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Ystad - 55° 25' 32" N 13°48' 53" E

By Kate and Sean -
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Our 155nm journey from Holtenau (Germany) to Ystad (Sweden) Delaying our departure until the rain had eased, we set off with the plan to stop in Gedesby, Denmark (the blue cross) but the wind was fabulous and we were clipping along at 7kn (14km/hr) with a reef in the mainsail and a full solent so we just keep on through to Ystad. Lilacs in bloom in Ystad We seem to be following spring as we head north.  The blossoms, the bulbs and spring flowers were all in their full glory.  And despite the bitter wind, the blue sky gave us hope that summer was actually coming. Glorious cherry blossoms  An additional day is Ystad gave us plenty of time to get lots of jobs done such as giving the engine a full service, the decks a good clean and a general tidy-up to make everything shipshape.  We were excited, as our friends Gord and Jenny were coming to sail with us for a few weeks. Chain washdown pump with a cracked strainer lid - no wonder it was having pro...
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Nord-Ostee-Kanal - 54° 22' 09" N 10° 08' 40"E

By Kate and Sean -
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Dragging ourselves away from the gannets on Helgoland, we headed back to the mainland and the Kiel Canal.   On our arrival in Brunsbüttle, the lock lights flashed white (the signal for us to enter) so through the lock we went and tied up in the Liegestelle für Sportboote (moorings for sports boats)  just on the other side of the lock. The Nord-Ostee-Kanal or the Kiel Canal cutting through Germany and saving us about 250nm  travelling from The North to The Baltic Seas It an exciting place to tie up, just next to the largest lock where the biggest ship transit.  Hopefully this is the only time we ever get THIS CLOSE to one of these beasts! The size of the ships passing is quite impressive As we have been through before, we were not as reliant on the advice from cruising guides and forums but on our experience. And so we decided to make the transit in one day rather than with the 'recommended' stop.  So under grey and chilly skies, we set off tow...
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Helgoland - 54° 10' 35"N 07° 53' 44"E

By Kate and Sean -
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We've been here before . Helgoland (or Heligoland in English) has the distinction of being part of Germany but far enough offshore to be outside the EU trading zone.  This means that it is exempt from charging tax.  Tobacco, alcohol and (most importantly for us) diesel is much cheaper than just 30 nautical miles to the south east. It is actually two islands, the main island Helgoland and Düne. In 2025, as we were on our way to The Netherlands to put Chinook on the hard for the winter, we detoured as we exited the Kiel Canal and stopped to quickly fuel up.  The winds were fair and we were keen to beat a nasty storm ( Storm Amy)  brewing in the North Sea, so we merely spent an hour at the fuel dock and did not go ashore. In 2026, after Chinook was back in the water and we had returned to Cherbourg for some warranty repairs, we made specific plans to stop again on our voyage back to the Baltic to top up with fuel at (roughly) a 35% discount. On 500 - 600 li...
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Den Helder - 52° 57' 44" N 04° 46' 56" E

By Kate and Sean -
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... and many of the things Den Helder is known for. After an overnight sail and weaving our way between wind farms and Traffic Separation Schemes, we arrived at the mandatory reporting buoy of the channel into Den Helder just before dusk.  Den Helder is the main base of the Royal Netherlands Navy. so they like to know who is coming and going.  After reporting our position and our intentions (entering the harbour and then the marina), we were told, "Proceed." By the time we had worked our way up the channel, it was dark.  So we entered the Den Helder Harbour with a strong cross current and a confusing array of lights from ships, navigation marks, buildings ashore, cranes, barges and cars.  Even trying to locate the entrance was a leap of faith, leaning heavily on our modern navigation technology.  Den Helder Harbour.  Add traffic lights, illuminated signs, some buildings with lights on and car and truck headlights and tail lights and you can imagine ...
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