Carra Tidings

One big success of this cruise this year  is that Mags is now wired for sound! When mooring, she takes her hearing aids out, which means I have no chance of being heard and I usually have to repeat everything at least 3 times but even so what she hears and what I have said are not usually the same, resulting in elevated stress levels when parking Carra. But we now have headsets and can talk to each other and Mags can actually hear what I say. A transformation – tranquillity has been restored. May be we should use them at home!

We had a cracking sail across to  Als an island off Denmark’s mainland Jutland – and managed to sail most of the way. We knew it would rain in the afternoon ,which it duly  did, but that it would be sunny after, so we managed to dry the sails. This is critical at the end of the season, as we can’t put the sails away wet. The next spot, was a rather peaceful anchorage close by our marina, it had a bit of a narrow entrance, it concentrates the mind when you can see a seagull standing on land feet away from you,  sandy spits replacing the rocks of Sweden. Next morning, we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning but a very heavy dew. As a result, we had to sail up and down the fjord a few times to make sure the sails were dry, before taking them down. We felt pleased that we were finally, after a 3 year delay, tied up in Augustenborg, and the car was in the right place – which didn’t seem possible in May.

A busy week followed removing sails, servicing the engine, mast coming off, mending various leaks, and she is now safely tucked up in the shed and it was all powered by the discovery of a rather nice local bakery – the Danish pastries are remarkable good in Denmark!

We did have a day off and headed off to the west coast of Denmark to the windy sandy island of Rømø. Most churches in Scandinavia have a votive ship that hangs from the ceiling, due to the importance of the sea in the Nordics. Rømø church, as well as being beautiful, had a fleet of votive ships. Facing the North sea  was the vast sandy beach which was strewn  bizarrely with cars, and the skies filled with kites and kite surfers. The next day was the start of the Danish Kite festival. Kites, appeared to have transformed since when I last owned one I still traumatised by the fact it was left in the car when my parents sold the mini traveller when I was about 4. They now come in any shape, aerodynamics not apparently being a requirement: giant whales, Snoopy, pigs, crabs. On the return had we had a van – it would have been filled with furniture from a fabulous Danish furniture shop we saw in Tønder, the birth place of one of Denmark’s most famous furniture makers Hans Wegner.

Carra was ready for the winter, she was with her friend Constance who we had cruised with for much of our trip. A final meal out with friends, new and old and we headed off back to the UK.