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.

At 9nm, it was a short but exciting sail across the Store Belt – one of the main commercial shipping routes in Denmark – we were doing 8 knots and needed to cross a procession of large container ships. It was like crossing the M25 on a zimmer frame! Safely on the other side – we could relax, there is much more open water sailing here, as you are not having to watch out for a minefield of rocks lurking beneath the water, like you do in Sweden.

We tied up in the centre of Denmark’s former Capital Nyborg – a beautiful town. No sooner had the last rope been tied off, the bikes were off the boat and we took the bus to Kerteminde. A quick lunch stop , then we cycled to the Viking burial ship at Ladby. I suddenly had a déjà vu feeling of coming here when I was 11 with my parents on a family holiday. I would have loved to ask my mother if I was correct, but that ship has sadly sailed.

Reconstructed Viking House

Original decoration on the longship

On entering the burial mound, the door shut behind you and your eyes slowly grew accustomed to the dimly lit Viking longship – or the imprint of the ship left in the mud, the metal studs remained, and incredibly the original anchor and chain and the bones of 11 horses still are there. The anchor shaped as fisherman’s anchor is today. Quite a memorable experience looking at a ship that was from around 920 AD. As a result of tomb robbers, most of the treasures and the body of the King had disappeared centuries ago, speculation is that he was the first King of Denmark.

Outside on the estuary, lay a reconstructed version of the boat – quite a sophisticated sailing ship. Onshore there were various activities allowing you to channel you inner Viking. Mags has now been converted to the joys of whittling.

Back in Nyborg, we explored the old town on our bikes, not so wise due to the bone shaking cobble stones – next time was by foot. But it was a beautiful town which still had the castle and many ancient 14^th century buildings. After dinner we noticed a British Ensign. It turned out to be Vicky and her husband – we have shared the platform with Vicky on many Baltic days at the CA. They invited us onboard for drinks.

After a couple of days, we moved on and sailed to Lundeborg. Seconds after the boat was attached, the ipad was on  and we were watching the Final. Neither of us watch football – wrong shaped ball, but we were both supporting England. This was a first for Mags – she managed to overcoming years of brainwashing and was actually supporting England! Lundeborg was  a quaint little harbour with lots of craft stalls and a Viking play park – which this time we resisted.

Roz and Tom on Constance and our last early start

After 2 days chilling it was time to leave, we said goodbye to Roz and Tom as from here we would be going our separate ways. Tom had warned us about a current than ran between the 2 islands. So we left with them at 0530 to get it at its strongest, and were surprised to be racing along with 1.9 knot of current. We had also been aware of the harbour of Carra position relative to the fixed staging moved – yes I remember what that is called now – tides….albeit only 30cm – we just hadn’t see tides for 8 years!

The Danish landscape here was low lying, agricultural, very different to the Swedish landscape we had grown accustomed to. We sped under 2 long bridges – one of which warned about lumps of concrete likely to fall on you if you didn’t go through the correct span….. reassuring to see that they were building a new one!

Femo Church

The figures in the trees

Our next port of call was  the tiny (6 sq miles)  island of Femø, with its small harbour which we just managed to find a spot in.

We had  picked it purely on account of it breaking the journey to Omø which had been recommended to us. Only to find when we got there, that  for 8 weeks of every summer, it is the Lesbian capital of Denmark. I guess the clue was in the name. Though the camp had ended 3 days before our arrival and there was little to suggest it had ever been there, so we were still “the only gays in the harbour”

The next day we explored the island on our bikes. Gardens were bursting with fruiting trees of former orchards, there was a beautiful church.  There was a strong sense of community here – a large open shelter with wood working and craft tools,  painted benches  everywhere and  there were 2 roads where strange figures lived in the nooks and crannies of the tree that lined roads. They had a great café, run by an Irish lady, who made great soda bread.

Omo

A cracking sail up to Omø, surprisingly we could sail close to the wind all the way up a narrow channel towards the Island. The sunny weather had managed to hold for more than 2 days – so this really was summer. We got the bikes out and explored the even smaller island – less than 2 sq miles. In the church on Omø there was beautifully tended grave for a British Airman from WW2 – very sad, he was only 19 years old.

With the part on the bow thruster now fixed, all the cat’s cradle of ropes for the storm removed, we were ready to leave, just not in time for a 60nm sail and arrive at a time to ensure a berth in Klintholm. So we decided to leave the next day. At which point Constance turned up and moored next to us.

A day of boat jobs followed, including servicing a jammer which was getting stuck, then Roz invited us to join them for supper – another enjoyable evening. Mags felt her visitors book entry was rather lack lustre, in comparison to Tom’s amazing drawing of Hirta in ours (their previous boat) – I could see her mulling over ideas….

Another 5am stream of boats set off out of the harbour and soon Constance had overtaken us – all of us were motor sailing and she was faster than us. We resigned ourselves to tall end Charlie, and soon we were a couple of miles behind.

Carra – getting closer

and closer

Constance

Gradually the wind filled in, a close reach. All three sails up, Carra picked up her skirts and we were cracking along at 7.5 knots – effortless….ok with a fair bit of tweaking of sails going on. Thanks to the electronic gadgetry that is called AIS (you can see other boats speed and direction) we could see Constance doing 7 knots. Slowly we were gaining on her…. and then the sun came out just as we were overtaking them – so now we  have both video footage and stills with all of Carra’s 3 sails up.

We reciprocated with photos  and video of Constance sailing – she is an elegant yacht with fine lines.

Landfall in Denmark was some spectacular white chalk cliffs. It was quite thought provoking, as I have a picture of my Father sailing past these cliffs, during his National Service in 1956. He too had visited Klintholm, our first Danish harbour. So after 3 years of trying to get to Denmark…the Covid/ dodgy back years – we have finally made it!

Finally, it was getting hot  – and as soon as we were in, our shorts were on and it actually felt like summer. Mags normal activity during sailing is doing her puzzle book – but this had been replaced by testing her poetic skills. Her poem crafted, she went off to complete our entry in their visitors book,  Roz and Tom appreciated her literary skills.

Moments later a boat asked to raft up to us. The skipper on seeing us, wanted to know “were we really just 2 women, there is really no one else on board?”  He didn’t even seem embarrassed about asking the question! I have often wondered how on earth Ellen MacArthur, Isabelle Autissier, Naomi James, Dee Caffari, Sam Davies, Pip O’Hare, Suzie Goodall managed without a man on board – a total mystery….