Knock on sand (for good luck)

I left the fish farms in the morning and tried to make a departure under sails because why not … and I almost worked.

I’d set up the main, unlash the buoy, and started to round the shallows, a good plan and a decent execution until I touched the sand at the bottom because the shallow ran further than the chart said it did. Anyhow, no biggies. Elvira shook herself free while I was thinking of starting the engine, and I could take a longer turn around the shallow to be safe (this time).

The rest of the day was fairly slow and not much to report on it. The wind only started to pickup when I arrived near Samsø. There I did the second fuck up of the day. My original plan was to come in the bay under engine, check where I could anchor and try my new chain setup and test it decently with the little blow forecasted over the night. Alas… I was not the only one with this idea, the small inlet was completely packed with boat. So I came in, make a few turns to see where I could possibly anchor, and touch another sandbank… Bril-li-ant.

So change of plan, I went alongside the island and anchored on the lee of it on a sandbank. I wasn’t the most conformable place to spend the night: a few strong rain showers, lots of wind and not that much space to drag if I was going to do that.

Anyhow, I did keep a good look on the alignments with the land, put an anchor watch on the phone and even tracked the night with Navionics… One never knows.

But it held, it held quite nicely and even if I didn’t get much sleep, I was still happy in the morning to have my coffee on deck, to think and to change plans once more…

No pictures of the actual sailing this time but a nice one of the arrival.

And one of the pouring rain once I had stopped for the day.

Sometimes it's good not to be at the helm when it rains...