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Balls go Baltic
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Balls go Baltic

Time to explore new waters in our trimaran Whisper as we head off this summer. En savoir plus
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  • Début du voyage
    4 juin 2024
  • Andrea BallBalls go BalticVoyageur
    5

    Veersemeer

    6 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Settling in gently after a leisurely morning picking up provisions in the outdoor market at Middelburg and a sneaky coffee stop to set us up for the day. We set off along the canal - Door Walcheren which leads up to the lock just past Veere. This was a tad tight but hopefully we'll get used to them or I'll be getting ticked off alot!
    It opens up into the peaceful and sheltered Veeremeer and settled on a landing pontoon in 1.1m ....
    Explored on bikes to the incredible Neeltje Jans and Delta flood defence project - apparently the largest in Europe. A 20 miler on the bikes has left us a little peckish.    En savoir plus

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    Krammersluizen

    7 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Set off from Veerse Meer at 7.30am and motored on to Krammer, with breakfast and lunch underway. The lock acts as a barrier between the salt water Oosterschelde and the fresh water Volkerak. The locks have to exchange the fresh water for salt and vice-versa to avoid contamination between the different eco-systemsEn savoir plus

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    Willemstad

    7 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Hoping just minor damage to the starboard float whilst in the Volkeraksluizen. It felt like a very long day suddenly.
    So happy to arrive in sunny and warm Willemstad. Opted for the town Quay for the night - so pretty. Spick & spanky location with top foodie spots. Just what we needed.En savoir plus

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    Haringvlietbrug

    8 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We decided to depart Willemstad to avoid any incident with a large ferry's arrival & the need to pass this bridge on the hour. Ronney started to think we wouldn't make it on time & so sail out to speed up. Typical Whisper style zoomed for the bridge so we arrived early! A few others were circling too and it had a feel of a race starting line. Poor Charly went too soon and had to circle back. Ronney got in the spirit and it was full concentration for the off once the 'greens' lit up.
    Once through, wind picked up and water got lumpier... Needed yet another layer to cope with the chill factor.
    As we headed for Hellevoestsluis (-pronounced hell of a slice) it really picked up wind and we were feeling nervous about taking the narrower middle town marina due to the risk of manoeuvring whilst waiting to pass through the bridge so opted for the westerly marina- Heliushaven    En savoir plus

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    Hellevoestsluis (Hell of a slice)

    8 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Happy to get out of the 25 knots and lumpy water to this fortified town and the welcoming marina at Heliushaven. The lovely harbour masters wife came out to wash off the duck poo on the pontoon... You could hear the wind howling around the masts in the outer edges of the marina. The sun was shining though so we started to warm up..
    Took a walk to explore ... Ron drawn to the historical naval port. Note - the first brick built dry dock in the Netherlands is here along with the North Hinder lightship etc... Enjoyed a stretch of the legs before the rain came in.    En savoir plus

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    3

    Scheveningen

    9–12 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Left the calm berth in the Heliushaven at 7.50am to face the North Sea. Apparently 3am would have been best for tide and wind but we both didn't fancy it. Options were slim however, if we didn't want to be stuck in the Haringvliet as lovely as it was we needed to move on.
    I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant went Ron started tidying up and asking me to check my life jacket fit. And so we headed out & at least the sun was shining. Next stop Goereesesluis. We waited for the lock and passed through the bridge, so far so good.
    Hoisted the main and set ourselves up for the bumpy ride. The shallow channel is well marked well but we had the benefit of a local boat ahead of us to follow. So out to sea & conditions kept us quiet and concentrated as we set in a tack to pass the Maas entrance. The coastline was impressive if not attractive. The Maas serving the major vessels access into Rotterdam. I took the helm whilst Ronney checked nav and prepared to radio for clearance from Maas Control. Fortunately a thumbs up was given and Ronney took over as we passed the entrance with only one major vessel passing close by us. Phew!
    As we started our approach into Scheveningen the hard core Dutch racers were out and with strong winds & swells rolling into the harbour there was no let up on our approach.... Thank you Robert for capturing our approach on Web camera.

    Lovely to meet up with Robert for top tips & catch up as always.
    What a day!    En savoir plus

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    Amsterdam Anniversary

    10 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    After a final check of the numerous weather forecasts we decided we could cope with the pouring rain and fairly unfavourable sea state, low temperature but reasonable wind and tide to make our move today to try and reach Amsterdam.
    We felt optimistic (even if we did have 2 reefs in) as we left the shelter of Scheveningen and back into the North Sea at 9.30am. The rain was persistent. At least 50 shades of grey today. Not another yacht insight. The Coastguard plane was out though - running the coastline back and forth over and over again.
    With Ron at the helm ( George was making a meal of it) & with good tidal flow we made good speed. I was so cold by the time we arrived at Ijmuiden which I nicknamed Iron Maiden (which is roughly how it's pronounced) that there was a strong temptation to stop and stay. A quick warm up as we sheltered to wait for the lock and the huge industrial chimneys chugging out smoke convinced us to press on despite no respite from the rain and chill....
    Through the lock - Kleine Sluis- we went with just one other yacht and then the Nordzeekanaal for 12miles through to Amsterdam.... As a way of congratulating us on our decision the sun briefly came out and we took the opportunity to snack on cheese & crackers.
    The Kanaal was fairly busy with heavy vessels ferries to watch out for. The race to stay out of the looming rain clouds was nearly successful with the need to slow up to check on berthing arrangements. The very helpful chap at Sixhaven Marina didn't sound convincing when he said the berth he had 'should' work, but position wise it would be perfect. As we approached the familiar Central Station with its long low domed roof we both had our fingers crossed
    Perhaps due to the weather it was relatively quiet so we were in luck and the marina guy arrived on his Brompton to help take the ropes. We were both absolutely shattered so were so grateful for his help into a tricky berth.
    Our spirits immediately lifted to have finally made it for our 24th Wedding Anniversary xx    En savoir plus

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    Marker Wadden

    12 juin 2024, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    A leisurely start as we set off from Amsterdam at about 11am. Passing slickly through the Oranjesluizen and the lifting bridge Schellingwouderbrug we followed the channel leading us into open waters of the Markemeer. The flat landscape view, just trees and buildings giving changing outlines seemed even more noticeable today, also don't think I've ever seen a pylon in the water. So with sails hoisted we started to fly. The waves were picking up. As I reached 13.8knots in just 2.9m depth we both looked at each other - eek! The wind was gusting and still gaining force OMG .. Ron and I exchanged position with him on 14.8knots and 29knots wind speed I think the depth was about 3m. After the recent North Sea we'd wondered what the fuss was about with talk of big waves but we began to get a taste of things. It didn't last too long and we soon had Marker Wadden in sight. Starkly different after the buzz of Amsterdam. The nature reserve is mainly inhabited by birds and for the first time since arriving in the Netherlands, not a single bike. Well there was one apparently that the harbour master was trying to fish out after it got blown off the pontoon! She was in her swimsuit ready to go in if they couldn't pull it out.... Brrrrh.
    Feeling lucky to be able to stay as only visitors by boat can stay or just a handful of houses can be rented. An initial explore was welcome to stretch the legs. The bike had been recovered and was drying off on the pontoon. Hoping for less wind to enjoy the rest of the island walk tomorrow.

    Chatting to one of the locals about what the future might bring it was good to hear that they plan to keep it as it is in so much as no further housing will be created etc. Obviously nature will be largely allowed to develop, but no future structures (such as houses, /marina infrastructure is expected)    En savoir plus

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    Enkhuizen

    13 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    The sun came out finally to encourage us to complete the leisurely walk around the reserve before setting off for Enkhuizen, the largest port of the Zuiderzee. Just a short 7miler NNW of Marker Wadden.
    Through the Krabbersgatsluizen and onto one of the prettiest entrance at Oude Haven I've ever gone through.
    Everything seems better when the sun's out and we seized the moment to get ashore to explore. Quaint brick paved streets & wonky buildings.
    We soaked up all the warmth of the sun we could in this picture perfect setting. Drinks on the quay, with just the musical bells chiming on the quarter hour to remind us of home.

    We found a top Lebanese restaurant (Lmes) to completely blow any health regime!

    Looking forward to meeting Frans today for lunch.
    Weather is not so good this morning - more rain & wind so the highly recommended Zuiderzee museum is our plan this afternoon. We hoped to bike to Hoorn for the evening but we shall see.    En savoir plus

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    Train trip to Hoorn

    15 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Given the stormy and very strong wind & rain on top of Ron's bad back as of Friday afternoon, we decided to take the train to Hoorn today. It was so much busier than Enkhuizen. There was a huge outside market, music. in every square virtually. Beautiful buildings & churches. Seeing wonky buildings are the norm these days. We enjoyed several coffee stops & lunch to avoid the heaviest showers.
    The big old boats taking groups out are so popular here. How many people does it take to tidy away the gib? (photo).
    The cabin boys, Hajo, Ralf & Padde are characters from the book the Shipboys of Bontekoe, loosely based on the journal of Dutch captain Willem Bontekoe on Nieuw Hoorn that is ship wrecked and the boys must fend for themselves....
    It was good to get out and about and fingers crossed the Captains back is better soon.    En savoir plus

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    11

    Hindeloopen

    16 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    A gentle start to help ease Ron's back into action and take in the last of Enkhuizen. We set sail at 2.15pm expecting a kinder down wind sail after the brutal winds of yesterday. Once out of the harbour the wind had dropped so much we thought at first we'd be motoring the whole way but things picked up and we even managed to dodge most of the hefty rain squalls. Arriving at 16.50hrs into a tiny old harbour at Hindeloopen with gentle breeze and SUN shining🌞. As always a warm welcome by the harbour master.

    Standing up to it's name Hindeloopen is yet another pretty & quirky Dutch town with lots of character and history. We stopped to look at the Commonwealth war graves of 11 Airmen from 1941-44.
    As standard, stunning locks and paved streets. The leaning church tower - crazy wonky.😄

    An after supper stroll after gorgeous Thai meal and the warmth of the sun to relax aboard... Could this be summer finally catching up with us?

    It's 22:22hrs and it's still light...
    & only need the one coat😍    En savoir plus

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    National monument - missing airmen

    Stavoren - bike ride

    17 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    A gentle day required as Ron still suffering with a bad back. I'm not sure what ended up as about 20 miles plus( and against the wind) helped to this end other and only added to the number of sore parts, but we enjoyed the cycle paths. Some cycle paths are nearly as large as the roads in some places.

    Plans were made for an early departure so onboard supper and evening stroll to soak up the evening sun at Hindeloopen.    En savoir plus

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    Meet the buoys and the cardinals

    Terschelling

    18 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We made an early start from Hindeloopen to catch the best of the tide as we left the Ijsselmeer. With just the wind turbines for company on the water it was so still and it was already hot by the time we passed through the lock into the Wadden sea.

    Despite 3 charts aboard the channel was not as marked. Fortunately visibility was good and the weaving channel is marked by numbered buoys. We wanted to make the most of the tidal stream and after the very narrow channels and 1mtr depth we were clear into deeper water and wider channels.

    The early start paid off and we arrived at about 1pm in Terschelling. Our first Frisian island. The engine took the strain today as very light winds and the twisty slalom channels are no good for sailing.
    After a brief lunch pick me up, I went off on foot to explore whilst Ron tried to rest up on board.
    Incredible views at the lookouts across the sand and out to dunes at low tide. Buzzing streets.
    Photos don't do it justice.    En savoir plus

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    Ameland

    19 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We set off from Terschelling at around 8.30am to follow the long & winding channel. Captain's back has taken a turn for the worse and he is hardly able to move which is causing great concern given his understudy is far from the real deal.

    It took us a really long time to motor just the 28nm with little sail assist to arrive in Nes on Ameland Island. We barely saw any other boats with just the beautiful 'Arks' passing us creating the perfect picture.
    Our rest up on anchor (which I managed to successfully lower and pull up - albeit in a few metres of water) to allow for necessary tide flow gave us some respite from the engine noise and downtime from channel checking & depth obsession. Re-fuel for us & our engine we set off again at about 5pm.

    The fiercely protected nature reserves around the archipelago (UNESCO World Heritage Site) influenced by the daily ebb and flood, sand and water are much bigger than I expected.
    It means the islands are largely out of sight till closer approach. We have yet to see the apparently popular Wadlopen (mudflat walking).
    As Ameland (population approx 4000 and land size 23sq miles) came further into view and the last of the remaining shallows were through we watched the 'bob' of seals soaking up the last of the sun on the large sandbanks on our approach with hundreds of birds there too.

    Arrival 9.45pm and a still and calm berth in the small marina. The welcoming Dutch assist on arrival was appreciated as I jumped back and forth on nets to fend off a close landing!
    The beautiful light and birdsong lifted spirits despite feeling exhausted & the usual pull to explore ashore led us up to the inviting bar for a warming drink and unwind. So good to be out of the persistent Northerly winds. 4°C tonight.
    11.51pm and so to bed and the nightly mosi bash about the cabin to be done before I drift off to sleep to the unusual sound of the birds 😴.

    Thursday - a stroll to get Ron up and moving & gentle bike tour. Ameland has an incredible cycle route all around the beautiful island. Endless miles of powderlike sand as far as the eye can see on the North side. The tractor pulling the 'express strand bus' arrived. We watched over a lunch stop as the tide went out and soon it was on its way along the beach!

    Cycling amongst the dunes, dikes and wild ponies with the squeaking Oyster catchers was great fun. The twisting route around gentle dune hills reminded us of a ski run with the inevitable gathering of cyclists at signposts to check the route and wait for stragglers. Empty oyster shells strewn the path on our way back & the oyster catchers were 'Wadlopen' on the flats.
    A relaxing day trying not to overdo things if we hope to move on tomorrow. Fingers crossed the Diazepam works or I'll have to start taking it!    En savoir plus

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    Lauwersoog

    21 juin 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Good news, Ron's back is feeling so much better, so we left Ameland at 7am on a cool north wind with the early morning sun to help take off the chill. Not wanting to push things we took the relatively short cross over to the mainland at Lauwersoog, a small fishing village. This will hopefully set us up for the south westerly wind forecast tomorrow. Soon after arrival around 1.30pm I took to bed having got very little sleep last night but apparently didn't miss much as it started to rain for most of the day. I didn't emerge till the evening when Ron had to wake me up. A stroll out for some fresh air and fish & chips to plan tomorrow as the solstice sun was setting.En savoir plus

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    2

    Borkum

    22 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    The sun was out, the wind was in the right direction. Gouda grins all round 😁.

    As we faced 3 watersheds today it was a fairly early start. The early shallows kept us slow along the channel and a murkiness had joined us. The wind was light so we decided to set up the Code 0, followed by the Main sail to try & catch up with 2 other yachts on the same course. Under sail today was so relaxing perhaps excepting the hour in which we had 0.8m of water at 5 Knots. The chart looked like we were sailing over land but as our Dutch friends say, nothing is deep in these parts! We took our time to pass the Dutch boats ahead of us. We were enjoying the open water with full sails and fresh warm breeze that we overshot the entrance to Borkum by a couple of miles & the Dutch must have laughed as they found us following them once again.
    Today we hoisted the German courtesy flag and we only hope this stage is a bit warmer. Please. Certainly though, it will be hard to beat the warmth of the Dutch. Thank you Netherlands for having us.

    Soon after arriving we were ready to explore. A quick chat with the Hafenmeister and I was dragging Ron off to catch the lovely little train (Borkumer Kleinbahn) into the centre.
    Enjoyed a lovely stroll to take in the magnificent white beach with the famous 'Strandkorb' chairs and beach tents.
    A lovely waiter gave us a taste of German hospitality (although he said it didn't count as he was from down south in Bavaria😄)
    Anyway there were no trains back by the time we'd strolled around, the buses seemed hit and miss & so the taxi waiting must have seen this a hundred times, but we went for it. The 24 euros for the taxi cost more than our berth for the night 🙄 🤷‍♀️ which admittedly is probably the cheapest yet!
    A late evening stroll followed by planning for our next island hop & tidal flows, sea state, wind, channels or out to sea - these are the questions!    En savoir plus

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    Norderney

    23–25 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We left Borkum fairly early as our Danish neighbours were leaving & heading to the Netherlands so we took the opportunity to anchor up en route to wait for the rising tide. This was such a relaxing hour or so just watching the seals pop up around us and the heat of the sun was working it's magic to stay, but we needed to get going again along the 'withy' road....
    The withies are lovely flexible long shoots (willow I think) that are used to mark the watershed channel and can therefore be moved with the shifts in the 'Watt' (area of shallow water).
    The day found a lovely rhythm and soon Norderney is in our sights. I'm glad we arrived here (about 2pm) on such a calm sunny day as the entrance was still turbulent.
    The heat was a welcome change -
    Nordeney is approximately 16 mile sq with just under 9.5 miles of incredible white sandy beaches. The pace is slow, with most people cycling much like our stops throughout the Netherlands.
    We decided to eat out at Andre's. Great food and very helpful staff. . .. At 8.45pm the buzz of town started to die down as the waitress explained the Football was on. We took the stroll back via the weird looking 'Rock Monument.' we laughed as we were joking about not seeing any rocks. So no rocks, then 75 of them all together in the form of this obelisk - The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument built in 1898 to represent the unification of the German Empire and, as the name suggests, in honour of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Each of the rocks is representative of its place of origin and has its name engraved on it.
    Strolling on via the Conversationhaus lining one side of large park space with giant screen & music stand, cafes etc. Clearly well used for events & festivals and we soaked up some atmosphere as the crowds of Germans had gathered to watch the match. By the time we'd reached the boat Germany had just scored to draw against Switzerland & there was a lot of drinking & cheering.

    Day 2 Nordeney.
    Bikes out for a day exploring... We set off along the fantastic dyke cycle path to find the lighthouse- they are one of my little obsessions & this one you can go up. Perfect on such a clear sunny day. Ron was just about persuaded the view would be worth it. After the
    250 steps up that Ron didn't moan about at all🤣, we were treated to a great view of the island and the planes coming in to the flughafen. So on to the north side of the island.... The miles of sparkly beaches are truly incredible with the enormous dune systems. We weren't expecting to find our favourite Estrella Galicia beer at the beach cafe so it would have been rude not to have washed the large apple pie tart down with one of them. Luckily the Strandkorbs provided a handy place to rest up. The nudists were out which was a bit too much 'Villie & Cheek' for Ron who nearly spat out his pie.
    We had second thoughts on a paddle with the mile long walk to get to the shore line.
    There's a strong Scandi influence in the shops. Luckily the wonderful deli next to the chic home living & gift furnishing diverted attention.
    We'll be back in the morning to pack the fridge with goodies.....    En savoir plus

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    Langeoog

    25 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Saying goodbye to beautiful Norderney was eased by the closeup view of the seals at the far eastern end as we moved across the 'Gat' - the channel gates to the North Sea. We got as close as we dared to the bathing beauties although they weren't bothered by us - more by the humans on the beach.
    With the wind on the nose today progress was slower than expected but as the mainland and islands geographically aren't so far apart it gave us an ever changing view. Our arrival at Langeoog at 3.20pm meant we had plenty of time for a good run ashore.
    The warmest of welcomes from Ulla the harbour master who recruited the other patient yachties gathering in her office to help with communication. One question from me in German & immediately she thought I was fluent, but with a team effort we got there or at least we all felt we knew what was happening . A quick bite to eat at the harbour restaurant with its very own 'Bella bot' robot that arrived at our table with our food just as you'd expect!!! . I'm sorry neither of us got a photo but we were just laughing so much as was everyone else in the restaurant.

    We headed for the train, realising it was the last one into town (as per normal)..... but only about a 40 minute walk back - I'm sure we could do with the leg stretch.

    Langeoogs laid back pace with no cars on the island was infectious, even the train was slow. Cycles, tractors & horses( & carts) are the only ways to get around on the island if not on foot which added to the islands charm. Peaceful yet interactive with lots of buzz in the town both evening and early morning. Certainly the Germans are up earlier than the Dutch 😏!
    After the walk back from town with evening sun we found Whisper tickling the mud at low tide and we were ready for our onboard supper.
    Next day we managed to squeeze in a bike ride to explore. Our attire didn't seem to put off the little luxury island hotel staff as we rocked up for breakfast who gave us the full low down of every item available from the extensive buffet. Ron didn't hesitate to get stuck in 😋and I had a taste of pampered life. The tide was calling so we headed back gently. Langeoog had worked some magic and feeling relaxed & recharged we set off.    En savoir plus

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    1

    Wangeroog

    26 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The ENE wind prevented a sail but the sun was out in a big way as compensation.
    The distinctive watch tower and red and white light house was a welcome view after a day under motor.
    Arriving around 5.30pm meant the last train was about to leave for town but we opted for a local stroll around knowing it would be a long day ahead tomorrow and there was lots of planning to be done.
    The nearby yacht club boys were messing about with water bombs and large catapult. The stroll out to the north side had us pass by the impressive 4 storey watch tower and we discovered a cluster of buildings and cafés housing a small army of children on youth activity style holiday. Probably best that Ron's version of this entry in his best German impression is left to the imagination!    En savoir plus

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    that bow wave!Cuxhaven. FishermanDredging

    Brunsbuttel

    27 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Approx 60 miles
    15 miles under sail

    Last night after much consideration we opted for the light upwind motoring kinda day as entering the River Elbe with all it's complications & making it to Brunsbuttel & through the lock into the Kiel Kanal we felt could be challenging in the strong 25 Knots SW (force 5-6) forecast for Friday.

    We set off early, sun shining it would be a long day. The main sail went up, nearly out of the shallows..... then

    Thud - in all the main sail faff we'd taken our eyes off the depth. Ron soon released Whisper and we were onward again.. Heading out to the Nord zee...
    The conditions were calm, we enjoy a brief interlude of sailing for about 15 miles out of the 60ish miles.
    Another thud as we touched a sand bank about 10 miles before the river Elbe's entrance. Twice in one day having done so many days in the shallows and not a scrape - poor Whisper! But we soon released again and were on our way.
    The heat was on and the flies had found us - our latest purchase was proving a winner with Ron. The cockpit was going to need a thorough clean up with dead bodies and the messy evidence of swatter strikes.
    The forecasted rain was showing signs all around. Time to get the sail down. At this point we were both in shorts, tees & tilleys. We 'd had good strong tide with us of roughly 3-4 knots. We were nearly there getting the sail wrapped - then the thunder clapped, the lightening struck and suddenly the storm had caught up with us. Monsoon rain pelting down . No wonder it caught us, the windspeed 45 knots.

    The speed we were doing meant it lasted longer as we struggled to slow down. Ron had the engine idling and we were still moving over 5 knots.
    Don't know how we managed to get coats & lifejackets on. Neither of us could see. Ron holding Whisper in 45 knots of wind with zero vis. All lights on. I was navigating & I had to yell directions to him through held up hatch boards.
    Ron surfed the waves that were bubbling with rain like a jacuzzi only smoothed out by the force of the wind.
    Lightening striking all around offering the only glimmer of light - and so it went on for at least 30 minutes.
    Simply Terrifying!
    After a while Ron could just make out the boat ahead that we'd been following.
    Finally it started to ease. The lightening was still striking long after the rain had passed.

    I think we were a bit shaken as the lock loomed ahead. Luckily we were able to follow the Germans through which helped. The low level wood pontoon was completely different to any others. We shared it with our friends 'Gramasel' and just a small distraction - a regular ship for the Kiel Kanal!

    Following the lock we settled for the marina . It had been a long day and I was pretty sure no amount of ships passing right by us was going to bother me.

    Just after supper Ron couldn't resist dragging me with boyish glee to check out the sliding gate and big ships. No need for a sweet shop!    En savoir plus

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    Royal Navy flying the flag 🙂Transporter suspended below the bridge at Rendsburg2

    Borgstedt

    28 juin 2024, Allemagne ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    The Kiel Canal is the busiest artificial waterway in the world. Every year more ships pass through the canal than the Panama and Suez canals combined. It mostly runs through open countryside and is pretty attractive scenery for the whole 60 miles and is 67metres wide by 9metres deep.
    Our first 35 miles on entering the canal from the lock at Brunsbuttel was fairly relaxed even with the large commercial vessels towering so closely alongside which are impressively intimidating. There are plenty of light signals that mostly the larger vessels use to navigate the narrow sections safely and obviously to keep things running smoothly there are ze Rules!;
    Your engine must be running at all times but you can sail assist as long as you don't exceed the 6. 5 knot speed limit. Oops! 7.3 knots top speed today.
    You are only allowed to navigate during daylight hours.
    Given you need to take into account the tidal flows at each end of the canal it makes sense to plan a stop. We tried all 3 options at one of the suggested stopping points at Rendsburg but with only box moorings and with the strong winds it made it too difficult to get moored up so we abandoned that idea and went on to Borgstedt which proved more sheltered and made a very comfortable and peaceful stop ( situated on its own island) .
    We made use of the excellent facilities to catch up on some laundry too.
    On our evening explore for supper & check out tomorrow's bakery collection, we were shocked to encounter our first hill since leaving the Netherlands. The novelty factor soon wore off after a long walk. 😄.

    Surprisingly many places in Germany don't take payment by card from restaurants to marinas. We were advised by the office staff at Borgstedt on arrival that 'if you haven't got ze cash zen you can't stay! '. The lack of harbour masters present in marinas since the islands is a regular occurrence and many marinas have a QR code for paying online now. Sometimes this has had its benefits, but I much prefer to see a friendly face upon arrival to harbour.🙂🇳🇱
    Thankfully fellow yachties have been great everywhere we've been, especially given our very limited language skills...    En savoir plus

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  • Andrea BallBalls go BalticVoyageur

    Laboe

    29 juin–1 juil. 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After a more restful night's sleep, we set off along the canal for the final 25 miles with occasional flurries of big ship watch. It really is quite an experience coming up so close to these giants who at 6 Knots glide calmly over the water barely making a sound. The gentle winds and lovely sunny day helped make it more relaxing - The tow path that runs the length of the canal had the odd cyclist and fishermen on the banks but not as much as you'd expect on such a beautiful day.
    On the whole traffic was light and we had luck on our side as we arrived at the lock at about 3pm to then immediately be able to lock in🙂 with just a handful of pleasure boats, phew! The neighbouring lock had the towering container vessel that we had been following.
    I could see at least 2 boats who unfortunately missed the sliding gate as it closed off the lock.
    As the gates opened we emerged into the Kieler Forde where boats of all shapes, size and age filled the water. We soon discovered whilst trying to find a berth for the night that it's the closing weekend of Kieler Woche the annual sailing regatta (first held in 1882). The marinas were packed. We siezed an empty space in Laboe marina. Not the best space but a space and with options running dry it was good enough.
    We decided to put the cockpit tent up with tomorrows forecast set to rain hard all day and went off to enjoy the rest of today's sunshine. We met a lovely local couple who we shared travel stories with over dinner .
    With the sun setting it was hard to imagine the rain would be here by the morning.    En savoir plus

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