The Adventure Continues
- buzzard792
- Sep 10, 2019
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 20, 2020
Its been a while since the last post, and a lot has happened. The biggest event was renting a boat in Copenhagen, Denmark and sailing the North Sea. I was also able to fix the Belton Yacht Clubs Hunter Vision 32. This allowed me to complete my NauticEd Captains qualifications and become an Intern NauticEd Instructor.
In early August, my wife had a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
She asked if I wanted to go, and of course I couldn't say no. While I was investigating activities we should do together, I came across the site BoatFlex.com. This is a small Denmark startup similar to AirB&B, but for boats. They connect people who own boats and would like to rent them to people who need to sail one. The greatest thing was how easy and cheap it was to find a boat that fit my needs perfectly. My NauticEd resume also came in very handy helping me demonstrate my ability to the boats owners.
The boat I ended up on was named Sylvester. This boat was a little bigger but very similar to my Catalina 22. It had a good 6 horse 2 stroke engine and a roller furler. I had never used a roller furler on a regular basis before, but after this trip I decided I have to get one for Rosinante.
Sylvester was a nice little boat with everything I needed for a coastal cruise.
On the First day, after dropping my wife off at her conference, I took Sylvester from her home port Svanemollehavnen to Ven Island Sweden. I saw the Island on the map and heard it was a really nice trip, but I had no idea it was Sweden until after I arrived. That meant when I had meatballs for lunch I had Swedish meatballs before my wife did.
The sail started out very slow. The wind was low, but following so it was a difficult sail.
It was a little over 12 miles to the Kyrkbachen Marina from Copenhagen, and the wind started picking up about halfway across. I also noticed a small squall heading my way. About that time I noticed the water line on the boat was getting lower. I looked in the bilge to make sure I was not taking on water, and I didn't see anything, yet the water line seemed to continue to creep up. Eventually, I decided it was due to the waves getting bigger, and it just looked like the waterline was coming up. Its still a little nerve-wracking when 7 miles off shore you think your boat is sinking. The last couple of miles I furled the genoa and started the motor as the rain was just about on top of me by that point.
There was a perfect place to rent a bike for $25, and Ven Island was small enough I could easily see most of it.
Leaving Ven Island, I sailed around the Island then back to Copenhagen. If I started out earlier, or if I planned to spend a few days out, it would have been easy to sail on to Halmstad, Sweden and spend the night. However, we were on a couples trip so I sailed back to spend time with my wife.
As I entered what I thought was the Copenhagen Harbor entrance, I saw a sign in English that said Commercial Traffic Only. All other craft needed to use the PWC entrance. This was actually the first time I had sailed on the ocean, so using my navigational aid skills came in handy. I made my way to the other entrance just in time and found myself next to the Copenhagen Mermaid Statue.
Our hotel was The Strand just down the waterway from Nyhaven. My original plan was to try and make a dock right next to the hotel. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive in time to get one of the pedestrian bridges opened, so I was about 300 meters short of that destination. I went back and found Lystbadehavns right next to the statue. There was one slip left just big enough for the boat. The harbor had a 200 Kroner deposit which was about $33 USD, but you got 100 Kroner back if you didn't use power or water. This ended up being a perfect close spot to stop for the night.
The next day I got my wife set up to get to her conference and returned to the boat to sail to the small island of Flakfortet. This small island about 3 miles out of Copenhagen used to be a WWII Fortification. It was purchased by a Swede, who opened a port and restaurant. You can wonder the island and the old fort while there, but I recommend bringing a flashlight.
The wind this morning was all but nonexistent. I sailed very slowly for an hour or so, then realized I had to motor if I was going to make anything that day. It was about that time I realized I was almost out of gas. I should have checked that before I left. I decided to sail back to Svanemollehavnen and get gas then motor back to Flakfortet.
Flakfortet is certainly a must stop location out of Copenhagen. This guy has the coolest fort anyone could ever own. The restaurant was converting from Lunch to Dinner when I arrived, so I didn't get to eat, but I did have a drink and wonder the Island.
After spending a little time on the Island, it was time to get back to Copenhagen so my wife and I could do our Canal Tour. I made my way back to the boat, and noticed a motorboat headed my way.
When the boat arrived next to me, the harbor master got off and began to berate me for not paying to dock in the port. I insisted I had paid, then realized he was talking about other occasions. He said he sees my boat there all the time and it leaves without paying. Sylvester was on his list. After much discussion and language difficulty, I finally convinced him I had never been there before. I told him I paid for my trip, but would not pay for all the others. Truth be known, the last thing I wanted to do is stay in a Swedish jail not matter how nice they are, so I probably would have if it went that far. Fortunately, we came to an agreement, and I promised to let the owners know they need to make sure renters know to pay in harbors.
There are very few harbors or ports that do not charge something. I noticed they are not very expensive at all, however, you do need a pass to show you paid your rent. Most ports have automatic machines, or even apps you can pay your port fees with. Sailing in Scandinavia is great, but make sure you pay your way from place to place.
Since I got held up on Flakfortet, I was not able to return the boat and make it back to our canal trip. I contacted the owners and asked them if it would be okay under the circumstances to return the boat first thing in the morning. Thankfully, they were very easy to work with and were fine with me returning in the morning.
The wind was a little better on the way back from Flakfortet, so I was able to sail faster than motor for most of the trip. As I entered the Harbor I started to slow and just about the time I was going to start the motor, I heard a loud noise behind me that sounded like a huge fan. I looked up in time
to see a sea plane that had just landed behind me. It couldn't have been more than a few hundred feet when it put on the air brakes to make that loud noise I heard. I got the motor started and the plane followed me into the harbor. I must say of all the concerns I had about sailing in the North Sea, being run over by a plane was not even a thought I had.
I continued on after the Sea Plane returned to its dock and parked for a second night at the harbor next to the Mermaid Statue. I was just in time to make the Canal Tour with my wife. The tour was nice, and I learned a lot about Copenhagen, but after sailing the North Sea, it seemed a little weak.
The next morning, I once again got the wife to her conference, then took the boat back to Svanemollehavnen and its slip. Of course on the last day the wind would be great. I left the mainsail down, but opened the Genoa and made 7 to 8 knots.
For the most part, the trip was uneventful, and a nice final sail back to the home port. The wind was pretty high by the time I got back, and I had a little trouble getting the boat into its slip. I had to try a couple of times before another sailor recommended I use the slip ropes to pull the boat in, and use the wind to help.
What a fantastic adventure. I had a great time, and I believe Scandinavia is possibly one of the best sailing destinations in the world. No special licensing is required, and the deep waters leave few areas to run aground on. Ports everywhere at reasonable prices, a week long tour from Copenhagen Denmark to Gothenborg Sweden and back would be a fantastic voyage. With fjords and cuts in north Denmark, there is plenty of places to sail. One could make the trip to Oslo with a few more days, but be careful. Once you get north of Gothenborg Sweden, north Denmark no longer blocks the wind and waves. Waves can get pretty monstrous at that point.
So what are a few things I learned on this trip? Well first an foremost, if you want to rent a boat from anyone, especially a charter company, you have to have a good resume. Having ASA or US Sailing certifications is a great plus, but they also want to see experience. NauticEd has a great app that can track all your sailing and double verify your experience. They also have a certification program that is more of a continuous education. You don't just sail for one week and then you're done. To maintain certifications, you have to demonstrate continued learning and experience. Charters and boat owners appreciate the record.
What a fantastic way to see and experience things most people don't get to do. There were
excursions that took visitors to some of these places, and Ferry's that went to main islands, but you're stuck at the whim of the driver. It is certainly worth being able to change direction to see what others miss. Its also nice not to be rushed to return. Sailing your own vessel is a great way to take your time and move on when you are ready.
All of my sailing was in lakes before I sailed in Scandinavia. I did have some concerns about my first time in the ocean in a boat I was unfamiliar with. Fortunately, being a member of the Lake Belton Yacht Club, I have access to many different boats, and I have learned to figure out different systems. Get to know your boats, but don't be afraid to try something new. I certainly recommend no sailing out of site of land unless you have a good grasp of Nautical Navigation, and Electronic equipment. In the area I sailed, cell phone coverage got weak, but could still use i-boating for direction and water depth.
Finally, sailing far from land is quite a bit different than lake sailing. Life preserves are an absolute must. It is unlikely you will swim 7 miles to shore so you need the flotation. A radio or EPIRB attached to you is also a must. North Sea water is cold, even in summer. You won't have a lot of time before Hypothermia sets in, so a quick rescue is important. I also recommend trailing a 100 foot rope behind the boat if you solo sail like I did. That way you at least have a chance to catch the boat before it gets to far. There were steering aids on-board, but due to the short distances, I decided to manually steer. That way if I did fall off, the boat would naturally turn into the wind and stall. This would also help my recovery. Of course the best thing to do is stay on the boat, and that's just what I did.
I would highly recommend spending a few days, few weeks or even a summer sailing Scandinavian waters. Great history and treading the same waters as the Vikings. The area is beautiful and forgiving for the most part. For now no special licensing is required like in the Mediterranean, and deep waters avoid shallow water problems found in the Caribbean. With all the Fjords and Cuts, one could probably spend a lifetime and never see the same place twice.
"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." - William Shedd
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