Explore: Denmark

• 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. Over 500 make up the Danish archipelago 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 and there are either marinas or fishing harbors with mooring facilities for yachts conveniently situated within a short distance of each other. The majority of harbors have a maximum depth of 2.5m and get very crowded in summer. It is customary to raft up extensively, often several boats deep and catamarans will find getting a berth difficult. The Danish Yachting Association has mooring buoys (marked with DS in black letters) in 23 harbors in Limfjord, the east coast of Jutland, SE coast of Fyn and south coast of Sjaelland. Visiting sailors may not use such buoys.
• The best repair facilities are concentrated in and around Copenhagen where there are several marinas, the best known of which is Langelinie close to the center of the capital, although this is generally used by traditional craft and sail training ships. Also close to Copenhagen is the marina at Svanemoellen. There are good facilities at Århus and Ålborg, the latter in Limfjord.
• Provisioning is excellent throughout Denmark and the quality of food is among the best in the world. Marine supplies are available in all yachting centers, although the prices are very high.
• A powerful flashlight or searchlight is a useful item of equipment for night sailing in Denmark as very many of the marks are unlit but well equipped with conspicuous reflective tape. Although in summer the nights are very short and, in clear weather, hardly dark at all. It is worth obtaining a Danish “cockpit handbook” type publication showing, in particular, the reflective tape system in use on Cardinal Marks (known sensibly as “Compass Marks” in Denmark).
• Fuel – Diesel and sometimes petrol pumps are found in the vicinity of most marinas. For safety reasons, the pumps are usually outside the mooring area. Self-service is the general rule, payment either being to a cashier or, more often, by using a credit card. Low-duty marine diesel is not available to yachts in Denmark. In smaller harbors, it may be necessary to fetch fuel in jerrycans from a garage. Fuel berths nearly always have pump-out facilities.
• Gas – Best advice is to carry as much gas as possible! Camping Gaz (butane) is available from chandlers, camping sites, Statoil roadside filling stations, and some ironmongers. Beware of shortages later in the season. Propane is widely available and burns better in cold weather but there may be problems with connectors. Skippers with yachts with Calor Gas installations should refer to the Calor Gas Ltd website www.calormarineshop.co.uk for useful advice.
• Waste Disposal – Nearly all harbors have to refuse bins (some have separate bins for different kinds of waste, glassware etc). To dispose of oil, metal and similar wastes it may be necessary to ask at a yacht club or boatyard. If in uninhabited places, carry your waste with you until you reach the harbor. No waste other than fresh fish may be thrown overboard.

Cruising Guide to Germany and Denmark
By Brian Navin – Published by Imray
Find out more and get a discount via the WCC online shop
Covering the North Sea and Baltic coasts of Germany and Denmark, this guide is a companion to Brian Navin’s North Sea Passage Pilot and Cruising Guide to the Netherlands. It is well established as the standard companion for English speaking visitors to this wonderful cruising area.