Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port prepares for the opening of the 2024 navigation season

Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port is in the mood for the season. Since April, pleasure boats and yachts have been launched. Three cranes are used for the lifting operation, but customers are eager to enjoy the warmer weather and the pleasures of the water as soon as possible, so due to the high demand at the moment, launching of boats has to be arranged in advance.

The navigation – shipping season usually starts at the end of April and beginning of May. The length of the navigation season is also determined by weather conditions, but by the end of October, most boats are already ashore.

“At the moment, Castle Yacht Port is full, but we always try to find a suitable place if a client wants to sign an annual storage contract,” says Karolis Grigalauskas, the manager of Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port. According to him, the majority of Castle Yacht Port’s customers are long-term clients. Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port has 320 berths for ships.

It is noticed that sailors are buying newer and bigger boats, but they face the problem that there is no place to store boats longer than 10 metres in the Klaipėda region.

“In the Castle Yacht Port, most of the vessels are under 10 metres. Maybe one other 8 metre vessel could be squeezed in, but space is limited and there are a lot of people wanting to store boats. We also get a lot of visitors during the season. In 2023, 217 pleasure boats visited Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port as guests, most of them from Poland, Germany, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia,” said K. Grigalauskas.

This season, in addition to the traditional visitors, Castle Yacht Port will be the venue for the most beautiful event of the Tall Ship Races 2024 Regatta and City Festival at the end of June. Preparations started at the beginning of the year. The spaces for large sailing boats and guests are being coordinated, the port infrastructure is being cleaned up, the showers, watch rooms, signs, electricity and water stations are being renovated, free Wi-Fi is being installed, an additional watch station is being set up and hot drinks are now available for guests and customers. Regular discussions are ongoing with the sailing community and Klaipėda City Council to improve conditions and infrastructure. It is pleasing to note that for the convenience of customers, an interactive Klaipėda Castle Yacht Port website www.yacht.lt was launched in 2024, where customers can order port services online and where information on available berths is also posted. The range of services available on the website is planned to be gradually expanded.

In order to foster the maritime traditions of the city of Klaipėda, the renewed Port of Klaipėda, together with its partners, invites owners of motor and sailing boats, or those wishing to become owners, to the opening of the 2024 navigation and boating season. The gathered participants will clean up the harbour area, accompanied by music; also, a new tradition will be introduced. A fun raffle and an invitation to enjoy a special gourmet meal and surprises await them. The event will take place on 15 May this year from 16:00, next to the Old Mill Hotel and the sculpture of the legendary ghost, shrouded in mysticism and mystery.