Well this is a three trips in one blog. From anchor in the lee of Femo, we headed off with a plan to anchor off the island of Falster near a harbour called Stubbenkobing. The weather Grib files had shown us that the wind was likely to be southwest, and so the anchorage would be reasonably protected. We motored as there was no wind, but there was a LOT of hot sun, what a change to crew morale!!We got to where we intended to anchor spent nearly 45 minutes feeling our way into skinny water to drop the hook, got all settled for the night, and checked the navtex weather........... EEEK! F7 from the east at some point the next morning. We were then totally exposed and on a lee shore....... crew conference and up came the anchor and into the harbour we went. Discretion being the better part of valour on this occasion. We got in and took care of the pile business, as we chose a 'box' that favoured our ridiculous prop walk, and on final approach the wind died and we slid in like we knew what we were doing!!

Next morning no wind, then at 11am, suddenly it went from 10knots to 35knots in the space of 5 minutes. Discretion was the correct approach, phew. The forecast was ok for the next day, so it was time to extract ourselves from our mooring..... no easy thing with two people and four ropes, with one person steering (that makes 5...) So we did it slooooooooowly, but without so much as touching a pile! so much so that our neighbours called their crew on deck and one said, that's how you do it, they made it look easy! Ha they didn't see Flensburgh!

Off we went to see Frank (his name was in the harbour guide) the harbour master at Klintholm, on the island of Mon. We looked forward to meeting Frank, and seeing his lovely marina. However, he was a grumpy sod, and the marina was the most expensive to date in Denmark, and you had to pay for a shower on top of that! The new crew motto, beware the harbours with men called Frank in charge!

Next day we were off, Nichola helming us out of a tight spot perfectly and we were off with a force 5/6 on the nose, but that was ok, once we rounded the end of the island we were able to ease the sheets and head for Rodvig, about 20nm away. Emerald took off like a race horse with the wind at about 100deg off the starboard side as we broad reached north. However, across the Fakse Bugt with an Easterly F5 there is quite a fetch, all the way from Sweden, and in parts Finland! nearly 200 miles East. This means that the seas build up and we had a nasty quartering sea, which meant a squirrely corkscrew motion, with the wind occassionally knocked from the sails and then refilled on the crest of the next one with a crrrraaaaack! as the mainsheet tightened once again.

We came a little to starboard, onto a beam reach and the sails stayed full even in the hissing rollers, Emerald a accelerated and away we went. The visibility decreased and we were alone, no land in sight, and Emerald with a bone in her teeth and the sun overhead. I loved it!!!! Nichola had a snooze in the sun, and I trimmed the sails endlessly eeking out another half a knot, and I think Emerald enjoyed stretching her legs as well.

Then all too soon it was time to make for harbour. This meant that we had to turn into weather to get the monster mainsail (as we like to call it) away, then in we went to Rodvig. EEEK!!!! this is a small place, lined up on a set of piles with not much room to play with to make the turn (about 3 ft), and half way in oh drat!!! it has a sign on it saying it is a private berth. We have to get back out. Now we discover just how tight it is! I had about a foot off a pontoon behind with the anchor just clear of the piles in front, now turn the boat through the wind without a bow thruster, don't hit another boat, and start again. Back out of the marina as there was nowhere else to go, having suggested that the two little boats alongside taking up the space of 3 large boats move apart to give us space. Back in again and they still hadn't moved so I think they got a little frightened I'd try and get in anyway, so I turned and tried to get along side one facing the exit, but with prop walk and wind against us it wasn't happening. Therefore it was back out of the marina again, whilst the little boats were scurrying to make room, we decided to head back in and just come alongside facing into the marina.

First time alongside in the gap they'd created (and should have left when they arrived!). Have to say my boat handling is improving exponentially, and in 2000nm of sailing Emerald I've not hit another boat once. I've been hit by other people trying to come alongside us too fast (Yarmouth) or not taking account of the conditions (Darthmouth), or in high winds (Aero~Denmark). The last of these totally excuseable, the other two, just poor boat handling. The reason I mention this is once alongside, I went to 'thank' the two skippers of the little boats for moving and taking our lines, one was gracious and said no problem, there isn't much room to move a boat in this harbour, never mind one the size of Emerald. The other boat skipper chose to tell me off about a boat this size not having a bow thruster......and how that alone was a danger to other boats. I pointed out that I hadn't hit any boats (politely to him), to which he replied but what if there had been more wind you might have. True I might have, I might have also just driven into him for being inconsiderate in taking up 90 ft of harbour wall with a twenty eight foot boat, but i didn't. Instead I smiled politely and thanked him for his kind advice. Mind you he was skipper of yacht registered in a land locked country known more for cuckoo clocks than sailing........
Slainte
skip

PS The Queen of Denmark is due to visit the marina here today!Emerald is flying her large 'in harbour' ensign in tribute. The crew has been shaved (male crew) and washed, clean socks have been issued and all is shipshape onboard.

PPS no sign of the Queen, we think the forecast made her plans change to come by road.

PPPS photos added to the blog and position reporting may be fixed.