Winter Sailing Adventure: A Challenging Journey through the Baltic

Casting off at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday proved to be a challenging decision. With a wind forecast of 15 knots and an apparent angle of 55°, we were confident that our crew could sail through the night and reach Gothenburg early. However, it soon became evident that the wind speed increased to 25 knots, forcing us to bear off and tack our way upwind.

As the winds intensified, the waves grew larger, and seasickness set in among the crew. After five hours of battling a winter storm, everyone was exhausted and seemingly at their limit, yet no one wanted to give up.

Shortly after, we lost our navigation lights, compelling us to seek shelter in Burgstaken, Fehmarn, as we didn’t want to navigate one of the busiest areas of the Baltic (Fehmarn Belt) without them.

After getting some much-needed rest, a blizzard hit, leaving us stuck for 1.5 days. This unexpected delay provided us time to refill our water supply—a surprisingly difficult task in winter without a working tap at the dock. We found an unlocked restroom and used canisters to fill our water tanks. During this time, we also mapped out a new route around Lolland, passing through Glundbergsound.

Once the blizzard subsided, we cautiously crossed the Fehmarn Belt. The fog was so thick that we could not see any vessels with the naked eye, despite knowing from our AIS and radar that at least 15 commercial ships surrounded us.

Circumnavigating Lolland in winter revealed a profound beauty. As wind speeds dropped, we had the opportunity to navigate solely with paper charts—no easy task in the thick fog. Nightfall brought some relief, as illuminated buoys became more visible.

After leaving Glundbergsound and crossing the Fehmarn Belt a second time, we heard the local radar control announce, “Russian warships entering from the west” twice. It was a tense moment, but we were too far away to see anything.

Just after departing Wismar, we were intercepted by the German coast guard, who checked on us because they noticed our AIS signal as a sailing vessel. They wanted to ensure we were indeed sailing and not masquerading as another type of craft. After confirming our status, they expressed their admiration and left us to continue our journey.

The rest of the trip home was smooth sailing, concluding this unforgettable winter adventure in the Baltic.