Possible holiday planning - Denmark

Twister_Ken

Twister_Ken

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As one who has always headed west past the Needles, could someone who has gone East give me a rough idea of how many days it would take to go reach Baltic Denmark via Dutch mast-up canals and Kiel canal? And where is best point of entry/exit to Dutch route?

I'd probably shunt the boat up to Dover or Ramsgate before the holiday proper started.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
If you want to get to the Baltic quickly, ignore the Dutch canals. With a favourable wind, you get from Flushing to the Wadden Sea in 24 hours, whereas Flushing-Wadden via the Canals will take three or four days depending on route chosen and luck with bridges. For the return trip it is often a good alternative as you usually have headwinds all the way.
Coming from the Channel, Flushing would be the logical and most convenient pint of entry.
From the Wadden to the entry to the Kiel Canal: +/-36 hours.
Without bad luck you should be in the Baltic in about a week starting from Ramsgate, I reckon. Allow some extra time for the return trip, as you're going against the prevailing wind.
I've done it once, from Belgium, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

<hr width=100% size=1>Johan
 
We went 'round the top' from Harwich this year, and our times,places and distances are on our log page <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kissen.co.uk/log.htm>here</A>

The best places to enter the Dutch Canals are either Vlissingen or Ijmuden (there are others). Vlissingen to Amsterdam takes at least 3 days, and Amsterdam to Delfzil via the mast up route takes about a week. Its not uncommon to spend 3 weeks doing it. This still leaves you the outside trip from Borkum to Cuxhaven and the (infamous) Elbe estuary.

You can do Cuxhaven to Kiel in a day, but its better to break the boring trip at Rendsburg

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24 hours Harwich to Den Helder. 30 hours Den Helder to Heligoland, then 10 hours to the entrance of the canal. 2 days to get through the canal (possible in one, but much more pleasant if you spend the night at the very friendly yacht club half way along.

However, the North sea took two attempts. An unforecast gale about 8 hours after leaving Ramsgate sent us scurrying for Harwich, where we waited 3 days for more settled weather (But still got a gale half way across on our second attempt). Also spent one day waiting in Den Helder for the weather to improve (But there is an excellent maritime museum there, so probably worth spending a day there anyway).

This was in a GK24, so speeds are probably similar to a Twister.







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<< Flushing would be the logical and most convenient pint of entry >>

That's jolly welcoming of them...

John

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I have lived and sailed in Denmark for 35 years now, and once I have been through the Kiel Canal and on to Helgoland, breaking the journey at Cuxhaven. There is no difficulty about transiting the canal in one day, and the Kiel end is interesting. If you want any help or advice about Danish waters, just give me a shout

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....when you get through the Kiel Canal -in Kieler Fjord - Kiel centre is a good spot to spend the night, you also have the British Kiel Yacht Club where you should recieve a warm welcome and also take a chance to look at the 'Windfall Yachts' beautiful schooners requisitioned after WW 11, and a little further up the fjord is big marina at the Olympic centre. Denmark is superb, but shallow!

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Hi Ken

Done the trip a few times and love The Baltic. My favourite way is to get to Ramsgate, day trip to Flushing, via DUtch Canals to Amsterdam, Maarksmeer, Isselmeer and laods more canals to Kiel. Through canal to the Baltic. The Vegas will be going to Sweden this year of the bi-annual regatta but 2002 we all went to Arhuis at the Top of the Baltic, took about three weeks. Better to take 4 weeks and enjoy. Drop me an email at steve@albinvega.com Check out the website at www.albinvega.co.uk and see the report on our trip to Arhuis. Regards Steve B

<hr width=100% size=1>Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703
 
An interesting bit of background reading for that trip is Griff Rhys Jones's "To the Baltic with Bob"
Dan

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If you insist on using the Dutch canals, be prepared for lots of traffic in the summer season - latter half of July and August. Some key bridges open to limited timetable (railway and motorway especially) Most bridges round towns do not open at rush hours (eg Leuwarden)

If weather is settled, consider going Harwich / Lowestoft / Ijmuiden (daylight trip possible from Lowesoft) or den Helder direct / West Terschelling / Borkum / Norderney / Helgoland (not much there) and Cuxhaven (must go up Elbe with tide!) / Brunsbuttel / Rendsdorf/ Kiel / then Marstal (Dk) and through the islands via Vordingborg / Praesto to Copenhagen. At a nice pace minimum 4 weeks, nearer 5 to Copenhagen, especially if you use canals all through Holland.

Returning, you probabaly face SW's, so might wish to avoid open seas: push for Cuxhaven then Norderney and Borkum, drop down to Delfzijl and enter canals. Allow at least a day to get round Groningen, then on to Leuwarden, Sneek and Lemmer / cross the Ijsselmeer and exit via N Sea Canal and Ijmuiden.
If poor weather at Amsterdam, turn left half way down N Sea Canal into Haarlem and take canal route via Gouda / Rotterdam / Dordrecht / Willemstadt / Verse Meer / Middleburg / Vlissingen and home (excellent tidal lift home from Vlissingen / Breskens) via Harwich.

Sea route along from den Helder via Frisian islands well marked all way to Elbe - no problems.

All the above with mast up.

Good tripping!

PWG




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The direct route out is best

the big benefit being you get more time in Danish/German waters.

The sailing is great there, the weather is often better for longer and the prices are lower.

Why not park the boat there for the winter, if you need more info PM me. I have been based in Danish waters and the Baltic for the last 5 years and covered most of the Baltic eastwards to 100 miles E of Helsinki (missed out St Pete on purpose).

I thoroughly recommend the area.


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if you do decide to go send me a private message. I'm returng my boat to the UK this year after 2 years in the Baltic. I'll then have a lot of charts. pilot books for sale and can probably answer most of your questions. My preferred route is to Ijmuiden then across to Lemmer in 1 day, on to Leuwarden via the canals, then Cuxhaven. If you want a winter base try Augustenborg just north of the German Danish border. Take plenty of gin and you'll be very popular as it's about £30 per litre! You'll love the Baltic. With lots of anchoring/tying up to islands our berthing costs this year averaged £5 per night.
Hope this helps.

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Re: Saving

At bottom of page click on 'Favourite'
That will store thread so you can go back to it anytime through your user option page

<hr width=100% size=1>There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family."
 
I'm glad to say that you're out of date about the cost of gin. Prices have just been reduced, as too many drove down to Germany to stock up. Now a 70cl bottle costs less than £8, which isn't too bad. But prices in Sweden are almost double. And their idea of beer is similar to strong tea.

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<pre>06-Sep-02 11:30 Faversham Helgoland 81 hr 30 405.0 SE 3-7
10-Sep-02 10:00 Helgoland R Elbe Brunsbuttle 10 hr 00 52.0 E 2-3
11-Sep-02 10:00 Brunsbuttle Kiel 9 hr 30 40.0 E 2-3
11-Sep-02 20:00 Kiel Arhus 30 hr 00 120.0 E 3-4</pre>



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