We'll be back!

Day 6

We would have to be content with three days of good weather. Our last sailing day began with grey drizzle and no wind. There seemed to be no hurry, as we had plenty of time to get to the swing bridge by midday. Looking out into the sound, though, I spotted a few sails up, so we quickly got Das Drama ready and headed out. The jib had to be hanked on to the forestay each morning, but it was not a very big sail, and the system was simple and easy. It sounds like a nuisance if you’re used to a roller-furling headsail, but I found that I could lower and flake the jib at the same time (provided Skipper kept the boat roughly into wind), then just tuck it under the jackstays to be bagged later.

We gybed up the sound towards the bridge in increasingly heavy rain, and then sailed around happily, if damply, whilst waiting for the bridge to open. A fairly large freighter loomed up behind our little fleet of yachts, and was responsible, we think, for the fact that we got the green light first again and chugged through into Stralsund harbour. It was now raining quite hard, and we were chilly and damp. Not wanting to end a fabulous week on a soggy note, we decided to head in to Altefähr and get the boat ready for handover.

As we entered the harbour, a large motor-sailer barged past us (with a friendly wave, naturally), motored right up to the top of the harbour, then reversed into the spot we were aiming for. Fine. We tied up in a box at the end of the mole, with the help of a fellow Folkboat sailor. I went to inspect the facilities, and returned to find Das Drama crossing the harbour with Skipper at the helm and the Harbourmaster and his chum as crew. I took the bow line and mooring proved much easier with an extra crewman and smaller box, as we squeezed up next to the other Folkboats at the harbourmaster’s request.

Having checked the boat in with Philipp, we set off in the car to have a look at Binz, one of the island’s traditional seaside resorts. The skies had cleared, and at 7.30pm the promenade was buzzing and there were still bathers in the sea. Traditional two-seater basketwork beach sofas on wheels are either rented out or provided by the hotels for their guests, and make a charming sight on the beach. We were spoiled for choice of restaurant, and had yet more beautifully cooked and served fish. Before setting off home the next morning, we decided to have breakfast at the Inselbar Café on the quayside at Altefähr. It seemed to be taking a while, and Skipper was dispatched to investigate. He found piles of fresh fruit being lovingly chopped for my “muesli & fruit” breakfast, which was so good that I ate more fruit than I would normally eat in a month! Yet another excellent meal made a fitting end to a fantastic week. We’ll be back, no question. After several years of hesitation, Mate might just have got the sailing bug…

Pasta Così

Day 5

Knowing we had to hand back Das Drama in Altefähr the following day, we needed to retrace our steps at least as far as Stahlbrode today. The forecast was for very light winds, so we breakfasted in the marina café (decent coffee for once) and set off early. We had done all the pilotage on the outward leg, so all that remained was to extricate Das Drama from the marina. It was at this point that Skipper decided to try steering by swiveling the outboard, contrary to the advice we had been given. Logically, we felt this should be more effective, especially in reverse, and so it proved. Well, we’ll know next time. Bystanders hoping for some more entertainment as we reversed out of the box would have been disappointed.

There was a little more wind than forecast, and one of the best things about the Folkboat is the fact she will make 4 or 5kts under sail in conditions where bigger boats just have to motor. But no wind is no wind, and from time to time we had to resort to the accursed outboard. Despite fiddling with the throttle controls, we had not solved the all-or-nothing problem, and the vibration of the boat at full throttle was pretty disagreeable. However, we had made good time, and decided to bypass Stahlbrode and continue to the next harbour at Neuhof. In this way we could be sure to get through the swing bridge at lunchtime the following day, and then cross directly to Altefähr or pootle around the Stralesund for a while, according to mood and weather. Also, Neuhof was just about the only port with petrol for the outboard as well as diesel. Elsewhere, the walk to a garage could be quite a long one.

Yet again, the Mate did a spot of last minute pilotage. The entrance to Neuhof is via a very narrow channel. It is well-marked, and there is a purpose-built back transit on the hillside opposite. The throttle problem had meant that fuel consumption was horrendous, and the outboard’s petrol tank was small. Skipper wondered out loud if we should check the fuel level before entering the channel. As he spoke, the engine replied with the now-familiar polite little cough, then silence. We poured in the last from the jerrycan, patting ourselves on the back for having thought about refueling facilities, and motored up to the marina.

We entered nervously, as it was not obvious where vacant berths might be (at least there were finger pontoons – heaven). As we wondered which row to try, a familiar figure greeted us – our young German friend from Lauterbach, watching the fish with his children at the end of the pier. He indicated where we might find a free spot, and indeed we did. The pilot book had not made Neuhof sound particularly appealing, but in fact the setting was idyllic. The late afternoon was warm and sunny, and all was right with the world.

We showered, had a little walk around, got the jerrycans filled and ordered some bread for the next morning. We had brought provisions, but had not yet prepared a meal aboard as there had always been a restaurant close by. I wanted to test the practicality of the spirit stove, so we limited ourselves to an aperitif at the marina’s smart bar/restaurant and returned for our first proper meal aboard Das Drama. The menu was not over-ambitious: pasta with sauce from a jar, olive oil and parmesan. Just as well, as the kitchen equipment was very simple. The little spirit stove proved up to the job, and we were soon sitting in the cockpit in the evening sunshine tucking into huge bowls of penne all’arrabbiata. We sat back, looked around, and sighed with sheer contentment. Our cold, wet, arrival just a few days previously seemed a world away. Skipper noted in his log the feeling of privilege, and yet there was nothing exclusive about this area:  just natural beauty … and boats.