We were lucky to find our scheduled departure day was one of manageable winds, sandwiched as it was between two days of near gales. After a brief interlude of warm sun the weather had again turned inclement and there was more call for fleeces and wet weather gear than bikinis and sunglasses. Today's passage was to take us north to Helsingør, best known to us for Kronborg Castle, the eerie setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Locally however it is the ferry crossing to Sweden which is the main attraction, and the twenty minute journey brings regular boat loads in search of alcoholic bargains. They didn't seem very cheap to us but we could only assume it was an improvement on Swedish prices - and Helgoland is a hard act to follow.

Our route took us slightly offshore in a straight leg north from Copenhagen with few hazards to worry about. There were a number of other boats about and at our slow (diesel-saving) speed we were even overtaken by a heavily-crewed sailing boat taking good advantage of the fresh breeze with more sails than we could make sense of.

A lay day in Helsingør gave us a chance to visit the castle and enjoy the guided tours (in English) of the dark and gloomy casemates where 16th century soldiers were billeted during times of war, as well as the more lavishly furnished Royal Apartments. The 62 metre long Great Hall was, in its day, the largest in Europe and Christian the fourth was renowned for his lavish parties and womanising tendancies. When the castle suffered from fire damage in the 17th century the Danes refused to pay for the restoration and plain white walls replaced some of the more ornate decoration.

The stay was rounded off by a gala dinner at Madam Sprunck (www.madamsprunck.dk), a popular haunt for locals and tourists serving international as well as Danish cuisine in a suitably 'hygge' atmosphere. For our departing guests, the 60 minute train journey was a straightforward proposition, with a direct link from Helsingør to Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 23 nm

Total to date: 865 nm

Avg Speed: 6 knots

Duration: 4 hours

Diesel: 23 litres

Wind: W 3-4

Mooring: Kr.120/night

Electricity: Included

Water: Included

Charts

NV Serie 2 - S22A

NV Serie 3 - S26