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Rønne–Christiansø passage
26 April 2024. Leaving Rønne with a heavy heart. I wanted to stay and uncover more of its mysteries. Originally, round Bornholm’s south, returning via the north. Anna and Yulia persuaded me otherwise: along the rocky north, with lighthouse, cliffs and Hammershus, one of Scandinavia’s oldest surviving castles.
High pressure forecast between the islands. Hardly any wind. Motoring again.
A quiet passage. No regrets about the northern route: calm sea, clear sky, scenery from an old book. Covered 28 miles in six hours, using six litres of diesel.
Practicalities
Christiansø consists of two islands linked by a 150-year-old suspension bridge. Harbour entry from the south only. Room for four or five boats along the east side. One power point near the bridge: arrive later, bring a long cable.
Pay by QR code. Boats under ten metres: 220 DKK a night. Free toilets, coin-operated showers. Berthed around two and went exploring.
The island
Christiansø was a fairy tale. Breathless with feeling. Stone fortifications, old tiled houses with black attics, ducks and gulls nesting right beside the paths, greenery, rocks and sea. Like scenes from Alba where a girl photographs island wildlife.
I sat on a bench on the eastern shore. Surf breaking on rocks, gull calls carried on the wind. I wanted to keep that moment forever. Out came the postcards; I began finding their views. A quiet, personal adventure.
Shops open for only a couple of hours, roughly eleven to one. No lighthouse climb: restoration until mid-June. But the restaurant opened at 5.30 for precisely one hour. Simple menu: boiled potatoes with hollandaise, beetroot cubes and crisp pork belly. Vivid, rich, beautifully balanced flavours.
Next steps
The farthest point of my route. I wanted at least another couple of days. But a prolonged storm, gusting fifty knots, was due in four days. Getting back to Kiel would be hard, about two hundred miles. Tomorrow promised sailing wind; after that, headwinds again. Morning departure, then.
One last island walk. The eiders’ strange gulping calls made me smile. A yellow rubber duck tied to the pier. A fiery sunset turning the village gold.
A place to return to.
#passage
26 April 2024. Leaving Rønne with a heavy heart. I wanted to stay and uncover more of its mysteries. Originally, round Bornholm’s south, returning via the north. Anna and Yulia persuaded me otherwise: along the rocky north, with lighthouse, cliffs and Hammershus, one of Scandinavia’s oldest surviving castles.
High pressure forecast between the islands. Hardly any wind. Motoring again.
Shipping Forecast
, 26.04.2025, 15.26 UTC
No warnings
Southern Baltic: variable winds about 3, at times fog patches, sea 0.5 meter.
A quiet passage. No regrets about the northern route: calm sea, clear sky, scenery from an old book. Covered 28 miles in six hours, using six litres of diesel.
Practicalities
Christiansø consists of two islands linked by a 150-year-old suspension bridge. Harbour entry from the south only. Room for four or five boats along the east side. One power point near the bridge: arrive later, bring a long cable.
Pay by QR code. Boats under ten metres: 220 DKK a night. Free toilets, coin-operated showers. Berthed around two and went exploring.
The island
Christiansø was a fairy tale. Breathless with feeling. Stone fortifications, old tiled houses with black attics, ducks and gulls nesting right beside the paths, greenery, rocks and sea. Like scenes from Alba where a girl photographs island wildlife.
I sat on a bench on the eastern shore. Surf breaking on rocks, gull calls carried on the wind. I wanted to keep that moment forever. Out came the postcards; I began finding their views. A quiet, personal adventure.
Shops open for only a couple of hours, roughly eleven to one. No lighthouse climb: restoration until mid-June. But the restaurant opened at 5.30 for precisely one hour. Simple menu: boiled potatoes with hollandaise, beetroot cubes and crisp pork belly. Vivid, rich, beautifully balanced flavours.
Next steps
The farthest point of my route. I wanted at least another couple of days. But a prolonged storm, gusting fifty knots, was due in four days. Getting back to Kiel would be hard, about two hundred miles. Tomorrow promised sailing wind; after that, headwinds again. Morning departure, then.
One last island walk. The eiders’ strange gulping calls made me smile. A yellow rubber duck tied to the pier. A fiery sunset turning the village gold.
A place to return to.
#passage
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