Reliving my Youth
Departing Lundeborg, the sea was glassy, not a breath of wind, so no chance of sailing. We ran parallel to the coast, the scenery was all fairly agricultural but as we turned into the sound between the islands, the vista changed, with many grand houses lining the shores – clearly there had been a lot of money in days gone by. The last of the current was with us, as we arrived at Svendborg just after 9am. The combination of narrow channels and wind means that the currents can run at up to 6 knots. Far more than you would expect for a tidal range of just 30cm.
I came to Svendborg with my parents when I was 11 – I suspect my father was reliving his days of sailing here, during his national service. But I first sailed here when I was 17, with the Ocean Youth Club – a trip that certainly expanded my knowledge of rugby songs! We were also entering territory that I had frequented when I was in the Army in the late eighties/ early nighties, when I had managed 5 weeks sailing here. I have many happy memories from that time and I met some lifelong friends through sailing here – the “SOWS”. I had been “asked” by a Colonel, so no wasn’t an option, to take a bunch of Army wives sailing. Initially I thought it would be a chore but it was a real hoot and we carried on sailing for many years. But it was also a period of my life that can be characterised first by internal confusion, which led to keeping myself busy, seizing every opportunity for adventure training possible. Next followed denial, and a some fruitless short relationships with various male Officers, on one occasion being wooed from the shores of Kiel to the slopes of Austria – the chase was fun but landing the catch was less appealing! Followed by deception and having to lead a double life – as I had started going out with Mags and being gay in the Army was a criminal offence, for which I would have lost my job. What angst I could have saved myself, if someone had told me then that I would return here with Mags – my partner for 33 years, in our boat and it was the current plot line in The Archers!
Svendborg has a long Maritime history and the old harbour only allows wooden boats to moor which is where we had moored in the past, with the classic Svendborg view. Our harbour was more functional but the free washing machine made up for the expensive harbour fee and I made good use of it. Despite its Svendborg’s attractive buildings, it felt rather soulless.
You couldn’t say that about our next destination – Ærøskøbing, a frequent port of call when sailing from Kiel. But first we had to play dodgems with ferries that of course we met in a narrow channel and they were taking any prisoners. The 18th Century village is beautifully preserved, narrow cobbled streets, ornate doors and coloured houses. Close by on a sand spit were a series of colourful beach huts. A photographers dream.
The last time I had been here I was doing my skippers assessment in Flamingo, a 57 foot wooden 100sqm yacht, one of the WW2 requisition yachts. I was tasked with sailing off the harbour wall without the engine, which would be a completely different proposition nowadays given how busy the harbour now is.
Mags went off to pay the harbourmaster – who turned out to have been automated – he was a machine.
Carra Tidings 