Preparing for Grace’s winter holiday!

Sonderborg towards Augustenborg

In the 3 days we spent in Sonderborg waiting for the weather to improve, I became thoroughly addicted to some sailing essentials – 'Skipper's Pipes' liquorice sweets. It was definitely time to leave and do cold turkey!

I cannot get enough of them! I have a 20 a day habit!

We left Sonderborg marina at 1030 and headed into the basin at the town quay to wait for the bridge to open. This bridge, the King Christian X replaces a floating bridge which was still in use in 1930. It opens at exactly one minute past the hour. Except when they don't! We've seen boats waiting for hours when they seem to have forgotten to open It!

King Christian X bridge

It was gusting 24 knots while we were waiting for the lights on the bridge to change to red. Curiously they have five red lights, various combinations of which signifies a different form of chaos! This time it was five red lights which means all boats from both sides of the bridge can go at once! Suddenly about 20 boats were all trying to squeeze through a 60 ft gap in the bridge. We hang back and watch the fun!

Charge! Free for all through the bridge

By 1200 we had reached the end of the Als Sund and the start of the Augustenborg Fjord. Passing the clear water mark we turned to starboard and sailed towards Augustenborg. Just then, a dolphin swam past! He obviously knew the 'rules of the road' and swam past us keep strictly to port!

In the Als Sund

The Augustenborg Fjord

After 6 nm we enter the channel to Augustenborg itself. It is a 2 nm long narrow snaking channel, well buoyed with 3 pairs of tall markers but then confusingly 3 pairs of low level buoys at the waterline which were very difficult to spot.

Augustenborg has a nicely sheltered marina

Augustenborg is very well sheltered and by 1320 we were securely in a box mooring. However we did have some neighbours who looked like that they could be a bit lively!

Our neighbours!

One of the main reasons why we were keen to visit Augustenborg was to find somewhere to over winter Grace this year and keep her safe until we return in May. There is a large modern boat yard which gets favourable reports on the Cruising Association website. Grace will need to come out of the water and be stored inside a nice dry shed as it gets very cold and the water freezes! Her engine will need to be serviced, the steering gear requires some maintenance, the hull polishing, the bottom cleaned and coated with antifouling paint and some GRP repairs from our argument with a lock in Holland! Clearly I will need to do lot of work when we get back in October if I am to keep her in luxury this winter!

A nice shed for Grace this winter.

Anders, who runs the yard and Marina clear loves boats so it will be a good place for Grace this winter. Apparently Tom Cunliffe, the sailing writer will keep his boat there this year, his will be in a heated shed, poor Grace will have to put up with an unheated one!

We went exploring the town and the Slot. It was all a bit sleepy. However we did discover a dodgy bottle of 'local' wine which despite its exceptional maturity tasted not at all bad!

A great vintage!

The Danish fisheries ministry has been moved out of Copenhagen to the Slot. But you are completely free to wander the grounds.

The Augustenborg Slot.