Sail’n Joy - Sailing on Lake Balaton

Sail’n Joy is a name to label our one-day sailing cruise program. The scenario is to be discussed on a case-by-case basis, but here is our basic idea of how an average Sail’n Joy day should look like.

We would meet at a pre-agreed location in Balatonfüred, a nice and charming town on the north coastline of Balaton (Google maps). The scenery is stunning here; truly one of the most beautiful landscapes of the country. Time to be discussed, but there is little sense in starting the day too late. It is best to start not later than 10 a.m. so that we can make the most of what the day can offer to us.

The safety of passengers and the vessel is of our top priority and paramount importance. The boat is equipped with all necessary safety equipment (life jackets for adults and kids, life ring and fire extinguishers) and you will be asked to properly familiarize yourself with these equipment and their location.

Following a quick but thorough safety brief (that builds on your pre-read of our Safety Brief here) we would leave the home port of the boat and fly out to the lake! Depending on the weather conditions (mostly wind force and direction) we discuss what you would like to do, where you want to go and how you would like to spend the day.

We are all different in terms of what we like to do. One may prefer promptly hoisting the sails and cruising under sail the whole day. Others think it is better to stop mid-lake, drop the sails and the anchor and have a splash with the kids. Whatever your preference would be, we will do that (weather permitting of course and within reasonable limits). You may also wish to grab the helm and dive into the basic theory and practise of commanding a sailing yacht - we are happy to explain and see your self-confidence growing.

In terms of supplies on the boat, we offer cool beverages, beer and wine. We will have basic materials for making cold sandwiches or cold plates (such as bakery products, ham, cheese, tomato, cucumber), but you are most welcome to bring aboard your preferred food and drinks. You may wish to actively participate in preparing the mid-day food if you see that we are busy with handling the boat and do not have a hand to properly run the kitchen at the same time. The idea is that you do not necessarily sit as guests but to get involved into the normal life of the boat and get engaged with the natural simplicity of a sailing day.

Splashing into the water is always a fun (depending of course on weather conditions and water temperature), but it should only be done under well-controlled circumstances. A man overboard situation (when someone inadvertently falls into the water from the boat) is an utmost emergency on the boat and a proper recovery exercise must promptly be commenced to get the man back on board. For this reason, it is absolutely prohibited to jump from the boat into the water while the vessel is underway. Bath can only be commenced when the anchor is dropped and our skipper explicitly gives permit to do so. Bath is only allowed at the stern of the boat, on the lowered bath platform and safety ladder. For safety reasons, bath can at any time be interrupted by our skipper, and passengers be requested to promptly return aboard. This may happen in particular if sudden change in the weather occurs (which often happens on Balaton without any prior noticeable signs).

As a technical matter, mobile telephone coverage is generally good on Balaton, and you will be able to make calls, sending pictures, have video chats, etc. Telephone charging underway is possible with USB sockets (AC sockets are not available underway, only in the port while the shore power is connected to the boat).

While it is fully OK to share your moments on board with friends and family, you are kindly requested to respect our skipper’s privacy rights and to refrain from sharing his pictures via email, social media or by any other means.

The time of return to the home port is subject to discussions. In the absence of any particular request or need, we would finish the day around 6 to 8 p.m. Nevertheless, we can remain on the water until dark to enjoy the romantic touch of the scenery in the evening. For earlier returns and intrerruption of the program, please refer to our Terms here where you will find detailed explanation on the applicable conditions and restrictions.

We can finish the day with a good-bye drink on the boat or you may prefer to go for a dinner to the restaurant located in the port (not included in the price of the program).

We encourage you to consult our Terms here to familiarize yourself with all important conditions of the Sail’n Joy day.

Would you like to try this fantastic experience on the Lake Balaton? Get to know the prices of a full day sailing!