15 days, 14 cities/towns, done. We are home, the place smells disgusting (Lars doesn’t seem to mind), and the plants are dead. Whatever.
I was asking Catherine just this morning- how come there are no seals in the Oresund? Answer: there are. Not five minutes after posing the question, seal sighting, picture achieved. This just along side the Copenhagen airport. Who knew?
We also saw a U.S. flagged vessel this morning right after leaving the harbor, it was fun. They were checking us out with binoculars, we could see them in their pilot house, then they stepped out back for a hearty wave (we fly the U.S. flag under our spreader to indicate American crew, a birthday gift last year from friends). That’s a pretty rare occurrence around here.
GPS track is done, somehow it includes the leg from our apartment to the harbor too. 371 nautical miles, at around 4.5 miles an hour, judging from the speed profile.
Maybe I’ll work out a trip summary and a few choice pictures later.
-ben
A bit of open water, first thing in the morning, with a solid 10+ kt wind. 17nm in 3.5 hours, no trouble, though they do grow some whoppers out there. We’re spending the day & night at Dragør, which is practically Copenhagen, just on the other side of the airport, and about a 1 hour bus ride home. It’s vacation, so we stay. It’s practically a miracle anyway that we were able to get the weather forever going our way, and timing a 14 day sail nearly perfectly. Glad we didn’t take the day off at Ærøskøbing, Ristinge was amazing and who knows what would have happened if we tempted fate.
Position Uppppdated.
Oh yeah, and here’s some pics from the last two days. More unbelievable weather and great sunsets.
-ben
Pinch us, we’re dreaming. Day 13 was almost predictably beautiful. Whoever sold their soul for good weather in Denmark this year deserves all the credit. 30nm were done by 3:30 or so, ending in a great little fishing harbor we visited 2 years ago on our first trip aboard Rini. Waves were really big due to south easterlies, but we made 5+ knots across Faxe Bugt and up Stevns Klint.
The interweb is very slow here, but maybe some pictures later…
Position updated.
-ben
We wanted to go further, but the day just wouldn’t have us.
Not that we’re complaining. We’re in Kalvehalv, position has been updated.
The day started out lovely, almost too much wind, among the first to leave the harbor at 8:30, and made good time to Vordingborg.
After that, there were currents directly opposite, winds (and not much of them) directly behind. We spent some time mired in weeds to the point we couldn’t quite steer correctly and the engine was struggling. Once free of the weeds, it was max speed 2.5kt with the engine full bore, lovely way to spend an afternoon- but again, definitely not complaining. I just bottomed two icy cold Grøn Tuborgs, and we’re off to re-fuel.
-ben
Again, Denmark must be the preeminent source for quality fields of wheat, grass, and other stuff. Femø is a nice little island, Omø was just as nice, but even littler, with the ugliest little ferry boat possibly ever floated (so said our Danish neighbor in the harbor).
Today we sat and had a beer within ear-shot of an older couple, they asked if we were American, and when we replied yes the gentleman said, “Jesus Christ”. They had lived in the U.S., he was in the Air Force, was 80 years old, and she Danish and him we presume American. We also learned they were soul mates, both widowed. We didn’t learn much more, they were in a hurry. They walked through the mini-golf at the restaurant, hopped into a small plane, and took off. No shit. It was pretty cool.
And at last- dolphin video, terrible quality, but proof none the less.
Pics to come later, there’s good internet here but now we’re low on batteries, have to wait for the harbor master to turn on power sometime around 19:00.
The day was brilliant again. Gusting probably near 15kt, we made great speed over hear on beam & broad reach the whole morning. Big waves, but bearable.
Tomorrow we push for a long day, need to make some ground to make in home in time for Catie’s family arriving Friday morning.
Position updated, of course.
-ben
Not much wind today, and once we came around Langeland there was a 2 to 2.5kt current to deal with, no fun. We made it to Omø, but there’s little to no internet coverage, so no pictures today. Tomorrow though, and maybe even a dolphin video! It’s not pretty, but it’s proof.
Position updated, I think.
-ben
Pics from yesterday… the beach was amazing, it was a lot like swimming in the ocean, there was even a sandbar a little bit out. Not much from Svendborg, was feeling lazy. We are headed east today, above Langeland over to an island called Omø. Probably lots of motoring, we’ll see. So far we’ve used 13L of fuel, just topped it up again this morning.
-ben
Video: Wake-up call
The day was perfect, though Catherine did nearly sink the boat.
More to come, we’re headed out to explore Svendborg.
Position updated.
-ben
The sun was simply not cooperating, so we left Ærøskøbing, and headed south east.
How to describe the day? We had perfect sailing conditions right down a narrow channel, between a litany of bouys, a navigators delight.
We head for Ristinge, little known to us to be “Denmark’s smallest harbor”. How do you know you’re in Denmark’s smallest harbor? First, you run aground. Second, the man who tows you off the ground immediately suggests you go ask ‘that guy coming in’ for fresh shrimp, because he will have them. After having cooked the shrimp, you ask a local how best to peel them, at which point they call over another local to consult. The remedy- head over here to this table, I’ll get some beer, and we will show you.
The locals’ kids then took it upon themselves to fish for mussels- successfully. They swim, fish, we drink, and eventually, after the kids go on a beer run, we cook the mussels aboard Rini. Three children absorb the utilitarian beauty that is Rini while you cook their catch, the sun sets, mussels are done, shrimp and mussels eaten, and so on.
What a day.
We took a walk to the new beach before all this happened, and pictures will follow.
-ben
