Mphepete mwa Chifukwa

Although the headline may seem a bit dramatic, it perfectly sums up our day today.

We are in Denmark (Gedser)! But don't ask how we got there. First of all, Benny got stung by a bumblebee while setting sail. Then, contrary to all forecasts, we had no wind, which was quite annoying. We tried various things, including butterfly sailing, but nothing worked properly.

Then suddenly, the worst-case scenario happened: out of nowhere, a severe storm with thunder and lightning rolled in. We could barely take the sails down in time and sailed into the front with 30 knots of wind. It took us great effort to get the sail down, and it ripped in the process. It rained so heavily for a short time that I had so much water in my eyes and ears as if I were diving in a swimming pool. After 20 minutes, the ordeal was over. However, we were left with a huge wave and our attempt to put on dry clothes below deck while the boat was rocking heavily.

After the storm, we had good wind for a while. However, it kept increasing. When we steered towards Gedser, the strong wind pushed us so hard into the harbor that we had no time to orient ourselves or consciously choose a berth. We were pushed alongside the dock and practically stretched across three berths with the wrong side of the boat. Since there are no cleats on the dock in Gedser, I had to hold the entire boat with my body weight on land. Fortunately, helpers from all sides in the harbor came running.

Now we are correctly moored in a berth in the harbor and our only thought is: we are still alive. The chaos on the boat after this trip can be impressively seen in the photos.

To top it all off, our Danish host country flag flew away (and all Danes probably consider us disrespectful now).

I have reached the point where you simply have to laugh about it and not take anything seriously anymore.

In this sense: Welcome to Denmark. Over and out.