Havnen - Anholt

We were sad to leave dreamy Ballen Havn, Samsø, but anticipating a long passage to another remote island gets the adrenaline pumping. We both twisted and turned a little overnight as swell bobbed the boats around in the marina and a few raindrops tapped on our hatches. Sven, our jovial German neighbor with his smiling wife Bianca, asked Gero in German, “How are you going to do this?” Meaning leaving our berth. A half a dozen sailboats had stacked up near us overnight, narrowing our exit route, which was skinny to begin with. Gero planned to use a tether around our windward dalb to rotate Star Mist’s hull sharply into the tiny fairway. My job was to fear off the bow line. As Sven gamely volunteered to loosen that line as we reversed out of the berth, my job was just to watch the bow clear the box, inform my beautiful skipper Gero, then pull the bowline in quickly. The plan worked, and Star Mist floated into the open water without a hitch. We hoisted the sails immediately with one reef given the ideal forecast of 13-15 kt winds. But soon those breezes dropped to a loud whisper. We let out more sail and asked Neptune for more air, but the god of the seas is busy, and the whisper slowed to a baby’s breath. A very nice summer day on the Baltic, but not enough wind to sail. So, with a slight frown, we fired up the Volvo and started motoring at 5.5 kts. We hate to burn fuel unless it’s absolutely necessary — that’s part of the purpose of our voyage — but on the other hand, we can’t afford to float around in the big blue Baltic and arrive in a marina after dark — or the next day. Just too dangerous. The highly regarded European weather agency forecast called for much fairer winds, but NOAA got it right about the baby’s breath. Go USA! It’s nice to see NOAA hit the bullseye. Except an hour later (sorry NOAA!), the winds picked up again to 11 to 14 knots, so we unfurled every square inch of sail and flew northward at a speed of nearly 8 knots! This is warp speed for Star Mist, but the steady wind and gentle swell kept our ride smooth. We’ve sailed at 4 knots and been much less comfortable — rolling around, sails flapping, boom swinging like it was being used for practice in a batter’s box. It all depends on wind speed and direction, our course and point of sail, and, yeah, whether the sea is calm and happy, or angry and looking for a fight. As the tiny island of Anholt came into view, we lowered the canvas and motored excitedly into the large marina. So close to Sweden, the mooring system is totally different, so Gero dove over the side to grab the ringed dalb with a line while I slowly maneuvered Star Mist’s 11 tons back and forth with the engine. Like dancing with an elephant, you move slowly and carefully. (Stay calm, girl, stay calm!) For about 10 minutes we entertained the other sailors in the marina with our inexact maneuvering, but eventually hooked the mooring ring and got the bowlines tethered.

And then, “All the way from Copenhagen, a delicious hop forward, pillowy soft texture spiced with Amarillo, Citra and Mosaic hops” is how Gamma Brewing Company’s Freak Wave IPA is described. After 11 hours of sailing, we lolled on comfy couches as magical potions did a happy dance on our tongues. Cozy at last in our home for the night. Tak til Danemark! 🇩🇰🥂🎊❤️