A toe in the North Sea

The weather forecast predicted fair winds for us to cross the North Sea to Harwich today but as is often the case the reality was very different
We made the decision in the lock at Ijmuiden to come to Scheveningen instead


This is a fishing town with a huge Marina and a name that is impossible to pronounce unless you are Dutch.
It is on the fringes of The Hague


It may well be that we will continue to go down the Dutch coast until we find favourable winds to get home
Let's see what tomorrow brings!!


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Back in Amsterdam

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New crew

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So here we are again........

......In Amsterdam !!!
This is the last leg of our voyage and we are tied up in the same spot as we were 2 months ago.
We had an uneventful sail today in light winds and were pleased to meet Lucy and Will in the marina after their cultural day in Amsterdam


Elen left on the party bus back to London and Megan is leaving tomorrow after an action packed fortnight. They will both need a holiday to recover
Tomorrow we hope to head home if the weather is kind


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At last we're through the canals and in the Ijslemeer

I am sure canal holidays have their attractions but in a yacht which is difficult to steer they are not to be recommended


Yesterday we motored for about 12 hours passing through some beautiful countryside but also having to negotiate numerous bridges and locks with their inherent challenges


At dusk we tied up on a small island which would have been idyllic if it had not been for the fact that the mooring was very shallow so we ran aground,thankfully within jumping distance from Bonita
After being easily towed off by Bonita this morning we came into the Ijslemeer and had a brisk sail to Enkhuizen.
This is a lovely town with beautifully preserved 17th century houses and a church with tinkly bells that chime loudly every 30 minutes





Tomorrow we hope to be in Amsterdam



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More canals

Today we spent the morning going through Gronigen. This took ages as there are a lot of bridges that have to be lifted
After that we motored through the Dutch countryside until we reached Dokkum which is a lovely little town. We spent the night in the middle of the town and were the first boats to go through the bridge when it opened at 9 o'clock


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More canals

Today we spent the morning going through Gronigen. This took ages as there are a lot of bridges that have to be lifted


After that we motored through the Dutch countryside until we reached Dokkum which is a lovely little town


The crew have been busy photographing various scenes and playing Scrabble
Tomorrow we will mostly be doing the same


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Not Jom but Jim!!!!

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Rosie and Jom on the Dutch Canals

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Old salts

This is a picture which demonstrates how Mike and I are looking after 8 weeks on this trip


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It's Tuesday so it must be Jolland

We awoke to the forecast of strong headwinds and set off from Nordernay with some trepidation to try and teach Borkum, the most Westerly of the German Frisian Islands
With a helpful tide we were pleased to reach there by lunchtime so decided to press on.
We entered the Dutch canals at Delfzijl and have eventually tied up against the canal bank ready to move on first thing on Wednesday.
We travelled more than 70 miles so no wonder the crew are tired.......but not complaining!! They are all getting better at scrabble now.
No photos today




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A day in Nordernay

After Deidre's departure from Bonita yesterday we are now awaiting Dave's return.
This has given an opportunity for some well earned rest and recuperation
Yesterday we hired bikes and went for a swim in the North Sea.


Today the crew went for a morning at the spa and this afternoon we went to visit the fishermans museum
Tomorrow we will try and get to Borkum.....another step towards home
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North Sea weather

Getting into Cuxhaven was exciting after motoring really fast from the Kiel Canal
We arrived late and got up at 5 next morning to catch the tide to get to Nordenay in one hit.....60 miles


All went well for the first hour then thick fog descended and lasted all day


Thanks to my vigilant crew we arrived at Nordenay without trauma at about 9 in the evening. A long sail but worth the effort especially as we can now have a couple of days rest awaiting new crew for Bonita
We were even able to help a German boat with a conked engine...I know how the skipper felt.... !! We towed him into harbour where he was able to fix things overnight
Today has been a washing shopping and tidying day with a bike ride this afternoon

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Kiel Canal to Cuxhaven

Sunbathing one minute then this!!



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Kiel Canal

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Back in the Briney

Today we have mostly been doing motoring. Indeed we have motored all the way down the Kiel Canal from Rendsburg to the end and then down the Elbe to Cuxhaven
The trip down the canal was slow but relaxing and undertaken in blazing sunshine such that we had to rig up a parasol to stave off sunstroke
When we left the canal we benefitted from the tide and found ourselves doing more than 7 and frequently 8 knots ( which is fast!)
The entry into Cuxhaven was exciting and we enjoyed 'sausage a la surprise' to celebrate what has been a long but very successful day heading West
No wifi so photos tomorrow from Nordeney



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Bye Bye Baltic

So.....that's it!! We have now left the Baltic and are heading West down the Kiel Canal



We experienced wind, thunder, lighting,calm, blistering sunshine and searing heat yesterday on our 60 mile trip. We also had to wait for 2 hours to get into the lock in Kiel which was frustrating but as Elen said, the experience of being in a huge lock with massive ships was well worth it


We motored for hours to get to Rensburg which we visited in the way East. It is a pretty place just off the canal and tonight we hope to leave the canal and to reach Cuxhaven
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Chilled

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All happening at HEiligenhafen

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Hi from Heilgenhafen

Yes we are back in Germany!!
Only 25 miles from Kiel we have come to a huge Marina where it was very difficult for us to find a suitable berth but we are now all happily settled after a fish and chip supper on the harbour.
There is a big festival taking place here all week with live bands and lots of interesting boats in the harbour
We had a great sail today. Elen went on Bonita and enjoyed herself on a 'proper' boat whilst Megan and Martha read and chilled all day
Tomorrow we hope to get into the Kiel Canal.......all being well!
No wifi so no photos today I


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Glad to be in Gedser

Gedser is at the most southerly point of Denmark and so we were pleased to have a quick 30 mile sail from Klintholm in sunshine for most of the time





This is a pleasant small harbour and the crew excelled themselves in tying up to a box berth without any loss of paint or frayed tempers


Tonight we are eating aboard thanks to the culinary creativity of Julie, a member of Bonita's crew


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Clubbing in Klintholm

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Cliffs at Klintholm

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New crew

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New crew New Country

After saying a sad farewell to Jane we were delighted to welcome Elen and Megan to the crew of Calismarde
Not only that.....we were also able to sail to Denmark
With a slight change in wind direction we have sailed back to Klintholm on Mon. This is the site of huge challenge cliffs which we could see from 20 miles away
Tonight we enjoyed a typical Danish Italian meal accompanied by singing by a British friend of the owner
All in all ....a good day was had by all!
Sadly though the photos won't upload so will try again tomorrow


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The long road back from the pizzeria

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Photos

This is Trelleborg in the rain


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A bit further West

Today we bumped and bashed the waves in order to reach Goslovs Lage which is a small Marina near Trellesborg
This is a convenient crew changing venue which is well served by trains to Malmo
A trip into town was largely uninspiring, the town has all the hallmarks of an industrial town and ferry port. We were able however to book Janes train ticket back to Stockholm airport tomorrow
After an enjoyable evening in the local pizzeria we reflected on Janes fortnight aboard and anticipate the happy prospect of three daughters as crew for the next few weeks
As I write this it is blowing a South westerly gale, so no prospect of a sail tomorrow even if we had planned one
No wifi again so no photos today

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An afternoon in Abbekas

With full intention of having a long sail to Denmark today, we left Kaseberga bright and early in blazing sunshine.
Sadly this was not to be..... Strong South Westerly winds prevailed and after an hour or two bashing into the wind and getting nowhere slowly, we decided to cut our losses and head to Abbekas.
This is a lovely holiday village with a tiny harbour and so after doing chores, having a good walk and eating some chilli con carne the crew are ready for a good night's sleep in preparation for another day on the high seas tomorrow.
There is poor internet today so I will post photos tomorrow. Instead, here is a picture of Queenborough on the Swale sent in by my friend and former crew mate, Laurence.
He wins today's Calismarde photo award





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Two tiny harbours

Yesterday, with some trepidation we set off from Karlskrona through several small islands and a bridge.


I am pleased to say that both the crew and the engine worked well and we arrived safely in Hano, a place where we visited on the outward journey.


The crew had an enjoyable swim and a tasty meal....curried hotdog biryani with egg....


An early start this morning enabled us to make the most of a fair wind which unfortunately went foul by early afternoon
Instead of returning to Ystad we are now in a more Wallender like venue....Kaseberga which has a Viking stone boat shaped sacrifice venue along with several fish restaurants.


Both crews enjoyed a hearty fish and chip supper
Hoping for a fair wind to take us to Denmark tomorrow
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Positive vibes in Karlskrona is

An early start saw me sitting outside the marine engineer's workshop at 7 am as the fish were being offloaded from trawlers by men in yellow oilskins. I half expected Wallender to enhance this classic Swedish scene.
In fact things became more cheery as the mechanic agreed to look at the engine this lunchtime!....having previously said he couldn't come before next week.
After some prodding, poking and repressurising the engine came to life and seems to be a bit better....only time will tell.
The crews had a jolly time on the island of Aspo... (Not Asbo.) and went for a bike ride, drank coffee, swam and visited a museum of warfare which was the highlight for some


Here is a picture of a man showing the crew what a radio looks like and how to use it


- Tonight we had another jolly meal of Swedish meatballs and listened to some music


Tomorrow, hopefully we set sail again

Frustration in Karlskrona

The last couple of days have been very frustrating.
An intermittent problem with the engine has now become significant such that the engine conked out as we were leaving Kalskrona yesterday.
The valiant crew managed the situation with fortitude and brought the boat safely ashore in order for us to try and get it all sorted by a marine engineer .





Thanks to a great deal of help from Bonita's skipper and the understanding and pragmatism of his crew, Dave and Julie, we have made some progress towards resolving the problem. A


As it happens we would probably not have sailed today as it is quite windy
The crews enjoyed a trip to the beach and we finished the day off with a hearty meal on Calismarde


Let's hope tomorrow brings better news


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Plan one thing and do something else

Having got up early with good intentions to sail the 70 miles to Shimrasham in northerly breeze, we set off in bright sunshine.
Sadly the northerly wind never arrived and instead we were presented with strong south westerly winds ..... just what we didn't want


So seeking for further amusement we headed for Karlskrona and had a restful afternoon and pleasant meal
When we visited here a couple of weeks ago the town was taken over by street traders selling tat.
Today we could appreciate why it is designated a World Heritage Site


Hopefully tomorrow the winds will be more favourable, but my crew and I have our doubts



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Kristianopol

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A Happy Evening in Kristianopol


Swedes having fun