Josin's 2025 cruise

Back to Gilleleje

Left Marstal in the afternoon after the weather had subsided a bit and speedily sailed the few miles to Rudkjøbing, (54 56.5 / 010 42.6), to make sure of diesel. Decided to stay the night as the wind had increased again. Next morning, into the center and the large supermarket, back via the fish shop and two nice plaice, then diesel, then away north again. Yes, the tides had changed of course ,and we again had strong currents against.
The weather was still unstable and impressive, and in places, very wet, but we were spared luckily. Nice sailing conditions though and we made good progress.

Approaching this impressive bridge again, a loud voice on the VHF radio requested contact. The traffic controller could see us on his screens approaching a large tanker and wanted us to change course to the west end of the bridge, outside the main channel, which was a little occupied by the tanker, but i requested that I should continue my plan to cross the channel after the tanker and use the east end of the bridge. Quite OK. Thankyou. Good voyage.
A bit of a surprise being called up. I knew that receiving was working, the VHF is on all the time and it is sometimes interesting to hear what’s going on but you can’t see, and good to know that transmit works still. (Tested only at the beginning of the season).

And so back to Reersø (55 31.1 / 011 07.3), but this time into the harbour rather that anchoring up in the bay outside, as the wind was forecast to increase, and from an unsuitable angle.
Between the rain showers i toddled over the harbour masters office, (small wooden shed), to pay harbour dues into the letter box provided. Problem. Wrong cash notes. The Danish pay-by-phone app, to which foreigners do not have access, was the alternative. Next door, a helpful lady in the hot-dog stall, who in exchange for buying a hotdog, we managed to achieve the correct notes to pay the fee. Tasty hot-dog, consumed under the awning waiting for the rain shower to stop.

Next day, a splendid sail to Sejersø, but not into the harbour on the south side, but round the north end to a quiet anchorage recommended by the cruising guide. It was. (55 54.5 / 011 07.4). One other boat there for a swim and a rest, which left. I had intended to have a dip too, for inspection and exercise, but was disappointed to see so many stinging jellyfish. No way!
Forecasts agreed that a weather change was coming tomorrow morning, but it happened much earlier at 2 AM. Rain and wind from the SE which whipped up a chop and stared Josin nodding and tugging the anchor free. Busy for a while there until re-anchored in a more sheltered spot, with many meters of chain out. Anchor held. A little more, but fitful sleep.
Up anchor very early and away north in enough wind in the stern to only need half the genoa out. Through the gap in the Sjælland reef, called The Carpenter’s Gap, (!), then south east towards Odden harbour. Beating to windward in a gale was a very wet experience, and after a couple of bouncing hours I’m afraid I rolled in the sail and motored the last half hour. Very quiet in Odden harbour by contrast, (55 58.4 / 011 22.1), but enough wind to make the preparations for mooring rather difficult, and I managed to lose a fender. Thought I saw in which direction it floated, but couldn’t find it afterwards.

Yesterday, with the wind in the right direction, we were blasted along at max boatspeed to Gilleleje, (back again), average speed over 6 knots, which is very unusual. Again only half the genoa out:

This is max holiday time in this boating world and Gilleleje harbour was over-full of sheltering boats. Obviously very few had left. Ended up in my usual corner, but tied up three-a-breast. Helpful Danes taking lines and relaying them ashore, and all just in time to shut the hatches before a deluge.
Today, again showers-and-bright-periods, so soon off to shop, and maybe a fishy lunch, this being a very busy fishing port.

Alls well,
Next-stop-Sweden-John.

Still Marstal.

Its raining now, wednesday morning, quite heavily, and forecast says it will continue until about 12, so we wait.
My first impression of Marstal, on sunday evening, had been rather a disappointment, looking rather down-at-heel and scruffy, but I had only been in the area near the water, which was mainly industrial.
Monday was a wanderday, into the rest of the town, which was much more attractive, in typical old-fashioned Danish style. Narrow, cobbled streets with the buildings right close, bright colours, no traffic of course and slow tempo. The sun was shining too.

Yesterday was the day I was going to “do” Marstal.
Maritime museum. Lunch at a suitable cafe/restaurant. Motor museum. Wander the quayside look at interesting boats, etc, etc, etc.
Started well by timing it right. Small group of quiet people and an engaged and knowledgable guide. First room. First impression, hot. Second impression, guide’s language was only Danish. Third impression, difficult dialect for this English/Norwegian to understand. Fourth…. After the third room, I realised that I understood even less than I thought I could and used up more energy in straining to catch an undersandable word or two than was sensible, so I wandered off on my own, following the red arrows on the floor from room to room, which were in a roughly historical order.
Fascinating to see the development in sailing ship design, from square-rigged barges, to fleet and slender schooners. The development in sail configuration over time was a study in itself. The models were works of art as well as being authentic and worth hours of study. (Unfortunately I kept on being caught up by the guided tour).
Historical building with many small rooms, and no ventilation meant that everyone was perspiring after a while and looking for somewhere to sit down.
Then the place was invaded by a school class, (seemed like several), of ca 8 year-olds, rushing hither and yon, exclamatory in their enthusiasm, and their teacher/followers quite unable to shush them for more than a second or two. Brain went into aggravated/irritated/defence/close mode, so I left, with an invitation from the kind lady behind the counter to come back later, after all the organised visitor groups had been there. Nice of her, but by that time I had run out of energy.
The visit was worth it. One thing is for sure, that the sailors of those impressive vessels must have had incredible competence and stamina.

Next was lunch, restaurant sussed out the day before. A seafood platter tasted good and left only lemon rind. Then the bill. Shock! Whattt??? Added to the reasonable price of the dish was DKK 36,- for a bottle of tapwater, (no fizz, ice or lemon). That translates to NOK 57, or nearly GBP 5. I waved the plastic and stared hard at the waiter, but it didn’t help. Left quite disgruntled.
So, back to the boat for a bit of relax and recuperate. Then to the motor museum. Always of interest for this motor-man. Knowledgeable guy there, spoke english, who I think was an earlier employee at this works and had done much to salvage the wreckage of the closure.
Tourist day ended on a good note, thanks be!

Didn’t take any more pics yesterday, sorry.

Plan A next is Rudkjøping, less than 10 nm going back north, where I hope to find accessible diesel. (The diesel quay here is too high for me to climb). Then onward generally north as the wind is predicted mainly between south and west, and see where we get to.

Maybe the rain has finished for the day.
Alls well,
PatientJohn

From Ebeltoft to Marstal

At last the wind loosened its grip on all us sailors, and as a small armada, left Ebeltoft behind. We even had a hint of a regatta between those going the same way.
Whatever, it was a grand sailing day, almost all the way to Reersø (55 31.2 / 011 07.6). Mostly close hauled and the autopilot steering by the wind direction. Tried the wind vane, but it couldn’t quite cope with the narrow sailing angle. Gradually there was less wind, and when we had to avoid all the traffic in the main shipping lanes, the engine had to help a bit, then a lot.
We anchored up in the bay outside the harbour at Reersø, when we tried entering the rather small harbour and saw two boats milling around trying to find a slot.
Calm evening and night in the company of the cormorants busily diving and fishing, and one fishing boat tending its nets. Didn’t see much fish being hauled out though.

Next morning, blue sky, strong sunshine, absolutely flat calm water and not a breath. So, a reasonably early start and a day’s motoring all the way to Lohals, (55 08.0 / 010 54.1).
On the way there, there is a very impressive bridge, at (55 20,7 / 010 02.9), which connects the two main Danish islands of Sjælland and Fyn. Even in the second picture the cars seem almost invisibly small.

But, serious navigation attention was needed as the current in the channel under the main span was at times over three knots, against of course.
It would appear that have timed this south-going trip all wrong. Every day the Baltic is emptying, according to my appreciation of the tide rhythm, by creating a north-going current in these channels, out into the Skagerak and into the North Sea. You can rely on assuming that when the time comes to sail north again, the tide rhythm will have changed too.
To try and avoid the strongest current, I steered first east after going under the bridge, in a long curve, but very little respite from the current as it was so shallow. The current must change the contours of the sea bed by moving sand around, and the chart didn’t show the depth I was measuring. Bit nail-biting actually.
Lohals provided some unintended entertainment in the form of me trying to buy fish and chips at the fish-and-hamburger stall with Norwegian cash, as the slightly bewildered, but very helpful lady only accepted Danish cash or the local form of telephone money, to which foreigners do not have access. We agreed in the end, after more or less helpful comments of others in the queue in various languages about exchange rates, and with the final help of a young teenager using the calculator on her telephone. I have a suspicion that I paid well for my fish-and-chips, but they tasted good.

The day dawned in Lohals with sunshine and a nice easterly breeze, with the promised forecast of it continuing throughout the day. Prepared the gennaker and all it ropes, to the keen interest of the neighbour who had not seen such before.
Set off gently motoring through the sandbanks into more open water and hoisted the billowing sail. Exileration! Water was nearly flat calm, as we were sailing close to a long island to the east, so sailing was just fine.

Until we neared the next bridge, at Rudkjøping. Narrow channel again between markers, leaning heavily against the very strong current and meeting traffic including this magnificent Dutch Jakt.
Busy for a while there, when the genakker was reluctant to be rolled in.

A long channel south of Rudkjøping into more open water and normal sailing in a gradually dying wind to Marstal, ( 54 51.1 / 01031.1), where we found a comfortable slot near the town center.

A wander into the town later and a rather sad sight of a museum sailing ship being shorn of its yards and mast damaged in the storm the other day. (I got there too late to see the whole process). The bits viewable on the ground showed that they were considerably “worn out”, by weather and years.

I rained quite heavily last night but today is a good sightseeing day, particularly the maritime museum, which is one of the cruise goals.
Alls well

TouristJohn

Suddenly! I’ve no idea how or why. Hope they are visible

AmazedJohn

Still Ebeltoft

The weather is still anti-boating, and particularly anti-sailing. Whether it is blowing or raining or both, boats only rock, but don’t leave the harbour.
There is a strong possibility that the rain will have gone and the wind will have dropped to a reasonable level later on this afternoon. We shall see. I’m keen to be on our way.
Not much to alleviate the boredom. I know where the supermarket is, how long it takes up the hill it takes to get there, and ditto back-pack-loaded back down again. How long it takes to get to the touristy bit all along cobbled streets. There there are ice cream parlours in abundance, fewer cafes and restaurants, cheap merchandise on movable displays, (necessary in this weather), museums full of people hiding from the weather, and, and, and, and…

A blogg of complaining is not interesting for readers, so instead here are a few pictures taken when it wasn’t raining. Ebeltoft is certainly picturesque. Hope you enjoy them.

NO images. Here is a problem. Including an image takes an age, several images and it crashes.
Think I’ll publish this and hope a cure emerges. Meanwhile I shall search for a solution.

ITS BRIGHTENING UP!

HopefulJohn

Ebeltoft

Has been a very breezy experience to now. Expected, but rather more hefty than wanted.
Yesterday was blown away. Steady 30 knot wind gusting to nearly 40, was enough to keep me firmly on Josin, doing some nail-biting. A new experience of in-harbour conditions. With every fender out and all mooring ropes at least doubled, I just had to wait, and react to a new situation if it occurred. Luckily it didn’t. Only damage was one punctured fender and the line on the crosstrees with all it’s pretty pennants broke, leaving them to flutter horizontally. Hope I’ll be able to retrieve them in the next calm if they survive.

But, first morning we were here I went exploring in the local area to find out where things were, and ended up, rather confused, outside a café, Cafe Moeslund, just about to open, with proprietor in the doorway chatting to a friend. P realises that I’m lost and asks if I need help. Yes please, where do I find a bakery? A flood of very helpful directions in quite incomprehensible Danish sounds left us both confused, but when she asked me if i needed a coffee, that I understood, so we went in.

And with the coffee, cherries!! Not the very red sort in the shops, but these, the same that grew on a tree in the garden of my childhood home, Mill Orchard. They are not sweet, rather tart in fact, but they suited my taste then and they do so now too! Reckon it was me and the starlings who ate them.
P, (I didn’t get her name), said that they had a tree, loaded, and used the fruit as decoration.
Not being mealtime I didn’t stop for a meal, and plodded up the hill on bakery-hunt. Past the church, (aren’t they always on a hill?), the cemetery and another slope to an enormous supermarket, “Kvickly”. But, true to info from P, there was a bakery just inside the door with an enormous array of irresistible bread, yes, including sourdough. Yum.

Then today, a very showers-and-sunny-periods day, on the way back from a bit of sightseeing and shower-dodging, I dodged into Cafe Moeslund. Ah, lunchtime. Again a warm welcome from P, cafe very busy but with a very comfortable contented-eaters sound. Limited menu, very difficult to decide. This is what came, in order:

First a very decorative glass of water and more cherries!
Then a basket of sourdough bread and a tantalising tastedip.
The a bowl, with the most incredible-tasting marinated salmon and diverse salad veg.
Very memorable and quite the best I’ve tasted. Savoured every mouthful.
Poured compliments over the chef, who understood better my english rather than my norwegian, and who tried to mumble that he was lucky. Ha! That was culinary skill man!

Lunch coincided with a prolonged and heavy shower, which just stopped so that I could stagger back dry-shod to Josin. Long zizz. After that lunch, dinner tonight will be simpler, of fresh sourdough bread and smelly danish cheese. Oh the suffering……

Don’t think any boats left harbour today, so it will be interesting to see what tomorrow will bring of winds and weather. I’m planning to head south, when the wind drops.

Rosklde til Ebeltoft.

A motoring wake, away from Roskilde at 7 am thursday, heading north, calm, but better weather promised. The cathedral to the west, a power station to the east. Even a power station can be improved in appearance.

The long term weather forecast had changed. Indications were that at the weekend and for several days, it was going to rain and blow, so now the plan was to find an entertaining place to be while it happened. The choice fell on Ebeltoft, visited some 25 years ago and remembered fondly. Winds on the way there predicted favourable.
So, from Roskilde to Hundested, (55 57.9 / 011 50.7) at the entrance to Roskilde fjord, with an overnight at Odden Havn, (55 58.4 / 011 22.2), to Ebeltoft, (56 11.7 / 010 40.2).
Motored all the way to Hundested, with the sails hopefully up most of the way. There is a lifting bridge about half way, which opens on every half hour if needed. We got there just a few minutes too late, having been unexpectedly delayed by a remarkably strong contrary current, which at the bridge flowed 2 knots. Made the half hour wait easier by just motoring slowly against.
Reached Hundested, (nudged the sandbank at the harbour entrance, which had grown since the navigating instructions were written!), at mid day, so a stop for lunch and a zizz. Then onward westover, sailing slowly in the sunshine, to Odden Havn, there to tie up behind a Norwegian boat, whose crew surrounded me with tie-up help and a chat.
Early awake next morning to the sound of halyards flapping masts. A sailing wind! Yes, but it didn’t obey the forecast. Wind from NW instead of SW. Later veering SW instead of NW. Ah well, sail anyway. I was determined to follow the mantra for the cruise, “sail, not motor”, so we did. Wind 15 knots, gusting 20, creating uncomfortable choppy seas on the nose, which repeatedly killed the speed and spoiled the track made good.

This was our track. Wind direction slowly becoming favourable, You can see where I turned the engine on, when the shore got close and I was weary from all the bouncing and leaning, but having turned the corner, we sailed full speed in calm water the rest of the way.
Took an age to find a spot to tie up, Ebeltoft has a large marina, and it was full.
Going below I was met with partial chaos. Boat movement and gravity had deposited cushions onto a swimmingly wet deck, and underneath it all, the logg book. How to dry wet paper and hope that the ink has not dissolved? Did this:

12 hours later and it looks promising.
But the real worry is how did all that water get in? Not happened before, but maybe all that long day bouncing and crashing yesterday was reason enough. But the source? Prime suspect is the ventilator over the toilet which has lost its spray-shield of gaffatape. New tape and a more thorough investigation required.
But now. The forecast rain has stopped, for a while at least, so I must go ashore and check in by feeding the machine. Denmark has a remarkably strong currency, at least relative to the Norwegian Krone, so marinas are grumpily expensive.
Ebeltoft, here we come! And maybe a coffee and a sticky bun? They’ll be expensive too!

Alls, (nearly-dry), well.

SAILORJohn.

Roskilde (2)

A very interesting place!
The outstanding landmark is the cathedral on top of the rise in the center of the town. It is enormous, and of course visible from afar for sailors. I won’t describe it here, too much info, but wikipedia has an excellent article on it. Try “Roskilde Cathedral” if you are interested. Impossible to photograph, too close, but in the middle pic, there is a person in the bottom right hand corner to give a little size comparison. All brick. started in the 12th century.

However, I didn’t come to Roskilde to look at a cathedral, but boats. Ancient wrecks of Viking-age ships, modern copies, small, large, from other countries, in use or just on display, and all presented such that one could get close.

The most interesting perhaps were the partial reconstruction of Viking-age hulls which had been salvaged from the Roskilde fjord. I tried to follow the guide’s rather indistinct languages, but only picked up crumbs. These 5 ships had been sunk in a strategic channel to prevent marauding hordes from coming in a large fleet from the north, (did she say Norway?), so they had to land much further from the town than planned, and didn’t succeed.
Unfortunately, photography was unsuccessful due to too many people in the way and rather indistinct lighting. Quite intriguing the explanation of the detective work and methods carried out to enable the reconstructions.
More realistic perhaps were the very informative presentations of the methods these ancient boat builders used to create these fantastic seaworthy shapes, and all done with hand tools. Naturally shaped bits of oak tree were essential for frames and the like. Planks were made by radially splitting a log in two, then two again, then two again etc, until a thin enough sliver could be shaped with an axe to the desired thickness. What a test of accuracy, skill and patience!

The next one: Bits for making boats: Even stitched together:

After several hours of watching and listening and absorbing and admiring, my brain went into overload and I retired, quite exhausted, to Josin for the rest of the day.

Today started rather dull, in sympathy with my grey cells, but both brightened up this afternoon and I pottered up the hill into town, took pics of the Cathedral, food shopped, coffee and a sticky bun on a comfortable bench and watched the world go by. Polyglott lot. Then back down the hill to Josin and a further relax.

Tomorrow the wind will hopefully have changed from contrary to suitable, if the forecast holds, and I plan to start early and retrace navigated steps back up the Roskilde Fjord and out into more open water and head west, then south, and see how far we can get to new places and adventures.

Alls well
VikingJohn

Roskilde

I’d planned to do the trip from Gilleleje to Roskilde in two stages, with a stop in either Hundested or Lynæs, both at the entrance to the long Roskilde fjord. But I woke really early to a bright sunny morning and a gentle southerly wind, promised more later. So, no excuses, and we were away at 07:15. Beautiful sailing day. Westward along the coast, consisting of low hills sloping down to endless sandy beaches, the electronic chart was the only info to know where we were, as there were no details to distinguish one stretch from the next. We were (almost) buzzed by the Danish Navy, or anyway four vessels of it, of various sizes rushed past close enough to wave to and get a response.
Before we got, remarkably early, to the turning point to enter the Roskilde fjord the wind had gradually died sufficiently to need help from the engine, and what with all the zig-zag navigation and much traffic later, it helped all the rest of the way. There seemed to be little point in stopping as planned so we just carried on, and didn’t stop until we got to Roskilde, nearly 50 nm. Found a pontoon space to tie up, with the kind help of a jovial Dane in the next boat, who then flooded me with hardly-understandable information on the charms of Roskilde. At least I caught on to a restaurant just round the corner. Went there. Had a cheeseburger and chips. retreated back to Josin and retired, weary but very content.
On the way, I had googled Roskilde, and to my surprise and foreboding, discovered that the Roskilde Festival, rather large, very loud, didn’t start on July 1st, (which I had previously noted and thought I had avoided), but had already started. Relief when I discovered that the festival site was nearly 2 km away, but the boombass is audible if the wind is in the right direction.

Today is monday and this is a suitable place to take it easy after yesterday’s hours, and wait out the weather promised for mid day. It came. Menacing long ridge of very dark clouds: (The pic on the right should be in the middle, sorry!), which marched slowly but surely and sharply across the sky, pushing the sunshine before it.

Darkness descended. Wind almost stopped and veered 90 degrees. Temperature dropped several degrees, (C), and an eerie wait ensured. No rain? Then a spatter. Then lightning and thunder. Then rain, lots. Took about an hour for the front to go through, leaving a cooler and wetter state behind. I had been glad that Josin’s mast was lower than most of the others around, but no lightning struck. Quite the best entertainment for a day of relaxing. And no, the festival loudspeakers cannot compete with real thunder.

Tomorrow to the museum of old boats. Roskilde is probably the biggest center for all things Viking Ships. Real ones, copies, and a rich milieu of expertise on how to build and use them. Probably lots of historical info too. Looking forward to a long visit.

Alls well,

RoskildeJohn.

Gilleleje (56 07.5 / 012 18.8)

From Varberg, the wind blew us, and the waves tossed us, all the way to Hallands Väderö, (56 26.8 / 012 33.8), some 45 nm, wow!, and we tied up on the other side of the ferry jetty. Very peaceful, very quiet, after a rather bumptuous ride. This would have been Plan D if I had plotted it in while in Varberg, as I couldn’t hope to get so far. But the wind blew steady and strong, and as the possible goals swept by, we just carried on in style.

Woke next morning to an overcast sky, but the wind still steady in the same direction. So, up and at it and next stop Gilleleje. Another bumptuous ride at full speed. Very attentive to the commercial traffic going into and out of northern Øresund. Arriving at Gilleleje presented a problem. The wind was still strong and waves were sufficiently bounce-producing that I didn’t want to go out of the cockpit to put out lines and fenders before going in, but couldn’t remember what the harbour looked like inside, for a temporary pause to do the necessary. Relief! A small “lagoon” just inside the outer harbour entrance provided just the necessary space and shelter. A complication was that another sailing boat arrived just after us with the same mission. We both, suitably attired, puttered proudly further in. No spaces! There must have been a general feeling that the wind was either too strong or in the wrong direction for any intrepid sailors to leave yet, (it was only mid day). Eventually found a space absolutely furthest in which has turned out to be acceptable. (Nobody has complained!).

Now yesterday was Midsummer’s Day, and I had no idea how the Danes celebrated. Google to the rescue. Two programs on two different websites, but they agreed on where, the West Beach. So in early evening I followed the flow and there were the crowds, in and on the dunes at West Beach. Everyone doing their thing, families grouped on rugs, elderlies on camping chairs, people wandering, ice cream dripping in hand, and a large group around the Tuborg tent. The other most popular draw was a bouncy-castle, packed with kids, parents outside looking in, parenting.
The programs, both, had listed a bonfire, but as it has been, and still is, brown-grass dry, bonfires had probably been cancelled and instead, several large bowls with containable fire, with an attendant fireman with hosepipe, provided more than enough heat to burn sausages and marshmallows golden black.

Gilleleje is crowded with people this festive weekend, and a typical town square market provided both artistry and other things. I took many pictures, but most have mysteriously disappeared. Right now I am not motivated to go back and try again, (past lunchtime, and it is hot), so here are the few which have survived:

Many Danish houses have a thatched roof, and here must be one of the most artistically carved. Not quite sure what those things on the top are, but they must be something to do with keeping the winter gales under control. These knives are really incredibly varied, and the basketwork, (both eye-watering expensive), and there isn’t room on Josin for anything un-useful, is there?

By the way, the wind is blowing directly from the direction we aim for next, so therefore no need to stress onward, and enjoy where we are. Lunch: Fresh peel-your-own shrimp on almost-warm rolls, mayo and a squirt of lemon juice. Then snooze. Then what?

Alls well.

JosinJohn