Carra Tidings

Ven

We finally cast off our lines from Copenhagen, passing the harbour that I had first sailed to, at the age 17 with the Ocean Youth Club. Leaving the harbour past some key sights: the magnificent opera house with the Royal Palace opposite, the Little Mermaid – an unusually solitary figure given the tourists were still in bed.  We had to wait briefly to leave the harbour, as a massive cruise ship was docking. As we settled into our passage, Mags thankfully pointed out that we were heading back to Malmo and completely in the wrong direction… a bit embarrassing! A quick course correction and a 14nm passage to the island of Ven, motoring all the way due to a lack of wind, only the ever-present cargo ships keeping us on our toes. Ven was Swedish – so a quick change of courtesy flag was needed. Our initial place in the harbour was just by the entrance. But it was clear the swell caused by the cargo ships passing the island, would make it bouncy and unpleasant. When a boat left from a prime spot, we were quick to move, worth redoing the lines for a bit of piece of quiet. We went for a walk round a little bit of the island – but when the sky turned an ominous dark grey, our planned walk was abandoned and our pace quickened. Just arriving before the heavens opened.

Next was the port of Råå on the Swedish mainland. The harbour is built round a river, and if you are lucky you can stay in a permanent berth holders box mooring, if it is free. We were lucky, one was free and better still it was beautifully sheltered, from the expected windy weather overnight.. Råå was a much-needed admin stop, the laundry was free and a 20 min cycle through a lovely nature park to replace our Swedish gas bottle. We managed to leave the Pele sailing clothes shop financially unscathed….. it was not the sale time and no one in the right sense, would buy the clothes at full price.

Castle is top right!

Our next destination was home of Hamlet’s castle –Helsingør, all of 6 miles away – another taxing trip! Though the castle which normally dominates the landscape, could hardly be seen through gloom, it was very dreek, as the Scots would say. The 2 knots of current flowing pass the entrance, made for an interesting entry. All that training entering Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, paying off. We arrived and I wanted to moor facing the expected windy weather, which mean parking

Helsingsør Castle

 in reverse, always interesting in a boat that really doesn’t like going backwards in a straight line. We got her in and sprung her in against the cross wind (a boating technique that looks impressive if you have never seen it before). The next door boat watched our manoeuvre, and congratulated us on it….. then added the killer line…. “Are you alone?” “yes” we said, “what, there is no one else on board with you?” The fact he was sailing single handed himself, on the same sized boat as us, made it worse. He didn’t see an issue with a single man managing but surprised that 2 women could.….. so, no the Pride flag didn’t make a blind bit of difference!

Since Malmo, we have been hopping backwards and forwards across Oresund (the sound – made famous from the Nordic Noir The Bridge). Back in Denmark it was a whole day before I realised, we were still flying the Swedish courtesy flag …opps … a big insult.

Alas poor Yorick …

We walked around the outside of the Hamlet’s Castle. Mags has the ability to remember endless Hamlet quotes, which in fairness to her, she patiently let me video them. The old buildings of the city, were ornate as might be expected of a former Royal City, and we followed a self-guided walking tour, which also paid homage to it’s ship building past, with street murals and the old dry dock converted into a maritime museum. It had a cool indoor street food market in an old shipyard warehouse – which served every type of cuisine and sofa and tables to lounge around…. We treated ourselves to Fish and Chips.