Østerby, Læsø island, Denmark 57:19. 279N 011:07.518E

Pelagia
Frans & Sarah Toonen
Thu 20 Jul 2017 17:00
Thursday 20 July 2017. 54nm. 1.4 engine hours. Passage time : 9.5 hours. Sunny with E3 becoming SE3, sea state slight. 

Easterly winds are ideal for crossing back to Denmark and as these are infrequent we took the chance to sail to Læsø. The south easterly reduced our wind angle and slowed us down a bit but we still managed to arrive at 2pm, early enough to get a decent mooring in this busy harbour. The sandy pine clad island is flat and very exposed so it was important to get in the small harbour.  No reservations were allowed and the Harbour Master said on the phone that ‘it would be fine’…whatever that meant.  We rafted as number 3 to a pair of 49footers and when they left the next morning we had to go alongside the dirty tractor tyres and 2 yachts arrived to raft to us very quickly. 

The harbour is a real working harbour with quite a fishing fleet of both boats and the noisy herring gulls that brings. There is a fish shop on the quay and a well stocked supermarket with beer, wine and spirits - no doubt for the Swedish and Norwegian visitors who can’t buy alcohol in their own supermarkets. The Norwegian neighbour said they are usually stopped by Customs on the way home as no doubt Customs are familiar with the ‘ booze cruise’ to Denmark.  A Customs boat came and questioned us when we were at anchor in Norway but they did not come aboard to explore what beer and wine ‘ for our own consumption' actually meant!  

Two days of rain and stronger winds are forecast so we will venture out exploring when it’s dry and take the opportunity to bring the blog up to date. As a treat Sarah is watching Poldark because there is data allowance left on the monthly package and using the phone as a tether Auntie Beeb is none the wiser we are not in the UK. 

When the rain stopped we took the bus to the west end of the island and walked back to our harbour on the east coast. We were able to follow the coastline the whole 10 mile/ 16 km way and it is attractive with small dunes, flowers and areas of forest. 

Leaving the Swedish Bohuslän coast of red painted houses and endless rocks behind at dawn.

Østerby harbour’s very clever haul out system allows 4 fishing boats (one in the shed) on the hard at once as there is a turning segment for the rails - see next photo.

Cute sheep enjoying the dunes.

Pines, dune roses and heather fringe the coastline.