Category: Germany

The Kiel Canal is the shortcut through Germany to the Baltic, avoiding a long loop around the north end of Denmark. Its used by large cargo ships, cruise ships and quite a few pleasure craft. The largest ships need to pass each other at special passing points with traffic lights. Smaller craft like us just keep out of the way so we don’t get crushed.

After locking in to the canal after our rather bumpy passage (you may remember from last blog) we headed for the Brunsbuttel marina next to the lock, but quickly assessed it was too full for our liking. The next stopping point was a bunch of poles in a bay that we could just reach by the 9:30pm small boat curfew. We arrived just in time to find a deserted bay and entertained a couple on the beach by trying to secure ourselves to four of the posts for the night.

The bay was so peaceful most of the time, and then the occasional cruise liner or cargo ship passed a few meters away. The next day we pushed on to Rendsberg about two thirds along the canal. The famous suspended Rendsberg ferry was operating as we passed under the bridge.

Rendsberg became home for a few days as strong winds dissuaded us from moving on. We met several other cruisers who were heading for the Baltic and also waiting for better weather.

As soon as the weather improved everyone headed for the Baltic. By the time we got to Kiel we were sharing the lock with about 25 other yachts that squeezed in along side a rather large cargo ship. In the canal its comforting to know that the cargo ships will likely go aground before they reach us in the shallows. In the lock we look at the size of the ships mooring lines and congratulated ourselves on not attempting this part of the trip in 30 knots of wind.

Outside the lock hundreds of yachts, old sailing ships, motor boats and dinghies were enjoying the weekend sun and light winds. The container ships sounded their horns in case the yachts failed to notice a 250m long 80m high ship heading towards them at high speed.

Our destination was the Schlei Fjord further north towards the Danish border. The light winds eventually picked up and we were able to sail the final section around the military firing zone and into the Fjord. Friends from Rendsberg were already in the anchorage and pointed out the best dog walking places. It was great to be on anchor again and not crammed into a marina.

The Schlei Fjord was not as dramatic as fjords on the Norwegian coast, but the low rolling hills and thatched cottage villages made a charming landscape. We anchored off a tiny village called Sieseby with a massive church and a Michelin star restaurant. Deer grazed a few meters away at dawn and dusk.

At the end of the fjord is Schleswig where we dazzled the locals by maneuvering the mighty Away into a tiny box berth. Every other boat in the Baltic is 38 feet long (give or take) and Away at 45 feet (plus some middle age overhangs), needs to be persuaded into most of the berths. The ‘box berths’ feature two poles to tie the stern onto and the bow ties to the pontoon. Away sometimes needs to ‘stretch’ the poles a little to fit in. These berths are almost universal in the Baltic and have been designed to provide boaters with maximum comedy when new arrivals appear, especially if there is a cross wind. The bow is too high for Bernie to jump on and off, so he now has a foldable ramp that he uses to wobble precariously onto the dock.

We looked around the old fishing village area of Schleswig and circumnavigated the obscenely large church before heading back to our favourite anchorage back along the fjord. The four openings a day bridge caused a moment of excitement when oncoming vessels didn’t see the red light obscured by the new bridge construction and started to head through the narrow opening towards us.

The anchorage became crowded this time when a small motor cruiser anchored a few hundred meters away. We didn’t go ashore as favourable winds the following day meant an early start. The wind blew us out of the fjord in the company of other yachts and large traditional sailing vessels. As we turned north our expected comfortable beam reach was fast becoming a more uncomfortable close haul. When the boat heels, Bernie gets confused whether to lie in the sun, or on the low side of the boat so he doesn’t slide off and generally decides its best to find Fi and sit on her.

Entering Flensburg Fjord the winds were gusting towards 30 and we decided to anchor out of the wind rather that fight our way to Fensburg and attempt an entertaining berthing maneuver. In this area of the world its simply a matter of finding nice bit of coast out of the wind, wait until the depth sounder shows 2.5 m and drop anchor. We chose a spot next to some protective cliffs with a doggy beach and settled in for a days rest.

Bernie was nominated to go for a swim as the rest of us found the water a little too numbing to be enticed in. The rule in yachting is always to anchor next to the other boat as that must be where the anchorage is. Even if there is 200km of perfectly sheltered safe anchorage, the rule states that you must anchor next to the only yacht in the anchorage. On our second night there were a steady procession of boats leaving Flensburg for the weekend and it wasn’t long before another boat recognised we were the anchorage marker and parked close by.

The next day the winds had died and we motored into Flensburg, our last stop in Germany. Flensburg had been missed when Europe was bombed in the war and featured an attractive old town. We chose a marina further from the center and closer to the supermarket and the Pentecostal heavy rock concert. Fully restocked and with an superfluous appreciation for christian rock we slipped quietly out of Flensburg into a dark drizzely Monday morning and headed for Denmark.

Last time we left you at KoffieBoonenPlaat with the tide going out and not much water under the keel. The local seal colony kept popping their heads up and looking at this strange lump of post industrial aluminium elegance perched on a sandbank. As the tide went out we discovered that the boat does indeed rest happily on the bottom as stated in the manual. The swim ladder allows access to the sand below and Bernie needs a bit of a lift to return to ship level after a walk.

Another boat was not so fortunate. We spotted it in the channel heading out to sea, but seemingly stopped and being pounded by the waves. Not a good spot to be on a falling tide. We called the coastguard who confirmed a lifeboat was on the way. They tried to pull it to deeper water and then gave up and waited for the tide to return.

We enjoyed the solitude and wildlife so much we decided to stay another day. As the wind was changing direction we used the high tide to turn the boat around. Unfortunately it got stuck half way round and the tidal current built sand on one side and dug out the other. We spent the next 6 hours on a 10 degree tilt, just like going upwind, without moving up wind.

We decided we had dried out enough and headed out to sea. Our previous track could be followed at high tide, but we got quite a surprise when we went aground in the middle of the marked channel. We guessed where the deeper water was and finally made it back to the North Sea and deeper water.

Our next stop was Borkum which we could access at any tide. It was a commercial harbour with lots of pilot boats, service vessels for the offshore wind mines and ferries. We found a spot next to a pilot boat and dashed to bar which was still open at 9:30pm. Having crossed into Germany, I could try my three German words, ‘Zwei bier bitte’. Worked a treat.

Next morning we left with the crews going to service the wind mines and headed to Nordeney our final Frisian Island stopover. On approach we could see lots of strange boxes spread over the beach, which we would later discover were German deckchairs arranged in ‘fields’ that could be booked using an online booking system.

The bikes were assembled for a ride to the main center. The cute Dutch houses were gone, replaced by a seaside concrete blocks catering to mostly German tourists shipped over from the mainland by ferry.

After a couple of nights on Nordeney and good wind in the forecast we headed for Cuxhaven, our last stop before entering the Kiel canal. We timed the tide so that it was almost with us almost all the way and arrived to take the last big boat berth in time for dinner at the marina restaurant. The tides can run quite spicey in the Elbe, so the next day we had time to search the town for a magnet for our magnet board, before taking the tide upriver to the Kiel entrance. There was a good sailing wind which was unfortunately against the tide making for somewhat bouncy conditions up the river as we dodged the container ships (somewhat bouncy = shaking the left over saw dust out of every nook and cranny of this still new boat). The hull of a small yacht could be seen all the way back to the keel as it became airborne over the short waves.

Once through the bouncy waves, we will head into the Kiel Canal for another inland trip. For an offshore sailing adventure vessel, Away has proven itself to be an excellent canal boat too!