Waterspouts

Typing this early Saturday evening, safely tucked up in Cuxhaven. About to shower, shave and hit the old town with Allan.

We left Klintholm Thursday 0930 bashing our way in 20/25 knot WSW winds down the east coast of Mons. Very very lumpy, in fact another rally yacht 'Muritai' who came out three hours later, broke her forestay slamming up and down. Luckily Janine the skipper kept her rig up using all her spare halyards and managed to get back in safely.

We kept close to the shoreline, aiming for smoother seas, and were rewarded with a 1 knot positive current helping us south.

Late afternoon we got around the bottom of Denmark, to shape up to close the German island of Ferhman as night fell. Up until then we lived with the threat of bigger winds as big black clouds slid across the horizon before us, with lots of visible rain. Fortunately it all passed north of us, and we were both stunned to watch two waterspouts forming below the clouds. Good job both were behind us. Winds were backing and veering, but we did all this under sail (reefed main) as the engine would not have carried us through the confused lumpy sea. So lots of tacking back and forth towards Germany until we finally lined up the narrow channel twix Ferhman and the mainland, where the engine was called into use. By then it was pitch black and I recalled coming the other way the 15 metre wide channel had some unlit big buoys, so we dialled the trusty plotter back to maximum size and tried hard to follow the previous track. But with rain now pouring down and winds rising on our nose to top 25 knots going under the bridge - all good adrenalin forming stuff - Allan on the foredeck with a torch trying hard (and not always succeeding) to find those marks. Scary when one slips past 2 metres away! But the channel up to the bridge was only 4 miles long, and it all turned into a magic sail thereafter.

After exiting the bridge we found flat seas close by the mainland shore, a wind that settled around 17 knots from the south, and with our due west course, Jumbuck creamed along. Allan got three hours shut eye before we turned SW and entered the sparkling lit buoys into the Kiel estuary around 0200 and by 0400 we were nosing into Holtenau Marina at the Baltic end of the Kiel Canal. Again, pitch black, no empty spaces, so we gently rafted up alongside another visitor and in 5 minutes, were both fast asleep.

Awoke 0700 to a wet and windy day, but no worries for us as we locked into the canal before 0800, and by 1100 Friday were tied up mid-country in Rendsberg. Bit of shopping, updated weather on internet, then into the small old towns pub for a few cleansing ales and schnitzel with fries. Wondergrub!

A few other rally boats, Jenny B, Jubilare, Alloro arrived that evening, but Saturday early (today) we departed, completing the remaining 40 miles down the canal to exit at Brusbuttle. Poured with rain for 90% of the trip! but felt good to slide back out into the River Elbe and the final 25 miles to Cuxhaven. It went to plan, we picked up the peak of the tide so heading downriver, despite 20 knots on the nose and sometimes 3.5 knots boatspeed through lumpy head seas, we were getting 8/9 knots speed over the ground and crabbed our way into the SVC Marina (5 knots flowing across the entry) to refuel, then grab a berth.

Got the timing right, as the marina was just about full. Despite one stern to berth being marked as reserved, we took it and the harbourmaster was ok. Lots of others arriving later - presumably a collection waiting for the weather to turn - had to raft out.

So that it, so far so good. Current forecast is for strong Wlies to remain tomorrow, but magically turn east early hours Tuesday. So that's the plan. Party here till it swings - then rocket off around the top of Germany then Holland - and turn down channel for home.

On. On.