.

Attractiveness

The island of Kassari, home to Orjaku harbour, is also home to many thickets, dunelands and fertile fields. It would be difficult to find a place in Estonia better suited for a quiet restful vacation. A hiking tour along the marked trail will take you to the most beautiful nooks of Orjaku.

In 1999 an impressive bird watching tower and pavilion was finished on Kassari island. The tower rises up to 11 m and from the platform one has a splendid view over the Käina and Jausa bays. Käina bay is especially notable for its breeding and migrating bird populations.

There are three museums within the territory of the commune: a regional museum, the house museum of the Estonian- Finnish writer Aino Kalda and the museum of the world- renown composer Rudolf Tobias.

Development opportunities

The harbour has free space available for further development. At the moment there is no need to expand the harbour.

Development opportunities are related to making the harbour more attractive for yacht tourists as well as providing repair and maintenance for yachts and possibilities to keep them over winter.

The harbour is interested in serving the ferry line between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. At the moment the ferry line links the harbours of Triigi in Saaremaa and Sõru in Hiiumaa.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Orjaku port is not limited. However it is retarded due to the fact that it is very difficult for the municipality to raise funds for the development.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 40 37 26 43 20 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

6. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Change of type of the harbour is not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership is not planned.

Increase of capacity

The capacity is increased up to 20 by putting the 2 floating quays into good order.

Improvement of safety

Light at the end of the breakwater will be reconstructed.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Quays will be supplied with water and electricity. WC, shower and sauna will be built. Facilities for oily and waste waters will be built.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to Existing plan of Orjaku harbour (2000)

Existing plan of Orjaku harbour (2000)

PALDISKI NORD PORT 58 57,5’N; 23 31,8’E

15. INVENTORY

Contact address

Paldiski Sadamate AS Peetri 31 76805 Paldiski Tel. (372) 6 741 202 Fax. (372) 6 741 035 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Trade harbour with possibilities to serve yachts.

Ownership and operator

Paldiski Nord port is owned and operated by Paldiski Sadamate Ltd.

In Paldiski there are two ports Paldiski Nord and Paldiski South owned by Paldiski Sadamate Ltd. and the Port of Tallinn Ltd. respectively. Both of them are cargo ports but Paldiski Nord provides also services to yachts as its additional activity.

Capacity

There is no visitor jetty. 8 yachts can be accommodated at the same time. Depth at mooring is 5,5m. No access channel. The isobate of 6 m is reached just outside the port.

Safety

The port is well- sheltered from surf during storms. Mooring to hull rope. Jetty’s height 3 m. Navigational chart 1: 50000 has been worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Location

Paldiski Nord Port (as well as Paldiski South Port) is situated in Paldiski town 45 km W- S of Tallinn.

Network quality

The closest available ports are Paldiski South port 2 km S- E and Lohusalu 9 km N- E of Paldiski Nord port. The port has good road access. The port has also rail access. Bus stop in the town centre (600 m). Bus departures for Tallinn 8 times a day.

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Passport control and customs. Electricity and water are available on jetty. Currency exchange, stores, bars, post office at the town centre. Fuel upon order. Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Attractiveness

The harbour was not designed for serving yachts. Therefore there are not all the services what are expected by yacht tourists.

Paldiski, a town with a population of 4000, was controlled by the Russian military forces until 1993. A Soviet naval base and a training centre for atomic submarine personnel were situated here. In 1718 construction of the naval port started, and since then Paldiski has remained a military town. Today the town is opened for visitors. Paldiski looks highly exotic with its super- Soviet architecture and Russian culture.

Development opportunities

Paldiski Nord port is oriented to handling cargo. Development opportunities of Paldiski as a yacht harbour are related to the development of the city and vice- versa. The city benefits from yachts in many ways and therefore it is trying to develop the port also towards a yacht port.

Visitor jetty away from the cargo berths could be built. At the moment the yachts berth is beside cargo ships that generate noise and pollution.

Development limitations

The port is developed towards bigger and more competitive port in cargo handling

market. Yacht servicing is of secondary importance and it is not going to be

developed at the expense of cargo handling

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 40 42 18 42 112 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

16. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type of harbour are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership is not planned

Increase of capacity

Special quay for yachts is planned to be built.

Improvement of safety

Improvement of location quality

Access road to the port will be repaired.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart 1: 25000 is going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

A new quay for yachts will be built with electricity and water on the jetty, fuel station, facilities for oily and waste waters, also WC, shower and sauna

Improvement of attractiveness

Attractiveness of the port is improved by making the port safer and building better

facilities for yachts and yachtsmen. Attractiveness of the port also depends on the

attractiveness of the town.

Overcoming development limitations due to

PIRITA KALEV YACHTCLUB HARBOUR 59 28,2’N; 24 49,2’E

17. INVENTORY

Contact address

ESS Kalevi Jahtklubi Pirita tee 17 10127 Tallinn Tel.(372) 6 239 154 Fax (372) 6 239 028 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Yacht club and visitor port at Tallinn Olympic Regatta Centre.

Ownership and operator

Pirita port is owned by 2 operators: the Kalev Yacht Club (40 visitor places) and TOP Ltd. (90 visitor places). TOP Ltd. is owned by the state and it is currently being privatised.

Yacht Club Kalev is non profit making institution with the main purpose to train young seamen. Second activity is to serve yachts.

Capacity

The harbour is able to accommodate 40 yachts. Depth at mooring is 2- 3 m.

Safety

VHF 16 “Pirita Marina”. Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The port is

safely accessible under adverse weather and visibility conditions. harbour is well

protected from the winds. Mooring by buoy. Precise navigational chart (1: 50 000)

and electronic chart for Tallinn region has been worked out by National Maritime

Board. Depth of the harbour has to be overmeasured because of the transportation of sediments. At the moment the actual depth might be less than the declared depth on the planzet of the harbour.

Location

Pirita is the only port for yachts in Tallinn and it is located at the estuary of Pirita River.

Pirita is a part of Tallinn lying 5- 7 km north- east of the city centre, by the bay of Tallinn.

Network quality

The closest available ports for yachts are Naissaare 9 km N- W, Miiduranna 3,5 km N and Old City port 4 km S- W of Pirita harbour.

The port has good road access. No rail access. Bus stop 300m and very good bus

connection to the centre of Tallinn. The old city of Tallinn 5 km from the port.

Services available

Mooring boys. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water along jetty.

WC, shower and sauna. Washing machine. Convenience store. Cafés, bars,

restaurants, stores, post office, currency exchange, pharmacy. Telephone and mailbox. Harbour master. Filling station nearby, on the quay of TOP Ltd.

The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border control.

Attractiveness

The port is up to Scandinavian standards. Sandy beach 1 km. The harbour is situated in the outskirts of Tallinn. Tallinn is rich in beautiful sights, providing unforgettable experiences and memories. Tallinn Old Town is a truly medieval city (13- 15th century) characterised by limestone buildings and surrounded by a 2 km city wall with 26 well preserved towers.

Pirita is a garden city. Adjacent to it is 2- km long beach, a park- like pine grove and the protected picturesque magnificent ruins of a 15th century convent. At the beginning of 20th century Pirita began to turn into an outing and recreation place with a wonderful sand beach. For the Olympic Regatta of 1980, a large yacht harbour with all necessary facilities and a hotel were built. At present the harbour buildings house a shopping mall and several offices.

The Kalev Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respectable clubs of its kind in Estonia. Kalev’s yachtsmen have won three Olympic medals (in 1960, Aleksander Tchutchelov in FINN- class, in 1988 and 1992 Toomas and Tõnu Tõniste in 470 class). From yacht club’s jetty visitors will get a magnificent view of the ruins of St. Brigit’s convent (constructed 1407- 1436, destroyed in the Livonian War 1577). -

Development opportunities

At the moment the Yacht Club does not have enough capacity and it is very interested in quays that are owned by TOP Ltd. Pirita Port, that is owned by TOP Ltd., is going to be sold away. If the Yacht Club manages to raise funds it can buy the neighbouring quays and expand its activities there. It is also possible that the city of Tallinn buys the port and gives it to the Yacht Club to operate. The Yacht Club can also be expanded on the other side of Pirita river.

Development limitations

The expansion of Pirita port towards the land is limited due to the surrounding city.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 204 676 498 664 109 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

18. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the harbour is not going to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

The club has no plans to change the ownership.

Increase of capacity

Increase of capacity can take place at the expense of the neighbouring port. It means

that the increase of capacity depends on whom and under what conditions the state

will privatisise TOP Ltd.

Improvement of safety

VTS, covering the bays of Tallinn and Muuga, will be implemented in the near future.

Navigational chart of 1: 25 000 is also going to be worked out.

Depth of the harbour will be overmeasured and new planzet will be produced.

Water area should be dredged up to the original depth of construction.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

VTS, covering the bays of Tallinn and Muuga, will be implemented in the near future.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Improvement of attractiveness

On one hand the attractiveness of the Yacht Club is improved by improving attractiveness of the city. On the other hand attractiveness can be improved by increasing the capacity of the harbour.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is limited to an extend due to the surrounding city.

PIRITA HARBOUR 59 28,2’N; 24 49,2’E

19. INVENTORY

Contact address

TOP Ltd. Regati pst. 1 11911 Tallinn Tel. (372) 6 398 980 Fax (372) 6 398 984

Type of harbour

Home and visitor port at Tallinn Olympic Regatta Centre. The port does not handle any cargo.

Ownership and operator

Pirita port is owned by 2 operators: TOP Ltd. (90 visitor places) and ESS Kalev Yacht Club (40 visitor places).

TOP Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state. TOP Ltd. owns the whole port complex (incl. the hotel Pirita) apart from the quays and buildings that are owned by the ESS Kalev Yacht Club.

Capacity

The port is equipped for 90 visiting yachts and for 120 local yachts and boats. Depth at mooring is currently 2,8 m. At the moment actual depth does not correspond to the declared depth of 4- 4,5 m. The port has no access channel. Behind the breakwaters there is the natural depth of 5- 6m.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The harbour is safely accessible under

adverse weather and visibility conditions. When there is N- W wind, waves to an

extend enter the port in spite of the breakwaters. Mooring directly to hull or by buoy.

Precise navigational chart (1: 50 000) and electronic chart for Tallinn region has been

worked out by National Maritime Board.

Location

Pirita port is the only port for yachts in Tallinn and located at the estuary of the Pirita River.

Pirita is a part of Tallinn lying 5- 7 km north- east of the city centre, by the bay of Tallinn.

Network quality

The closest available ports for yachts are Naissaare 9 km N- W, Miiduranna 3,5 km N and Old City port 4 km S- W of Pirita harbour.

The harbour has good road access. No rail access. Bus stop 300m with good

connection to the centre. The old city of Tallinn 5 km from the port.

Services available

Mooring boys. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water along jetty.

WC, shower and sauna. Washing machine. Convenience store. Cafés, bars,

restaurants, stores, post office, currency exchange, pharmacy. Tennis court, swimming pool and sport hall. Telephone and mailbox. Filling station. Harbour

master. Bus stop. Crane 8 t (at the moment it is out of order).

The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border

control.

Attractiveness

The port is up to Scandinavian standards. Sandy beach 1 km. The harbour is situated in the outskirts of Tallinn. Tallinn is rich in beautiful sights, providing unforgettable experiences and memories. Tallinn Old Town is a truly medieval city (13- 15th century) characterised by limestone buildings and surrounded by a 2 km city wall with 26 well preserved towers.

Pirita is a garden city. Adjacent to it is 2- km long beach, a park- like pine grove and the protected picturesque magnificent ruins of a 15th century convent. At the beginning of 20th century Pirita began to turn into an outing and recreation place with a wonderful sand beach. For the Olympic Regatta of 1980, a large yacht harbour with all necessary facilities and a hotel were built. At present the harbour buildings house a shopping mall and several offices.

Development opportunities

Pirita port was designed in such a way that it could also be used by military ships. Therefore the port has too large free water area- yachts need less for manoeuvring and berthing. The capacity of the port can be increased up to 400 yachts (incl. local and visitors) by providing more floating quays and reconstructing the breakwater south- west of the port. The breakwater has to be built 1 m higher so that yachts could berth there.

Development limitations

The development of Pirita port is limited to an extend due to the surrounding city.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 2024 3171 3047 3141 2784 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

20. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the port is probably not going to be changed. However, it depends on the new owner.

Change of ownership and operator

The Government has made decision to sell off the shears of TOP Ltd. Who will be the new owner it is not known at the moment.

Increase of capacity

The capacity can be increased, but it depends on the new owner. The present owner (state) does not have any plans with respect to it.

Improvement of safety

VTS, covering the bays of Tallinn and Muuga, will be implemented in the near future.

Navigational chart of 1: 25 000 is also going to be worked out.

Depth of the harbour will be overmeasured and new planzet will be produced. Water area should be dredged up to the original depth of construction.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Existing services are up to the Scandinavian standards. The present owner (state) does not have any plans to improve them.

Improvement of attractiveness

The attractiveness could be improved by lowering the port dues. Pirita is the most expensive yacht harbour in Estonia (150 EEK/ 24 h).

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is limited to an extend due to the surrounding city and the fact that environmental restrictions are getting tougher. As far as the privatisation is in the process, development of the port is hampered.

PRANGLI HARBOUR

21. INVENTORY

Contact address

Prangli Kalandusühistu 74001 Prangli Viimsi Vald Harju MK GSM (372) 50 32 736

Type of harbour

Fishing harbour. Serving also passanger boat and yachts.

Ownership and operator

Prangli (Kelnase) harbour is owned by local fishermen Prangli Kalandusühistu.

Capacity

The harbour has up to 15 visitor spaces. Depth at mooring 1- 2 m. Mooring to hull.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by an unlighted lane. The port is exposed to NE winds. The quays are requiring a major overhaul. Navigational chart of 1: 50 000 has been worked out for this region.

Location

Prangli harbour is situated on the Northern shore of Prangli island. Prangli island is situated at the Northern part of the Muuga Bay in the Gulf of Finland. The distance between the island and the mainland is approximately 10 km.

Network quality

The closest available ports are Leppneeme 18 km N-W and Muuga 19 km N of Prangli (Kelnase) harbour. Prangli island is connected to the mainland by a passanger boat “Helgi”, belonging to the Viimsi Municipality. The ferry connects the Kelnase harbour of Prangli with Leppneeme on the mainland. There are 2 round- trips per day in summer, reducing to 6 per week in winter, when the harbour is not closed by ice. The distance between these ports is 18 km.

Services available

No services are provided in Prangli Kelnase harbour apart from mooring to hull.

Attractiveness

Western part of the island is low and stony, in the eastern part coastal barriers and dunes are varied. Lots of erratic boulders occur there on the island. The cultural heritage sites to see are Laurentiuse chapel, built in 1848 and village cemetery on the southern coast and the cemetery on the eastern coast which is dedicated to the perished ones of the steamship "Eesti Rand" that went down southwards from Vanakabeli point.

There is a camping ground with the sites for the fire and swing.

Prangli already attracts some tourism, largely from visiting yachts. There are few specific tourist attractions on the island, although the quiet rural environment will appeal many visitors. Moreover, the natural habitat is very attractive with bays, beaches and woods.

Development opportunities

There is a great interest among yacht tourists in Prangli island but the existing harbour is not able to meet the demand. Therefore, and also for better connection with the mainland, the Viimsi Municipality is planning to construct the new yacht harbour with all necessary facilities and services on the Southern shore of the island.

The new harbour will have sufficient space for a future expansion of berth and onshore facilities to cater for the expected future increases in sailing tourism.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Prangli harbour is not limited. The main obstacle is to raise finances for new constructions. So far the Viimsi Municipality has not managed to do it.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 21 90 72 138 7 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

22. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the Prangli- Kelnase harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

The ownership of the Prangli- Kelnase harbour is not planned to be changed.

Increase of capacity

The detailed building project of new yachting harbour has been prepared in 1998. The project was financed by the European Union’s Phare Programme. Owner of the new harbour will be Viimsi Municipality. The location bears the local name Mölgi and the new harbour will be named the Mölgi harbour when completed.

The new yachting harbour will have a good range of modern facilities to cater for Estonian and international yachting tourism. The new harbour will be able to provide safe berthing facilities for 18 crafts ranging in size from larger yachts to small motorboats.

Improvement of safety

The harbour bassin will be dredged to a depth of 2,5- 3m. The new harbour will be sheltered from South and West and will include approximately 300 m breakwaters.

Improvement of location quality

A dirt road will connect the harbour area with the existing road network on Prangli. The existing dirt road will be improved. No special service or storage area are planned.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 25 0000 will be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

A building close at the Easter side of the harbour area will be built with the following facilities: ß Harbour office ß Toilet, bath, washing and sauna ß Cafeteria, service and kitchen ß Storage etc.

Bunkering and facilities for reception of waste and bilge water will be placed on the passanger boat quay.

A single slipway is proposed in the Western part of the harbour. Its main purpose is to serve as a ramp for occasional landing of heavy equipment and transfer of e.g. fire engines, but also be used for launching small boats.

Improvement of attractiveness

The provision of new facilities in beautiful settings and within easy walking distance

of small settlements and an attractive beach will play a major part in developing local

tourism industry. Additionally the new harbour will provide berth for passenger boat

“Helga” currently calling at Kelnase, and hence save transport time.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development of the harbour is slowed down by the lack of money.

Existing plan of Prangli Kelnase harbour (2000)

General layout plan of the new Prangli harbour on the Southern coast of Prangli island

PÄRNU HARBOUR 58°23,16’ N; 24°29,30’ E

Contact address

Vesivärav Ltd. Lootsi 6 80012 Pärnu Estonia Tel. (372) 44 71 752 Fax (372) 44 71 751 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Yacht club and visiting harbour.

Ownership and operator

Pärnu Port consists of many different quays that are owned by different private companies. The biggest quay owner (in terms of cargo turnover per year) is the Port of Pärnu Ltd.

Pärnu yacht harbour is owned by the Port of Pärnu Ltd. and operated by Vesivärav Ltd. The named companies have partly the same owners. Other quays of the Port of Pärnu are for cargo handling.

Vesivärav Ltd. also operates Haapsalu yacht harbour, Vergi harbour and Kuressaare harbour.

Capacity

Pärnu harbour has 60 spaces for yachts and other pleasure boats (45 spaces for permanent clients, 15 for visitors). Depth alongside jetty up to 3 m. Bigger ships with the draft up to 6 m can be accommodated alongside the former cargo quays. In principle Pärnu Port could be able to serve Cutty Sark Regatta.

In 1999 the Port of Pärnu handled 1, 6 mln. tons of cargo.

Safety

There are 3 lighted lines to enter the port. The lines are also marked with boys. Entry into the port is easy under adverse weather conditions. It is important to keep the entrance line because nearby there are many fishing nets that are rather badly marked.

Location

Pärnu Port is situated in the city of Pärnu, at the river estuary of Pärnu River.

Network quality

The harbour is well integrated into the city’s infrastructure. Centre of Pärnu 1 km. Pärnu has a good bus connections with Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi and other Estonian cities. The closest available harbours are Kihnu 36 km and Munalaid 27 km N- W of Pärnu.

Services available

Electricity and water on jetty. Guard around the clock. Filling station. Custom clearance and border control upon request. Toilet, shower, sauna and bar. Possibility for minor repair works. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste. Bicycle and car rent.

Plenty of bars, pubs, restaurants etc. nearby in the city.

Attractiveness

Pärnu is one of the best summer resorts in Estonia. Pärnu is also called the summer capital of Estonia.

Pärnu has been summer resort since 1838, by now it has became internationally well- known. In summer time Pärnu is visited by more than 300 000 people from more than 40 countries.

Within the radius of 1 km from the harbour there are many possibilities to spend leisure time: sandy beach with necessary infrastructure, tennis court, stadium etc.

Pärnu yacht harbour is in good order with well developed infrastructure. It is proved by the fact that in 1994 the World Championship in Finn Race Sailing took place in Pärnu.

Development opportunities

Development of the Pärnu yacht harbour is related to the training of young seamen and attracting sea tourists.

Development limitations

Development is limited by the land ownership that surrounds Pärnu yacht harbour.

Harbour use

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 161 174 201 205 220 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership and operator of Pärnu yacht harbour is not going to be changed.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of the harbour is going to be increased in two stages by expanding the harbour towards Vallikraavi. In the first stage the harbour capacity increased by 25 spaces and it is likely to take place in 2001- 2002. In the second stage the harbour increased by another 25 spaces.

Improvement of safety

Navigational chart of 1: 25 000 is going to be worked out for this region. The depth of water area is measured and new planzet will be produced by 2001.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Internet service will be made available in the harbour for visitors by 2001.

Improvement of attractiveness

Pärnu yacht harbour follows very closely the requirements of Blue Flag in order to be sure that it always meets these requirements.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Existing plan of Pärnu Port (2000)

ROHUKÜLA PORT 58 54,3’N; 23 25,7’E

23. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372) 45 33 871, Fax (372) 45 33 872 E- mail: [email protected]

Rohuküla sadam 90531 Rohuküla Ridala vald Lääne MK Tel (372) 47 32 244 Fax (372) 47 32 171 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Ferry port and with possibilities to serve cargo ships and with some berths for pleasure boats. In order to make better use of port installations, more emphasises are put on cargo handling. It is difficult for Rohuküla port to compete with Haapsalu port for yahts and other pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Rohuküla port is owned by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Saarte Liinid Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state. Saarte Liinid Ltd. is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Vormsi. Saarte Liinid Ltd. owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby. The main function of Rohuküla port is to provide good service to the ferries and passengers as the connection between the main land and the island of Hiiumaa goes through the ports of Rohuküla and Heltermaa.

Capacity

Visitor jetty (quay 1) is located in the northern basin and equipped for 5 yahts. Depth at the visitor jetty side is 3,5 m. Access channel has the depth of 4,5 m, width of 70 m and length of 2 miles. In 1999 the port had passanger turnover of 335 348 and cars turnover of 110 902.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The 4m fathom line is marked out by lateral markers. Mooring boys. The depth of water in the port area is overmeasured and on basis of that a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port is exposed to W winds.

Location

Rohuküla port is Hiiumaa’s continental port and it is situated on the west coast of the mainland. County seat Haapsalu 10 km. The port can also be used as a port of refugee.

Network quality

The closest available port is Haapsalu Yacht Port 9 km N- E of Rohuküla port. The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to Tallinn (120 km), Haapsalu (10 km), Kärdla (25).

Services available

Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water are available on jetty. WC and shower available at the 42- room hotel. Sauna upon reservation. Currency exchange, café, bar, barbershop. Fuel upon order. Minor repairs are performed. Bicycle and mini- van rental. Bus stop. Harbour master. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border control upon request.

Attractiveness

The port is kept in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level. Some boat tourists may find the port not very attractive because of the noise and air pollution generated by quite intensive ferry and highway traffic.

In the vicinity there are the ruins of the Ungern Sternbergs palace (late 19 th century). Baron Ungern Sternberg (1744- 1811) was a notorious Hiiumaa’s wrecker.

Development opportunities

The port has free space available for further development.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Rohuküla port is not limited. As far as boat tourism is concerned Rohuküla port has little competitive disadvantage in comparison with other visiting ports due to the ferry and car traffic.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 40 68 42 32 47 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

24. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

No changes in the type of port can be foreseen.

Change of ownership and operator

As far as the main activity of the port is to provide services to the passanger traffic the ownership is not going to be changed. It can not be foreseen that the passanger traffic will be moved to somewhere else.

Increase of capacity

At the moment there is enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists. Expansion of the visitor jetty is not planned within the next 6 years.

Improvement of safety

In 2000 new breakwater (3) will be built to protect the port from the waves and make the access to the port possible under any adverse weather conditions. In years 2002- 2004 the existing breakwaters (7) will be reconstructed. In 2000 gangways for passengers will be built and new breakwater (3) will be built. In 2001 the quays 2 and 3 will be reconstructed and dredged up to 5 m.

Improvement of location quality

In 2000 the administrative building will be reconstructed.

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. Due to the dredging of the port some environmental problems may arise but they can be overcome.

Existing plan of Rohuküla Port (2000)

Development plan of Rohuküla Port

ROOMASSAARE PORT 58 12,8’N; 22 30,6’E

25. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372) 45 33 871, Fax (372) 45 33 872 E- mail: [email protected]

Roomassaare sadam Roomassaare tee 12 93815 Kuressaare Saare MK Tel/ fax (372) 45 55 574 E- mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Roomassaare port is cargo, visitor and tourism port. Small islands of Abruka and Ruhnu are also connected to Saaremaa through Roomassaare port.

Ownership and operator

Roomassaare port is owned and operated by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Saarte Liinid Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state. Saarte Liinid Ltd. is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Vormsi. Saarte Liinid Ltd. owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 36 yahts. Depth at mooring is 3 m. Access channel has the depth of 5,5 m, width of 100 m and length of ¼ miles. In 1999 the port had cargo turnover of 67 916 tons.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The depth of water in the port area is

overmeasured and on basis of that a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port safely accessible under adverse weather and visibility conditions. Visitor jetty is well protected from the winds.

The port has two routes for entry.

Location

Roomassaare port is the major seaport of Kuressaare and Saaremaa. The port is located on the southern coast of Saaremaa and 4 km from county seat Kuressaare.

Kuressaare is considered to have been founded as a town with the establishment of a See in the 14th Century. Under Hertsog Magnus and the Danes Kuressaare become a town in 1563 and developed into an important trade centre. Kuressaare become a resort town with the establishment of mud baths in 1840. At present 16 000 people live in Saaremaa’s administrative centre.

Network quality

The closest available harbours for yahts are Kuressaare 4 km N- W and Nasva 6 km W of Roomassaare port.

The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to Kuressaare (4 km). In weekdays bus departures in every hour to county seat Kuressaare.

Services available

Mooring boys. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water on jetty. WC, shower and sauna. Washing machine. Convenience store. Café, bar, telephone and mailbox. Filling station (diesel). Taxi upon order. Harbour master. Bus stop.

The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border

control upon request.

Attractiveness

The port is in good order. Visitor jetty is up to Scandinavian standards. Attractive also for smaller cruise ships.

Kuressaare and whole Saaremaa are a big tourists’ attraction in summer time. Kuressaare is well- restored and charming old town (17- 19th century) where the most popular attraction is the Bishop’s Castle which hosts the Saaremaa Regional Museum. Also of interest are the Cudjapäe cemetery (founded in 1770s), Kaali Meteorite Craters, one of the few easily accessible craters in the world, Angla Windmills- the only preserved windmill hill and many other historical buildings and beautiful places in Saaremaa.

Development opportunities

Shipping line between Riga of Latvia and Roomassaare may be established. The port has free space available for further development.

Development limitations

The development of Roomassaare port is not limited. Roomassaare port is facing very strong competition from the ports of Nasva and Kuressaare as far as yachts are concerned.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 178 227 283 331 370 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

26. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of harbour is not going to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Change of ownership depends on the privatisation policy of the Government. From the point of view of securing connection between the main land and the islands Roomassaare port is not so important as the other ports of Saarte Liinid Ltd. Therefore the probability for Roomassaare to be sold into private hands is bigger.

Increase of capacity

Visitor jetty will be expanded in 2000. Facilities for customs and border guard are built in 2000.

Improvement of safety

Quay No 2 reconstructed in 2000. The port is dredged up to 5,5 m in 2005.

Improvement of location quality

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

No development limitations.

Existing plan of Roomassaare Port (2000)

Development plan of Roomassaare port

RUHNU HARBOUR 57 46,8’N; 23 16,3’E

27. INVENTORY

Contact address

Ruhnu Municipality Government 93001 Ruhnu Island Saare MK, Estonia Tel./ Fax (372) 45 54 580 E-mail: [email protected]

Type of harbour

Local harbour with possibilities to serve sea tourists. Border- guard ships are also based in Ruhnu harbour. The harbour could also be used as a harbour of refuge.

Ownership and operator

Ruhnu harbour is owned by the Municipality of Ruhnu and operated by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for up to 10 yahts. Depth at mooring is 2 m. Access channel

has the depth of 2,5- 3 m, width of 30 m and length of 100 m.

Safety

For the time being there is not lighted entrance line. Entry not advisable at night or

with NE, E or SE winds. Ruhnu’s border guard can be contacted at VHF 16.

Mooring to hull or by anchor.

Location

The harbour is located on the south- eastern coast of island Ruhnu.

Ruhnu island is an isolated island in the Gulf of Riga. Until 1944 the island was populated by Estonian Swedes. First mention of the Swedish community on the island in literary sources appeared 1341, though it is believed that their ancestors arrived from Scandinavia during Viking times. Before the II world war there were close to 300 people on the island, now only 60.

Network quality

Ruhnu island is closer to Talsi County of Latvia than to any point at Estonian coast. The closest port to Ruhnu harbour is Talsi of Latvia, 39 km S- W. The closest Estonian ports are Roomassaare 65 km N- W and Kõiguste 68 km N. The port is connected to the village by a narrow dirt road.

Services available

Guard 7.00- 18.00. Electricity on the quay. No harbour services. Village with store,

medical service and post office, 4 km. Custom clearance and border control.

Attractiveness

The port’s services are getting better year by year. Ruhnu has beautiful wild nature and many sights and sites renowned for their uniqueness (Ruhnu wooden church 1644, lighthouse 1877).

Development opportunities

Island Ruhnu could attract much more sea tourists if it had better facilities (incl. port facilities) for visitors.

Ruhnu is connected to Saaremaa by airplains on regularly basis and it is subsidised by the state. If the connection with the island was by boat it would give a good impeteus to the development of the port.

The municipality is not able to reconstruct the harbour. It has been decided at the governmental level that Saarte Liinid Ltd. will take over the harbour. When it happens, the harbour will be reconstructed and services will be improved.

Development limitations

The development is limited by heavy transportation of sand and bottom sediments into the harbour’s water area and access channel. Due to that the harbour has to be dredged every year, which is very expensive. It also makes difficult to keep the declared depth in the harbour’s water area.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 55 76 45 22 12 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

28. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

The municipality has decided to give the port to Saarte Liinid Ltd. and it has been approved by the government. The necessary bureaucracy is currently being carried out. It means that in due time Saarte Liinid Ltd. will be the owner and the operator of Ruhnu harbour.

Increase of capacity

The new owner is not planning to increase the capacity. However, the existing installations are going to be reconstructed and modernised and water depth is going to be dredged up to 3 m.

Improvement of safety

Entrance line will be reconstructed and lighted in 2001.

Improvement of location quality

Research study is going to be carried out in order to find out if the sediment transportation could be stopped by building long breakwaters towards the sea. If it could the project will be implemented.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50000 is going to be worked out for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Water will be made available on the quay in 2001. WC, shower and sauna will also be built in 2001. Telephone line is planned to be installed in 2001.

Improvement of attractiveness

Attractiveness of the port is very much related to the attractiveness of the whole island.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Existing plan of Ruhnu harbour

SUURSADAM HARBOUR 58°58,6’ N; 22°54,6’ E

Contact address

DAGOmar Ltd. Sadama 15 Kärdla 92412 Hiiumaa Tel. (372) 46 320 31 Fax. (372) 46 320 34

Suursadama Laevaremondikompleks Sääre küla, Pühalepa vald 92301 Hiiumaa Tel. (372) 46 913 85

Type of harbour

Ships’ repairs and fishing harbour also willing to receive visitor boats calling at Suursadam.

Ownership and operator

Suursadam harbour is owned and operated by DAGOmar Ltd. In addition to it the named company owns Lehtma harbour in Hiiumaa and Veere harbour in Saaremaa.

Capacity

Suursadam harbour has 20 spaces for visitors. Depth alongside jetty 3,5 m. Access channel has depth of 2,8- 3,2 m, width 7 m and length 35 m.

Safety

The harbour has two lighted routes for entry. Mooring into hull or by boy. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms. The harbour has no problems with sediment transportation. Navigational chart of 1: 100 000 has been produced for this region.

Location

Suursadam harbour is situated on the north- eastern coast of Hiiumaa. County seat Kärdla 15 km.

Network quality

The harbour has good road access. There is no railway. The closest available harbours are Lehtma 16 km N- W and Heltermaa 20 km S- E of Suursadam. Bus stop at the harbour. Bus departs for Kärdla two times a day. Another bus stop 1,7 km from the harbour with bus departures for Kärdla two times a day.

Services available

Electricity and water on jetty. Custom clearance and border control. Toilet, shower. Sauna upon request. A dinner and a store nearby. Guard on duty around the clock. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste. Border guard and customs upon request.

Attractiveness

In 16th century records the place is named “Deep harbour”. Suursadam was the home port for the ships of several landlords. Ships were also built here. Suursadam provided winter shelter and dock facilities for large sailing boats. The docks are still used for ship repair. In the cape of Sääre, stretching 2 km into the sea, there are the ruins of an old chapel and a graveyard. At the point of the cape, one can get a breathtaking view of the sea, adjacent islets and Vormsi island.

Development opportunities

A new quay for yachts is planned to be built when the harbour is expanded.

Development limitations

Development of the harbour as a yacht harbour is limited because in the first place the harbour is developed as ships’ repair and fishing harbour

Harbour use

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 57 53 27 13 12 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Type of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Increase of capacity

The harbour has enough capacity to meet the demand from yachts and other pleasure boats. The capacity is not going to be increased.

Improvement of safety

The entrance channel and the harbour are going to be dredged up to 4,5 m. Quays are planned to be reconstructed and new breakwaters to be built. Harbour water area will be measured.

Improvement of location quality

Bus connection to the county seat will be made more intensive.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50 000 will be worked out for this region

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

The existing services to yachts are going to be improved.

Improvement of attractiveness

In the harbour territory there is an old storehouse, one of the most impressive monuments of profane architecture in Hiiumaa. The storehouse is in the list of historical and cultural inheritance. Tallinn Maritime Museum is planning to open Hiiumaa Maritime Museum in that storehouse as its branch museum.

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development of Suursadam harbour as a yacht harbour is limited by the fact that the harbour is not in the list of border- crossing points. Therefore customs and border guard procedures can be made by request.

SVIBY PORT 58 58,3’N; 23 18,8’E

29. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372 45) 33 871 Fax (372 45) 33 872 E- mail: [email protected]

Sviby sadam 91301 Sviby Vormsi Lääne MK

Type of harbour

Ferry port with possibilities to serve sea tourists.

Ownership and operator

Sviby port is owned and operated by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Saarte Liinid Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state because it is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Vormsi. Saarte Liinid Ltd. owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 10 yahts. Depth at mooring is 2- 3 m. Access channel has the depth of 3,8 m, width of 35- 40 m and length of 3 miles.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The 4 m fathom line is marked out by

lateral marks. The depth of water in the port area is overmeasured and on basis of that

a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port safely accessible under adverse

weather and visibility conditions. Visitor jetty is well protected from the winds.

Location

The port is located on the southern coast of Vormsi island.

Vormsi is Estonia’s fourth largest island.

Network quality

The closest available ports for yahts are the ports of Haapsalu (12 km) and Rohuküla

(10 km) S- E of Vormsi.

The port has road access with gravel pavement.

Services available

Mooring boys. Guard 7.00- 18.00. Electricity on jetty. A few hundred meters away are the toilet and a kiosk. Store and post office 5 km.

Attractiveness

Vormsi is abundant in forests, meadowlands and thickets as well as shoreline grasslands and pastures. Most of the villages on Vormsi bare names that are Swedish in origin, a reminder of the Estonian Swedes who lived here prior to to 1944. In 1934 the island was inhabited by 2515 people. Today there are a few more than over 300 inhabitants. The gallery of the church in Vormsi dates from the beginning of the 14th Century. The lighthouse tower in the village of Saxby was erected in 1864.

The port has to improve its service level in order to make the port more attractive for yachts.

Development opportunities

The port has free space available for further development.

Development limitations

The port could be expanded if there was bigger demand from the port users.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 35 46 49 57 44 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

30. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Changes in the type are not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

As far as the main activity of the harbour is to provide services to the passanger traffic to and from the island, the ownership is not going to be changed.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of the port is not planned to be increased. The existing installations are going to be reconstructed and modernised and water area is going to be dredged.

Improvement of safety

In 2000 the following works will be carried out: dredging up to 4-5 m, reconstructing the quays and access road. Administrative building and communications will be reconstructed in 2001. A new breakwater for the port will be built in 2004- 2006.

Improvement of location quality

Acess road is reconstructed in 2000.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50000 is going to be worked out by the Estonian National

Maritime Board for the whole coast of Estonia.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Water will be made available on the quay in 2004.

Improvement of attractiveness

The port could be made more attractive among the sea tourists if there would be services available that is expected by them (water, toilet, shower, kiosk- bar, guards etc.)

Overcoming development limitations due to

Existing plan of Sviby harbour (2000)

Development plan of Sviby harbour

TRIIGI PORT 58 35,6’N; 22 43,2’E

31. INVENTORY

Contact address

Government of Leisi Municipality Kooli 12 94202 Leisi Saare MK Tel. (372 45) 73 203, (372 45) 73 244 Fax. (372 45) 73 181

Type of harbour

Ferry and yacht harbour. In order to make better use of port installations, more emphasises are put on attracting yachts and other pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Triigi port is owned by Leisi Municipality .

Leisi Municipality is located in the northern part of Saaremaa with 2500 inhabitants.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 16 yahts. Depth at mooring 2,5- 3,5 m. Mooring by buoys or to piles In 1999 the port had passanger turnover of 13 000 and cars turnover of 4 000.

Safety

The lighted entrance lane should be taken when at a distance of a mile from the harbour. The port is completely sheltered from high surf during storms. The harbour water area was recently measured.

Location

Before the II World War Triigi was the main harbour for transport of Saaremaa’s lumber and agricultural products as well as travelling passengers. During the period of occupation the harbour lost its importance due to the choking off of local traffic. Thanks to the restoration of independence Triigi is on the road of renewal. Reconstruction of Triigi port was completed in 1994 and it was financed by the Port of Tallinn. Triigi port is among the best ports of Saaremaa. Triigi port is responsible for maintaining a regular ferry link with Hiiumaa.

Network quality

The closest available port is Sõru 14 km N- W and Orjaku 21 km N of Triigi. The port has good road access. No rail access. Connections by bus to Kuressaare (44 km) three times a day. Bus stop 1,5 km from the harbour.

Services available

Mooring by boys or to piles. Guard on duty around the clock. Electricity and water available on jetty. Shower, WC and sauna. Bar- kiosk. Currency exchange, post office and stores 3 km away in the provincial centre of Leisi. Fuel upon order. Custom clearance and border control at the request. Harbour master. The harbour takes care of waste waters and solid wastes.

Attractiveness

The port is in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level. Unspoiled forests, tranquillity and helpful people. Angla windmill 8 km. Karja church, the most famous church in Saaremaa architecturally and sculpturally, 10 km. Sandy beach 700 m. Just nearby the harbour there is the tendropark of Vigala Sass.

Development opportunities

The port has free space available for further expansion. Municipality plans to make recreational area that comprises the harbour and the beach nearby, where tourists as well as local people could actively spend their leisure time. Municipality also plans to start training of young sailors in the harbour.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Triigi port is not limited. In some sense it is retarded by the absence of permanent border and customs control.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 42 127 49 29 63 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

32. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the harbour is not planned to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

Municipality Government does not exclude that the harbour could be privatised. It is matter of negotiations.

Increase of capacity

At the moment there is enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists.

Improvement of safety

There are plans to purchase a rescue boat.

Improvement of location quality

The beach will be cleaned and equipped with different attractions, campings will be built.

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are being worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

New services like renting of bicycles, boats and windsurfs are going to be developed

in the harbour.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Triigi port could develop more rapidly and dynamically if there was bigger demand from the port users. Development of Triigi harbour as a yacht harbour is limited by the fact that the harbour is not in the list of border- crossing points. Therefore customs and border guard procedures can be made by request.

VEERE HARBOUR 58 27,7’N; 22 03,2’E

33. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Veere Sadam Rootsi 7

93811 Kuressaare

Saare MK

Tel/ Fax (372 45) 56 701

Type of harbour

Fishing and trade harbour. Yachts and other pleasure boats are of secondary importance.

Ownership and operator

Veere harbour is owned and operated by Veere Sadam Ltd., shears of which is owned by Dagomar Ltd.

In addition to Veere harbour Dagomar Ltd. owns Lehtma and Suursadam harbours in Hiiumaa

Capacity

The harbour is equipped for 2- 8 yachts, depending on mooring method. Depth at mooring 3- 4 m. The harbour has no access channel. 5 m isobate is reached just outside the port area.

Safety

Despite the absence of line markers, entry is facilitated by the suitable depth of the water. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms.

Location

Veere harbour is the westernmost harbour in Saaremaa as well as in Estonia.

Network quality

The closest available port are Sõru 38 km and Triigi 50 km N- E of Veere. The port has road access with gravel and asphalt pavement. No rail access. Bus stop. Connections by bus to county seat Kuressaare (45 km) three times a day.

Services available

Mooring to hull or by anchor. Guard on duty around the clock. Electricity and water available on jetty. Toilet. Sauna by reservation. Facilities for direct- dial international telephone calls. Mailbox. Diesel on quay. Bensin upon order. Custom clearance and border control at the request. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Attractiveness

Veere has thousands of acres of forests that are a delight to berry- bickers and mushroom gatherers. Its relative seclusion, tranquillity and unspoiled nature have beckoned many to build summer cottages.

Development opportunities

Veere harbour has free space available for further expansion. The development is mainly related to handling cargo and fish.

The management of the harbour also hopes that passanger traffic between Saaremaa and Sweden will be re-established in summer time so that the harbour could serve it as it did in 1993- 1994.

The main export articles from Saaremaa are timber and peat. The biggest cargo port in Saaremaa is Roomassaare, but Veere is competing with it very successfully for the cargo from the common hinterland. Veere has natural advantage over Roomassaare as it has much shorter pilotage distance.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Veere harbour as a cargo and fishing harbouor is not limited. Veere as a yacht harbour is not developed actively because it is not of primary importance for the harbour. In addition the harbour is not very competitive in comparison with other yacht harbours as it is too far from the county seat and there are not many tourists attractions in the vicinity.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 31 52 52 43 36 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

34. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

The type of the harbour is not planned to be changed- Veere harbour will be cargo and fishing harbour.

Change of ownership and operator

Ownership is not planned to be changed.

Increase of capacity

At the moment the harbour has enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists.

Improvement of safety

Depth of water area will be overmeasured and updated planzet will be produced in 2000. Line markers are going to be taken into use. Lighthouse on the quay will be reconstructed. Quays will be widened and reconstructed.

Improvement of location quality

Access road will be reconstructed and paved with asphalt in the whole length.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 50000 is being worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

New toilets and shower will be built.

In the harbour there is also a pub, but it is not opened in summer because there is not

enough visitors. Fishermen are not there in summer and it is not economically

feasible to run the pub for sea tourists because they are too few. If the turnover of

yachts increases the pub could be opened in summer time also.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. However Veere harbour puts more emphasis on cargo

handling and fishing. It is not economically feasible to develop the port into yacht

harbour.

VERGI HARBOUR 59°35,9’ N; 26°6,1’ E

Contact address

Vesivärav Ltd. Lootsi 6 80012 Pärnu Estonia Tel. (372) 44 71 752 Fax (372) 44 71 751 E- mail: [email protected]

Vergi Sadam 45501 Vergi Lääne- Viru MK Tel/fax (372) 32 52 555

Type of harbour

Yacht and fishing harbour. In summer time the harbour concentrates on serving yachts and other pleasure boats, in winter time the harbour serves fishing vessels.

Ownership and operator

Vergi harbour is owned by Vergi Meresadam Ltd. and operated by Vesivärav Ltd. In addition to Vergi harbour the named company operates Pärnu Yacht harbour, Haapsalu harbour and Kuressaare harbour.

Capacity

Vergi harbour has 30 places for visiting boats and 10 places for local boats. Depth alongside visitor jetty 1,5- 7 m. Access channel has depth of 3,5 m, width 50 m and length 150 m.

Safety

Vessels can enter the harbour by line that is temporarily unlighted. Mooring into hull or by boy. The harbour is well sheltered against surf during storms. Depth of the port area was measured in 1997. The harbour has no problems with sediment transportation. Navigational chart of 1: 50 000 has been produced for this region.

Location

Vergi harbour is situated on the northern coast of Estonia (110 km east of Tallinn), in the Lahemaa National Park. County seat Rakvere 40 km.

Network quality

The harbour has good road access. There is no railway. The closest available harbour is Vainupea 11 km E and Loksa 22 km W of Vergi. Bus stop 800 m. Bus departs for Rakvere once a day.

Services available

Electricity and water on jetty. Custom clearance and border control. Filling station. Toilet, shower, post, telephone, bar, shop. Sauna upon request. Tavern and stores nearby in the village 800 m. Guard on duty around the clock. The harbour takes care of waste water and solid waste.

Attractiveness

Vergi is situated in the Lahemaa National Park. Aim of the park is to protect, preserve and popularise the natural and cultural heritage of the park, to organise scientific investigations, to contribute to moulding public ecological thinking and to spending people’s leisure time.

Lahemaa’s cultural heritage is rich. Hundreds of stonebarrows have preserved in the oldest settlements dating from the beginning of our era- Kahala, Palmse and Vihula. Ancient arable lands and dwelling- cum- threshing barns can be found in the old villages of Muuksi, Uuri, Vatku, Tõugu and Võhma. Altja, Natturi, Käsmu, Virve and other seaside villages have preserved their ancient look. Taverns, smithies, mills, chapels etc. are monuments of ancient culture. Manor centres of Palmse, Kolga, Sagadi and Vihul represent ensembles of manorial architecture of 18- 19th centuries.

37 mammal species, 213 bird species and 24 fish species have been recorded in Lahemaa. The Brown Bear and Lynx, which are rare in West- Europe and Central- Europe, are common in Lahemaa. The rarest mammal of Lahemaa is the European Mink. Such rare bird species as the Black Stork, Crane, Mute Swan etc. nest here.

Development opportunities

Vergi harbour is going to be developed as yacht and fishing harbour. Vergi could also be a home port for local yachts. Shipping line between Vergi and Kotka of Finland could also be established.

Development limitations

Surrounding Lahemaa National Park does not allow the harbour to develop towards industrial port.

Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 87 283 434 557 571 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

Change of type of the harbour is not planned.

Change of ownership and operator

Vesivärav Ltd., Vergi Meresadam Ltd. and Haapsalu Jahtklubi Ltd. are planning to merge. As a result of that a big company will be formed that owns the harbours of

Haapsalu and Vergi and rents them out to operators.

Increase of capacity

The capacity of the harbour is going to be increased up to 100 yacht places by installing floating quays.

Improvement of safety

Entrance line of the harbour will be lighted.

Improvement of location quality

Bus connection to the county seat will be made more intensive.

Improving network quality

Navigational chart of 1: 25000 will be worked out for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to

A new sauna will be built.

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

There is no development limitations as far as yacht harbour development is concerned. However, the company finds it difficult to raise finance for harbour development.

VIRTSU PORT 58 34,6’N; 23 30,6’E

35. INVENTORY

Contact address

AS Saarte Liinid Ltd. Str. Rohu 5, Kuressaare 93802 Saare MK, Estonia Tel. (372 45) 33 871 Fax (372 45) 33 872 E- mail: [email protected]

Virtsu Sadam 90101 Virtsu Hanila vald Lääne MK Tel/ fax (372) 47 75 160

Type of harbour

Ferry port with possibilities to serve cargo ships and with some berths for pleasure boats. In order to make better use of port installations, more emphasises are put on attracting cargo ships and pleasure boats.

Ownership and operator

Virtsu port is owned by Saarte Liinid Ltd.

Saarte Liinid Ltd. is private juridical body, 100% of shears are owned by the state because it is responsible for a good link with the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Vormsi. Saarte Liinid Ltd. owns 6 ports: Virtsu, Kuivastu, Rohuküla, Heltermaa, Roomassaare and Sviby. The main function of Virtsu port is to provide good service to the ferries and passengers as the connection between the main land and the islands of Muhu and Saaremaa goes through the ports of Virtsu and Kuivastu.

Capacity

Visitor jetty equipped for 10 yahts. Depth at the visitor jetty side is 3 m. The port has no access channel, 5 m isobate is reached just outside the port area. In 1999 the port had passanger turnover of 878 563, cars turnover of 283 401 and cargo turnover of 114 749 tons.

Safety

Vessels can enter the port by a lighted line. The depth of water in the port area is overmeasured and on basis of that a new port chart is produced in 2000. The port safely accessible under adverse weather and visibility conditions.

Location

Virtsu port is continental port to Saaremaa. The port is located in the village Virtsu. The port can also be used by pleasure boats as a port of refuge.

Network quality

The closest available port for yahts is Kuivastu port 8 km west of Virtsu port.

The port has good road access. There is no rail access. Connections by bus to Tallinn (138 km), Viljandi (171 km), Tartu (252 km), Pärnu (74 km) and Kuressaare (76 km). Virtsu port is suitable for a stop en route to the Gulf of Riga or Väinameri.

Services available

Mooring boys. Local markers near jetty. Guards on duty around the clock. Electricity and water on jetty. WC. Shower and sauna for a fee. Currency exchange, café, bar, post office and stores. Telephone. Fuel and taxi upon order. Harbour master. Bus stop. The port takes care of waste water and solid waste. Custom clearance and border control upon request.

Attractiveness

Virtsu is located on the island of the same name, which integrated with the mainland during the XIX century. First mentioned in 1459 and later developed into a market town, it is characterised mainly by its harbour and fishing industry. By the sea, about 200 m from the Tallinn- Virtsu highway, there are ruins of a feudal castle of the Uexküll lineage that was built in 1465 and was destroyed in 1534- “the Virtsu old Town”

The port is kept in good order. Quality of services has reached a good level. Some boat tourists may find the port not very attractive because of the noise and air pollution generated by very intensive ferry and highway traffic. In addition cargo handling generates also noise and dust.

Development opportunities

The port has free space available for further development. If the bridge is built between the mainland and Muhu (it is being discussed at the governmental level), there will be no need to serve ferries and passengers. In that case the ferry quays can be used for cargo ships and/ or pleasure boats.

Development limitations

In principle the development of Virtsu port is not limited. As far as boat tourism is concerned Virtsu port has little competitive disadvantage in comparison with other visiting ports due to the heavy ferry and car traffic.

1.2. Harbour use 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Resident boats Domestic visiting boats Foreign visiting boats TOTAL 145 137 140 184 285 *Statistics by nationality of boats and size classes is not available

36. FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (10 YEARS TIME FRAME): RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING SHORTCOMINGS; MAP, DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE PROPOSED HARBOUR NETWORK:

Change of type of harbour/ development of new harbour

As long as the passanger traffic to and from Saaremaa goes trough Virtsu port, the type of the port is not going to be changed.

Change of ownership and operator

As far as the main activity of the port is to provide services to the passanger traffic, the government will not sell the port. If the bridge is built the port is likely to be sold to private hands.

Increase of capacity

At the moment there is enough capacity to meet the demand from the sea tourists and therefore, according to the development plan of the port, the visitor jetty will be expanded not before 2006.

Improvement of safety

In 2000 pollars and fenders will be replaced with new ones. In years 2001- 2003 breakwater will be built to protect the port from the waves and ice and make the access to the port possible under adverse weather conditions.

Improvement of location quality

In 2000 access road is widened and administrative building is reconstructed.

Improving network quality

Navigational charts of 1: 50000 and 1: 25000 are going to be worked out by the Estonian National Maritime Board for this region.

Improvement of existing/ development of additional services with regard to:

Fuelling station is planned to be built on the visitor jetty in 2006

Improvement of attractiveness

Overcoming development limitations due to

Development is not limited. The port has space for expansion. Due to the expansion some environmental problems may arise but they can be overcome.

Existing plan of Virtsu port (2000)

Development plan of Virtsu port

Appendices

Appendix 1: Estonian charts of 1: 250 000 ...... 159

Appendix 2: Estonian charts of 1: 100 000 ...... 160

Appendix 3: Estonian charts of 1: 50 000 ...... 161

Appendix 4: Estonian charts of 1: 25 000 ...... 162

Appendix 6: Islands of Estonia Abruka ...... 164 Hiiumaa ...... 166 Kihnu ...... 168 Manilaid ...... 170 Muhu ...... 172 Prangli ...... 174 Ruhnu ...... 176 Saaremaa ...... 178 Vilsandi ...... 180 Vormsi ...... 182

Appendix 7: Ownership and activities of Estonian ports ...... 184

Appendix 8: Turnover of Estonian yacht harbours 1996- 2000 ...... 186

Appendix 1 Appendix 2

Appendix 4 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

Appendix 5

Islands of Estonia

1. Abruka 164 2. Hiiumaa 166 3. Kihnu 168 4. Manilaid 170 5. Muhu 172 6. Prangli 174 7. Ruhnu 176 8. Saaremaa 178 9. Vilsandi 180 10. Vormsi 182

163 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

1. Abruka

Abruka is situated in Kuressaare commune, in Saare county. The area of the island is 8,78 km2, waterway between Abruka and Roomassaare is 6 km. Population is almost 40.

First records about the population of the island come from the Middle Age when the Saare-Lääne bishop founded a horse breeding manor there. Steady population originated on the island in the 18th century. The greatest population of the island -150 people of all have lived there.

The largest neighbouring islands are Vahase, Kassilaid and Linnusitamaa (bird's shit land).

On the Limbi foreland so called lower metal-framed lighthouse is located. 36 m tall upper lighthouse, is built in 1931.

There is a Botanical and Zological Reserve with the area of 92 ha located on the island. Its grove-broadleaf forest is very gross as to its West-East axis. In 1878-1880 so called "deer park" was founded on the island where 13 deer were brought from Kuramaa. There are deer on the island even nowadays.

On the cemetery of the island there is a memorial cross which is dedicated to them who perished in the "Estonia" shipwreck in 1994.

The building of the local centre of the island was built in 1960-ies and it is used now as a recreation house. There's also a camping spot with the fire place and playground for ball-games.

You can travel to Abruka by boat from Roomassaare harbour.

164 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

165 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

2. Hiiumaa

Hiiumaa island is the second by size among all the others. Its area is 1024 km2. The shortest distance from the mainland is 22 km. Population is 12 000.

Hiiumaa - the sagas' Dagaithi - emerged as a small islet from the sea more than 10 000 years ago. First of all Kõpu peninsula emerged. The Highest point (68.5 m above the sea level) is in Kõpu. Hiiumaa extends for 60 km along the West-East axis and for 40 km along the North-South axis and the longtitude of the coastline is 325 km.

Hiiumaa's surrounding is rich in islets and occasionally emerging riffs, altogether about 200 of them. Sea is low nearby the coast, Hiiumaa's best-known reef is in the north-west.

Hiiumaa is mentioned for the first time as a nonpopulated island in old historical records in 1228. Significant population began at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century. Since 1563 the island belonged to Sweden and since this time the island has its Swedish name Dagö. For long period of time the Northern and Western Hiiumaa were populated by the Swedes, but according to Katariina II, the Russian emperess's ukase in the year 1781, about 1200 Hiiumaa's Swedes were deported to the shores of the Dnieper. The Swedish villages Malvaste, Mudaste, Kodeste, Kidaste, Tahkuna and Reigi were left unpopulated and afterwards the Estonians settled there.

It is tried to classify the Hiiu's people. You can count up to 40 different "types" of them: kohvilähkrid, vandiraiujad, odratolgused, pätakavallamehed, tõrvakõplased, ehthiidlased, hobuhiidlased, märahiidased, hapupiimalähkrid, oosiplased, hundijölkajad and others (quite untranslatable names, here are some of them in word for word: coffee-kegs, rope-cutters, barley-blockheads, true-hiids, horse-hiids, sour- milk-kegs).

Hiiumaa has a ferry connection between Heltermaa harbour and Rohuküla harbour on the mainland. In summer there is a ferry connection between Sõru harbour and Triigi harbour in Saaremaa.

166 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

167 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

3. Kihnu

Kihnu is situated in Pärnu county and it makes up an independent Kihnu commune. Its area is 16.4 km2 and it is the seventh island in Estonia by its size. The nearest point from the mainland is 12 km. Its population is 560.

There are 4 villages on the island: Linaküla, Rootsiküla, Sääreküla and Lemsi. There is a school, a churh, a local lore museum, a village hall and a hospital. There is a harbour, fishering industry in Lemsi, lighthouse, weather-station and the birthplace of the most famous man from Kihnu - Kihnu Jõnn in Rootsiküla, which is memorized with the memorial stone. The county government, post office and the airport are situated in Sääreküla.

One of the Kihnu's sights is a lighthouse that is built up here from the details which were made in England and that has been in the service of the seamen for more than 130 years.

Kihnu's coasts are low, rich in stones. The best beaches are Piälrand and Silmi ninä. Some of the sights we can find among the local lore museum's expositions. Kihnu's Orthodoxy church maintains the value of preservation of antiques.

There is a Kihnu's map on the wall of the Kihnu's cold house in Kihnu's harbour. It gives us a good outline about the locations of sights, shops and offices.

We can travel to Kihnu by ship from Munalaiu harbour and during the autumn and winter periods by airplane from Pärnu. In winter when there's an iceway you can get to the island by car and snowmobile, too.

168 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

169 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

4. Manilaid

Manilaid, called Manija by locals, is situated in Tõstamaa commune, in Pärnu county. Its area is 1.9 km2, the nearest point from the mainland is 1 km. Its population is 44.

Manija was unpopulated until 1933. The islet was used as a hayfield by the farm- hands of Pootsi manor and sometimes Kihnu's fishermen came here to get shelter from the wind. In 1930-ies Kihnu was overpopulated and the Estonian Republic decided to consolidate 26 lots to aid large families. Many of the Kihnu's people moved to the neighbouring island and soon more than 150 inhabitants lived there. They fished eel and perch, scythed sweetly smelling coastal hay and raised vigorous cattle. Sometimes during the big storms water rose so high in Liivi Bay that Manija was divided into three parts. Big waters carried haystacks and potato rows away, however nature couldn't harm tough coastal people. Only at the soviet times Manija community was destroyd step by step. The school was closed, population decreased.

Manija women still wear their frilled skirts, as they still are of "kihnu race" because of their language and customs.

One of the greatest natural sights, natterjack that sings melodically in spring, is recorded into the International Red Book.

You can travel to Manija by taking a boat from Munalaiu harbour. In winter the seaway is passable on foot or by engines.

170 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

171 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

5. Muhu

Muhu island is situated in Saare county and altogether with Kesselaiu, Viirelaiu and Suurelaiu make up a commune of one's own. Muhu's area is 198 km2 (commune -205 km2), waterway between Kuivastu and Virtsu harbours is 7.3 km. Population is 2 170. Muhu and Saaremaa are connected with 3.6 km long damway (Väike Sound's dam).

First people inhabited Muhu island obviously 2 500 years B.C.. The witnesses of those ancient times are Ussimätta stone burial places in Mäla village, Päelda stronghold and Muhu country-stronghold in Linnuse.

From the times when Muhu belonged to the Order of the Brethren of the Sword and to the Livonian Order Muhu Katariina Church has survived in Liiva. It is a gothic style fort-church, built in the 13th century. As a result of faith-changing movement in the 19th century, there are lot of orthodox people on the island. Hellamaa church is an Orthodoxy church.

A better view of Muhu's rustic architecture and etnography you can get from Koguva village in which the houses are sited haphazardly and it consists of about hundred buildings. There is an operating trestle-mill in Linnuse village in Muhumaa. The only maintained building among the manor ansambles is Pädaste manor, built by the Buxhoevdens. The sight of interest is Kuivastu tavern, built in 1840.

On the northern and north-eastern coast dolomite bedrock crops out and forms a beautiful steep bank with ancient coastal barriers. The highest is 12 m high Üügu bank.

While travelling from Virtsu harbour to Kuivastu, Kesselaid will be on the right and Viirelaid on the left. Nearby from Koguva village it is possible to walk through the sea to Kõinastu islet.

You can travel to Muhu by ferry from Virtsu every day.

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173 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

6. Prangli

Prangli is situated in Viimsi commune, in Harju county. The area is 6 km2, waterway between Leppneeme and Kelnase harbours is 18 km. Population is 151.

Prangli altogether with Aksi (or Väike-Prangli - Small Prangli) and Keri islands make up an archipelago in the Finnish Gulf. There is no constant population on Aksi at the time, only the lighthouse guard lives on Keri.

It is supposed that already at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century the island was populated with Swedes, later also with Estonians and Finns. The island became Estonianized in the 17th century. There lived 469 inhabitants on the island in 1934.

Half of the island is forested with pine, which provides good shelter from the winds. For that reason local wood is not used for heating but the fire-wood is brought in from elsewhere.

Western part of the island is low and stony, in the eastern part coastal barriers and dunes are variated. Lots of erratic boulders occur there on the island. The cultural heritage sites to see are Laurentiuse chapel, built in 1848 and village cemetery on the southern coast and the cemetery on the eastern coast which is dedicated to the perished ones of the steamship "Eesti Rand" that went down southwards from Vanakabeli point.

There is a camping ground with the sites for the fire and swing.

Regular boat connection between Kelnase harbour in Prangli and and Leppneeme harbour on the mainland is operating.

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175 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

7. Ruhnu

Ruhnu (Swedish Runö) is situated in Saaremaa county and makes up an independent Ruhnu commune. The area is 11.4 km2, the nearest point from the mainland is Kolka foreland in Kuramaa - 37 km, 70 km is to Kuressaare, 96 km to Pärnu, 54 km to Kihnu. Population is about 60.

Ruhnu was first mentioned in the year 1341, in the liberty pact of the Kuramaa's bishop, where it was declared that the Swedes who populate the island can live as free farmers. Ruhnu was most populated in the year 1842 with 389 inhabitants. The old- established community where people lived according to the customs of the 17th century, left for Sweden on the 4th of August, 1944. Only two families and a few newsettlers from Kihnu and Saaremaa remained on the island.

Ruhnu's wooden church, built in 1644 is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Estonia. The baroque style church's spire was completed in 1755. Beside the old wooden church the stone church was built in 1912 and the services are held there.

On the highest spot of the island, on the Haubjerre hill is located a metal lighthouse (built in 1877) with its unique architecture. It was constructed from the details made in France. One of the Estonian deepest bores - 787.4 m, is situated in Ruhnu, and the emerging water from that bore has curative qualities and it is very salty.

The sightseeing in itself is Ruhnu's forest that grows on the dunes. There are several rare species of plants under the protection. Natterjack also lives on Ruhnu. The best beach is Limo beach with its "singing sands" in the south-eastern part of Ruhnu.

It is available to get to Ruhnu once a week in summer and two times a week by airplane from Kuressaare and Pärnu. Island lacks a regular ship connection.

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177 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

8. Saaremaa

The largest Estonian island is Saaremaa. Its area is 2700 km2. Saaremaa altogether with Muhu, Abruka, Vilsandi, Ruhnu and other small islands and islets make up Saaremaa county. Population is 38 000. Saaremaa and Muhumaa are connected with each other with 3.6 km long damway.

About 2 000 years B.C. hunters and fishermen who used implements made of stone and bone lived on a much more smaller Saaremaa.

Thanks to their advanced agriculture, trading and dense population and central position, the islanders became a weighty power in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea in 11-12th century.

Ancient fight for freedom in the 13th century gives a special fame and glory to Saaremaa. Saaremaa's old and architectually very original churches are the witnesses of the followed Christianization.

Saaremaa's coastline is well indented by several peninsulas, the largest of which is 32 km long Sõrve, and by deeply into the continent penetrating sounds.

Limestones and dolomites which form the island's bedrock display cliffs or banks in some places (the highest bank is Panga pank - 21.3 m). Saaremaa's landscape is flat, the highest point – Viidu Raunamägi - is only 54 m above the sea level. Most visited nature memorial is the group of Kaali meteorite craters.

Due to sea climate and variety of soil Saaremaa has got great variety of plants - 4/5 species of the plants growing in Estonia grow there. 44 percent of the territory of Saaremaa is under the woods.

In ancient villages the buildings with reed roofs are surrounded with stone-fences. Old trestle-mills, beautiful national costumes and original vernacular are still existing. Kuressaare Episcopal Castle - present location of Saaremaa's museum is the best known from the numerous historical memorials of the island.

The only town in Saaremaa, Kuressaare (till 1917 Arensburg) is known for its beautiful old town and curative muds.

To get to Saaremaa you need to take a ferry from Virtsu to Kuivastu harbour in Muhu and then through Muhumaa and along the damway of Väike väin (or Est.Small Sound) by car. In winter you can travel to Saaremaa by airplane from Tallinn two times a week. In summer there is a ferry connection with Hiiumaa from Triigi harbour.

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179 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

9. Vilsandi

Vilsandi is situated in Kihelkonna commune, in Saare county and it is the most westward populated island in Estonia. Its area is 9 km2. Its waterway between Vilsandi and Vikati harbour is 10 km long. Its populatioon is 20.

The island is considered to be more than 2 000 years of age, while it emerged from the sea as a result of the earth-rise.

Steady population originated in the 18th century, when Lääne-Saare farmers inhabited the island. Fishing, ship-building, sea-trading, long-distance liners, life-boating and many other sea occupations became the main source of living for nearly 200 people.

In 1914, one of the first East-European Nature Reserves, was founded - Vaika Birds' Reserve which has developed into present Vilsandi National Park. Vilsandi, the central island of the National Park consists of two islands grown together, which are connected with a narrow neck of land. Tens of thousands seabirds stop, breed, migrate and nest on the surrounding islets of Vilsandi. Vilsandi is numbered among the highest category areas of important international birds' sanctuarities.

Vegetation on Vilsandi is explored for more than hundred years because of aboudance of its typical and rare and unique plants and their associations. Thanks to the protective conditions its fauna is also numerous, among which big population of grey eals deserves drawing attention to.

You can travel to Vilsandi by boat from Papisaare harbour and in the case of low water-level by jeep from Kuusnõmme peninsula.

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181 ESTONIAN YACHT HARBOURS BY AARE OLL.DOC

Vormsi

Vormsi is situated in Lääne county and makes up an independent commune. The area of the island is 93 km2, waterway between Sviby and Rohuküla is 12 km. Population is 331.

In all probability the Swedes populated the island in the second half of the 13th century and in 1934 there were 2393 of them (122 Estonians in addition). Most of the Swedes left the island during the World War II.

As the legends go Vormsi once consisted of three larger islands, between which the connection was held by boats. Today's Vormsi is made up of one big island and a gathering of smaller islands. The landscape is amazingly diverse on the young - three thousand years of age - Vormsi: bogs coastal meadows and meadows covered with scattered trees. Due to the cropping up of the land a number of smaller lakes have formed in previous sounds. Eastern part of the island is rather low and swampy, on the higher plains of the western part of the island forests grow - mainly fir and pine groves.

One hundred kilometers of the island's coastline is well indented. Vormsi is separated from Hiiumaa by 11 km wide Hari Sound and from the mainland by 3km wide Voosi Sound. Very characteristic to Vormsi's bedrock, Huitberg's coral reef, is located in the dense fir-forest in the centre of the island.

There are several erratic boulders on the island. Vormsi church that dates from the 14th century is taken under protection as an architectural monument. The oldest lighthouse at Saxby (built in 1864 ) is located on the western coast of the island.

You can travel to Vormsi from Rohuküla harbour by regular ferry every day. There is an iceway in cold winter.

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