Lady Hamilton 2019

UTKLIPPAN (Sweden) to BORNHOLM (Denmark) 65 miles

Day 86  Monday, 26th August 2019 

Left at 6.15 am but woke at 5.30am and saw the sunrise.  A few yachts left at the same time – mostly German yachts going home, with a few Poles and one from the Czech Republic.   We didn’t see any seals on the rocks south of Utklippan.  It’s almost as roly-poly as yesterday but I’m acclimatised now and don’t feel seasick at all.  We motorsail all day with the genoa out, reaching in very little wind.

There’s a big ferry going to Helsinki, and a cruise ship going to Tallinn and one in the opposite direction going to Copenhagen.   You can see how busy the Deep Water Channel is by looking at the chart plotter.  There’s cargo vessels going to St. Petersburg and to Turku, Finland, and lots of other destinations. We are the red circle in the middle of all the ships!

Malcolm puts up the Danish flag and takes down the Swedish flag.

Bornholm, my Lonely Planet guidebook says, ‘is a little Baltic pearl’.  It’s a Danish island yet lying some 200 km east of the Danish mainland and north of Poland.  Bornholm has white sandy beaches, rolling hills and a claim to have the highest number of sunshine hours in the Baltic. 

Bornholm was once a Viking stronghold, a Danish possession since the Middle Ages, then in the 16^th century occupied by Lubeck (a German Hanseatic City).  The island was awarded to Sweden in 1658 and was returned to Denmark two years later by a fierce local rebellion. 

The island suffered cruelly at the end of WW11 – it was bombed by Soviet air raids when the Nazi Commander of Bornholm resisted after Germany surrendered in May 1945.  On 9^th May the island was handed over to the Soviets who remained in situ until the following year – when Bornholm was returned to Denmark.

We can see the island in the distance and approach down the west side to Ronne, the island’s capital.  The castle near the tip of the island hoves into view – the magnificent ‘Hammershus Slot’. 

The impressive, substantial ruins of this 13^th century castle are the largest of their kind in Scandinavia.  Perched dramatically over the sea, they are flanked by cliffs and a deep valley.  My guidebook says: ‘If there is must-see sight on Bornholm, this castle is it!’  We’re so pleased that we’ve seen it from the sea, as all the invaders must have done centuries ago.

Smokehouses on the shore, part of Bornholm’s history as fishing for herring was the main source of income of all the fishermen, and one of the island’s simple pleasures!

Arrive after 65 miles at 5.45 pm and have a beer to celebrate!  The Harbour Master calls round to tell us where the machine is situated for paying our harbour dues.  We have showers, I cook Spaghetti Carbonara and watch another epidosde of ‘Mad Men’ and fall into bed at 10pm.  It’s been a long day!