Cheap enough to stay

Monday 21 May

Following a chequered and often troubled history under Prussian, German and Russian dominance, Poland is beginning to find her feet as an independent country and member of the EU. Many ports and harbours have been developed or ‘yachtified’ through EU funding, but fees remain competitive in comparison with many others we have experienced. However, chandlery and spares are still difficult to obtain, and anything that needs ordering requires a delivery address that we cannot guarantee, as we have no definite itinerary, only the vaguest of plans.

We decided to stay another day, and Skipper took advantage of the windless morning to be hoisted up the mast by Mate’s winching arm. The lightning-damaged wind indicator was carefully removed and brought back down to earth, where he can examine the damage and order replacement parts for Second Mate to bring to Tallinn in a few weeks’ time, by way of her passage fare.

Mate made the most of the quiet day to shop, including a little sightseeing, and later to relax in the sunny cockpit.

Another beautiful morning – to Świnoujście

Sunday 20 May

After a slow start, my crew were finally ready to depart around 1100, and we motored down the channel past the shipyards, blissfully quiet on this day of rest. Skipper hadn’t noticed on the chart that a bridge, not in our pilot, barred our way, so we turned back around half a mile to go around the other side of the island. We followed the Odra River back into the lagoon, interestingly via alternative channels from those we took on the way South, so different views could be enjoyed. Locals were out enjoying the wonderful sunny weekend with a spot of fishing.

Once we rejoined the main channel just South of the Zalew Szczeciński lagoon, we wove our way through many German and Polish yachts, and the wind started to build but was a little variable in strength and direction. Mate gave up trying to eat her lunch of a bowl of salad, needing two hands on the wheel, leaving Skipper to deal with sail trim. She suggested he take the first reef in my mainsail while we were in a calm patch in the lee of an island, as she could see the white horses cresting the waves out on the lagoon.

We swung back into the fairway, Skipper set my staysail and Mate nobly steered me all the way across the lake, ten miles close-hauled in a NNW blowing a steady F5. She managed to stay just outside the main shipping lane without straying too far into shallow water, as I needed my full centreboard, which gives me a draft of three metres and a good stiff sail to windward. Towards the end of the crossing, we started playing dodgems with numerous red flag fishing marks and stakes: around here these are usually in pairs with nets strung between them below the water surface. After an exhilarating sail of around two hours, at times touching nearly 7.5 knots, we slid gratefully into the entrance of the Piastowski and Mielinski canals, which lead to Świnoujście and on to the Baltic Sea.

It took us about another hour to potter up to our night’s berth in the municipal Basen Północny/Stoczniowy, where Skipper found me a comfortable hammerhead out of most of the residual wind, amongst many yachts registered to Ueckermünde.

Unwelcome passengers, and a warm welcome

Saturday 19 May

The day began amid a swarm of tiny blackflies, so the insect repellent was slathered on and as much skin as possible was covered up before the crew even ventured into the cockpit. Once we got sailing, the breeze blew most of them away, but some lingered defiantly on my downwind coaming.

Being the weekend, we sailed straight through a fleet of club racing boats, avoided the fields of fishing stakes and followed the channel out of the lake and into the channel to Szczecin. We made our way into the brand new North East Marina, right in the city centre, with a grand view of the Waly Chrobego, or Odra promenade. We were warmly welcomed by Magic, the Bosman (harbour master, from the English ‘boatswain’, or bosun), who made us even happier by telling us his computer was kaput and he couldn’t charge us for berthing or power!

The crew relaxed over lunch in the cockpit, and took a stroll around the old town when it became cooler in the late afternoon.

Another Friday, another country

Friday 18 May

Last Friday, we sailed from Sweden via Danish waters to Germany. Today we left a grey and flat calm Germany for a bright and sunny Poland, where we enjoyed a lovely reach across the Zalew Szczecinski lagoon and a run down the Odra river, sometimes goosewinging the main and genoa. Skipper was kept busy with frequent gybes of the foresail, and a couple of full gybes as we followed the curves of the channel. Mate was thrilled to be sailing me between lush green banks, spotting sea eagles and watching lines of cormorants undulating as they flew by.

Mate turned me close to the bank into the wind for Skipper to drop my mainsail, and we slid across a very shallow patch into the evening’s anchorage, a little exposed until the wind dropped away, but another beautiful sunset.

A useful day

Thursday 17 May

The crew decided on an extra night here in Ueckermünde to take advantage of the opportunity for Skipper to purchase a new 13kg gas bottle: unfortunately the current one cannot be refilled as the correct connector is not available.

Meanwhile, Mate got busy with three batches of laundry (for only €2!), putting out the Yorkshire bunting to dry in a perfect breeze and sunshine. After a treat for lunch of fish and chips, German style, from a nearby floating street food ‘stand’, Mate then took Bertha for a stroll through town to fill her up at the local Lidl.

The heat brought out the local population of flying insects, who seemed inappropriately attracted to my shiny topsides, and Skipper took the hose to them before filling my tanks with fresh water.

The sun still shines

Wednesday 16 May

We continued down the Peenestrom, accompanied by sea eagles, kites, herons and cormorants. The day began rather overcast, but the sun soon broke through and we had a lovely downwind sail under the genoa to Wolgast Bridge. We were very early, so Mate tied a line from my bow through the rail of a mooring post, as the locals do, and put the kettle on, as the British do, while we waited for the appointed opening time. Bridges seem easy after all our experience in Holland’s canals.

This region is reminiscent of the Norfolk Broads, with better weather. South of Wolgast, the channel opened Into Achter Wasser, ringed by pretty green banks lush with May green on leaves and reeds. Spaces in the greenery are carefully maintained to keep clear lines of sight to the leading marks that supplement the buoys. We sailed under a variety of combinations of main and genoa, including a couple of stretches of very satisfying goosewinging, and some motoring, to reach Zecherin Bridge only minutes before opening time.

Around the bend we passed a disused railway bridge, standing unattached in the middle of the channel. It was bombed during the Second World War, has been neither repaired nor removed, and remains in silent testimony to the troubled past of this now peaceful area of Northern Europe.

As we entered the Stettiner Haff in the late afternoon, the wind filled in the open space and we enjoyed a lovely last couple of hours’ sailing in the evening sunshine, towards the approach channel to our night’s berth. Skipper dropped my mainsail tidily into its bag and we entered the tree-lined Uecker River, feeling like we’d turned left out of the sea into a field. Mate prepared my fenders and mooring lines and we were soon tied up neatly at the top of the navigable water on the town quay in Ueckermünde.

Sailing in company

Tuesday 15 May

We slipped Stralsund early to make the 0820 opening of the bridge, leading a small armada of a further six yachts behind us down the Strelasund. At the opening of the Greifswalder Bodden, one of these was close enough to chat to as we both struggled to find any wind to fill our sails. She was crewed by a couple enjoying a similar lifestyle to my crew: offspring independent, working or studying, and a lovely new boat purchased to enjoy extended cruising. We were delighted to be able to exchange photos of us under sail – a rare privilege.

They headed off towards Seedorf, while we sailed Southeast for the Peenestrom channel. We found a comfortable anchorage just outside Karlshagen, again enjoying sea eagles.

A hot day in port

Monday 14 May

We spent the day in Stralsund, and my crew took a long, hot walk to the supermarket REWE, in which their favourite wine had been discovered in Travemünde. Sadly, this branch doesn’t stock it, but they still needed a taxi to bring all their purchases back to me. Skipper had managed to find a bicycle tyre to replace one of his that seems to have been cut by something he’s ridden over – even though the salesman spoke no English. Finally, he filled my water tanks, with very expensive water.

Another British boat

Sunday 13 May

We pottered down the well-buoyed channel across the Kubitzer Bodden, weaving our way through the sandbanks, and exchanged cheery greetings with the first yacht we have seen, since we were in Whitby last October, to be flying the red duster: the British Ensign. My crew were occasionally disconcerted to see wildfowl and seabirds standing in the water just metres from my hull, but Mate kept a close watch on the depth readings.

Another lovely morning, with very little wind, and we arrived in Stralsund, in sight of the huge bridge that carries road and rail traffic over to Dänholm and thence to Rügen, a popular holiday destination. Skipper brought me neatly alongside a visitors’ pontoon, with a friendly Swedish Hallberg Rassy to chat to, while they went off for a stroll around this attractive Hanseatic town.

Too good to go

Saturday 12 May

We spent a lazy day at anchor, in lovely weather, amidst beautiful scenery, enjoying the tranquillity and nature-spotting: sea eagles, squadrons of swans, a wild boar and a fox.