DESTINATION DENMARK 1994 British yachtsmen considering Denmark as a cruising area are quite literally faced with an exposed and inhospitable North Sea coast. However, behind this forbidding exterior lies some the best cruising grounds in Europe. The Limfjord in the north contains many delightful islands and harbours but is protected from the British by a dangerous entrance at Tyboron. In the southeast the waters of the Lille Belt require a long motoring passage through the Kiel canal. The trailer sailor, however, can easily bypass both of these obstacles - ferries and the modern road network mean that all of Denmark is readily accessible within two days. We were afloat on Tiger Lily at the Danish marina in Augustenborg in 44 hours from leaving home. The 600 mile road journey from Calais is mainly motorway and very straightforward. On our arrival at the marina the harbour master quickly organised the travellift and then treated us to coffee and Danish pastries (a most pleasant welcome). For launching, we chose the marina at Augustenborg mainly because they sent us a brochure in English, the fact that they car and trailer could be stored in a covered shed and it offered convenient access by both road and sea. Augustenborg lies at the head of a blind fjord on the island of Als in the southern part of Denmark. Although the craning and storage fees are expensive by trailer sailor standards, this is offset by the very high security, excellent marina facilities and totally sheltered location. Many marinas in Denmark receive a subsidy from the local commune, but the Augustenborg marina is privately owned and therefore caters mainly for the German sailor. - in fact when we there, nearly all the boats in the marina were flying the German flag. Nearby are a Kro restaurant, a yacht chandler, hotel, and petrol station. The small town of Augustenborg is only a short walk from the marina and contains many good shops, banks and a very picturesque Palace. Three miles away lies the historical town of Sonderborg which can cater for almost any other need. With all the local sights to see it was almost with regret that we set sail from Augustenborg. On heading out up the Augustenborg fjord, Tiger Lily's 4HP engine developed a fault in the gearbox selector mechanism and we were forced to return the three miles using our small 2HP outboard. The harbour staff were most helpful in locating a Yamaha agent about 20 miles away. Fortunatley we still had the car available and within a few hours the engine was fully serviceable again. Our second attempt at navigating the well buoyed channel out of Augustenborg was more successful, a short 10 mile sail took us to the inlet at Stegsvig on the NW corner of Als. Once through the narrow entrance the waters widen to reveal two charming lagoons. We chose the quiet anchorage of Mjiels Vig. Nestling under the trees with a glass of wine at hand we watched the sun set over the western hills and the moon rise over a solitary wind turbine. It was a beautiful sight and we vowed to return to this enchanting location. Having enjoyed a peaceful breakfast it was time to head out round the north of the island, across the open waters of the Lille Belt, to the islands south of Fyn. The day had dawned with hardly a breath of wind and it seemed a pity to spoil the idyllic surroundings with the noise of the outboard engine. However, by making use of local sea breezes we did manage a little sailing during which a family of friendly dolphins gave us a close inspection. I think they really enjoyed playing with Tiger Lily as we ambled on at about 2 knots. On rounding the Lyo Trille buoy it was time for a tea break in the large anchorage on the NW corner of Lyo. The tiny harbour on Lyo is not mentioned in Mark Brackenbury's South West pilot, perhaps because it is always totally crowded with no free berths. The island seemed to be a honeypot for visiting yachtsmen and we were oblidged to anchor a hundred yards from the shore. It was possible to purchase a couple of beers in the small shop by the harbour, but most facilites were in the centre of the island about 2 miles away. Sailing from Lyo to Faaborg took only 2 hours, so we arrived in plenty of time to replenish supplies and do some sightseeing. Visiting yachts are recommended to use the old harbour which is close to the harbour office and showers. It is also very convenient for exploring the backstreets, visiting the bell tower at Taangrade and watching the ferries come and go. The town provides a good range of shops, marina facilites and interesting backstreets. It should not be missed even though it is tucked away in a sheltered corner. Petrol was obtainable at a garage near the new harbour half a mile away. The eastbound route out of Faaborg crosses a shallow piece of water at Grykelob which inhibits usage by the ferries. Halfway to Aeroskobing we discovered a most delightful anchorage in the SE corner of the island of Avernako. The hook was down for just long enough to have a leisurely lunch, but not too long to delay our arrival at Aeroskobing. We had heard that it would be best to arrive early as this is a popular harbour and all the berths are filled by 4pm. We had almost left it too late, but eventually found a space on the end of a pontoon in the new marina (visting yachts may use either the town harbour or the adjacent marina). The town proved to be popular tourist attraction, mainly due to its picturesque narrow streets and houses. Definately a place to visit as long as you don't mind all the other people who are doing the same. The waters to the northwest of Aeroskobing are shallow making navigation difficult. There is a choice of three routes to Rudkobing, either the long northerly route via Svendborg, the southerly one via the narrow four mile Morkyb channel or a short cut through shallow water just to the south of Taasinge. The wind conditions on the day made the short cut ideal, the only problem being that the wide unmarked channel shallowed to 1.5 meters. Tiger Lily can sail in 1 meter and as we had a handheld GPS aboard, the short cut route was selected. At the Morkyb fairway buoy it was a little unnerving watching all the larger boats heading off in procession either northward to Svendborg or southeast down the narrow channel. We struck out due eastwards into a deserted stretch of water, putting our trust in Tiger Lily's retractable keel and the GPS. After a beautiful 5 mile sail we watched with some apprehension as the echo sounder reduced to 1.5 meters. There was little apart from low lying islands to mark the channel accurately we were relying on the GPS to guide us over the shallows and into the main Rudkobing channel. Here we were surprised to find a stong adverse current. The wind had also moved northeasterly and so the engine was called into use. Unfortuneatley the propeller picked up a clump of weed and the water intake became blocked. In a short time, steam was seen coming out of the water outflow and the engine was shut down immediately. For the second time this holiday the main engine had let us down and we had to call on the trusty 2HP engine to get us into Rudkobing harbour. By motor sailing with all sail up we managed to tack against the strong current, finally entering the new marina north of the town. The old harbour at Rudkobing was oily and it is not recommended for visiting yachts. Our first impressions of the town were 'Why had we bothered'. However, once we had sorted out the main engine, relaxed with a beer and had something to eat, the town took on a much more favourable picture. A walk in the side streets revealed a statue of Oersted, the discoverer of electromagnetism. Our conclusion was that Rudkobing was a non- tourist version of Aeroskobing. A few miles southeast lies the tiny harbour on the small island of Stryno - ideal for a lunchtime stop. Again, the harbour is so small that it is best to arrive here early in the day if you intend to stay. The approach to Marstal is via a well buoyed channel and presented no problems, it is just a case of following the procession of boats in front. Marstal's main function is to be a marine crossroads for boats heading north and south, east and west. The extensive harbour has a long protective wall offering complete protection. There is a large shipyard and busy ferry terminal but the town itself did not appear to offer very much else of interest. A pleasant sandy beach can be found a short walk away to the south of the harbour. As Marstal is about 30 nautical miles from a convenient mainland harbour, we needed a favourable weather forecast before setting out. At 6am everything looked perfect, a stable situation with an easterly F4 wind - just what we wanted. By the time Tiger Lily rounded the headland at Vejsnae Nacke the wind had increased to a F6. This is approaching the limit of comfortable sailing even with a reef set in the main. There was now no possibility of going back and Tiger Lily stormed off westward with the wind on her tail, heading for the entrance of the Flensburg Fjord. In what seemed a long time, but in reality was only 4 hours we rounded the Kalgrund Beacon and headed south into more sheltered water. The Danish courtesy flag was cermoniously replaced by the German ensign in readiness for our entry into the large Gelting marina. Both the skipper's and crew's powers of concentration were depleted, as we almost mistook the nearby Wackerbillig marina for Gelting. Although clearly marked on the chart and buoyed we failed to notice the separate approach channel for yachts and took the main ferry channel into Gelting. It was only Tiger Lily's retractable keel which allowed her to scrape across the dividing shoal. We must have been more exhausted than we realised when we thankfully we tied up in a box mooring and looked forward to a good meal ashore. This was not to be as the marina could only offer a well stocked discount store, the town with its restaurants was a 3 kilometer walk away. Our original sailing plan called for an excursion further up the Flensburg Fjord, but as the days were quickly running out it was time to head back to Denmark. HorupHav was not in the plan, but it proved to be a most delightful harbour. Nearby the quaint little village with a single main road provided a good supermarket and an excellent little burgerbar. It was interesting to note that HorupHav was just 2 miles as the crow flies from Augustenborg and if necessary we could now recover the boat there if the weather should turn foul. The route to Augustenborg by sea passes Sonderborg and thence through the xx mile long Als Sund. A large marina 1 mile west of Sonderborg is handy for stopover, is adjacent to a little beach but is a fair walk from the town centre. Sonderborg iteself offers a public quay which can be used whilst waiting for the low road bridge to open. This bridge guards the southern entrance to the Als Sund which separates the island of Als from the mainland. The bridge opens regularly for the ferries which are then followed by a swarm of small boats. Once through the bridge, the passage through the Als Sund is straightforward, just keep to the right and avoid the steady stream of boats coming in the opposite direction. Our circumnavigation of Als was completed with a second visit to the Stegsvig inlet, but on this occasion we decided to make use of the marina in the other lagoon at Dyvig. Luckily we had arrived early and easily found a vacant box - the later arrivals are forced to anchor off. Facilities are basic, but the Kro restaurant does provide excellent meals. It was a most pleasant place to spend our penultimate evening. The short trip back down the fjord to Augustenborg left us with plenty of time to enjoy a drive to some other places on the island of Als. In particular, the marina at Ergunsund was well worth a visit. Mommark on the east coast, which had been one of our emergency 'bolt-hole' ports was smaller than expected and appeared to be open to weather from the northeast. It did however have an excellent sandy beach just outside the harbour. By 8am next morning Tiger Lily was back at the dock with her mast lowered and waiting for the crane to arrive. Within half an hour she was back on the trailer and ready for a scrub. As Tiger Lily is not anti-fouled, we usually spend an unpleasant time scrubbing off the marine growth. On this occasion her hull was remarkably clean, quite a contrast to earlier holidays - all she required was a quick wash down. The long trail home was uneventful, giving us time to contemplate the holiday. Although each sailing area is different and comparisons are difficult, we concluded that our 1991 holiday in the Danish Limfjord had the edge over this one. This was probably due to having too ambitious a sailing program and not enough sightseeing. The harbours in the Limfjord were more closely spaced and so allowed a more relaxed form of holiday. In the Lille Belt the greater distances between harbours and more open water sailing meant that we did not have time to fully appreciate the places we visited.