Have you ever sailed on Lake Balaton and do you have any experience with the special weather conditions of this Lake? We often encounter with foreign people sailing without the slightest experience on lakes or this specific spot: Lake Balaton.

If you have never sailed on it, please read the special weather and sailing conditions carefully on the internet! Please, do not come to sailing on Lake Balaton if you did not informed or read about the weather and navigation speciality of Lake Balaton in advance!

We have some basic rules:

– You have to spend the night in the harbour.

– You musn’t sleep while the boat is on anchor.

– Check the storm-signals carefully in your actual base but take a look on the other base’s storm warnings also.

There is an application that can help you, its name is Tavihar (You can dowload it for free).

  • You have to call the harbour-masters every time when you enter a port (different from your home harbour). Please ask them where you can park your boat and how long you are staying in that place. Unfortunately, booking an overnight parking space on phone in advance is impossible.
  • Please plug the boat in shore power devices as soon as possible. Every time you stop in a harbour try to charge your boat as long as you stay there (Sailing boats and especially electric boats). The sockets may not work properly so checking the charge is in progress is very important.

– You have to have your mobile phone with you, because we have GPS in our boats, and we can call you before storm or give advices in case of problems. The boat has to be available by our fleet manager team in any case through by cell phone. Please give us a mobile number that you can pick up in any case.

– Storm signals:

If we have first level, (45 flashes a minute, you have to be prepared for stronger wind).

If we have second level (90 flashes a minute) you have to go out from water to the closest harbour as fast as possible.

Before second level, you have to check the closest harbour which will be your harbour when the second level storm warning is activated! You have to be far-sighted because when the storm is coming you will not have any time to pull your sails down or go to the harbour.

– We have shallow water along the south shore of Lake Balaton. We have several other barriers, underwater items an dams. That is why you need to download the following application on you mobile phone: Navionics Marine and Lakes (you have 15 days free trial).  In this application you have to download the full map of Lake Balaton before you start your sailing. Our colleagues are going to check it before you get your boat.

– You have to take notice of all the signs on the water. (Cardinal signs, isolated danger signs, shallow water) If you cause any problem, police will ask our GPS tracking data and we have to help the authorites. That is why you are recommended to be careful and obey the rules.

– The whole lake is a national park. That is why you must not use your engine on the lake, except the following 3 cases:

+ case of emergency,

+ case of leaving or entering the harbour and docking. (You musn’t dock with sail, please do not try it!)

+ in case of big storm (second level of storm-signal) you can use your engine to reach the closest harbour.

We recommend you to use your engine if you can not handle the boat, or you do not feel comfortable in a heavy windy situation. These engine hours do not reduce your daily limit. Most importantly, your and the boat’s security first.

– The weather changes really fast and that is why you have to be well-prepared in advance about local weather. You have to understand that even the weather forecast can not predict the tricky weather of Lake Balaton precisely.

– You should not pull all your sails up (sheet out) in case of wind because we have gusts and shadows in the wind, depending on the local geographical position of the boat. Keep a little spare sail just in case. Sometimes you have 2 times bigger gusts than the basic wind. We recommend you to download the following application: Windfinder (You can download it for free).

– Please, consider the fact that the harbours are much smaller on Lake Balaton, than on see waters. You have to be able to drive your boat really precisely, because in most of the harbours you have to park your boat between pillars. In case of higher wind or traffic, you have to be confident in your driving knowledge. It is the responsibility of the driver not to cause damage in their or any other boats in the harbour. In any case of damage, the driver is drawn under legal process.

– If you see that the storm is already there and you do not have time to dock your boat, please stay outside the harbour and wait on the lake till the storm goes away.

In case of operable wind, call our phone number (+36 20 349 0419) and ask docking assistance from our colleague, if you are not perfectly confident of parking process, in your home harbor .

– If you are not confident about your sailing knowledge, our colleagues are happy to help you. We offer you to hire our skippers by your side to train parking maneuvers in smaller harbour or just practice sailing. If you need, we can provide you 2 or 4-hours-trainings also just to get useful knowledge about the capabilities of the hired boat.

– If you need any assistance (translation, emergency case, technical issue or you just would know more about about weather and harbours) please call our 24 hours hotline: +36 20 349 0419. We are happy to give our assistance during your renting period.

Please click on the link to check the list of BAHART harbours: https://en.balatonihajozas.hu/for_sailors_and_renters/our_sailboat_docks

These are some basic information about Lake Balaton. Please do not come to sail on Lake Balaton without this knowledge. This is a tricky and unpredictable water. Even the local people can be surprised by the lake. J

Consider the fact, sailing on Lake Balaton is much more difficult than on see water.

We wish you a nice sailing.

Hajosprogramok.hu team