Crossing the Great Belt and exploring the Smaland Sea
1st September 2017
My new logbook!
It is the first page of my new logbook that Lorna brought over for me from RYA. There is something exciting about the first page of a new logbook as every page is the possibility of an adventure and somewhere new!
The first line says ‘1015 Engine on, departing Nyborg Marina.’
Leaving Nyborg
The winds were light and the sea state calm for the day. It looked like it was going to be a day of motor sailing, especially the the shipping lane for the Great Belt Bridge’s central span. The bridge dominates the skyline for about 20 nm.
The Great Belt Bridge
We were monitoring VHF channel 12 for the bridge traffic control, it was quite interesting to listen to a large American warship negotiating to pass under the bridge!
The benefit of the calm sea was the that we could see the dolphins, who seemed to be following the shipping lanes and the traffic separation scheme. It will be explained to me by a German in a restaurant at Dyvig in three weeks time why they do it. It is that they prefer the deep water, which is where the shipping lanes are too!
By 1155, we had covered 11 nm and were approaching the Agero Flak light beacon and the far side of the Great Belt Bridge shipping lane.
Lorna sailing Grace
Agero Flak Beacon
It had been a relatively quiet crossing with only 4 ships to dodge!
Only light shipping in the channel
Interestingly a new obstruction had been marked by 6 yellow special marks. This was to warn of a recent ship wreck, which we skirted round to enter the Omo Sund at the head of the Smalands Fahrwasser.
Special marks
The Smalands Fahrwasser is bounded by Sealand to the North, Falster to the East and Lolland to the South. It creates a nice sheltered sailing ground with interesting islands to explore, Omo being the first and was our destination for the day. It is a small island with a little fishing harbour and a very frequent ferry to avoid!
The ferry to follow but also avoid!
We soon realised that the entrance had the potential to be a bit tricky as the ferry we followed in stuck strictly to the buoyed channel – no short cuts here!
Grace moored up in a very quiet harbour!
Once moored up we set about exploring the island on some ‘help yourself’ red bikes. They were lethal! Solid tyres and solid seats that soon induced a worrying numbness; coupled to the absence of brakes meant that I came the closest to a hospital visit in the whole cruise.
Anne and Lorna risking life and limb on the red ‘help yourself bikes’
From the only hill on the island (23m above sea level) you can see the whole of the island. The village is in the centre of island and felt like time had passed it by. As we wobbled along on our red bikes we were certainly passed by the islands 4 cars and 6 tractors and locals stopped to wonder at us!
Views across Omo from its highest (23 m) point!
Omo village and duck pond!
A local resident!
but for the Grace 
Looks as if the local resident had been riding one of the red bikes!
Omo appears a very sleepy place. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Love Jan & John.
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