Day two of our first trip: Today we just have to sail the short distance from Wilhelmshaven to Varel, but again we have to plan our departure carefully as part of our planned route falls dry during low tide. Of course we are a little too early and run aground soon. No problem, we head back and plan to anchor while waiting for the high tide. But this time, the tide current is rather strong, causing our way too light anchor to drift away before it reaches the ground. I even worry it might get caught up in our propeller, so we spend the time adrift. Soon, the water is deep enough and we reach Varel Lock.
On the way to Varel
Finally: Varel Lock
Of course it starts to rain, but it is warmer than yesterday. We sail through a very nice channel and soon we reach the travellift of the shipyard. The boss is actually really there, and we tie our boat to a motor yacht. We made it! BRÖSEL arrived safely in Varel.
Next to the shipyard’s travellift
In the afternoon, we prepare the boat for the winter as good as possible. Tomorrow we have to leave, so I’m eager to raise the boat out of the water today, but the shipyard is deserted and the owner nowhere to be found. In the evening I talk to him and he says “No problem, just give me the key, we will do everything!”. That’s completely the opposite of what I had in mind, but we don’t have a choice.
The next morning, we leave Varel with mixed feelings. The town seems to be really nice, the harbour picturesque and the people at the shipyard competent. But we just invested nearly all of our savings in this boat, and now we have to leave it like that with strangers, 1100 km away from our home. Jaqueline will be anything but happy about this, but as we lost one day in the beginning, we had no time to do more.
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