Monday, 13 June 2016 We are in Ystad, the rally formally started yesterday with a supper together ashore, which was good fun. We are 16 boats ranging from a 30' single handed sailing boat to a 60' motor yacht from the US. Most are just over 40' sailing boats and most have spent the winter in a cosy shed somewhere not far away. On Saturday Wendy, Jasper and I took the fast ferry to Bornholm, a delightful Danish island slightly smaller than the Isle of Wight,so...

Wednesday, 8 June 2016 It was not the easiest berth to get off, the forecast was for westerly force four and it was blowing a five straight on to our staging. Having accomplished our exit we motored out to sea and the short chop that greeted us but after the sails were out and we turned to round the cliffs of Mon all went quiet with the engine off. We sailed for three hours on a lovely broad reach but the wind was easing all the time, however sea remained ...

Tuesday, 7 June 2016 Having refuelled in Hohe Dune we motored out towards the NE, where the wind was coming from…not as per the forecast. However it was light and we went through the traffic separation without problem apart from a freighter overtaking us on the wrong side and performing a decidedly dubious course cutting across our bow soon after. The wind rose and we were able to sail from 1300 enjoying a lovely "sheets eased" sail across to Denmark. ...

Today we became tourists and took the train from Warnemunde to Rostock and then the tram to the old town centre which was most attractive, clean and airy. We then walked to the waterfront which was a tad seedy with plenty of the remnants of last nights revelry in broken bottles, discarded food containers and burnt out disposable BBQs which few disposed of. A dubious lunch on a waterside café and coffee and kucken in the old square were a pleasant relief in th...

The Baltic is winds are different, we have had strong NE winds for days and while they eased yesterday it seemed to us that each day started relatively gently, despite a robust forecast, and then after lunch it turned to a real strong breeze, on shore, throwing spray over the harbour wall. The delights of a former DDR holiday resort had lost their glister and those who did good work for the benefit of the state were rewarded with "holiday coupons" which they ...