Back in the Elbe after surfing the tide

Where am I now? VC Cuxhaven marina

Yesterday was another beautiful sailing day. Sunny and warm, relatively steady wind from the northeast. It took me a good 13 hours to sail the 70 nautical miles from Norderney to Cuxhaven. Quite a few boats were on the passage. Not too many big ships while doing the river arm crossings. The Jade entrance had most traffic, just past Wangeroog island. Timed the tide right and kept on my preferred schedule. Coming up the Elbe from the fearful German Bight (bend) the current helped me along, clocking a 9 to 10 knots speed over ground. Still, it takes four hours to here.

Once you see the harbor entrance, prepare for a sideways motion and steer into the starboard wall. The current may make you miss the entrance. It is a bit like whitewater rafting. Fun to see yourself ripping past the buoys.

Once I got into port it was dark and I found a spot to press into. So this German neighbor tells me to move, because I am pressing on his boat. I tell him to stuff it. You don’t argue with a person filled to the brim with adrenaline from surfing the Elbe. My other German neighbors, a kind elderly couple, offered him to borrow some thinner fenders. He had mega fat fenders out. He would not change HIS boat or setting. So I just let it go. Went to sleep. All in all, progress is good.

Author: captain

Johannes, born in 1960 in Zierikzee, The Netherlands. Owner of S/Y Isabell. Retired environmental toxicologist, now living aboard and sailing south.