The last leg of our summer cruise was from Heiligenhafen to Kappeln. We enjoyed every mile of this trip because only after a few weeks we will be able to return to boat.
While crossing the bay of Kiel it felt staggering to pass Kiel and the Kiel canal entrance. Most of the yachts leaving Finland for sailing the Seven Seas of the world pass through Kiel canal. Now we have ourselves travelled across the Baltic from our home port until here. Oulu is located in the north-eastern corner of the Baltic Sea and Kiel is just at opposite end of Baltic in the south-western corner. During our passage we have sailed in all nine countries of Baltic Sea. However during this year Kiel has to wait for us because during next spring our plan is to pass Kiel canal and sail on the North Sea.
Now we still have time to enjoy the Baltic Sea and wait on what kind of winter home we have selected for Suwena. After entering the inlet of Schlei we noticed it was full of boats going in every possible direction despite of already being a late Sunday evening. There are at least a dozen marinas in Schlei area. Only in the city of Kappeln we counted four and one of them is our chosen Ancker Yachting.
We had booked a berth for a few month so we could still come for sailing during the autumn before winter lift-up. The marina was full when we arrived but we got lucky and were able to moor her outside pontoons for a night.
On Monday the first thing was to search harbourmaster and discuss about berth reservation. We only had two days to prepare everything before flying home on Tuesday evening.
We were surprised about Kappeln. There are about ten boating related companies in the vicinity of marina. So we have found a really good place where the winter storage and all maintenance tasks will go smoothly for sure.
For example Andrus had planned for some time that we make an upgrade to our diesel system. Only two houses from Ancker marina there is a diesel service company where we were able to quickly arrange mechanic visiting Suwena. Andrus and mechanic studied together our engine diesel supply into which Andrus wants to add an electric fuel polishing system. With Andrus’s drawings and active English and German mixed discussion we agreed about what needs to be done and the work will be done when we get back to boat in the end of August.
On Monday evening when both the freezers and refrigerator were defrosted we felt that we have deserved a good restaurant meal. When our boating friends Manfred and Gigi heard that we will come to Kappeln they warmly recommended the restaurant of Mr Stark. We got lucky about getting a free table. Usually the reservation should be made a week ahead. The speciality of this restaurant is that there is no menu at all. Every customer gets an invitation to the kitchen and the meal is planned together with the cook. We of course wanted seafood. First thing was to select the fish from a large selection and then we discussed with cook about preparing the meal. We got excited about the house speciality that has four different kind of fish grilled and spiced with herbs in Italian style. We were really full when we got back to Suwena for spending the last, no 77, night of the summer voyage aboard Suwena.
On Tuesday it was wistful to leave Suwena so far from home. This is not definitely a place to jump for a evening sail. But I guess we must get used to this as she travels further every year. Suwena stayed in the harbour while we flyed home. In the airplane we were laughing that we had been sailing for ten weeks on the Baltic Sea to get to Kappeln but getting home took only a few hours. But the peaceful sailing wins always a jet plane.
