North Sea tidal approaches and Baltic bays need separate weather and water-level products.
Choose a sailing scenario
Choose German Bight/North Sea or the Baltic coast before checking DWD and BSH products. Do not carry a North Sea tidal reference into a Baltic bay; local level, approach geometry and exposure remain separate from model wind.
Season planning versus departure weather
Seasonal reputation helps shortlist a trip, but does not establish a departure window. Before fixing the passage, obtain current sea warnings, an issue valid across the planned legs and route-relevant observations. If the plan spans forecast horizons, schedule new checks rather than extending confidence beyond the data.
What the linked geography means
The links below include national waters, cross-border areas and, where relevant, overseas territories or onward passages. They are discovery links, not territorial boundaries or proof that one national bulletin covers every linked area. Follow each local desk to its own issuer.
Official products by task
- DWD sea-weather products — Choose Nord- und Ostsee, coastal reports and warnings; the portal is not one zone forecast.
- BSH North Sea water levels — Water-level forecast entry point; identify chart datum and the relevant coastal station.
- BSH Baltic water levels — Baltic water-level products; do not infer low-water clearance from a wind-only forecast.
- BSH modelled currents — Operational model maps, not measured tidal stream at a harbour entrance; inspect freshness.
Sector names help you locate the issuing product; they are not an automatic route-coverage match. Open the current issue and check boundaries, issue time and validity. This page does not display current warnings; an unavailable product does not mean no hazard.
Waters and sailing options
- German Bight
Combine DWD sea warnings, coastal exposure and BSH water/current information.
- German Baltic: Kiel and Lübeck bays
Use local Baltic sectors and water-level information rather than a generic North Sea tide product.
- North Sea approaches
The North Sea needs national coastal products as well as the broader shipping-area forecast.
- Baltic Sea
A Baltic overview should lead to the right national sea sector and water-level product.
Build your passage brief
Bring your route, leg timings, vessel and crew profile, checked sources and reassessment triggers into the brief. Personal AI analysis and expert review are available to invited closed-test participants; a port page does not extend the calculation service’s coverage.
A Sailing Weather editorial guide to local conditions, practical passage preparation and marine-weather sources. Source and structure review: 27 September 2026. For a specific passage, check current issues, validity and forecast coverage. The skipper retains the final decision and responsibility.
North Sea and Baltic plans trade different demands
Compare the German Bight's exposed/estuary approach tasks with a Baltic bay itinerary, using the yacht and crew's actual capability. Do not describe the Baltic as automatically easy because its astronomical tide is smaller: open fetch, visibility and actual levels still matter. Likewise, many possible North Sea ports do not guarantee refuge in the forecast sea direction. Use each local desk to see the specific weather and water evidence needed.
- DWD sea weather — North/Baltic products and coastal reports, separate from land warnings.
- BSH modelled surface currents — Hourly operational model currents include tidal and wind-driven components; inspect date.
One source set cannot be carried between coasts
When an itinerary changes coast or water type, reselect DWD's sea/coastal product and the applicable water-level/current evidence. BSH hourly model currents and tide-removed daily means answer different questions; neither establishes every harbour stream. Check run/valid time and chart compatibility before interpreting numbers. The country view should help choose the local workflow, while a voyage using a canal, bridge or harbour requires its own current authority information.
- DWD sea weather
- BSH modelled surface currents
- RYA passage planning — Practitioner guidance on contingency, tides, vessel and crew constraints.
Editorial review of this material: 27 September 2026. This date concerns the page content; check current forecast issue times and validity at the original sources.