It's 16th May, 19 days into our trip. We are on the smallish island of Mon in Klintholm marina on the South West corner of the main Island Sjælland (Zealand) some 45 miles south of Copenhagen. The weather has been mostly windy and cool since leaving Keil but blue skies and no sign of rain since Cuxhaven. One thing that has impressed us has been the friendliness of the people we have met both in boats and locally. They have been helpful, informative and rather embarrassingly speak excellent English when we haven't much of a clue about the Danish language.

We left Kiel on May 8th and sailed (yes actually sailed!) the 32 nautical miles to Marstal on the small Island of Ærø. A tricky narrow channel into the harbour and when we arrived there were very few boats and lots of space but all box moorings. Due to wind on the nose which was taking the bow away (with no bow thruster) and no boats or ropes either side of us we had a bit of a nightmare. However, with help from another boat crew on the pontoon we finally managed to tie up. If the wind is blowing down the berth it is far better to have the wind at the stern so you have more control of the boat (note to self). Marstal is pleasant enough Lovely evening but next morning looking into the cockpit the boat was completely covered with mosquitos/gnats which were swarming everywhere. Fortunately it turned out that they weren't blood suckers, or at perhaps they had a dislike of British blood! With the use of a hose and brush we managed to clear most of them only for them to return overnight.

We happily moved on the following day to the highly recommended Ærøskøbing around the north of the island. Theoretically it is about 5 miles but due to the very shallow waters the deeper water route was more like 12 miles winding round tiny islands. After a tricky bit of pilotage via various marked channels we arrived and found a good alongside berth with all facilities. Most marinas have been around £26 per night and include electricity, hot showers etc. We went off to explore the town which is quite amazing, cobbled streets lined with beautifully preserved brightly coloured houses with very ornate doors, many dating back to the seventeen hundreds. Many buildings have total preservation orders and the town as a whole's subject to a conservation plan.

Sunday was laundry day using the machines in the marina. I was designated washer and trotted off with bags of washing. An hour later I still hadn't got them working so I called in the expert. Lorette came over and couldn't work it out either until she suggested trying to turn on the taps of the washbasin in the room. No water issued from the tap, the water to the building was turned off and there was no-one around to fix it - a Sunday afternoon wasted. Unlike British marinas which are manned all the time, the Netherlands and the Baltic marinas are often municipal and only manned early in the morning and late afternoon (clearly not on Sundays). Payment is via a machine which issues a label to put on the boat. Hence the cost is kept to a reasonable level, unlike the corporate marinas in the UK where you often find 2-3 or more full time people manning the office. That, and investor payouts is why we have extortionate marina costs in the UK (off soapbox). The water was promptly fixed the following day and the washes successfully completed.

That evening we treated ourselves to a meal out at Bang's Mad & Vin Bar (we were as bemused as you probably are at the name). Anyway the service was great and the food was delicious. In Denmark we are more prudent than normal with the amount of wine we drink in restaurants as the price is very high. Sweden will be even more of a shock.

Due to the windy weather and outlook we decided to make up some distance towards Copenhagen where we will meet Hollie and George on 22nd May. So we headed off on a lengthy day sail to the private Island of Vejro which we had heard good things about. This was a distance of about 60 miles (8-9hrs) so we set off early on 13th May on a very still morning, no other boats around and only accompanied by a few hundred mosquitos that seemed to have taken a liking to us. Again we had to pick our way through winding channels with enough depth for our boat (over 2 metres) until we reached open water and could sail round the south of Langeland (so called because it is a long thin island!). From here we headed out into the Smålandsfarvandet Sound (we don't know how to pronounce it either) between Lolland and Southern Zealand to the tiny private island of Vjero.

On arrival we were greeted with a well constructed marina with one other boat moored up. There was one inviting long pontoon but it had reserved signs all along it which given the lack of boats here or at sea seemed a bit strange, but the reason became clear later. However, we did find an another good alongside berth with great views of large numbers of nesting terns and gulls. The Island is owned by a wealthy conservator with a small exclusive hotel, restaurant and bar/pizzaria. Like many facilities at this time of year in the Baltic they were closed, the season seems to run from the end of May. However, the Shower block facility was top quality and the washing machines were free. All this comes at a price, £45 per night, the most expensive so far. Early evening we noticed two very fast small craft approaching which turned out to be very sleek stealth craft manned by military in camo gear, they took the reserved berths! They appear to be new stealth craft used by SBS or similar (thanks Mike O'Meara) slipping under radar on raiding missions. They left as t was getting dark, on what mission we will never know. The following day we walked round the island which is unspoiled with great bird life and a major bonus of a large number of hares which can be seen everywhere. It is a great place to visit and well worth the marina fee.

Next day (14th May) we set of again on a longish journey to Klintholm on the Isle of Mon IMon not Man). We had a good sail on a broad reach (wind on our stern port quarter) across Smålandsfarvandet Sound to the winding channels between the Islands of Falster to the south and Sjæland to the north. The channel splits but the northern channel passes under a 20m bridge and with our mast being 19 metres plus the VHF antenna we decided not to risk it. The southern channel which is the longer route passes under three bridges all with 26 metres clearance. Looking up as you pass under you still wonder if you will make it, the top of the mast looks so close to the bridge. Once out of the narrow sounds we made our way north to Klintholm marina with an increasing wind. We arrived safely and again found a good alongside berth, much to our delight, given a strong wind which doesn't mix well with box moorings (going between two posts, dropping a loop over one and driving the boat to the pontoon where in theory Lorette jumps off the bow and ties a rope to a cleat, how difficult can it be!!)

Klintholm is another great place with clear water and a long white sandy beach which is great for walks and wildlife. We had the luck to spot (well Lorette did) a pair of white tailed eagles soaring overhead. The following evening we found a great little Italian restaurant and had a very reasonable pizza. As we were leaving the lady owner said we should go and try the local bar on the key called Klap Hesten (literally Pat the Hose, meaning calm down, relax), the Danish have some very interesting names! We arrived to the sound of ZZ Top belting out of speakers and while this might not be to everyone's taste it is definitely my sort of bar. This place was wacky and really interesting with memorabilia, paintings drawings on the walls, rustic wood and best of all a wood burner that had an empty table and two comfy chairs in front of it with our name written all over them. Lorette went for the local gin and tonic and I went for the local beer. Later the owner of the bar, Ole, and his partner came over for a chat and it turns out that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman visited the bar on their latest motorbike epic journey called 'The Long Way Home'. They spent a couple of days there and it is featured in the programme. Apparently they were intrigued by a picture of the bar which show the owners horse which occasionally comes into the bar. An interesting evening ending with a drunken Norwegian sailor ringing the bell and announcing free drinks for everyone. We had an 'interesting' chat with him before going back to the boat. We have now been back for another visit tonight and were treated like old friends. Ole took us outside to his workboat where he pulled up a crate of local sparkling wine from the bottom of the harbour with an electric winch. It was an experiment with the winery to see if maturing 'champagne' at the increased pressure under water would affect the taste and mouth feel. A great place and vibe before we leave tomorrow for Præsto Fjord which takes us within striking distance of Copenhagen.