Baltic Sea 2020 Part 2

Cruise report 2020

Baltic Sea and more.

Part Two: From Kiel-Möltenort to Lübeck-Travemünde.

The first leg is done: we are at the Baltic Sea, more precisely: in the Kiel Firth. It's Sunday, we have wonderful summer weather, the sun is shining, a gentle breeze is blowing, hundreds, if not thousands, of sailors are frolicking in the firth. Wherever you look, white sails, a wonderful sight. We enjoy it from the jetty of the marina. The little Marex is cheekily moored in a box that is far too big among the big sailing yachts. (There was no other space available, and the harbor master gave his OK). We are only staying one night, tomorrow we will head out to the Baltic Sea. Our next destination: Heiligenhafen. To get there, we have to cross the Hohwachter Bay, and there is something to consider: This is where the German Navy has marked its shooting areas. So, anyone who wants to go through there must observe the shooting times, which are announced in the news for sailors. The corresponding warning messages can be listened to on the radio. Or they have to take a detour around the exclusion zones in a wide arc. Shooting is usually done from Mondays to Fridays, on weekends only in exceptional cases. Tomorrow is Monday, but we are lucky, there are no shooting exercises scheduled for the whole week. The Bundeswehr is probably on vacation - or on a Corona break? In any case, we can set a direct course across the bay and don't need to listen to the radio.

Monday, June 22nd. We set off at 8:00 a.m., initially with grey cloudy skies, but during the journey more and more blue gaps appear and eventually the sun completely takes over. We pass by the Laboe U-boat Memorial, briefly remember the many thousands of sailors who lost their lives in this senseless war. Our father was also supposed to be trained as a U-boat crew member towards the end of the war. Thank God it never came to that. - We shake off the gloomy thoughts, round the coastline at a safe distance, past Wendtorf and - yes - Californien! and set course for Heiligenhafen. The wind is blowing - favorable for us, as it is coming from behind - from W to WNW with a strength of 3 to 4. The corresponding waves of 0.5 to 1 m are easily mastered by the Marex, but steering requires a lot of attention again. There is a sailor ahead of us who is visibly struggling to keep the sails in the correct butterfly position with the following wind (that's what it's called, I believe, when the main and foresails are set crosswise, one to port and the other to starboard). He (the sailor) is not always successful, often the sails are flapping around. We overtake him modestly, without triumphant gestures. ;-) Gradually, the wind increases a bit more, but that doesn't bother us. Soon, the Fehmarn Sound Bridge comes into view. However, we turn south before that, pass the approach buoy Heiligenhafen North at 1:00 p.m., round the Graswarder nature reserve, and shortly afterwards moor in the marina.

Tuesday, June 23. Day in the harbor. I rent a bicycle and explore the area. First stop: Graswarder! I leave the bike there and stroll along the beach, to the end, as far as pedestrians are allowed. Because there is a fence: No Entry. Nature reserve. The observation tower is also closed, probably because of Corona. A little bit of looking around, cooling off the bare feet in the Baltic Sea water, strolling along the water's edge - just like on Juist. However, you can't compare the beach here to Juist, that would be unfair. Juist simply has the most beautiful beach in the world. And the tired splashing here on the beach is also nothing compared to the surf on Juist. Well, whoever likes it, likes it. In any case, there is enough going on here. Heiligenhafen has become a huge tourist center. I notice this in the afternoon when I cycle around the large inland lake. A lot has been built and a lot has been invested in infrastructure - quite remarkable in some cases. - All in all, an interesting and impressive day, but also exhausting, so I am happy to be back on my Miss Marple in the late afternoon and can let the day end comfortably.

Wednesday, June 24th. Heiligenhafen - Großenbrode. Refueled with 100 liters of diesel at the boat filling station in the morning. Has to be done once in a while. Although the Volvo Penta is quite economical in consumption for its 100 HP - with economical driving, of course. Departure at 11:00 a.m. Sunny, light winds, very warm. Just under an hour later, I have already passed the Fehmarn Sound Bridge. There is moderate traffic, mostly sailors, but almost all of them are motoring. The wind is light and variable, sometimes it dies completely. Almost mirror-smooth sea. Ideal for motorboat drivers! Our destination is not the (old) ferry port of Großenbrode, although there is also a marina there, but further south "around the corner" in the large bay, the "Marina Großenbrode". We round the mole that protects the bay from east winds and moor at the jetty at 2:00 p.m., which the attentive harbor master has already assigned to us upon entry. In the afternoon, I take a first walk along the beach of the bay. There are no tourist facilities here, and the actual town is too far away for a walk. But there is a lot of nature here and hardly anyone around. - In the evening, a shower is due again. Shower tokens are only available from the harbor master in person. I invest one euro and think, one should be enough. Then, a surprise while showering: The token is inserted, from then on the time counts, only three minutes. Hmm, that'll be tight. Quickly under the shower, but it is still ice cold. It takes at least a minute until the warm water comes. Now it gets hectic: First wash your hair, which is quick for me, rinse out shampoo, then soap up the body with shower gel, damn it, the shower gel falls down first, artist's bad luck! To make a long story short, I'm just soaping up, and the three minutes are up, and no more water comes. Not even cold water! (as is the case in other marinas). There I stand looking quite stupid, as I don't have another shower token. There is also no one around who could lend me one. So, I walk out of the shower completely naked, into the washroom, luckily no one there, and go to the sink. Thank God, at least the water is running there, albeit only cold. That was quite a splash, rinsing off the soap from the body without a washcloth. Well, that's what can happen when you want to save. - The next day will be an involuntary rest day in the harbor. There is a strong northeast wind forecasted with a strength of 5, increasing to 6. That would be too uncomfortable, so we prefer to stay in the harbor.

Friday, June 26th. Uneventful journey to Travemünde. The weather has settled down, the wind has eased, blowing only lightly with a strength of 2-3 from the east. But after passing the Großenbrode mole, we immediately encounter waves up to 1 m high. The waves come diagonally from behind and put Miss Marple in a gentle rolling motion. Not unpleasant. We pass the Schwarzer Grund buoy and set a direct course for Travemünde. The famous high-rise building comes into view from a great distance: a great landmark for navigation. After about five hours of sailing, we moor in the Priwall marina. A lot has happened here since last year. The construction sites around the harbor are largely finished, everything looks chic and modern, albeit somewhat sterile, not everyone's taste. - Actually, the boat-savvy daughter was supposed to join us here and sail a bit on the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. The job! Maybe later.