We leave the Tri-City and enter the shallower Bay of Puck. A cult place among water sports enthusiasts, where the small town of Chalupy becomes the Polish capital of surfing in the summer season.
Leaving the Gdynia marina, we head further towards the Bay of Puck (the western, much shallower part of the Bay of Gdansk – remember that sailing in this area with a ballast yacht takes place in precisely defined places, and the local large shallows have surprised many helmsmen). Of course, sailing in accordance with the markings on the water, sailing will be pleasant and safe. However, before we get there, we will encounter a rather characteristic building along the way.
After crossing the waterway, we sail north towards the Rewa Promontory, which itself is a unique shoreline in the entire Baltic Sea. Near the Babie Doly district, a few hundred meters from the shore, we will see the ruins of a German torpedo house from World War II. Despite concepts for the development of this old war facility emerging from time to time, none has been implemented so far. It is possible to approach it from the sea, although we strongly advise against swimming or attempting to moor it. Dropping anchor near the facility is also not the best idea, as there are pieces of concrete rubble at the bottom. The second torpedo depot (so-called Formoza) is located in Oksywie and soldiers are constantly staying there.
Płytka Zatoka Pucka może przypominać akwen śródlądowy. Fot. Mateusz Ochocki
In the western part of the bay, sailors are welcomed by Puck – one of the oldest Polish ports, with the initially dominant function of fishing. The proudest port of Puck was probably in the XVIth century, when it twice served as the main base of the Polish navy. To reach Puck, we head for the only safe passage for a ballast yacht – a place made famous by the annual Herring March event.
From this point we head towards the Rzucewo buoy (RZUC) and then to the Puck buoy (P-K). At this point we have to look out for a clearly visible leading light. Yachts up to 20 m long and with a draft of 2.8 m can moor in the port, which is also a fishing Harbor with a separate sailing marina. We will always call the boatswain on channel 10.
Marina w Pucku przyjmuje jachty do dł. kadłuba 20m i zanurzeniu max. 2.8m. Fot. Mateusz Ochocki
The next point on the map of the bay is the port in Jastarnia. First, we head for the Jastarnia light buoy (JAS), also called KASZYCA. From this point on, we sail along the course determined by the leading light, the distance from the JAS buoy to the port heads is approximately 1000 m. Within the port there is a fishing port, a yacht marina (actually two, LOK and Marina Jastarnia) and parking spaces for water trams line 520 running from Gdynia (information provided by the boatswain on VHF channel 10).
Port rybacki i przystań jachtowa w Jastarni. Fot. Łukasz Głowala
Jastarnia is a special place. Thanks to General Mariusz Zaruski, it became the cradle of Polish sea sailing in the 1930s. The wooden schooner “Zawisza Czarny” and after the war the sailing ship “General Zaruski” became symbols of the city. As with most seaside towns, Jastarnia was initially a fishing village, and this function was dominant. There are still fishing boats stationed there today, and the fishing atmosphere is unmistakable.
View of the Hel Peninsula from the side of the Cape, photo: pomorskie.travel, M. Ochocki
Of course, locating a fishing port and a marina in one place has its supporters and opponents, but, among others, thanks to this, the “trip” to the peninsula will always be distinctive and unforgettable, and dozens of seagulls assisting the arriving fishing boats will not let us forget where we are. At this point, we naturally recommend trying one of the fresh Baltic fish. An interesting fact is the intention to adapt a small concrete building (an old measuring point of the German torpedo training ground) protruding from the water near the pier in Jurata into a restaurant on the water. Unfortunately, this interesting idea remains a never-realized idea.
And so we reached the last port on the bay – the port in Hel. During the season, this small city is literally bursting at the seams, and a journey by car can take several hours (the section Gdynia – Hel, approx. 75 km with maximum summer weekend traffic, can turn into quite a long journey). But fortunately, we are sailing on a yacht, and we will only have to wait for another yacht leaving the marina.
If we decide to visit the Hel marina, we do not have to expect any major difficulties during entry. The port is located on the inner side of the peninsula, so when coming down from the open sea, we should be careful about the shallows at the headland.
Za falochronem port w Helu z charakrerystycznym białym budynkiem, potocznie nazywany „jajkiem” Fot. Mateusz Ochocki
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Then we head north and look for a characteristic white egg-shaped building in the port. Similarly to Jastarnia, in addition to the sailing marina, there are fishing boats stationed in the port (on the other side) and a place for a water tram. There is also a lot of traffic during the season and we recommend reporting to the Hel boatswain’s office on VHF channel 10 (the same channel as in Jastarnia and Puck).
On site, it is possible to stop for “hours” to, for example, eat lunch in one of the many restaurants located in the characteristic fishermen’s buildings on Wiejska Street.
