Schooner Sailing: Oslo to Copenhagen

Trinovante, our home for the next ten days, moored in Oslo, with our ferry from Copenhagen behind

We got underway as soon as the other four crew members were on board, as we had sixty miles down Oslofjord to do, so wanted to get part of it under our belts on Tuesday evening.

We had a “crowded” anchorage with several other boats here too, something almost unknown in more northern Norway where Trinovante always has the place to herself. There is even another three masted ship here!

Getting ready for the rest of Oslofjord

Spray coming over the deck as we get ready for mooring

Lucy at the wheel, with Ben and his Kindle plus John and his tea

Ben cheerfully points out where the large amounts of smoke emerged from the base of the diesel pump. The woman in charge emerged carrying a fire extinguisher and making a frantic phone call, but later assured us it was just steam, a consequence of us draining the tank dry. Although only 22 August, it is already out of season here, and the unleaded tank is already dry, and apparently neither tank will now be filled until next year.

We moored in Fredrikstad, near the border with Sweden, and went for a walk around the old town. This is Frederik II, king of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 to 1588, who founded the town

A bridge over the moat which surrounds the old town on three sides (the fourth being the river on which we moored).

The river at Fredrikstad, looking across to the new town

Although the briefing for this holiday hadn’t included mention of an overnight passage, the weather meant that a run down to Denmark was sensible and so we left our mooring here in Fredrikstad and headed south

Heading out towards the Skaggerat among islands

Lucy and Julie taking it easy as we motor initially

Lucy has put her oilies on since the last photo as we head out to sea – almost time to put up the sails.

Bye bye, Norway

Sitting on the leeward side was a comfortable place to be, though as more and more water came onto the decks it required vigilance to make sure you didn’t get a wet surprise.

Around 1am I reached a decision that I would be on deck for my watch at 3am. The sea state settled after we cleared the northern end of Jutland, and this plus a double dose of Stugeron and two anti-migraine tablets may have helped too. Emerging on deck at 3am, the Milky Way was arcing overhead, and in the distance to the east and north was a series of green and red lights showing the locations of ships using the main shipping channel. Su soon appeared, followed after quite some time by the other two members of my watch. Five of the six members of the crew had been sick, plus Su who repeatedly has to remind herself why she puts herself through this. Even at three o’clock, the large number of stars meant that it wasn’t fully dark, and in time the sky in the east lightened, slowly gaining colour, until eventually the sun burst out somewhere over the Swedish coast.

Lucy felt better as the sea continued to calm, and made it on deck for her 7am watch. We continued our progress down the Kattegat until around 1.30pm when we reached the island of Anholt

Fishing boats in the harbour at Anholt

Having followed instructions and moored at one pontoon, we were asked to move elsewhere, so I was left behind to help remooring while Trinovante left the harbour to turn around more easily

The marina at Anholt. It being now out of season, the marina is almost empty, but apparently it is heaving with boats during the summer.

Part of the beach from the harbour wall. The sandy beach stretches for kilometres, and even when the island is busy, there must be plenty of space on the beach

Time for a swim!

After a shower, our party split up. I got an ice-cream then led Chris and Mike on a short walk around the western end of the island. This is the view across the northern side of the island. The headland just visible at the far end is about 9 km away, and apparently home to a seal colony.

Descending from the small hill back towards the harbour where Trinovante can be seen on the right

The view from Trinovante after dinner

Next morning the beach looked very inviting again, and while John and Su decided the plan for the day, there was time for another swim and shower.

Once the weather forecast had been considered, we set off quickly. Even at this distance from Anholt, the sea was only about seven metres deep and we could see the bottom from the boat.

Mike and Ben taking it easy

I coil the mainsail peak halyard after hoisting sail

Tieing a bowline as we prepare to hoist the fore-fisherman

Later, Stephen in his oilies on the bowsprit

There was a sudden squall and we had to get some sail off very quickly. After that it rained very hard, and most of us sheltered inside while Su and Chris maintained our progress.

As the wind dies and our speed falls, Julie and Lucy try their hand at a bit of fishing off the stern

Our spot for the night, anchoring offshore

Very light winds the next morning

More fishing has produced this, a weaverfish, which is apparently tasty but has poisonous and very painful gill-sacs and spines, and as a result was thrown back using some thick gloves.

I sat and lay on the bowsprit and took about 120 photos, mostly without being able to see the viewfinder, in an attempt to get a decent one: this is the result, showing Trinovante carving through the water.

Ahead, the sea is very flat

Having started the journey with a courtesy Norwegian flag, we flew the Swedish flag while coming down the Kattegat, but now have our Danish flag up, in addition to the red ensign at the stern.

I poke out from behind Chris, while Mike looks on

Flaking the mooring lines makes sure they won’t tangle when needed

Coming in to the harbour at Ebeltoft

The traditional boat harbour contains many wooden boats, including the huge Jylland, and although the steel-hulled Trinovante doesn’t quite qualify, she is welcomed.

Ben tests the footing in front of the glass museum

Exploring the town and its fittings after dinner

Looking across the harbour

A sculpture of an apple (Ebeltoft meaning apple town)

The frigate Jylland (i.e. Jutland in Danish).

The ship is the only surviving screw-propelled steam frigate and one of the largest wooden warships ever built

This cannon will be fired at noon, not quite pointing at Trinovante

The capstan, which continues below deck

The impressive wheel

One of the impressive staterooms added when the ship was used by Danish royalty, notably when travelling to Iceland

The propeller could be disengaged from the engine and lifted right out of the water up this tube.

Despite the size of the boat, the configuration of ropes from the wheel and blocks here connecting the wheel to the tiller is the same as on Trinovante

Dining room, with the tiller ropes running overhead

Lucy takes a break in her hammock while not on watch

Deep in the ship, the wooden construction can be seen

The full visiting crew: Stephen, Lucy, Julie, Ben, Mike and Chris

The firing of the cannon captured in the instant when the flame of the gunpowder is still visible

In the afternoon, five of us went for a bike ride to explore the Danish countryside.

Meanwhile Lucy explored the glass workshop, together with the results in the shop

…and exhibition

Meanwhile the cyclists are travelling along a disused railway line, which was flat but a very narrow gravel surface between grass which made for quite tricky cycling. Here we stop for a little drink.

The countryside looked very English in many ways

This church was labelled AD 1139 on its tower, but looks much more recent

The sea on the other side of the peninsula from Ebeltoft comes into view. The woman at the bike hire shop had said that while we wouldn’t get a coffee here we would get an ice-cream, but when we reached the beach we found it closed as the season is over – most frustrating as it is still beautiful weather. Reduced hours are one thing but complete closure in August seems very strange.

We then took to the track running along above the beach, passing lots of holiday homes as well as a few naked bathers

We eventually returned to Ebeltoft where we explored the delights of a delicatessen before sampling the pleasures of a bar/café with perhaps the best chocolate ice-cream I’ve yet had. We had a long chat with a Norwegian couple from Stavanger on holiday here.

A last visit to the centre of Ebeltoft to post postcards, looking here at the old town hall. During the season there is singing here every evening with soldiers marching, but once again we missed out as it is out of season.

Ebeltoft

We had a motor south into a head sea with the wind running at over 30 knots apparent, things calming down when we got the sails up and turned to the east. We had to travel further than we wanted to reach Isefjord as there were said to be naval live-firing exercises going on. John radioed to check whether we could proceed, was initially told to “proceed with caution” (whatever that means in practice), but when he pressed them, further advice was eventually forthcoming that we must not enter the area.

The sun sets as we cross the western part of Isefjord

On deck after dinner at our anchorage. This picture is very over-exposed as it is dark, but it is an interesting demonstration that the sky is still blue at night!

This is much more how it looked to the naked eye: that white orb is the moon not the sun as it might have appeared on the previous picture, with a navigation mark showing on the left of picture.

The view before breakfast

We later got the sails down and motored out of Isefjord, but when a sea-breeze picked up got the sails back up again. Just visible among the waves are the fins of several dolphins.

Getting the fish-aker up again

The low speed sailing offered the opportunity for more fishing. Lucy and Julie caught more weaverfish, and just one mackerel, seen here in the bottom of the fire bucket. It made a welcome addition to lunch, just one hour after catching it.

Tieing up the jib

Sweden on the left, Denmark on the right as we head along the narrow part of the Øresund

Kronborg, the castle in Helsingør which featured as Elsinore in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

An interesting sign on the entrance to a Danish port – in English and measured in feet.

As an over-fifty-feet vessel, we went into the main harbour, dodging the very frequent ferries which link Helsingør to Helsingborg in Sweden on the other side of the Øresund. The beacons that mark the entrance are very brightly coloured.

Trinovante moored in Helsingør harbour with the Kronborg behind

After a shower, there was time for a rapid exploration of the grounds of the Kronborg before dinner

The entrance from 1735

The same entrance from the other side

Some of the barracks within the wall

From Kronborg looking across the Øresund to Helsingborg in Sweden

From the wall of the Kronborg, the harbour with Trinovante on the right

A panoramic version from the same place, showing some of the town

The cultural centre next to Trinovante

The water of the harbour reflected in the walls of the cultural centre

Houses in Helsingør

A woman Julie spoke to, from Copenhagen as it turned out, said we must come to this famous ice-cream parlour where the cones and ice-cream are home made. Very nice they were too, if not quite as good as that in Ebeltoft.

Initially we motored, and it looked as though we might have to motor the whole way, which would have been a shame, though things were enlivened a little by two spottings of dolphins.

After this morning’s cooked breakfast, lunch was some bread and cheese on deck

In light winds, Julie experiments with steering with her feet

Approaching Copenhagen

Three of the cruise ships in Copenhagen, all scheduled to leave at 1800. It was quite entertaining listening in on the radio to them agreeing who was going to go out first

Passing the Little Mermaid statue, a very little one indeed

Coming in to our mooring, a look at some of the sand sculptures. There were a few minutes before dinner to look at them properly but they wanted five pounds which didn’t seem good value when we had very little time.