Tuesday, 28 June 2016

As we motored slowly from our berth in Ystad crews from boats we had not met waved farewell and we set off to leave Sweden on our way to Klintholm in Denmark. We had been in Sweden for three weeks and enjoyed it enormously, the people, the harbours, the scenery and the sailing were all remarkable and so very different from the waters we are used to.

Earlier weather forecasts had been unfavourable but DMI, the Danish Met Inst, were giving a nice break big enough for our needs. Yesterday our early morning rush was down to their predicting a lull before some strong south westerly and true to their word the wind was increasing as we entered Ystad, so with that confidence we headed out into a quiet sea and the forecast was once again spot on.

A Dutchman had told me earlier in the week that the Dutch Met office couldn't tell you what the weather was like the day before and they were no better predicting the future. We all struggle to get reliable forecasts and all have a set of sources we take an average from, the trouble is my set keeps changing as I hear of new "reliable" ones!

We crossed the busy shipping lanes and spotted the cliffs of Mon some 22 miles out arriving in the little harbour of Klintholm just before 17:00. It was quite full with the inevitable little German boats occupying space for large ones leaving us larger ones with few options. However we made a space and a German on tiny boat, realising that his dinghy was going to be used as a fender if he didn't move it, gave in and we struggled into a box mooring. Our efforts provided an early evening entertainment for the local holidaymakers and we soon had a charming Dane alongside.

The photo is of the cliffs of Mon on the east coast.