In this publication9 photos · 1 video
Day one. Up at 4.50am. Water on, three-in-one coffee and instant porridge ready, two boiled eggs on the table. While the kettle boiled, I wrote down the Shipping Forecast.
Plenty of wind forecast, though following. Since my 2022 RYA Day Skipper course I’ve had my own sail-configuration rule:
– force 1–3, one to ten knots: spinnaker
– force 4, ten to fifteen knots: full sail
– force 5, fifteen to twenty knots: first reef
– force 6, twenty to twenty-seven knots: second reef
– force 7–8, twenty-seven to forty knots: third reef or storm sails
– force 9, over forty knots: stay home
And after Alexander Guskov’s lecture I know the headsail should be less reefed than the main.
So this time I chose two reefs in the main and one in the genoa.
Places needing attention: traffic off Eckernförde, Kappeln and Sønderborg. Shoals begin near Sønderborg too: watch the cardinal marks.
Little wind in Kiel Bay. Anton went below to study German. In open water, the breeze freshened and we made 5.5–6.5 knots. The reefs seemed right.
The second thing England taught me was a rhythm of feeding the crew. Breakfast at six, departure seven, and at nine I went below for tea and oat bars. At 11.30, I heated tinned Thai soup and filled a tea flask, which we drank from with salted pretzel sticks until arrival. Keep hot tea available so the crew stay warm.
Towards the end, we headed closer to the wind. The anemometer touched 28 knots several times. The autopilot couldn’t cope; I helmed all the way to the marina. Berthed at two.
Forty miles in seven hours. Track here.
#passage
26.08.2024, 0331 UTC, Western Baltic
H1023 from West Germany moves to Russia
H1024 from Biscay moves to East Germany
SW backing↺ S, Bft 4→5, decreasing⇩ about 3,
locally showers squalls, sea 1 meter
Plenty of wind forecast, though following. Since my 2022 RYA Day Skipper course I’ve had my own sail-configuration rule:
– force 1–3, one to ten knots: spinnaker
– force 4, ten to fifteen knots: full sail
– force 5, fifteen to twenty knots: first reef
– force 6, twenty to twenty-seven knots: second reef
– force 7–8, twenty-seven to forty knots: third reef or storm sails
– force 9, over forty knots: stay home
And after Alexander Guskov’s lecture I know the headsail should be less reefed than the main.
So this time I chose two reefs in the main and one in the genoa.
Places needing attention: traffic off Eckernförde, Kappeln and Sønderborg. Shoals begin near Sønderborg too: watch the cardinal marks.
Little wind in Kiel Bay. Anton went below to study German. In open water, the breeze freshened and we made 5.5–6.5 knots. The reefs seemed right.
The second thing England taught me was a rhythm of feeding the crew. Breakfast at six, departure seven, and at nine I went below for tea and oat bars. At 11.30, I heated tinned Thai soup and filled a tea flask, which we drank from with salted pretzel sticks until arrival. Keep hot tea available so the crew stay warm.
Towards the end, we headed closer to the wind. The anemometer touched 28 knots several times. The autopilot couldn’t cope; I helmed all the way to the marina. Berthed at two.
Forty miles in seven hours. Track here.
#passage
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