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3 October is German Unity Day, celebrating East Germany joining the Federal Republic. This year it fell on a Thursday, so I took a couple of days off for another sailing trip.
Grand plans: via Fehmarn to Gedser in Denmark, hire a bike, visit Biltema, renew running rigging, then back to Germany — Warnemünde near Rostock, Wismar and home to Lübeck. A tour of Mecklenburg Bay.
Day one. Up at six, aboard by eleven. Changed, noted sunrise at 7.30 and sunset at seven, checked the Shipping forecast:
Departure at noon. A kite festival in Travemünde. Two reefs in both sails. Initially, gusts to 28 knots on the nose. I liked the sail configuration: almost no need to touch the tiller, no load on the rudder. A steady 5.5–6 knots.
Tacking upwind. Waves didn’t align with the wind: north-west, they struck the starboard side; east, we punched into them with the bow and lost half a knot.
The wind eased: twenty-two, eighteen, thirteen knots, sometimes ten. I fully unfurled the genoa to keep five knots of boat speed.
Tacking meant little progress towards the destination. I considered changing the route, even sailing into the night. But the deciding factor was one I hadn’t considered: at 6.30, the setting sun stopped holding back the cold, which penetrated three layers and a chemical warmer. I diverted urgently to the nearest marina, Grömitz.
Large, sheltered and convenient. Unfortunately, payment was only to the harbourmaster, who worked eight to four. Fortunately, the facilities, including unlimited hot showers, were freely accessible.
Thirty miles. Track here.
#passage
Grand plans: via Fehmarn to Gedser in Denmark, hire a bike, visit Biltema, renew running rigging, then back to Germany — Warnemünde near Rostock, Wismar and home to Lübeck. A tour of Mecklenburg Bay.
Day one. Up at six, aboard by eleven. Changed, noted sunrise at 7.30 and sunset at seven, checked the Shipping forecast:
03.10.2024, 0531 UTC, Western Baltic
until friday morning in the Western Baltic area strong winds are expected
NE 5 to 6, decreasing 4
sea first 1,5 meter
Departure at noon. A kite festival in Travemünde. Two reefs in both sails. Initially, gusts to 28 knots on the nose. I liked the sail configuration: almost no need to touch the tiller, no load on the rudder. A steady 5.5–6 knots.
Tacking upwind. Waves didn’t align with the wind: north-west, they struck the starboard side; east, we punched into them with the bow and lost half a knot.
The wind eased: twenty-two, eighteen, thirteen knots, sometimes ten. I fully unfurled the genoa to keep five knots of boat speed.
Tacking meant little progress towards the destination. I considered changing the route, even sailing into the night. But the deciding factor was one I hadn’t considered: at 6.30, the setting sun stopped holding back the cold, which penetrated three layers and a chemical warmer. I diverted urgently to the nearest marina, Grömitz.
Large, sheltered and convenient. Unfortunately, payment was only to the harbourmaster, who worked eight to four. Fortunately, the facilities, including unlimited hot showers, were freely accessible.
Thirty miles. Track here.
#passage
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