The start of the season is approaching with great strides, and it is still not clear under what conditions this can take place. Under lock-down conditions, a first crew moored in Großenbrode over the weekend in a port that is not their permanent berth and was promptly checked by the water police. After it became clear that the owner had no berth there, they had to sail again. The crew and the operator of the port were threatened with a fine of 2000 euros.
What at first glance sounds like a somewhat naive attempt to bypass the lockdown, but has a serious background: Gradually, the cranes of the yachts from winter storage on the coast and inland begin, which is also legal if the distance and assembly rules must be taken into account or, for example, when a service company takes care of the crane.
The problem for the owner: If he has the berth somewhere else, he has to sail directly to the port, which is also the permanent berth. On the way it is not allowed to stop in any other port in Schleswig-Holstein or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which falls under the accommodation ban of the lockdown. In both states this applies until March 22nd, when the Bund-Länder ministers' round meets again to discuss further steps. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, no one is allowed to enter the state for tourist purposes until further notice. Only owners can drive to their ship for winter work on the boat.
Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Günther has said publicly that he believes that an Easter holiday on the coast could be possible, but of course these are not more than non-binding statements. At the moment, owners are only allowed to sail in the port of their permanent berth, sail on the Baltic Sea and then return there.
This is not only the beginning of the long wait for owners to see if and how the season really starts, but also for charter crews. "The season actually starts with us in the first week of April, but it is currently unclear whether we should not have to cancel this customer," said Dirk Kadach from the Heiligenhafen Charter Center. "The port is closed for tourist use, we are not allowed to let people on the ships." The Heiligenhafeners are currently in the process of moving their ships from winter storage to the bases. Fortunately, nothing stands in the way of doing this with our own employees. So the bases will be ready to go at Easter; whether the lockdown will allow that remains to be seen.
The situation for charter crews on the Mediterranean is also confusing. In some countries, such as Italy (with the exception of Sardinia) or France, the incidence figures are currently high, exceeding 200. On the RKI's list of risk countries, and therefore mandatory for a ten-day quarantine upon return, from which one can only withdraw afterwards five days, France, Italy, Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands), Croatia (except Istria), Greece, Denmark and Sweden and Turkey are currently in the game. In some areas there are currently lockdowns, e.g. in Greece or Italy (by region), which last at least until the end of the month. In addition, when returning from such countries, you have to fill out the digital entry form and provide evidence of a test no later than 48 hours after entry. Anyone entering from Sweden or Slovenia even needs a negative test before crossing the border, as these two countries are currently on the list of high-risk areas.
