Tips for sailing on Lake Balaton

[box] There’s a lot to do around Lake Balaton but undoubtedly one of the coolest, although not the cheapest experiences you can have, is sailing on the lake. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you’ve got a few options, travelo.hu writes. You can rent a sailing boat or motor yacht with friends and family, or you can join a no-fuss organized programme and enjoy a day on the lake.[/box]

If you choose the first, there are many charter companies offering their services. It is the best to secure a ship as soon as you can; most of the summer weekends are already booked.

This might be surprising but sailing is not like renting a car with a chauffeur. Even though you’re the one renting the ship, the skipper is still in charge. The reason for this is the safety of the passengers. There is a “healthy dictatorship” ruling on the deck, says Kálmán Bakóczy, owner and skipper of the ship Rosa. “The safety of the people and the ship is the most important. The skipper decides, for instance, when passengers can swim in the lake, or whether it is necessary to wear a life vest.” Of course, sailing is not merely a passive programme; the skipper can decide to let passengers take the helm if the weather conditions allow it, but this is not part of the service.

The choice of clothing will also differ from a regular holiday wear. Passengers have to wear so called “deck shoes”, which can be a pair of trainers with light soles that provide enough of a grip but do not stain the deck, says Kálmán Bakóczy. Wearing a long sleeved shirt and a hat is advised, together with sunscreen, since the sun is much stronger on the water and you can get a sunburn or a sunstroke much more easily. If the wind is cool on the shore, it is going to be even colder on the water.