Boat owners urge Tartu to add berthing spaces

Tartu has more small vessels using the Emajõgi River than available berths, with most spaces in the city and nearby areas already occupied, ERR reported.

The city has more than 400 harbour and dock spaces for small vessels, but its latest analysis found that it needs twice as many.

Andre Purve, who has owned a boat since 2023, said securing a berth in Tartu was difficult.

“We were simply lucky. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, but generally it is quite difficult. You cannot get a space without joining a waiting list,” Purve said.

He said many spaces at Jõe Harbour and Rebase Harbour are restricted by boat width, meaning modern, wider boats do not fit and should instead use Karlova Harbour. The waiting list at Karlova Harbour has 40 people. Although 20 spaces are due to be added in the spring, 20 people will still remain without a berth.

There are no vacancies at the city-owned Rebase Harbour. Berths are also full at Luunja Harbour near Tartu and at Jõeäärne Harbour in Haaslava, where 50 additional spaces are planned next spring alongside the existing 29.

Tartu also considered creating new stopping places near Emajõgi Street several years ago, but the plan failed because of opposition from local residents and the need to accommodate a rowing club’s training activities, Deputy Mayor Kertu Vuks said.

“We believe the most promising location in the near future could be the area behind this harbour quarter, very close to the market. At the moment, the market plan is not actively being developed. Instead, we are working on initiating a detailed plan for a harbour suitable for larger vessels near the Ihaste bridge,” Vuks said.

Some boat owners are prepared to help address the shortage themselves. Owners of small vessels in Tartu’s Siili quarter have expressed interest in building their own pier on the river.

Purve said the owners still needed to contact the Environmental Board, the Transport Administration and the city government to obtain the necessary permits. They would also need to find enough people willing to contribute time and money to the project.

As the plan is still at an early stage, Vuks could not say whether a pier could be built in the Siili quarter.