In this publication10 photos
Getting from my front door in Kiel to the pontoon in Lübeck takes up to three hours. Usually, an alarm at 7.20 gets me there by noon. But after moving the yacht to Kiel, a fifteen-minute ferry ride takes me straight to the marina.
In four weeks in Kiel, I visited the yacht… four times. Three with colleagues I’d invited sailing, once to move berths as agreed with the harbourmaster. Over those 28 days, I reached three main conclusions.
First, anything close at hand starts to feel less special. ‘Fifteen minutes to the yacht’ is relaxing, followed by ‘There’s always time.’ Three hours each way focuses you: you’ll spend your time aboard and won’t just head home. Household jobs stay at home.
Second, there isn’t much to do around Kiel. The nearest marinas are Laboe, five miles; Damp, eighteen; Eckernförde, twenty; Bagenkop, thirty-one; Marstal, thirty-five. From Travemünde, by comparison: Niendorf, seven; Neustadt, nine; Grömitz, eleven; Wismar Bay with four towns, eighteen to twenty-five; and Fehmarn with five towns, twenty-six to thirty-five. Lübeck Bay is ideal for weekend sailing.
Third, a nearby boat becomes a warm, sociable place, full of friends’ and family’s smiles and excited exclamations. Lovely to see their curiosity exploring the hull, and hear them compare steering under engine and sail, motion and heel, and passing other vessels. Their enthusiasm and thanks filled me with warmth and joy. I’d like to bring the yacht to Kiel again next year.
Another advantage: from my marina, Travemünde is seven river miles away. In Kiel, sails can go up straight outside the marina. I miss that. Switching off the engine after just ten minutes is worth a lot.
#notes
In four weeks in Kiel, I visited the yacht… four times. Three with colleagues I’d invited sailing, once to move berths as agreed with the harbourmaster. Over those 28 days, I reached three main conclusions.
First, anything close at hand starts to feel less special. ‘Fifteen minutes to the yacht’ is relaxing, followed by ‘There’s always time.’ Three hours each way focuses you: you’ll spend your time aboard and won’t just head home. Household jobs stay at home.
Second, there isn’t much to do around Kiel. The nearest marinas are Laboe, five miles; Damp, eighteen; Eckernförde, twenty; Bagenkop, thirty-one; Marstal, thirty-five. From Travemünde, by comparison: Niendorf, seven; Neustadt, nine; Grömitz, eleven; Wismar Bay with four towns, eighteen to twenty-five; and Fehmarn with five towns, twenty-six to thirty-five. Lübeck Bay is ideal for weekend sailing.
Third, a nearby boat becomes a warm, sociable place, full of friends’ and family’s smiles and excited exclamations. Lovely to see their curiosity exploring the hull, and hear them compare steering under engine and sail, motion and heel, and passing other vessels. Their enthusiasm and thanks filled me with warmth and joy. I’d like to bring the yacht to Kiel again next year.
Another advantage: from my marina, Travemünde is seven river miles away. In Kiel, sails can go up straight outside the marina. I miss that. Switching off the engine after just ten minutes is worth a lot.
#notes
Original and discussionOpen post in Telegram ↗
