Helgoland: A Hidden Gem in the North Sea

Tough voyage to the island of Helgoland. Beautiful scenery and really worth the trip out here. The Nauticat 38 S/Y Maja sailed out from Cuxhaven in Germany on a rough day in July 2025, and stayed over night. Next day we continued our journey to Delfzijl in the Netherlands. Heligoland is an island in the German Bight of the North Sea. The originally larger island broke up in the New Year's Flood of 1721; since then, the neighboring island known as Düne has existed. The municipality of Heligoland has a population of 1,329 (December 31, 2024). Measured from the eastern shore of the main island to the west coast of the Schleswig-Holstein mainland near Sankt Peter-Ording, Heligoland is 48.5 km from the mainland. The Heligoland and Düne archipelago has been part of German territory since 1890 and is integrated into the Pinneberg district (Schleswig-Holstein) as the independent municipality of Heligoland. Special tax regulations apply to both islands: Although the municipality is part of the German economic territory, it is neither part of the customs territory of the Union nor are German excise taxes levied. Chapters: 0:00 Sailing from Cuxhaven to Helgoland 0:50 Nauticat 38 approaching Helgoland 1:13 Helgoland Harbour 1:36 Helgoland Island 4:07 The adventure continues