STORE and LILLE BAELT and ISLE of NEUWERK

Our 2019 trip went differently than planned because we actually intended to head for the Limfjord. However the very Sunday we set off, the westerly wind was beyond force 8 - not inviting conditions to set off for Thyboron overnight. We therefore spontaneously decided to steer from Helgoland to river Eider and get to the Kiel Canal this way. This works particularly well with strong westerly winds. In 2020, at Ascension Day, we were able to sail 95% of the route, which winds its way through the meadows, without engine support. and we had to give support with the diesel only very rarely. In 2019 we then headed for Reersoe in the Store Baelt and then north around Fyn to the Lille Baelt. The highlight there on our way back was our stop at FALSLED KRO, as there was something to celebrate. This estate and restaurant is internationally renowned - and rightly so, everything is first class and completely informal and friendly (you should, however, have a good credit card with you - only something for really important occasions...). And they make a fine gin there  also. On our way back to Kiel we went to a birthday party with friends in Laboe.

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After passing the Kiel Canal on our way home, we chose another unusual destination: Thie Isle of Neuwerk! This is exciting because at low tide Neuwerk falls dry completely and offers only a hard sand instead of a muddy bottom where SNIFIX could sink in with the fixed part of her keel. We had never tried leaning our mighty SNIFIX on a bollard. But it worked great, only the fenders suffered, the ship didn't, SNIFIX incurred just a small scuff mark in the paint. This stay was great experience, and during the low tide we practiced ship belly care: scraping off shells with a wooden spatula. from our kitchen equipment. The deviation of the actual situation from the - certainly up to date - plotter data is also interesting. The mudflats change faster than the programmers can keep up, virtual reality is just virtual and not real.