May 22nd Thyboron

We left Fur at 1100 hours intending to bypass Thyboron at about 1700 which would have put us into Kristiansand at about 0800 the following morning.  At 1700 we exited to Thyboron channel into the North Sea.  About ten minutes out Channel 16 came on with a security gale warning for Fisher which is the body of water we were traversing.  The broadcast required you switch to channels 1,2,7 or 63 for the full report.  I tried all of them, no broadcast.  It turns out US VHF radios have different secondary frequencies so our radio has channel 63 A but not 63.  Anyway we returned to Thyboron and tied up at the Marina wall and got the long rnge forecast from the internet (we were working on a two day old forecast because internet had been unavailable in either Aalborg or Fur.  The gale forecast was really for 36 hours into the future and mainly concentrated West of our intended track.  So rather than be trapped in Thyboron (a most unattractive, dirty and smelly place) for at least another four days we decided to proceed.  Although the wind stayed consistently out of the NNE (the direction we were going) it never exceeded 15 knots and we had an uneventful passage arriving kristiansand at 1000 hours on Monday the 23^rd.

From this quick dock tie up we got internet to confirm the "gale" was not near to us so we carried on.

May 21st Fur- on the hook- part of the Limfjorden

From Aalborg we motored to Fur, about 8 hours away. Fur is a small island with some very interesting geologic features; there are many fossils in the rock although we did not have an opportunity to investigate them. 

By the time we arrived it was blowing quiet hard (gusting to 25 knots) so we decided not to repeat the Aalborg performance and instead anchored in the bay next to the harbor. The next morning Charles took the dinghy in to find a post box for Sue’s mail. Because it was Sunday everything was closed.   Before we left Fur the dinghy was put on the foredeck for our passage to Norway.   

May 20th Aalborg

The Limfjord is entered at Hals, a day sail north of Grenaa.  We intended to spend the night in Hals, it is an interesting small town with a mediaeval castle, but the wind had really picked up and the harbor is tiny with very little space to maneuver.  It was also full of local boats. 

We elected to press on to Aalborg about five hours from the Skagerrak.  There are three marinas In Aalborg and we chose the largest because it looked the friendliest to visiting yachts.  When we entered there was a strong cross wind and in the process of coming between the poles I managed to get crossways in the slip; I had chosen a slip with empty slips on either side so there were no boats alongside to help us into the slip.  We managed to pull the bow around with a long line from the dock, an exhausting process that took about half an hour.  Obviously a bow thruster would have helped if we had one.

Aalborg is an industrial city and the marina is a long way from anywhere. Charles did find a bakery early in the morning closed of course. A very nice local sailor in a car drove them both to a bakery that was open and we had a delicious breakfast and replenished bread supplies.

Sailing to Aalborg we could see the AIS for four ships with the name WIND - going to tend the wind mills. It was not uncommon to see a group of 18 wind mills together in this area.

Industrial Aalborg, heavy large boat traffic. the other end of the Limford is not as deep or industrial.

power plants.

When we passed an opening bridge he came through first.  Awesome site.

Grenaa sites

This is the marina' bathrooms. BAD = bath, shower.

Cute seaside houses

Their yacht club, not occupied yet, the season has not started yet.

Your choice of restaurants in this quaint village.

Nearby shopping mall with an interesting granite ball floating on water.

Allowances are made for bicycles everywhere. They  have their own lane in the city. This bridge shares biking with walkers and a distinct curb to keep motorists away.

The  best fish dinner in some time. fast service plenty of good food.

May 19th Grenaa

From  Helsingor we sailed north and west around the top of Sealand (The island that includes Copenhagen) and across to Grenaa a good marina on  the Jutland east coast.

Grenaa is really a cruisers holiday town.  There are dozens of tiny houses with an upstairs bedroom and downstairs living quarters, parking space, tiny deck overlooking the harbor, and couples seating by the front door to pass the time. A larger bath house / toilet/  building, and laundry facilities for docked boats ( all closed for our visit), more than 200 slips for transients, a cute little restaurant complex and a short trip over a bridge to town for groceries and more shops to complete the scenario. A large area for dry docking boats and a children's playground are within site of the docks.

When we entered the harbor there was a dredging operation at the entrance, Depths went from 7 to 11 feet depending on the spot you hit entering the entrance jetties.

I should say something about Danish marinas - they are a challenge. The most prevalent arrangement is a face dock, floating or fixed with a row of either fixed poles or floating spar buoys about 45 feet from the face dock. The procedure is to come between a pair of poles or buoys, stop to attach stern lines and then proceed to the face dock and attach two bow lines.  After everything is adjusted properly the boat remains in one place with the bow a couple of feet from the face dock; there are no finger piers. It sounds easy but in a cross wind and with only two people it can be quiet hard particularly as most of the poles are closer together than Ariel’s beam and it is hard to tell if there is enough room before you discover there is not . The dock master is only around for a half hour in the morning to collect fees and does not give information about depths or slip numbers or widths between pilings, nobody to catch your lines or assist in any way. 

 When we arrived at Grenaa it was calm so we had the opportunity to try our hand at docking with two stern poles and a floating face dock with rings to put your bow lines through. We were ok on depth but the first two tries showed us that the beam was never going to fit here.  We went over to another dock where we saw a beamy motor boat so we fit fine there. Denmark uses a system of cards in a space. If the slip is empty but the card attached to the dock at the head of the slip is RED it indicates the slip holder will be back. If there is a green square then you can go ahead and use that slip.  

Signs say that if you don't pay within an hour of arrival you can face stiff additional fines for not paying your dock fees. The harbor masters office has an automated machine that takes your credit card and produces a long sticker you put on your life lines or bow closest to the dock to prove that you paid your fees. It has the date you have paid to and their own color code / symbols.  Sometimes maps are on posted under glass to show you around.

Charles got us reservations at the seafood restaurant dockside.   They were full when we arrived for our 6:30 seating. Only two servers for the whole restaurant but it was run very efficiently.  A salad bar and quick delivery of great food made it memorable.

We had decided before we left Copenhagen to go to Norway but not make the detour to the Shetland islands. Norway is not part of the EU so by stopping there we restart the VAT clock at our first European stop after Norway which will be Scotland.  Kristiansand is a major port and an easy overnight sail from Denmark.

From Grenaa we had two choices: go to Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland and from there to Kristiansand, or through the Limfjord which cuts through the northern end of Jutland to the north sea coast at Thyboron. The distance from Skagen to Kristiannsand is essentially the same as the distance from THyrboron to Kristiannsand.  Kristiannsand is due north of Thyboron and due west of Skagan. Because the prevailing winds are west we elected to leave from Thryboron which meant a trip through the Limfjord.

May 17th Helsingor

 Helsingor is the site of Kronborg Castle, which is Shakespeare’s location for Hamlet. The yacht marina north of the castle is very crowded, poorly arranged and almost full of local boats; finding a slip in a strong wind would be a challenge.  Because we had visited the town by car a couple of days before we had found a separate basin outside the Maritime Museum that had very nice floating docks that were empty except for two apparently derelict and abandoned sail boats.  No information anywhere as to the status of these docks or their availability.  Anyway we decided this was a much better location then the marina.  On arrival at the basin entrance we found a huge sign painted on the dock wall (not visible from the land) saying for boats 50 feet and above only all other boats to go to the marina 1,000 m to the north.  Ariel magically grew 9 feet and we went in and tied up.   It is quite early in the season and the harbor office was actually OK with our being there and came around the next morning to collect their fee.  We spent two days in Helsingor, toured the castle and the Maritme Museum which is housed in the dry dock of the now defunct ship yard.

Ariel on a floating dock  in Helsingor with the Kronborg Castle behind 

King Frederick rebuilt the castle . Shakespeare based Hamlet in Kronborg castle.  There are yearly celebrations here.

Queen Sophia- many gowns were on display, with a grand ball room for entertaining.

The castle's indoor privy.

The privy contents go somewhere deep undergound.

The castle is decorated in numerous gorgeous ornately carved wooden chests.

Charles Salmon lunch- typical in Denmark

Sue's burger. it was served with brown gravy, toasted onions and chips

Signs for no parking

Outdoor art is abundant in Denmark

A fountain at a corner.

The Catholic Church in Helsingor

The vessel tied to a nearby dock. The occupants were getting ready for a festival that weekend, Jugglers, artist, party goers.  

Gorgeous bow sprit.

Their special project 

part two

The is the Furuno showing cardinal marks.

Copenhagen road trip

Sue has already published lots of pictures of Skodshoved Havn.  I should explain that this is the Marina where Ariel spent the winter in the care of Norbjaerg’s Boat Yard.  Lars and his wife are a delightful couple pictured here outside their marine store.   I arrived Copenhagen on April 24^th to put Ariel back in the water and get her ready for the summer, there was plenty to do.  The first two weeks were bitterly cold and windy and one day it snowed.  But before Sue arrived on May 9^th she was back in the water with the newly washed sails on, the head fixed and the bimini frame repainted plus a host of smaller items.  The weather changed overnight to brilliant sunshine and 70 degrees and then back again to wind, rain and 40 degrees.   We stayed in the marina and did last minute shopping at the grocery store and IKEA while we still had the rental car but the ocean called and we cast our lines off on May 18^th and headed North.

The Norbjaerg’s Lars and his wife

You can see lower green mark where Skovshoved Harbor is , straight above is Helsingor, and the other green mark is Gillelje Harbor.  We drove there by car to look at both harbors before going out by  boat. Gillelje was great for buying fish but too crowded for Ariel 

Gilleje Harbor bike shop

The crowded harbor

Many restaurants, tourist shops, bakeries, ice cream, and a great fish store.

The harbor- Skodshoved Havn

Halibut in a white fish sauce from the nearby yacht club restaurant.

Thursday night after dinner a rousing game of water polo in the harbor. They have various classes for the kids on opti's and adults learning to sail on larger boats. Lots going on.Wed night races.

Their coast guard vessel

This marina is under construction. The new "light houses" indicate the entrance. GREEN right return is the Danish way.

Notice in the distance wind generators.

Heavy equipment at work all hours. Cement dust, gravel, Some day it will all be done and gorgeous.

Drilling in brick pavers to complete utility work

Nordbjaerge's Yacht Yard, etc.

Stainless steel durade covers needed in warmer climates so durades can let fresh air in the cabin.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Sue used her old main sail material and sewing machine to make a new suit case- free transport by air!

Nordbjaergs Travel lift.  Wonderful people.  Lar's wife re- made our Bimini /dodger "glass" for the surround, which was cracked and badly damaged from use in the cold trip.  

Ariel with her passarel entrance. Most Danish boats have a cut through the bow so you just walk on and off. We climb over the bow to do the same. Tricky with groceries.

Typical Danish boat with split bow to walk through

Newly installed picture of the grandchildren on Nav station.

Charles drilling nav pod to install mouse add on. He's so handy!

One of four Royal palaces together in Denmark square. The prince was probably in residence.

Lunch at the maritime museum. Elder flower juice drink , and a new brew to try.

The stern of my favorite boat at the museum. Hand carving everywhere. Great workmanship.

another museum boat.

They make their own rope as it was done years ago with the inner bark from certain trees. Carefully twisted together.

The museum is to the right of Copenhagen indicated by the triangle and red circle. We needed to drive northward then across and down, GPS driven.

Way back home we saw a McD's with a spiral staircase.