Lauren Beck is the former editor of Dockwalk and was with the publication from 2006 to 2023. At 13, she left South Africa aboard a 34-foot sailing boat with her family and ended up in St. Maarten for six years. Before college, she worked as crew for a year, and then cut her journalistic teeth at Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies’ Home Journal online. She loves traveling, reading, tennis, and rooting for the Boston Red Sox.
Capt. Birgit Kaspar may be just who you need next time your yacht travels to northern Europe. Kaspar has worked on superyachts for 20 years and created Baltic Pure to assist superyachts with their needs while cruising the Baltic area.
Baltic Pure offers a range of services, including concierge and guide services. “I love the Baltic, have a lot of local knowledge, and know how superyachts operate,” Kaspar says. “I wanted to use that knowledge to create this unique service.” Kaspar provides custom itineraries and local guidance for vessels visiting the Baltic for the first time, because “every yacht is as unique as their guests.” She devised her business plan after spending time volunteering on sailing ships in the Baltic, which she does any time she’s off yachts and has since she was in school.
Since she’s very familiar with the area, she can also assist yachts to find places “beyond the mainstream” and can also come aboard as a local guide during trips. Her itineraries could include historical and natural cruises, plus culinary tours, and can be tailored to be more relaxed or more active. Her concierge services include everything from pre-planning to berthing, VIP transfers, to restaurant recommendations and reservations and shore excursions. As a chief officer and captain, Kaspar can also offer her services as an OOW in combination with her guide services, relieving one of the vessel’s crewmembers, if requested.
Kaspar is targeting superyachts with her services. “They normally have very special guests with special requests. In addition, the captains and crew have enough tasks to perform and no time to be a tour guide,” she says. “With my license and knowledge about passage planning, range calculations, etc. I can make their lives much easier. They can concentrate on their day-to-day business, and I take care of the needs of their guests.”
Kaspar developed her idea during the pandemic and launched the site in 2021 while working full-time on yachts.