October 2024
Where are we heading?
My first destination is the far north. I want to go up into the North Atlantic, to the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands and then possibly as far as Iceland.
For the passage into the North Sea there are three options. The Kiel Canal can be chosen as the shortest route from Kiel to Brunsbüttel. This route is characterised by locks and motor navigation. Alternatively, you can sail around Skagen in the north. We would like to take the third option and sail through the natural Limfjord in the north of Jutland from Hals to Thyboron into the North Sea and enjoy the fantastic views of the natural fjord basin.
First, we will be heading for Hals, the eastern gateway to the Limfjord. Now we must not lose too much time in order to reach the icy north in late summer. The north-westerly wind pushes us onto an upwind course towards Øresund. With light winds of around force two, the log slowly but steadily counts down our miles. The first night we passed the Kadet channel and set course for Møns Klint.
Nights and Days at Sea
It’s easy to sail through such familiar waters and the atmosphere is fantastic. With beautiful sunsets and countless stars in the firmament, we regularly indulge in culinary delights. On the second day of the voyage, we get a fantastic view of the chalk cliffs of Møn, which briefly hold us in their wind shadow. In the evening we are free and continue northwards.
Tonight we see the first northern lights. It is a fascinating sight! We cross northwards into the busy sound and are guided early by the flood of lights from Copenhagen. We make a stopover in Dragør and say goodbye to Emil, who is unfortunately already on his way home. A few minutes later we are back outside and continue northwards in the Øresund. Just don’t waste any time in the familiar waters, as we could miss out on the fascinating North Atlantic later on. And this is an area that is best not sailed in winter.
So the order for the night in Øresund is: Concentrated cruising to make the most of every shift in the wind and to have a good feel for the currents. And so, on my last night watch, we pass Helsingør and jet out into the Kattegat with the following current at fantastic speed.
New Crew!
In the morning we moor in Gilleleje. Noemi will come on board here today and we can take on some fresh supplies and do some final work. I walk over to the large shipyard area. It’s Sunday and some workers are still busy welding in one of the halls. I have a chat with a welder from Latvia and he quickly offers to help me with Sinbad. I am absolutely thrilled by his spontaneous and selfless willingness to help. There are three smaller projects and a short time later everything is done.
Shortly after Noemi’s arrival, we are able to set sail at the same evening and head for Hals with a very light, clockwise turning north wind on a starboard tack. It was going to be an exhausting night, we were barely making speed and there was a lot of traffic. We have to call a few ships to request a sufficient passing distance. Nevertheless, our motivated sailing is rewarded and the next evening we reach the eastern entrance to the Limfjord in the fairway at night.
