TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

I think I last posted from Anholt Island in the middle of the Kattegat. Well, our lovely protected Anholt refuge from the NE wind turned into a middle of the night mess with wind shifting East and strengthening sending a big swell through the packed exposed anchorage. Luckily we arrived last and so were anchored well outside the packed boats in only 5m depth with plenty of scope for our rode so we only watched as boats dragged onto one another in the dark wind and waves then weighed anchor and motored for shelter inside the packed haven or re-anchored further out. We did have to lower our roller furled gennaker down to the dark and heaving deck fearing it would catch wind and partially open up on us. Basically it was another night up until 2am on anchor watch worrying and wondering ‘why do people think yachting is fun.’

We were happy to leave early the next day and use the 15kt easterly to sail to Grenaa on the Danish East Coast where we were lucky to find an empty slip in the crowded yacht haven and get some rest. The next day after Bridget bought groceries we sailed 55 miles south all the way into the Grosser Belt leaving the Kattegat behind once and for all(!) having a strong easterly wind all day until it died just inside the Belt. Then in the calm Danish evening with a heavy cow manure farming smell hanging in the air came a biblical plague of flies which we slapped and swatted continuously while we motored south for two more hours.

The next day we sailed in a strong Easterly breeze south to a bay on the southwest side of Langeland Island where we found shelter from the swell if not the 20kt SE wind itself. Anchored securely and slept well.

The forecast the next day was for 20kt East winds again and we had a 30 mile more or less open sea crossing to Germany but we went anyway not wanting to be trapped by southerly winds expected the day or two after that with a low pressure that was moving north from Britain. We sailed three quarters of the way with just the jib up and still made 5-6kts the entire way and the last ten miles into Kieler Forde the wind seemed to die so we added the reefed main only to have the wind kick back up to 20-22kts so we ran in at 7-8kts which was fun except for the occasional ominous thunk from the rudder post! I think the tiller slips a little on the rudder post under heavy load but can’t seem to reproduce the problem at the dock.

We moored at Die Horn, Kiel’s city yacht haven all the way up at the head of the Kieler Forde behind a mysteriously controlled foot traffic drawbridge. The large recently built Die Horn haven is suspiciously under used and the only other yachts were a handful of traditional boats off in their own nook called Germaniahafen. We found there is no fresh water available or bathrooms and showers but also no charge (!) and we were quite alone in a big city with urbanites wandering by at all times of day and night to check us out as we bobbed in waters unnaturally thick with jellyfish. The jellyfish ultimately partially plugged our head pump!

Within an hour of our arrival two wonderful police officers Eve and Stefan, came driving along, stopped and welcomed us to Germany. They helpfully called the immigration officers for us and then talked to us (or maybe kept an eye on us) until they came from the railroad station to stamp our passports. Gerhard and Andre the immigration officers were also exceptionally friendly and setting a new standard for the face of law enforcement for us and Bridget was very happy to receive her first official stamp in her passport from anyone since we arrived in Europe June 3rd! Thank you Eve, Stefan, Gerhard, and Andre, for your wonderful kindness to us. The next day we found the city library and a well stocked chandlery but no pilot guides in English to help us decide whether to go canal boating immediately or sail out the mouth of the Elbe and down the North Sea Coast to Amsterdam via the Standemast Route in the Netherlands.

British Kiel Yacht Club

We moved out of Die Horn, Kiel’s large lonely inner city harbor, yesterday seeking fresh water for the tank and a bath for both the boat and ourselves and we got that and more here at the British Kiel Yacht Club, a bit of British soil in Germany (we were instructed to fly the Union courtesy flag over the German courtesy flag while we are moored here!) serving as an adventure training center for the British Army staffed by active soldiers and Army civilian employees. It is a special pleasure for us to visit BKYC as both English and Hallberg Rassy are spoken here! BKYC has ten HR342s (exact same HR model as our boat) for their charter fleet so I have been able to ask many questions and receive friendly helpful knowledgeable answers and advice from the yacht masters here.

For example, BKYC was able to have their boats ordered and delivered with a third reef in the mainsail which is what we also asked HR for but HR would not give it to us insisting the two deep reefs in the standard mainsail were enough. Well its not enough as we have already found out sailing in 25-30kts of wind with two reefs in the main and the jib rolled all the way up and the boat won’t sail to weather well enough to escape a nearby lee shore and with the jib rolled out even half way the boat is overpowered and feels out of control (we motor sailed out of that situation). One of the professional captains here at BKYC said they sail the boat with the third reef and the 100% jib and it handles well in 30kts of wind. So Monday the sail maker and rigger are back from vacation and we will get to speak to them about the third reef and tuning the rig. We are stuck anyway with a SW wind for the next few days (raining now).