vyv_cox
Well-known member
We're back! The plan didn't quite work out, but ultimately we just about achieved what was intended.
Set off by intending Ijmuiden to Helgoland non-stop but stopped at Texel for an overnight due to 6/7 forecasts that were certainly justified. Instead went inside to Harlingen, depth 0.1 under the keel at times, then by canal to Lauwersoog. Outside again and direct to Brunsbuttel on a fantastic overnight sail, W/SW F4/5, full moon, no clouds. Crossing the Weser amongst fairly heavy shipping in the dark was a bit of an adventure but no harm done. Next realised just how big the Elbe is - 28 miles of motoring along the narrow strip between the buoys and edge posts. Against the tide, too. Ultimately arrived Brunsbuttel and into the Kiel canal without too much trouble. Half way along got stuck at Rendsburg for 3 nights in strong winds, unable to proceed as apparently Kiel was fully saturated with boats for Kiel week. Stories of 5 metre waves on the Elbe back at Cuxhaven, quite credible having seen it later.
Eventually into the Baltic, after around 10 days from Ijmuiden. What a fantastic sailing location. We circumnavigated Fyn (pronounced Fun as spoken by someone from Oop North) over the next two weeks, visiting many small towns and anchorages. Waters are generally enclosed, so no big seas in fresh conditions (except the Great Belt on the E side of the island, where the fetch is a good deal larger) Marinas abound and, although crowded, we never failed to get in. People extremely friendly, scenery good, weather mixed but OK, food good, and the sailing just brilliant. Eventually headed back, stopped at Stickenhorn marina in Kiel, probably the best marina I ever stayed in. Then back through the Kiel canal and set out for Cuxhaven.
Tides were right at the bottom of neaps but even so we had 10 knots ground speed with 6 knots boat speed in NW 4-5. This was fine until nearing Cuxhaven, when we were directly wind against tide. Then all hell broke loose, wave height 1 metre or so and very steep, so we were crashing heavily for a short while. Next spent three days at Cuxhaven, not a bad place from the the Blackpool/Southend mould, then pressed on when the NW 6/7 subsided. Next to Norderney, very nice indeed, but more strong winds from NW so waited there longer than planned and leaving us with few options in onshore waves of 2.5 metres.
So more ditchcrawling. Took the inside route to Delfzeil along the "watts", using my tidal height calculations in anger for almost the first ever time. Least depth under us was 0.3 metres (we draw 1.4 metres) for the first crossing and a healthy 1.3 m for the second on a falling tide. So to the canals. All the way, through Groningen, Dokkum, Leeuwarden, to Lemmer. Pretty tedious but far better than the alternatives. Then across the Ijsselmeer and Markermeer to Amsterdam, stopping at Edam, down the Noordzeekanal to Ijmuiden and the boat is now at Scheveningen, still 8 hours from home port but only a cycle ride from where we live.
Total mileage was just over 1000, engine hours a lot more than I hoped. Spinnaker used twice (I seem to be making a habit of this, on my last big cruise we flew it once in four weeks) and the ghoster twice also, although both times briefly. No major problems but didn't find getting into "boxes" very easy in fresh cross-winds. Encouraging to note that the Danes had just as many problems, sometimes more than us, and everybody understands that these things happen to the best of us. Main lesson learned - don't underestimate the Elbe, where the pilot says maximum F4 wind against tide, it does so with good justification.
We intended this to be our final trip north, heading south semi-permanently next year, but already we are considering returning to go further east.
Set off by intending Ijmuiden to Helgoland non-stop but stopped at Texel for an overnight due to 6/7 forecasts that were certainly justified. Instead went inside to Harlingen, depth 0.1 under the keel at times, then by canal to Lauwersoog. Outside again and direct to Brunsbuttel on a fantastic overnight sail, W/SW F4/5, full moon, no clouds. Crossing the Weser amongst fairly heavy shipping in the dark was a bit of an adventure but no harm done. Next realised just how big the Elbe is - 28 miles of motoring along the narrow strip between the buoys and edge posts. Against the tide, too. Ultimately arrived Brunsbuttel and into the Kiel canal without too much trouble. Half way along got stuck at Rendsburg for 3 nights in strong winds, unable to proceed as apparently Kiel was fully saturated with boats for Kiel week. Stories of 5 metre waves on the Elbe back at Cuxhaven, quite credible having seen it later.
Eventually into the Baltic, after around 10 days from Ijmuiden. What a fantastic sailing location. We circumnavigated Fyn (pronounced Fun as spoken by someone from Oop North) over the next two weeks, visiting many small towns and anchorages. Waters are generally enclosed, so no big seas in fresh conditions (except the Great Belt on the E side of the island, where the fetch is a good deal larger) Marinas abound and, although crowded, we never failed to get in. People extremely friendly, scenery good, weather mixed but OK, food good, and the sailing just brilliant. Eventually headed back, stopped at Stickenhorn marina in Kiel, probably the best marina I ever stayed in. Then back through the Kiel canal and set out for Cuxhaven.
Tides were right at the bottom of neaps but even so we had 10 knots ground speed with 6 knots boat speed in NW 4-5. This was fine until nearing Cuxhaven, when we were directly wind against tide. Then all hell broke loose, wave height 1 metre or so and very steep, so we were crashing heavily for a short while. Next spent three days at Cuxhaven, not a bad place from the the Blackpool/Southend mould, then pressed on when the NW 6/7 subsided. Next to Norderney, very nice indeed, but more strong winds from NW so waited there longer than planned and leaving us with few options in onshore waves of 2.5 metres.
So more ditchcrawling. Took the inside route to Delfzeil along the "watts", using my tidal height calculations in anger for almost the first ever time. Least depth under us was 0.3 metres (we draw 1.4 metres) for the first crossing and a healthy 1.3 m for the second on a falling tide. So to the canals. All the way, through Groningen, Dokkum, Leeuwarden, to Lemmer. Pretty tedious but far better than the alternatives. Then across the Ijsselmeer and Markermeer to Amsterdam, stopping at Edam, down the Noordzeekanal to Ijmuiden and the boat is now at Scheveningen, still 8 hours from home port but only a cycle ride from where we live.
Total mileage was just over 1000, engine hours a lot more than I hoped. Spinnaker used twice (I seem to be making a habit of this, on my last big cruise we flew it once in four weeks) and the ghoster twice also, although both times briefly. No major problems but didn't find getting into "boxes" very easy in fresh cross-winds. Encouraging to note that the Danes had just as many problems, sometimes more than us, and everybody understands that these things happen to the best of us. Main lesson learned - don't underestimate the Elbe, where the pilot says maximum F4 wind against tide, it does so with good justification.
We intended this to be our final trip north, heading south semi-permanently next year, but already we are considering returning to go further east.
