Explore: Denmark
Facts
- Denmark juts up towards the Scandinavian peninsula from the north-west edge of Europe and is made up of the Jutland peninsula and many islands.
- Denmark is the most densely populated country in Northern Europe with a population of 5.8 million people.
- The national language of Denmark is Danish.
- The Danish krone is the official currency of Denmark.
- Denmark is within the Central European Time (CET) zone, thus, Denmark is 1 hour (UTC +1) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
- The Danish climate is moderated by the warm Gulf Stream and is therefore milder than surrounding Scandinavian countries with four distinct seasons. See Weather for more info.
- The Danish archipelago is made up of over 500 islands providing excellent cruising opportunities. The islands are scattered over a relatively small area and distances between harbors are never more than a few miles. The most popular cruising area is the archipelago south of the larger islands of Fyn and Sjaelland. In the northern part of Jutland are the perfectly sheltered waters of Limfjord, connecting the North Sea to the Kattegat.
- A more convenient point of access for yachts coming from the south is the Kiel Canal, which avoids a long detour around the north of Denmark and leads straight into the heart of the Danish archipelago. The waters between Denmark and Sweden link the North Sea to the Baltic and so are very busy with shipping of all types.
- Yachting facilities are good throughout the country with the best repair facilities concentrated in and around Copenhagen. Find out more at Yachting Essentials.
Security
Weather
Denmark has a temperate climate and the winters are cold. The sailing season is limited to the summer which can be fairly wet, although enjoying long days. The prevailing winds in summer are westerly and this is also where most gales come from. Because of the surrounding landmass, the winds can be variable and the weather also changes with little warning.
Lyngby Radio can provide forecasts in English for Danish waters on VHF on request, but they may be chargeable. Gale and strong wind warnings are included in the usual navigational warnings.
In the vicinity of the Sound the forecasts (in English) on Swedish VHF radio after the traffic lists at 07:30 and 19:30 are excellent. They can also be picked up from most of the Danish Baltic waters also.
Navtex which provides weather forecasts, navigational warnings etc in English is useful especially if cruising beyond Denmark to other Baltic destinations.
Snow may be experienced in Denmark between December and the end of February or even later because of the high latitude. Harbours may have ice during the same period as there is a little salt in the water. April is dry but can be cold.
May and June are warm and June, in particular, is a lovely month with long daylight hours. There are a prolonged twilight and only about 5 hours of darkness. Fog is rare and visibility is usually good. Prevailing winds are westerly and seldom reach F7 but are variable with squalls under the clouds.
July tends to be warmer but high pressure may bring cooler winds from the North. August may, if you are lucky, bring a persistent high with Mediterranean conditions but this only happens every few years and the more common pattern is for changeable weather.
The peak of the sailing season is late June to early August when schools are on holiday and there are many visiting yachts from Sweden and Germany. It may then be difficult to find a berth even in the larger harbours and marinas. There are however numerous anchorages in the many sheltered fjords.
September brings gales, shorter days, increasing cold and the end of the sailing season. (updated January 2009).
For links to free global weather information, forecast services and extreme weather information see the Noonsite Weather Page
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Buy Now On YachtFlags.comMain Ports
- Region: Als
- Ports of Entry:
- Sonderborg
- Region: Bornholm
- Ports of Entry:
- Ronne
- Region: East Coast (Denmark)
- Ports of Entry:
- Arhus,
- Frederikshavn,
- Horsens,
- Kolding,
- Vejle
- Other Ports:
- Skagen
- Region: Falster
- Other Ports:
- Stubbekobing
- Region: Funen/Fyn
- Region: Langeland
- Other Ports:
- Bagenkop,
- Dagelokke,
- Lohals,
- Rudkobing,
- Spodsbjerg
- Region: Limfjord
- Ports of Entry:
- Struer
- Region: Lolland
- Ports of Entry:
- Rodbyhavn
- Region: Mon
- Other Ports:
- Klintholm
- Region: Sjaelland
- Ports of Entry:
- Copenhagen,
- Elsinore,
- Koge
- Other Ports:
- Brondby,
- Kalundborg,
- Korsor,
- Naestved
- Region: West Coast (Denmark)
- Ports of Entry:
- Esbjerg