In this publication6 photos · 4 videos
Gislövs läge. Saturday, 20 May 2023. I made noodles and wandered round the marina with my bowl, asking neighbours whether there was a local service that could repair the pump. Unfortunately, there wasn’t.
Back aboard, my crewmate said he’d reached his limit. His first sailing experience had been dreadful: cold, damp, endless motion and cramped space. On top of that, long passages and a worsening cold. No chance to use the loo properly or explore a town. He’d help me fuel up here, but after that I was on my own.
After fuelling, the plan was simple: reach Denmark’s southernmost point. A following wind, 16 knots gusting 24. I clipped on to both sides of the boat, hoisted the sail and set off. Large ferries and cargo ships crossed my route. Ten miles off Sweden, my phone lost reception. Seeing Denmark’s rocky coast and watching it pass was a joy. A little later, an enormous offshore wind farm appeared. The turbines stretched to the horizon, with no end in sight.
That evening, I came alongside in Gedser. I realised sailing gloves protect not only against rope burns but against the wind too. Face cream was no longer helping: my skin peeled and bled, and my nose looked like a tortoise shell. I managed to buy a Coke at a restaurant as it closed, satisfying both thirst and a need for sugar. Shower. Collapsed into bed.
69.3 miles in eleven hours: https://boating.page.link/QPZFnB14eJGP4ML66
#passage
Back aboard, my crewmate said he’d reached his limit. His first sailing experience had been dreadful: cold, damp, endless motion and cramped space. On top of that, long passages and a worsening cold. No chance to use the loo properly or explore a town. He’d help me fuel up here, but after that I was on my own.
After fuelling, the plan was simple: reach Denmark’s southernmost point. A following wind, 16 knots gusting 24. I clipped on to both sides of the boat, hoisted the sail and set off. Large ferries and cargo ships crossed my route. Ten miles off Sweden, my phone lost reception. Seeing Denmark’s rocky coast and watching it pass was a joy. A little later, an enormous offshore wind farm appeared. The turbines stretched to the horizon, with no end in sight.
That evening, I came alongside in Gedser. I realised sailing gloves protect not only against rope burns but against the wind too. Face cream was no longer helping: my skin peeled and bled, and my nose looked like a tortoise shell. I managed to buy a Coke at a restaurant as it closed, satisfying both thirst and a need for sugar. Shower. Collapsed into bed.
69.3 miles in eleven hours: https://boating.page.link/QPZFnB14eJGP4ML66
#passage
Original and discussionOpen post in Telegram ↗
