Heligoland?

[Rivers & creeks]

Looking at the passage plan to Kiel next April, I realised it made a lot of sense to use Heligoland as the tip of a triangle to save going in and out of the Frisians. The islands are tiny though, the biggest is only a mile long! Does it really have a proper Marina? Anyone visited? Tips for first time?

Thanks.

 

[johnalison]

My experience was fifteen years ago when I spent nearly a week there gale-bound. I believe the arrangements are much the same. Boats>10m lie alongside rafted in one area and the smaller ones on another pontoon. The approach is straightforward but there are seasonal fishing areas which may not be entered nearby. There is also a series of shipping lanes to be crossed at right angles and a rotatory area which you may not enter. This can be awkward if coming from Norderney.

Apart from these considerations, it is an interesting place and a magnet for Germans because of its cheap duty-free goods. A walk on the plateau is worth doing, and you can see the relics of the British bombing after the war, and fine views of nesting gannets, guillemots and razorbills in the early part of summer. When we were there, some things such as water and showers were expensive. It's a fascinating place, with an interesting history, and worth visiting if you are prepared to take the trouble.

 

[Hadenough]

Not cheap, not attractive but very interesting. If I were you I'd do it.

 

[Pye_End]

If you are rafted out, then try and find out when everybody else is going! I was about boat 8 when the raft suddenly disintegrated, and the inner yacht left. Good time to be on board.

Interesting spot. Different. Well placed to sit out poor weather, either in or outbound.

 

[ANDY_W]

I went there in 2012 from Norderney en route to West Denmark.

The area is busy with commercial shipping heading to Bremerhaven and Hamburg so the rules about the shipping lanes are
taken very seriously ( so much so that Reeds recommends staying at least one mile away from the edges to ensure compliance )

Likewise, the conservation areas around Helgoland are rigidly enforced. There is very good radar coverage of the area so getting
it wrong will be noted!

The buoyage is very comprehensive so combined with radar and/or up to date electronic charts, navigation is straight forward.

The islands are busy in the season so rafting up will be inevitable. The yacht harbour is in the Sudhafen and nowhere else. Anchoring is not permitted except in the west side of the Sudhafen and then only with permission.

The pontoons are divided by boat size and signed to that effect.

The harbourmaster had no English so brush up your Deutsch!

You can get diesel alongside inside the small harbour on the east side of the main island but I've heard that it can be shallow at
Low Water. The chandlers and clothes shop on the road leading from the harbour into town had a diesel pump at which one could fill cans.

In town, there are lots of shops selling duty free booze, fags and jewellery.

Finally, Helgoland is the only all weather, all tide harbour in the area. All the others have shallow approaches at LW and/or
suffer from very heavy seas in certain wind/tide combinations.

Hope this helps,

Andy

 

[LadyInBed]

I was there in 2002 on route to Arhus from Faversham.
Heligoland to Brunsbuttle was 52nM
I enjoyed it there, buoyed entry, outer harbour and inner marina.
The traffic separation schemes were a bit of a pain, as lots of traffic.

 

[Fendant]

If you expect a comfortable marina Helgoland would be the wrong place. As above it is an interesting place to visit and is well protected to weather out a storm.
Don't be afraid about the comment that the harbourmaster does not speak English, all of your fellow German sailors will do and be more than happy to help. ( In fact I think he does now, as I heard him responding to a call in English on VHF 67 in 2014 ).

The Frisian islands are a navigational challenge indeed, nearly all ports are on the Southside with narrow approaches depending on the tide. So brush up your tidal calculation skills before contemplating this. Do not attempt to enter the shallow channels in heavy weather!

The only exception is the westernmost Island, Borkum, with a nice marina which is always accessible.

Google: "Yachthafen Helgoland" and you will see pictures, plans and descriptions. They are in German but Google Translate will help you

 

[davidej]

The only exception is the westernmost Island, Borkum, with a nice marina which is always accessible.

Not my memory - are you getting muddled up with Nordeney? I thought Borkum was a s**t hole (2013)

Yacht harbour totally silted up and commercial harbour all rusty iron and disintegrating concrete (WW2 relic)

I thought helgoland(not heligoland these days ) was the best bit of the journey

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Thanks everyone. Nervous about the Frisians but Helgoland makes a great bolthole.

 

[johnalison]

Thanks everyone. Nervous about the Frisians but Helgoland makes a great bolthole.

There's no need to be nervous about the Frisians, though one or two deserve care. The Dutch ones mostly have deep channels. Borkum has an easy entrance but the marina is shallow. Norderney has two entrances, one at about 2m and the other 2.5. Further east more care is needed and not all entrances are lit. In all cases, the buoyage can be relied on and should be observed, whatever the charts or plotter say. None of them are half as much trouble as the Deben. Many of the islands are very interesting to explore by foot or bike.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Thanks. Looking at the tidal chart am I right in thinking that going east I get seven hours favourable tide because it turns later in the east? If that's right then I can see eight hours travelling being sensible. I find punching a two knot tide and doing three knots over the ground just about the most frustrating thing going. Yep I know it's going to change but...!

 

[johnalison]

Thanks. Looking at the tidal chart am I right in thinking that going east I get seven hours favourable tide because it turns later in the east? If that's right then I can see eight hours travelling being sensible. I find punching a two knot tide and doing three knots over the ground just about the most frustrating thing going. Yep I know it's going to change but...!

Without checking, yes, I think that's about right, though it all goes silly when you get to the Elbe, where the stream runs in for ages. The tidal range is less than we are used to, about 2.5m, but the streams can be strong in places, especially between the islands.

 

[AliM]

The German Frisians
Borkum has a marina, which is run down and silted up, but it also has a large harbour where the windfarm boats, pilot boats and miscellaneous large boats dock. There are places in there where you can stay - Burkana and the huge floating pontoons at the far end. The approaches are ok in most conditions. Norderney is approachable in most conditions, but the passage between it and Langeoog gets pretty lively in northerly-ish F6 and above. The other German East Frisians are lovely, but only if you are happy with shallow muddy passages. The buoyage (and withies) are excellent, but follow the buoys not the charts, however recent your charts are.
So don't be nervous of the Frisians - be nervous of the German Bight, certainly - the islands themselves are a delight

We have always avoided Helgoland, after hearing about the overcrowding and rafts of dozens of yachts, so I cannot help,on that!

 

[LadyInBed]

Getting the flood up the river is all important!
This site might help http://www.bsh.de/aktdat/modell/stroemungen/Modell1.htm

 

[bobgarrett]

A good place for cheap fuel and other duty frees. An interesting place to visit: the town, the high ground and the cliffs atg the northern end. Do not miss the ferry across to the other island for the seals on the beach.
Also the perfect place to time entry to the Elbe.