See that thing in the photo below (it marks the end of the training wall at the entrance/exit to the Borkum harbour)? So did we. For a couple of hours. Maybe more.
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| Dolphin at the entrance to Borkum Harbour |
You see, I knew the tide would be against us for the first 10 miles as we left Borkum. And I knew it would be about 2 knots against us. I also knew there was a fair chance that the wind would be coming from the direction we needed to go. And that it can get pretty choppy in the approach to Borkum.
But getting up at 0430 is bad enough. Getting up at 0130 doesn't sound very attractive at all!
Maybe the wind will be favourable after all. Forecasts aren't always accurate. And even if we have to motor we should make 5 knots through the water so, with an adverse tide of 2 knots, that's 3 knots over the ground - not too bad, And maybe the tide won't be that strong anyway? It's not that long after low water...
Well the wind was against us. And it was choppy (very!). And the tide was actually more than 2 knots against us!
So how long did it take to cover those first 10 miles? 2 hours? 3 hours? Make that about 5 hours!! And by the time we'd tacked backwards and forwards and done our best to motorsail, it was more like 20 miles through the water!
To cap it all, we were so long reaching the point where we were due to turn east towards Helgoland that the tide was against us when we did!
The result? A journey that should have been 80 miles ended up being 96 through the water (about 110 land miles) and took 17 hours.
We arrived in Helgoland well after dark to be greated by a busy harbour and a requirement to raft to another boat. Having made fast to one boat, a head popped up through the hatch to announce that we were welcome to stay but they were leaving at 0600 - so we'd have to be up by then to move our boat. We elected to raft to another boat instead and turned in exhausted.
You've guessed it!! At 0515 there was a loud knock on our boat as the inside boat wanted to leave (there were 4 in our raft). Arrgghhh!!!
Next time we're getting up at 0130! Or maybe we just shouldn't have set off on a Friday?!
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| Is he reading that or asleep? The sailing once we'd escaped Borkum was actually very pleasant. |
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| You lot don't scare us. We're sailing across right in front of you (so long as you keep your anchors down!) |
So, rant over, what of Helgoland itself? Well, it's described as Germany's only high-sea island. It's a huge red sandstone rock that towers 61m above the waves some 70km off the German mainland. "... an oasis of peace and tranquility...... an exceptional nature reserve shaped by the mighty sea, by its unique flora and fauna and by its mild Gulf Stream climate."
It actually comprises of 2 islands - the 1km sandstone island and a 0.7km island known as Dune. In 1720 a storm surge swept away the stretch of land between them.
It apparently has air that is richer in iodine and oxygen than anywhere else in Germany - even right at the top of the Alps the air contains more dust particles than on Helgoland. So it's a popular health spa. There are no cars (only a few small electric commercial vehicles) and, best of all, no bicycles allowed! So far so good.
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| The harbour with the colourful fisherman's workshops - many of which are now shops |
But it's also a duty free island that gets swamped by day trippers seeking cheap alcohol, perfume and cigarettes.
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| Day tripper boat in Helgoland. Customers were ferried to it in shall open boats. |
That wouldn't be so bad if they didn't want to drink it and smoke them in noisy enclaves in the town centre! It seemed like nearly everyone was carrying a can or bottle and smoking a fag whilst wandering about or sitting next to their noisy ghetto blasters (wirelesses, mum!).
So Helgoland is really a place of 2 halves. The town is best avoided if you enjoy a bit of peace and tranquility (or want to buy anything that doesn't fall into the above categories!). The clifftop walk, on the other hand, is stunning.
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| Looking over towards Dune from the clifftop walk |
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| A tall thing with lots of stuff on it according to Jo, who knows about these things |
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| 10,000 sea birds breed here, including Kittiwakes, Razor-bills, Herring gulls, Gannets and Guillemots |
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| Jo at the top. (She's been away a while........) |
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| Gannets.... |
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| ... which look beautifully white and clean, but boy do they pong!! |
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| "Lange Anna". The only free standing rock column - or stack - in Germany |
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