Time passed far too quickly. The Varianta 65 "Fliege" spent just one night in Allinge harbour on Bornholm before the weather forced it to leave again. For just one night and one day, Christian Dörges was able to savour the feeling of having finally made it. To have finally arrived at the big destination he had longed for for years. And then this: strong winds approaching - so sails up and onwards!
And yet he is happy: "Reaching Bornholm on my own keel was an absolute highlight," summarises the 64-year-old, who has owned a six-and-a-half metre long small cruiser for ten years. His home waters are Lake Salzgitter in Lower Saxony, but in the summer, the retired teacher and his sailing partner are drawn out to sea. For sea sailing instead of sailing on the lake.
It's not often that you come across small cruisers along the local coastline that are used by cruising sailors like Christian Dörges for longer trips. And yet they are more common than you might think, skippers who embark on a bigger adventure with their small boat, which was actually designed for sheltered waters. We therefore asked three crews with boats between 20 and 25 feet how they prepared and experienced their longest trip to date.
In this article:
The idea of sailing into Bornholm on their own keel had been in the minds of Christian Dörges and his friend for a long time. After all, their Baltic Sea cruises had taken them further and further afield: first around Funen - "That went well!" -, then to Samsø - "Worked too, so we wanted more!" The easternmost Danish island became a dream destination, but whenever the duo had just brought the boat to the Baltic Sea, there were strong easterly winds. "And when there's a lot of wind, the boat simply isn't very suitable for cruising," says the owner.
The Varianta has a small time window. With 5 Beaufort you have to be careful. That often means waiting until the weather is right
The go-ahead is finally given spontaneously when a favourable weather window appears at the start of a two-week Baltic Sea cruise. "It's now or never", thought the crew and set off just three hours after slipping the boat. The plan is to circumnavigate Bornholm - in any direction. "It was completely open whether we would then return via Sweden and Denmark or via Germany," says Dörges.
Sail straight ahead until you reach land again
Dirk and Ricarda Gehrke's small cruiser adventure began in a similarly spontaneous manner - but was secretly planned well in advance. During a four-week summer cruise, they sailed their Sunbeam 25 almost 800 nautical miles from the Elbe to Norway and back around Jutland.
Bornholm was also the ultimate cruising destination for the couple from Wedel for a long time. "But it just never worked out," says Dirk Gehrke, "we were almost a little desperate." Another route that the skipper has been thinking about sailing for a long time is the lonely Danish North Sea coast. Just for the sake of sailing, from south to north. As far as possible, always straight ahead. "Until you hit land again," says Gehrke and laughs. So gradually, reaching Norway on their own keel became the new plan. And then on round Skagen. The return journey could take them through the Little or Great Belt or via Copenhagen.
The decision in favour of the round-skagen attempt is finally made spontaneously on the first day of the trip at Brunsbüttel. Dirk Gehrke checks the current weather forecast just outside the canal entrance. It promises optimal, almost too calm conditions. That's just fine with the couple: "The boat is more of an inland boat and sails very smoothly." So the canal remains astern while the ebb current carries the Sunbeam down the Elbe.
If possible, the crew no longer wants to make a stopover until Norway - and for a very specific reason: the Gehrkes want to test themselves, as they are planning a long voyage. "We wanted to find out whether we could cope with a long passage together in a confined space! How do we do it when travelling at night? How do we cope?" reports Dirk Gehrke. "That's why we just wanted to leave the boat running and not dock for a few days and nights."
From the IJsselmeer to Grömitz
The desire for a break from sailing was also the initial spark for Konstantin Dittrich's big small cruise. The opportunity has arrived: the 23-year-old has eight weeks between completing his training as a master craftsman in plumbing and heating technology and starting his first permanent job. As he has done so many times before, he wants to spend two weeks in the summer as a volunteer boatman on guard duty for the DLRG. The only difference is that he will now be travelling to the beach in Grömitz by boat. That's 300 nautical miles across the North Sea, NOK and Baltic Sea from his home port of Balk on the IJsselmeer - and quite a haul for his six-metre Neptun 20, especially as he has to return at the end of the summer. A friend who is keen and has plenty of spare holiday wants to accompany him.
Unlike Gehrke's, Konstantin Dittrich's only fixed destination is the harbour of arrival. The route there is, at least for the most part, completely open. He spontaneously plans each next stage, often a little too ambitiously, which ends in the odd night-time journey. "We've definitely looked for a place to anchor in the dark with a torch," says Dittrich and laughs. "Most of the time we were too slow or the wind was too weak."
Gehrke's Sunbeam 25 is also sailing through the dark with her crew for the first time on this trip. Despite the challenging area, they are both enthusiastic and throw the watch schedule overboard. "I was so fascinated by night sailing that I stayed up until three or four in the morning," says Dirk Gehrke.
Spontaneous decisions depending on weather conditions
For three days and two nights, he and his wife sail north, cross the Skagerrak and arrive in Kristiansand in southern Norway just 72 hours after the start of their trip - pure happiness! They don't meet another sailor on the way. But a long-distance swimmer and commercial shipping on nerve-wracking collision courses north of Skagen. The fact that the Danish coast is usually within sight gives them a sense of security.
Like Christian Dörges on Bornholm, the Sunbeam crew has little time to celebrate their arrival at their destination. After one night, a look at the weather calls for a decision: to sail on immediately or to stay in for the day - which would jeopardise the entire trip planning. Spontaneously, the boat is made ready for the next night trip: this time to Skagen.
Equipment optimised over the years
All three crews had equipped their boats accordingly for the trips, sometimes for years. Dirk Gehrke had bought his "Suria" six years earlier. Before that, the former paraglider pilot had taught himself to sail on a Sailfish 18, his first boat, on the Elbe. He soon needed a larger boat for further trips on the Baltic Sea - the choice fell on the Sunbeam 25. "I then customised it bit by bit to suit my needs," says the 55-year-old service engineer. And they were quite something: on board is equipment that is usually found on larger yachts, such as a parasailor, an AIS receiver, 40 metres of anchor chain and a dinghy. When the trip to Norway begins, the sails are new, two 20-inch folding bikes are on board and fresh water for a week. "Everything had been brought up to standard with the aim of making the boat fit for a longer trip."
Christian Dörges and Konstantin Dittrich have also given their boats a permanently installed marine radio so that they don't have to rely on the short range of a handheld radio at sea. Christian Dörges also regrets having only purchased a passive AIS and not one that also transmits his position. "I thought I wouldn't be able to cope with the power requirement, but that's not the case." His solar panel on the sliding hatch manages to keep the on-board battery sufficiently topped up while underway. Everyone has electronic nautical charts on board, whether on their smartphone, tablet or even on a built-in chart plotter.
Small cruiser crews in unknown waters
Despite the sometimes spartan space on the small cruiser, everyone celebrates summer life on the small boats. Konstantin Dittrich and his co-sailor stock up on drinks for the whole trip in Holland. Fresh provisions are bought on site and cooked on the single-burner gas cooker under the companionway. "Mostly one-pot dishes," says the young man and laughs.
However, before the Neptun 20 crew can start strolling around bays at Danish anchorages, they have to pass their first acid test on the North Sea. "I went out from the IJsselmeer onto the mudflats a bit naive," says Dittrich, "we didn't even have a tide table with us." They intuitively felt their way around the mudflats and learnt the charms of the area. They quickly ventured out of the shadow of the islands onto the North Sea and sailed in long strokes, always passing several islands at once, as far as the Kiel Canal.
The ride from the East Frisian coast across the Jade, Weser and Elbe estuaries is particularly impressive for the young skipper. "You have to go so far out that you feel like you're on the ocean in the small boat." Two metre waves and a tailwind make the Neptun literally surf into the Elbe. Dittrich wants to reef - "but the wave was too heavy," he says. So they speed through to Cuxhaven and on to the Kiel Canal under full sail.
On the North Sea, I had the feeling of being on a big ocean with the small boat
They don't want to put the outboard motor through the bottleneck to the Baltic Sea for the day's march and have a larger yacht tow them. In the end, a crew of friends takes them in tow with a barely larger seven-and-a-half metre boat - but still with a built-in diesel.
When the small cruiser reaches its limits
However, the young skipper is shown the limits of his boat, especially on the way back. When he re-enters the Kiel Canal in mid-August, only to leave it a little later in a westerly direction, a low-pressure system blocks the way back. It was autumn. "So I decided to first cross the Eider to the North Sea and then return via Heligoland." But when Dittrich, again with a friend on board, reaches the coast near Tönning, the wind is still blowing from the west at six to eight force. They risk it anyway and head out under sail and engine, but turn round because the outboard engine goes on strike. The trip ends in Tönning and Dittrich pulls the trailer boat joker: a call home and his father brings the trailer to the boat.
Dirk Gehrke also experiences that the limit is quickly reached on the small cruiser on his North Sea trip. "On the way to Norway, the waves were so high on one of the days that we couldn't cook and could barely go to the loo. That was exhausting, and I'm sure three days sailing in a row is the maximum with this boat."
But Gehrke also knows what he can expect from the boat after he once got caught in six to seven force winds and three and a half metre waves. "I don't need that again! But beyond that, I have absolute confidence in the boat." This is reinforced on the section of the trip from Skagen to the south: strong winds from the west to south-west mean upwind sailing and allow the crew to cover shorter distances. Nevertheless, the Gehrkes are always three to four days ahead of schedule and even start to dawdle towards the end.
Sailing a small cruiser also means waiting until the weather is right
Christian Dörges is also cautious. "The Varianta has a very small time window. You have to be careful with 5 Beaufort. That often means waiting until the weather is right." He therefore estimates that he can theoretically retrieve his boat on the trailer if necessary - even if his goal is actually to manage everything under sail under his own steam. Then, as on arrival on Bornholm, astonished looks are guaranteed when the bright red "Fliege" is once again the smallest boat in the harbour.
The trip was a highlight! We still have a gleam in our eyes when we think about it
What's more, as simple as it may seem, taking the boat on a trailer on holiday always involves a lot of effort that should not be underestimated. Dirk Gehrke, who even took his former 18-foot boat on the hook with him on a trip to the eastern Swedish archipelago, agrees. The flexibility is great, but so is the effort.
Christian Dörges therefore particularly appreciates the fact that he can take the boat home with him in winter and prepare it for the next sailing adventure for little money.
Was the dream cruise as special as you had hoped?
Keyword adventure: Was the long-planned trip to Bornholm really as special as hoped? "Definitely!" says the skipper. "It was the longest and most beautiful trip so far and well worth the long wait!"
Ricarda and Dirk Gehrke agree. "This trip was an absolute highlight! There were nothing but superlatives. We still have a sparkle in our eyes when we think about it." For them, the trip was also confirmation that they should continue to pursue their long-distance dream.
Even Konstantin Dittrich, who had to abort earlier than planned, is completely satisfied: "It was a mega adventure and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I gained a lot of experience as a skipper."
However, he would do things differently next time - for example, he would not set off again without a permanently installed chart plotter as a redundancy to the smartphone. And above all, he would monitor the general weather conditions for longer in advance so as not to end up in another weather trap towards the end of the trip.
It's clear to everyone that it's time to go again: Dirk and Ricarda Gehrke are taking on the really big trip with a blue water yacht after their successful small cruiser adventure. Konstantin Dittrich wants more time to visit the North Sea islands in the Wadden Sea. And Christian Dörges' new dream destination is Öland, or perhaps Gotland - from Germany on his own keel.
He knows that it may take a few years before he makes it again - but he also knows that the wait for the next big adventure in the small boat will definitely be worth it.
With the Varianta 65 to Bornholm
For years, the island has been Christian Dörges' dream destination. When the weather window finally opens, he sets off
Three questions for the crew
How much time should I have for this trip?
It really depends on the weather, you need a good weather window. We had 14 days.
Was there an absolute cruise highlight?
Yes, to arrive on Bornholm at all!
The most useful piece of equipment?
Our handheld GPS Garmin 60CSx! We now even have two of them: one attached to port and one to starboard. We love it dearly and would also take it with us on a larger boat.
Information about the cruise
- Course of the trip:Großenbrode, Marielyst (Anker), Hesnæs (Anker), Klintholm, Smyggehamn, Kåsberga, Allinge, Gören/Rügen (Anker), Lauterbach, Stralsund, Darßer Ort (Anker), Kühlungsborn, Großenbrode
- Nautical miles: 389, of which 347 under sail
- Longest stroke: 73 nm from Allinge/Bornholm to Gören/Rügen
- Night drives: one, from Bornholm to Rügen
- Duration/date:twelve days/end of July
- Nights in harbour/at anchor:7/4
With the Neptun 20 across the North and Baltic Seas
Konstantin Dittrich has six weeks. His plan: to sail as much as possible. The turning point is Grömitz
Three questions for the crew
How much time should I have for this trip?
I already had quite a lot, but next time I would plan even more. Above all, I'd prefer two weeks for the route from Balk to the NOK instead of just one.
Was there an absolute cruise highlight?
Yes, one of the sailing days in Denmark: with lunch on the beach and harbour porpoises on the water.
The most useful piece of equipment?
Definitely the tiller pilot. Especially when I sailed routes alone.
Information about the cruise
- Course of the trip:Balk, Molkwerum (anchor), Terschelling, Lauwersoog, Norderney, Wangerooge, Cuxhaven, NOK, Wentdorf, Kappeln, Sandvig/Als (anchor), Årøsund Havn, Gamborg Fjord (anchor), Æbelø (anchor), Kalundborg, Kerteminde Bugt (anchor), Lunkebucht (anchor), Großenbrode (anchor), Grömitz, Heiligenhafen, Schilksee, Kiel, NOK, Eider, Tönning
- Nautical miles:800, of which 443 under sail
- Longest stroke:58 nm from Tåsinge (Lunkebucht) to Großenbrode
- Night drives:six
- Duration/date:six weeks/July and August
- Nights in harbour/at anchor: 23/8
With the Sunbeam 25 round Skagen
Dirk and Ricarda Gehrke have long-distance plans - they test their sea legs on a big cruise on the small cruiser
Three questions for the crew
What is the minimum amount of time you should have for this trip?
At least three weeks, preferably with some air. Shorter is difficult. We had four weeks and were able to stroll at the end.
Was there an absolute cruise highlight?
The long haul up to Norway. That was pure sailing!
The most useful piece of equipment?
We have several: the Omnia back attachment, the tiller pilot and the Parasailor.
Information about the cruise
- Route: Wedel, Glückstadt (anchor), Cuxhaven, Kristiansand, Skagen, Ålbæk, Hals, Grenaa, Ballen/Samsø, Korshavn (anchor), Trænse (anchor), Svendborg, Fjællebrøn (anchor), Avernakø (anchor), Ærøskøbing (anchor), Kappeln, Flemhuder See/NOK (anchor), Brunsbüttel, Glückstadt, Wedel
- Nautical miles: 776, of which 666 under sail
- Longest stroke:261 nm from Cuxhaven to Kristiansand
- Night drives: three
- Duration/date:four weeks/August
- Nights in harbour/at anchor: 17/8
