Long passages & sail breakage! | step 31

From Monnickendam to Cuxhaven Setting Sail from Monnickendam Our journey begins on a beautiful day in Monnickendam, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures around 17-18 degrees Celsius. The wind is blowing from the north at 16-20 knots, perfect conditions for our 28-mile sail to Medemblik. The boat heels significantly as we reach speeds of up to 7.5 knots. It's during these moments that we realize there are always a few more things we should have secured! By 15:00, we reach the imposing lock at Enkhuizen. Instead of stopping, we decide to push on to Medemblik, partly under sail and partly under engine power. This positions us well for tomorrow's planned sail to Makkum or beyond, with favorable winds forecasted. Our new self-tacking rig on the cutter works wonderfully, though the new "red line" slips a bit on the winch. It's manageable, but we make a mental note for future adjustments. Medemblik to Makkum: A Leisurely Sail We wake up early, thanks to our enthusiastic puppy Rif, who decides 6:30 AM is the perfect time for a walk around the castle. After coffee, crackers, and a quick trip to the local bakery, we cast off at 10:00 AM for a relaxed, broad reach to Makkum. With all sails set except the cutter, we glide along at an average speed of 3.5 knots. We navigate around the wind turbines and arrive in Makkum at 16:30. During our sail, we receive news that Bram has been sworn in as a civilian-military, filling us with pride. Rif spends most of the journey sleeping contentedly under the table below deck. We dock at the long pier in Makkum, paying €29.50 for the night. Early Start to Vlieland Our alarm goes off at 5:15 AM, much to Rif's confusion. We're up early to catch the favorable tide to Vlieland and to pass through the Lorentz lock before it closes for rush hour traffic on the Afsluitdijk. We set sail at 6:00 AM, enjoying the beautiful morning breeze and sunrise. With only the genoa up, we make good speed towards Vlieland, averaging 6-7 knots. En route, we admire several tall ships passing by. At 11:30, we navigate the narrow harbor entrance of Vlieland, contending with strong currents. We dock at the floating L-pier and enjoy the "harbor cinema" as other boats arrive, some more gracefully than others. Overnight Sail to Helgoland Originally planning to sail to Thyboron, we decide that the 40-hour journey might be too much for Rif's first long trip. Instead, we plot a course to Helgoland, with the intention of later exploring the Eider River route towards Kiel. We depart Vlieland at 11:30, setting the mizzen and genoa for a nearly downwind course. The sun shines as we average 6.5 knots along the Wadden Islands towards the German Bight. Due to the previous day's strong winds, we encounter some significant waves, causing the boat to "camel" (rock up and down). We begin our watch system early. Rif adapts well, though he doesn't relieve himself due to the boat's movement. When Patty sleeps, Rif rests under the bed where it's calmer. During the night, we face a challenge when the genoa sheet gets caught under the anchor winch. We also realize the dinghy needs better securing. We enjoy a dinner of macaroni before nightfall. Around 8:00 AM, we approach Bremerhaven and prepare to cross two busy traffic zones and an anchorage area. The next 2.5 hours prove challenging with 3-4 meter "washing machine" waves rolling us in all directions. We lose six plates despite our best efforts to secure everything. Poor Rif needs frequent "catching" in his basket. We encounter three squalls with wind gusts up to 32 knots but maintain good speeds of 8-9 knots with some engine assistance. At 10:30, we enter Helgoland's harbor, thankful to dock at a floating pier rather than the wall. Change of Plans: Helgoland to Cuxhaven We wake early to strong winds, forcing us to reconsider our plan to sail up the Eider River. With westerly winds making the approach dangerous, we plot a new course to the Kiel Canal via Cuxhaven. Departing Helgoland at 7:00 AM, we set all sails to maintain stability in the 3-4 meter waves. It turns into a fantastic sailing day, especially as we enter the Elbe, reaching speeds of nearly 12 knots with the help of the current. However, our exhilarating sail comes to an abrupt end just before Cuxhaven. With 22-24 knots of wind and sails fully trimmed, we hear a loud "PLOP" and watch as the genoa flaps away from the ship - the foresail sheet has snapped! We quickly furl the genoa and retrieve the sheet from the water. Under engine power, we make our way into Cuxhaven at noon. We secure a berth and remove the sail before the predicted wind gusts arrive. A kind Danish sailor helps us dock, and we enjoy a beer and conversation about his upcoming trip to the Netherlands. Patty contacts a local sailmaker who agrees to repair our sail on Monday, giving us two unexpected but welcome rest days in Cuxhaven. #sailing #sailboat #boatlife