Kuhlungsborn & Warnemunde
We set off from Wismar with the intention to arrive at Rostock but after a lumpy frustrating 6 hours beating into the wind on the nose and a very wet forward berth (bed) decided to pull in at Kuhlungsborn at what was to be our most expensive marina to date, and therefore a one night only event.
The day had started out really lovely bright and sunny, hence the reason Phil decided to crack open (a couple of cm’s) the forward hatch above the for cabin bed – usually locked shut during sailing. The day then deteriorated and the waves built up and the wind on the nose, and after bashing into it for some time and having the bow dipping into the swell there was a loud expletive from Phil in the form of “Oh #### the hatch” and of course there was whole lot of sea water on the bed, sheets, duvet and mattress (with them only recently being washed in Laboe may I add!) Anyhow I rung them out and got them off before it had penetrated into the mattress from the duvet and mattress protector above. A lot of water was rung out but no harm done – other than to Phil’s pride. We were able to use the drier at Kuhlungsborn and hang the mattresses protector out to dry also.
A walk showed us this was another German Baltic beach town, with the required beach access fee and ugly beach huts and also a lot (I mean a real lot) of hotel and appartments along the foreshore and associated tourist shops. The hotel and apartment blocks were all very square and plain (but painted nicely) making us think they were refitted for holidays makers – basically just adding gardens and a pastel paint job, having previously been used as camps or military buildings or even communist housing? But regardless the area was full of happy holiday makers enjoying the promenade and the beach.
Having arrived around 4pm we only paid for the one night (as mentioned very expensive) but we got our moneys worth as we stayed until around 4pm the next day before making the short hop (just a few miles) to Warnemunde to overnight and set us up before the bigger sail around to Stralsund. We arrived before dusk as a couple of large cruise ships (carrying thousands of passengers each) sounding their horns as they departed the river. We found a spot alongside on the wooden jetty (not the marina – still broke from the night before) and tied up for the night just as the sun disappeared and then left before the sun was up the next morning, meeting that day’s cruise ships approaching as we departed.
As the sun rose as the day got underway it became obvious this was going to be a motor (or motor sail) and not a sailing day, there was virtually no wind and an hour later the fog arrived. Thick fog lasting hours – I really don’t enjoy fog. Anyway 2.5 hours and 176 soundings of the fog horn later it cleared, and much to my disgust we could see other yachts and continued to do so for the entire journey despite us being the only vessel sounding a fog horn in fog that we could hear. I really do hope they were all sounding and we were just not close enough to hear them.
As the wind grew we were able to sail but still needed the engine ticking over occasionally as we turned to go down the buoyed channel through the very shallow waters to Stralsund. At least the sun kept up all day and again our skin enjoyed soaking up some long lost warmth (a lot to make up from the last year spent in the colder climates of England and Scotland).
Red Roo 
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