Bulletin of the Maritime Institute Gdansk, 1994,21,3

. Barbara Luczak M.Sc. Eng. Department of Port Development Maritime Institute, Gdansk,

PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF SEA TOURISM IN THE PUCK BAY AREA

Abstract In the set of investigations concerned with selected problems of ecodevelopment of the He! Peninsulal), basics of land use and deve­ lopment of that area's cultural and natural environment have been defined. The paper presents in synthetical form the possibilities of using the water area and ports of Puck Bay for tourism, recreation and water sports.

1. INTRODUCTION The Gulf of Gdansk together with the Puck Bay are the only features relieving the monotonous South Baltic coastline on a length of nearly 1000 km - between Rugen and the west entrance to the Gulf of Riga (Irbienskii Proliv), Fig. 1. Against all appearances, the flat mostly sandy coast is not a safe coast for vessels such as sail and motor yachts and fishing boats, except boats specially adapted to landing on the beach. The danger of navi­ gation along the coast consists in the unaccessibility of ports lying along its length during stronger wind and wave situations. Dominating on South Baltic winds from south-west to west and north sector and very dangerous waves from north-east reduce the

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~ ...... ;;;:s r&EN ...... ""·*'\ Stnlsund Vv Pomeranian Rostad< s~r i Swioatjieio ~·( p d ' \. ' \ Sreztci• '\. J Fig.1 Puck Bay - location on the Baltic coastline number of ports of refuge to Swinoujscie, , Gdansk, Baltijsk and Irbienskii Proliv. In other ports refuge may be seeked only before storms, but not during them. Hel Peninsula is the only variation in this unhospitable coastline, and forms a natural shelter from winds and waves. Besides the shelter afforded by the Peninsula, the water area of Puck Bay offers exceptio­ nally good conditions for sea tourism, water sports and recreation. Sea tourism on the Puck Bay comprises not only excursions by "white fleet" ships between Gdansk, , Gdynia and Hel and J astarnia, but also sailing along the coast of Hel Peninsula or angling excursions on fishing cutters and boats. The Puck Bay basin has very good conditions for sea tourism becau­ se there is a number of small ports and harbours (Hel, Jastarnia, Puck, Sopot Ku:lnica) located very close to each other and near the large ports of Gdansk and Gdynia and touristically interesting towns. The passenger function of Hel Peninsula ports is limited to receiving Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 73

"white fleet" vessels, which since many years serve touristic traffic. At present, besides the several companies into which Zegluga Gdanska (Gdansk Shipping) has been transformed, several private enterprises, using small passenger ships, are operating in this field (Puck, Jastar­ nia, Gdynia). Until now, servicing of the "white fleet" is concentrated in large seaports and in a few small ports, lying relatively close to them. Theoretically, the port base of the "white fleet" should be distributed along the coast in accordance with the location of seaside resorts. In the Gulf of Gdansk, base ports of the "white fleet" are Gdansk and Gdynia. In these ports are the technical base, wintering facilities and operating centers of the fleet. Sopot, Jastarnia, Hel and Puck are only visiting ports and harbours. Water sports consist mainly in recreational and race yachting, sailing on small, motor or oar propelled boats, windsurfing (recreation and races), and scuba diving. In a more detailed analysis of possibilities for development of water sports, main attention should be given to yach­ ting which requires that certain special conditions should be fulfilled.

2. YACHTING In seaports and port towns, the demand for land and water areas for water sports and passenger shipping is steadily growing. In many existing seaports there are special marinas or yacht basins. As a rule, these basins are close to port entrances or are completely separated from the merchant port, having a separate entrance; some are special yacht ports. The constantly increasing number of yachts, because of their num­ ber, mobility and relatively low manoeuvrability, gives rise to many difficulties in merchant and fishing ports. For this reason, special yacht ports are at some distance from merchant ports, but close to towns and recreation centres. Sites for such ports should be selected taking into account all the specific conditions, including an assessment of which settlements concentrate sufficiently large numbers of sail and motor yachtsmen. It is assumed that yacht ports in towns or coastal tourism centres should be treated as an integral element of recreational infrastructure, such as parks or promenades, and should serve both the tourists and local people. 74 B. Luczak

Often, for financial or terrain availability reasons, building special yacht ports is rather difficult. However, any merchant or fishing port · may have a special area, adapted to fulfill the yacht harbour function, and provided with a minimum of necessary facilities. Many yacht ports are developed on the occasion of international yachting events, e.g. Olimpic Games or Operation Sail, using on these occasions funding from central and town budgets and from sponsoring organizations, yachting associations and clubs. Because of their specifics, marinas and yacht ports are relatively small port systems, with berths for several, several dozen or several hundred vessels. The following types of port objects, designed for serving yachting, can be distinguished: • marina- a part of port for berthing of yachts, not separated by protecting structures, • yacht basin - integral part of a port but separated from the general port area, with entrance through port channel or outer harbour, • yacht port - separate port object, designed exclusively for yachts, with direct exit to the roadsteads. On open sea coasts, along which fishing and yachting are practised, for reasons of safety exist whole chains of ports spaced several dozen miles from each other. To ensure the possibility of seeking refuge in time, the distance between neighbouring ports should be about 15 nm, and a full set of facilities and equipment for servicing yachts should be available in ports spaced 20-30 nm apart. Very often a port is just a place of refuge. However, if the port lies close to an attractive touristic neighbourhood, then yachts enter it for rest and pleasure, and also to supplement provisions and to make some repmrs. An important feature of yachting in our climatic zone is its seasonal character. The yachting year is divided into two basic seasons: 1) sailing season -in the summer, from June to September (and before that a period of preparation for the season), 2) dead season- in the winter, from December to February (and before it a period of protection works before winter storage). Ports must be adapted to such seasonal operation of yachts, enabling realization of various functions, depending on season and time of year. Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 75

The main demand of a yacht with respect to the base in port is that safe berthing must be provided during the whole year. In the summer season most of the yachts in port stay on water at quays or piers. It may be assumed that about 20-30% of the total number of yachts, mainly small centerboard and open motor boats are pulled out onto the quay. In winter, in the climate of the Baltic's south coastline, optimum winter berthing of yachts is to place them under roof (under umbrella roofs or in hangars). However, the cost of the technical base and the steadily growing numbers of yachts cause that full comfort is difficult to attain and a part of the yachts winters on the quay under a tarpaulin or at best- an umbrella roof. As it can be seen, a yacht port comprises two parts - a summer and a winter part. They may be connected into one whole, but they also may be separated because of their different functions. The berthing function in the sailing season requires first of all location close to port entrance and access to a quay. The repair and wintering function may be located deeper in the port, in an area well protected from atmospheric influences. A yacht port should fulfill several basic functions: . • ensure berthing of yachts during the whole year, • fulfill the role of a base in which yachts are prepared for the season, • allow to carry out repairs and preparation of yachts to the sailing and wintering seasons, • function as a sailing, motorboating, diving, windsurfing, etc training center. The basic conditions of location, which should be taken into account in the design of yacht ports, are as follows: • direct exit to sea, • wide approach from sea (allowing approaching under sail), • easiness of observation of yacht movement in the roadsteads, • separation from merchant port, • good protection against waves, • good communication with town and hinterland, • protection against strongest winds, • protection of roadsteads against storm waves. 76 B. Luczak

3. POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF YACHTING ON THE PUCK BAY In order to answer the question how Hel Peninsula's yacht ports should be managed and developed, first it should be defined whom they will serve (Fig. 2). Foreign yachts, which could enter these ports, come mainly from Germany and Scandinavia. Their length is 10 to 16m. Alas, according to evaluations of the author, mass visits of such guests cannot be expected now or even when the ports will have good marinas which will provide professional services, clean sanitary facilities and good meals. For the Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and Germans yacht ports on the Peninsula will not be specially attractive. They may enter here in case of a storm, to stay for a night or to relatively cheaply winter and maintain their boats. If foreign yachtsmen are interested in Poland, they will sail to Gdynia or maybe to Gdansk (after obtaining special permission to enter the port and berth on Motlawa). From here various excursions can be made by rented car, here money can be changed and all necessary shopping can be carried out. In case of Baltic pleasure yachting, the sailing season lasts 2.5 to 3 months, i.e. from middle of June to middle of September. This is due both to climate and to the time of school and university summer vacations. Duration of each voyage during the season depends on the possibilities of crew members. As a rule they don't have enough time to allow them visiting all the ports and marinas - but maybe after a short stay in crowded Gdynia a yacht looking for some peacefulness and wanting to see something different might visit Jastarnia or Hel. Opinion of yacht crews about the marinas and in effect their recom­ mending or discouraging future visits to these ports will depend on offered facilities and on the "feeling" of the ports. Yacht owners seeking cheaper winterig and maintenance will first of all want to see if conditions of wintering are satisfactory, what repair and maintenance works can be carried out and to negotiate prices, '.Y!1ich shculd be lower than in his country by such an amount that after adding costs of travel to home they still should remain attractive. The next group of yachts which might be expected in the Peninsula's marinas, are some of the cabin yachts from the Mazury lakes, Lake J eziorak, Lake W dzydze etc. In the yacht fleet on these lakes there is a large number of cabin yachts of 6 to 9 m length. Many of them, after Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 77

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HEL 78 B. Luczak fitting with appropriate signalling and life equipment, can easily sail on the lagoons and bays, and some even on open Baltic. Marinas of Hel Peninsula could become home ports for yachts of owners from various towns in Poland. Owners living in the Three Towns agglome­ ration (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) keep their vessels in Gorki Zachodnie, where are several marinas, or in the representative yacht port- Gdy­ nia. Up to this time, Gdansk does not have a marina.

4. USE OF THE PUCK BAY PORTS FOR YACHTING AND RECREATION

4.1 Port at Hel At present Hel is only a fishing port and a refuge for yachts during storms. The started 3 years ago reconstruction of west breakwater should improve conditions of mooring in the port, at the same time allowing to keep the temporary marina which in 1992 was located by the south breakwater on the area of PPiUR "Koga" (Fig. 3). The marina has berths for 30 yachts of various size and sanitary facilities for about 100 people. There are water and fuel supply facili­ ties, and the fishing port's repair yard can be used. Berthing is payable. After works on the breakwater will be finished, the berthing area for yachts will be additionally protected from waves by a pier, and a marina for about 20 yachts will be formed. However, no land-based facilities or conveniences for yacht crews are planned in this area. At the other side of the port basin, near the outer west breakwater, are berths for the "white fleet" vessels. Besides these berths, no other facilities serving tourists coming to Hel by sea are designed. It is difficult to predict how service of tourists coming by "white fleet' vessels will develope, since there is strong competition between com­ panies serving this traffic. Both shipping companies fight for custo­ mers though they have similar timetables, prices and sizes of vessels. Improvement of the situation and a more interesting offer to passen­ gers may happen after repair of the breakwater will be finished, when competing shipping companies will become connected by a common berthing site. This is an important problem, because in accordance with the con­ cept of eco-development of Hel Peninsula, sea transport should take over a significant part of tourists coming to Hel and J astarnia. In the Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 79

Fig.3 Port of Hel 80 B. Luczak best years, at Hel harbour there were two berths for traditional pas­ senger ships and one berth for hydrofoil ships. There were 20 calls per day, i.e. every half-hour a ship was departing. "White fleet" vessels calling at Hel carried annually 500,000 passengers (at present less than 100,000). The companies can still serve a larger number of passengers, and the port receive them, without making special investments. Sug­ gestive advertising, showing val ours of Hel, and comfortable sea trans­ port ensuring easy arrival and return from the peninsula, are necessary. Another problem is the development of good conditions for yachts­ men. Various possibilities may be considered, and solutions within port limits may be seeked. However, if it is assumed that yacht port Hel is to be one of the touristic attractions of the town, then maybe building a new marina should be considered. PPiUR "Koga" has a large and not much used area, so they could allow to locate the marina in a quiter place, and also mark out an area for wintering of the yachts. 4.2 Port at Jastarnia The port lies in a zone of coastal shallows, with depths below 2 m, which form a belt of about 1 km width along the Peninsula. In effect, the port is accessible to small vessels only- yachts, fishing cutters, and "white fleet" ships. The LOK's yachting center at Jastarnia practically takes up the whole area of the east side of the port and most of the waterline. Nearly all the yachts stationing here are Polish, mostly they belong to yachting clubs, though the number of private yachts is now steadily growing. With communalization of the port, a chance to organize at Jastarnia a real yacht port has appeared. In the future, a yachting school and an international marina could be located here. But at present, yachtsmen traditionally concentrate on the LOK quay, and feel well in spite of lack of room, inconvenience of side-to-side mooring and fees not quite corresponding to the offe­ red by the port conditions. All yachts can find a place, but condi­ tions of staying in port, especially during various events or sunny weekends, are quite onerous. Even a small-scale modernization of the yacht part of the port could significantly improve conditions in port. Construction of a spur-jetty at the east quay would increase the number of berthing places, and building a north jetty parallel to the road, in the shallow part of port basin would provide addi­ tional place for small yachts and boats (Fig. 4). r

Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 81

Fig.4 Port of Jastarnia

At the other side of the port there is a berth for passenger ships and berths for fishing cutters. In the eighties, during summer season, Zegluga Gdanska (Gdansk Shipping) maintained 4 connections daily on the route Gdynia-Jastarnia with 50,000 passengers per year. This situation changed drastically, and at present there is only a conditio­ nal, on charter basis, possibility of such a connection. The passenger berth is used by a small private vessel which eight times per day takes 30 passengers for excursions on the Bay. It seems that it might prove 82 B. Luczak worthwhile to organize a morning connection from Jastarnia to Gdy­ nia, and a return connection in the afternoon. Such a connection, operating only during weekends, would be a first step towards reacti­ vating the sea connection between J astarnia and the Three Towns agglomeration. Fishing cutters moore next to the passenger berth. Excursions by such cutter, with some angling or approaching close to interesting parts of coastline, could be a large attraction to anglers and tourists from the interior. This has already been found out by fishermen from Kuznica, which administratively is a part of Jastarnia. The port at Kuznica is accessible to shallow draught boats only. Taking tourists to take part in fishing or for angling excursions has become a custom of some of the fisher­ men. , which also is a part of Jastarnia community, is a typical resort with a recreation pier. In the future, the port at J astarnia should be developed into a port of recreation-touristic-sport character.

4.3 Port at Puck The position of the port in the shallow part of the Bay, and the only navigation route which leads to Puck through a channel dredged across the Rybitwia Mielizna (Seagull Shallow) - the Glctbinka (Deeplet) - cause that this port should be used for yachting and recreation only. Water sports such as regatta and pleasure yachting, motorboating and c2r-boc.ting, recreational and sport windsurfing, skindiving can easily be located here. Practically, there are three marinas. The fishing port has two berths for large sea-going- in most cases training and recre­ ational - yachts. The located close to the port Scout Sea Training Center has the necessary sanitary and technical facilities, and has a pontoon jetty for smaller sailboats used for training, and for rescue boats. The Center is intensively used and operates practically throug­ hout the whole sailing season. The new yacht port is the main base of many yachting events of various rank- in that of World and European Championships. The sport club "Zatoka", located close to the port, offers accomodation, boats and yachts for rent, and training to obtain yachting certificates. Also participants in the various sporting events use the club's hotel and technical facilities. In the port moore visiting yachts and a few local yachts. At present the sea floor close to the port is being dredged, and an artificial beach is being formed. Installation works, to connect water Prospects of development of sea tourism ... 83 and electricity, and construction of technical and sanitary facilities in the port have not been realized. In effect the port has no sanitary facilities or workshops. This is a problem to yacht tourists and wind­ surfing fans. Windsurfers congregate on Puck to take part in organized training camps and for individual sailing - because of the good road and public transport connections, good accomodation, and good sai­ ling conditions. Puck and camping fields near Chalupy are to a large extent taken over by windsurfers. This sport does not require a complicated infra­ structure- a beach allowing to enter into the water, and a lawn or some other suitable area for mounting/dismounting and drying the equip­ ment, are sufficient. Apart of that, a windsurfer - as any other tourist - requires a WC, a shower, and a possibility of eating something without moving away from the water and from his equipment. At present these conditions are fulfilled on camping fields at the base of Hel Peninsula and at Puck, resulting in a massive inflow of tourist yachtsmen and windsurfers.

5. CONCLUSIONS The main values of the area, from the point of view of various forms of recreational and sport sailing, are that the basin is sheltered from the direction of dominating winds, and that the ports have rather easy entrances. Since the Puck Bay is an attractive water area for tourism and is a good area of refuge during storms, it should have modern marinas at Jastarnia and Hel. At Jastarnia, the yacht part of the port should be modernized; at Hel a marina should be organized within the limits of present fishing port, or alternatively- a new marina should be built. The water area between Puck and the Piasek Dziewiczy Shallow is best suited for small olimpic class sailboats and for windsurfing. The yacht port at Puck, if it will be developed as planned, will provide a sufficient base at the furthest end of the Bay. There is also a long term plan to develope the Scout Sea Center at Puck. Passenger shipping on this basin should be considered separately for each port. In the concept of ecodevelopment of Hel Peninsula, among others it is assumed that approach by private car to the Penin­ sula's settlements should be strongly limited, which means that a large part of the tourists should come from Gdynia, Gdansk and "Sopot to 84 B. Luczak

Jastarnia and Hel by sea transport. Therefore passenger shipping - apart of the touristic and recreation function -would have to fulfill an important communication function. Such a solution requires that permanent connections on the lines Gdynia-Hel and Gdynia-Jastarnia should be established, and that prices should be calculated at a level which would encourage to use this means of transport. Apart of these permanent connections, in the ports at Jastarnia and Puck, excursions to the sea will become increasingly popular- a service realized now by a private shipowner. Such excursions are a touristic attraction, and the relatively small number of places on the ship increases flexibility in selection of route and time of departure and arrival. Establishment of a permanent connection between Puck and J astar­ nia, or on the route Gdynia-Puck does not seem feasible. The time of the voyage would be too long, and the requirement of good meteorolo­ gical conditions could significantly disrupt the regularity of the con­ nection, and in effect decrease the number of customers.