SY Michel sailing on the North Sea

Heligoland in sight – in just under 5 hours we went from Cuxhaven to Heligoland in winds of 6 Beaufort from the southwest. Despite adverse conditions (wind against current), our Saare 38.2 mastered the stage without any problems and gave us a feeling of security at all times, even on the somewhat rougher North Sea between Schaarhörn and Grosser Vogelsand. Following the rhythm of the tides, we traveled the North Frisian Islands for two weeks. For each leg of the trip, we had to calculate exactly when it was safe to pass through which sea channel and when the ports could be left or entered. The reward for the effort was often early morning stages at sunrise along the sands, between the islands and along the coast in wonderful peace, often accompanied by curious grey seals. A nice mix of sailing with daily distances between 35 and 50 nautical miles as well as culture and nature on the islands. Our folding bikes, very conveniently stowed in the front of the sail load, were used often. Despite the holiday season, there were free spaces in all ports, a consistently friendly welcome and lots of helpful tips from local sailors. With a draft of 1.95 m, at least the keel usually sank into the soft mud around low tide at the berth. This was completely problem-free, even if the reading on the depth gauge of 0.0 m was a bit strange at first. After just a few days you get a good feel for the effect of the tides. Sailing in the tidal area was an exciting experience that made you want to go to sea. It was not uncommon for the log to read over 10 knots – great.