Back again to the Baltic

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Wed 17 May 2017 17:01

Our position is 54:49.355N 12:08.311E

Distance covered 47 Nm

We came back to Fehmarn in early May and after a busy week and a half fitting new and replacement equipment, anti-fouling, drinking with friends, putting the boat back in the water and returning our car to the UK we were ready to set off on our final Baltic adventure.

Jack and Debbie were in our apartments and their boat Iroquois was in our shed. They brought it across the Atlantic from Wisconsin last year and we enjoyed their company very much. Time ashore goes quickly when in good company and we also enjoyed time with Andy and Pauline (Odile), Judy and James (Secret of Hurst) and John (Bunny Bee)

As we waved goodbye to Fehmarn for the final time, the wind was light and we motored down the channel from Burgstaaken. We paused to offer assistance to a Dutchman who had set off ahead of us, but was turning round. His response to our question “Is something wrong?” was that everything was wrong but he could return to harbour without our help so we continued out to sea. The first issue we had to solve once out of the channel and attempting to engage the new autohelm, was that it kept turning us round, but a quick review of the manual leading to a reversal of some connections soon fixed that and it was soon fully operative.

  Goodbye to Burgstaaken

Once clear of the island, the wind got up and we were able to sail on a close reach at 6kn, accompanied for quite a long way by a pair of porpoises playing in our wake. Crossing the big shipping channel was uneventful but once round Gedser Odde the wind dropped and we had to motor the second half of the passage to Hesnaes.

Our first close encounter (0.4Nm) with a big ship

We were greeted by the swallows nesting in the tyres hung round the harbour wall but otherwise the place was deserted as we tied alongside and settled back to drinks and crisps in the sunshine. Before long a harbour mistress on a bicycle arrived to relieve us of 130DKr and pass on the code to the showers. She omitted a vital character from this but at least Ted was clever enough to work out how to get in after I had tried and failed! There was wifi but only obtainable if you stood outside the toilet block so it was not very convenient.

Tied up safely in Hesnaes

Complete with swallow

  The only other activity in the harbour. The brick table in the foreground was both a cultural statement and a quayside BBQ

We were the only visiting boat for a very peaceful night and the few permanent fishing boats also stayed resolutely in their berths, so no early morning awakenings. In the morning we walked along the sandy beach and negotiated a climb up the cliff with the aid of a rope tied to a tree. The path from there went through the woods along the cliff top to a delightful clearing complete with picnic table, but alas we had no picnic, so it was back to the boat and off to our next destination.

  The view back from the cliff path

  Braving the rope assisted climb

  Apparently this is the only place in Denmark with reed thatching