Trans-Ocean summer meeting: Long-distance sailors practise the emergency on Fehmarn

"We are an association of people who are travelling all over the world," said Marcus Warnke, Chairman of Trans-Ocean. "That's why coming together is always something very special for us." And it certainly was. 51 boats and over 130 members came to the summer meeting in Orth harbour.

The red, blue and white pennants flew on the masts, sailors strolled from cockpit to cockpit. They chatted, discussed, talked about their last long voyages. The atmosphere was friendly, relaxed and welcoming. This was the tenth meeting of this kind for the club, which has neither its own harbour nor club grounds. Over the years, it has established itself as a fixed date in the cruising sailors' calendar.

Trans-Ocean: A community from wooden boats to aluminium yachts

The range of boats that came to Fehmarn over the Ascension weekend was impressive. "It's nice to experience the great diversity here that is part of the association," said Warnke. Old wooden boats lay alongside 40-foot aluminium yachts and GRP classics.

The large number of seaworthy boats was particularly eye-catching. Wind steering systems could be seen everywhere at the stern, as well as biminis, radar systems and wind generators. Such equipment is rarely seen on the calm Baltic Sea, but is much more common on the world's oceans.

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First the summer meeting, then the big trip

Florian Krause from Lübeck is one man who wants to go there - on the world's oceans. The trained sailmaker lived in the Netherlands for years, but now he wants to set off: alone on his Fortuna 35, the "Barfuff". "The original plan was for me to do this when I was 40, but somehow I got the urge earlier than that," said Krause.

His route takes him via Scotland, Ireland, Madeira and the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. From there, he wants to sail down the Brazilian coast, through the Strait of Magellan or via Ushuaia into the Pacific and on towards Madagascar. His goal: to go where the pepper grows.

Trans-Ocean recently accompanied him on the path to his dream. He met many like-minded people through microseminars, visits to boot Düsseldorf and the Lossegler meeting. Krause appreciates the sense of community: "No matter what boat you have, no matter how big it is, it doesn't count. That makes it very, very nice here."

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The Trans-Ocean pennant as an icebreaker

Jonas Bender also confirms this. He travelled single-handed with his "Balea" from Boltenhagen and has only recently become a TO member. "The teamwork is brilliant," he says. The others immediately took him in. Making contact with others is not difficult at all: the pennant, visible everywhere, often acts as an icebreaker.

In addition to the so-called Losseglers, there were also those on site who have already completed the great journey - some more than others. Like Robert Baumann. With his Alubat Ovni 395 "Globi", he had just returned from a trip around the Atlantic. He set sail in September 2025.

"Sailing a winter was the motto."

Trans-Ocean: source of inspiration and community

The route took him from the Baltic Sea via Scotland, Brest, the Bay of Biscay, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands to the Caribbean and back via the Azores. He didn't take any time off from his job - he continued to work as a buyer on the side. He stayed connected via Starlink.

With eleven crew members - all friends with no ocean experience - he divided up the stages. He values Trans-Ocean above all as a source of inspiration and a community. He wants to repeat the tour in five years' time, then with more time and without work commitments.

The list of sailors with exciting stories from the world's oceans was long this weekend. Together with the opportunity to view other boats at the open boat, there were countless opportunities for conversation.

About Trans-Ocean

The "Trans-Ocean" e.V. (TO) is a network for ocean sailors. Even without a clubhouse, it sees itself as their "home harbour" and lives where its members meet. Trans-Ocean was founded in 1968 to promote ocean sailing as a sport and to support sailors in both cruising and racing. This was initiated by Claus Hehner, who was not supported by traditional clubs or sponsors for his participation in international single-handed offshore regattas. Trans-Ocean continues its support in this tradition, including the annual awarding of the Trans-Ocean Prize.

More read more here.

Life raft: training for emergencies

However, there was another topic on the agenda in addition to the exchange: life rafts. After last year's single-handed rescue training - which focused on rescue manoeuvres for small crews - this time the focus was on the practical transfer from your own boat to the life raft.

In return Mara Zapp, manager of the Well-Sailing sailing school. With the help of donated, expired life rafts, she demonstrated what needs to be considered and why it makes sense to rehearse the crossing before an emergency. "What you have done yourself simply goes into a different memory than what you only read or see."

Her central credo: arrive on the island dry, keep calm and stay creative. Because no two emergencies are the same. "Something is always different - always a little something that needs to be dealt with in a new and creative way." If you have a life raft on board, you should know how it works and think it through on your own boat.

Every move must be right

"Nobody pulls out their life raft for fun to see how it works," said Marcus Warnke. This is precisely the problem. Because in an emergency, in heavy weather and under stress, every move has to be right: where the island is attached, how to disembark, where to hold on. At the summer meeting on Fehmarn, the participants practised exactly that. The chairman of the association tried out the procedure on board his own boat.

It's part of the risk when you take to the blue water. I haven't had to experience that yet, but we have enough people in the club who can tell you about it."

According to Warnke, the practical exercises are primarily used to mentally rehearse such emergencies. "We won't be able to do this in eight winds, with a broken mast and half a metre of water in the ship," admits Warnke. But: those who have mentally rehearsed such situations can deal with them much better under stress.

The summer meeting not only provided space for an exchange about travelling, but also added value in terms of safety. The next meeting of ocean sailors will take place from 30 October to 1 November 2026 in Cuxhaven.