Fast passage to Kiel

Aquila
Alan and Sarah Bennett
Fri 4 Aug 2017 15:23
54:20.3N 10:09.5E

We awoke to grey skies, intermittent heavy showers and SW5-7, as promised by Mr GRIB several days ago. After the usual wake up cuppa, we weighed anchor and enjoyed a reach down Harup Haff fjord under double reefed main and 6 rolls in the genoa.  Hardening up, we then short tacked for 30 minutes through the narrows, before clearing Kegnaes island's dangers and setting course for Kiel.  Wet it was: very heavy rain as a front went through and the gusting F8 calling for the third reef. Peter caught a gopher straight in the face...

But progress was storming. Some forewent breakfast due to the helter skelter ride, but others enjoyed a Dorset cereal and a marmalade butty.  Viz was down to 5 cables at times: the skipper used this as his excuse for inadvertently clipping a military prohibited area. But in the filthy weather we were sailing through, nobody seemed to notice...

We've found a convenient marina 1.5m from the canal's lock. Showers, a shop for provisions and a meal ashore are now our priorities...