Baltic Trip - Wladyslawowo      16th - 18th June:

16th June
    A bright and breezy start to the day. Since the Polish and Lithuanian naval exercises were drawing to a conclusion, we had intended to set off to Gdansk in Poland. However, without notice, the Russians had suddenly announced that they were commencing naval exercises off Kalingrad, and a huge restricted zone had thus been placed in our path. We could either wait until the Russians had finished playing war games, or do a long journey around the approximately 70 x 40 mile zone. We opted for the latter, which would mean not sailing to Gdansk, but we would hit the Polish coast further west.
    I did a quick foray for provisions, and soon we were heading out into the Baltic again, about 90� away from the direction we had hoped to take.
    The sea was decidably bouncy, though I did manage to cook a meal in the evening.

17th June
    In the early hours of the morning we reached the top corner of the prohibited zone, and started the long leg south towards Poland. We had decided we would head for Leba, since there had been numerous reports that it was a new and excellent marina to stay in. The winds were up, Force 6, occasionally 7, and the water was now extremely bouncy.
    I did the graveyard shift, and towards the end of my stint, I saw the most beautiful rainbow framed against a pink sky, which was rather unusual. As the day progressed, the winds stayed in high spirits, but as usual not quite in the right direction, and we knew we would have to make some lengthy tacks later. The sea was still rough, as was my stomach. I had not taken any Sturgeron, and my insides were as confused as the seas outside. I wanted neither food nor drink. When time came for the evening meal, I just had to tell Alan I wouldn't be able to manage to go below decks to prepare it.
    Any sleep I tried to grab was fitful. Around dusk Alan made the decision that he didn't fancy the long tacks to take us to Leba, so the decision was made to alter course for Wladyslawowo, a fishing port on the Polish coast. A few berths were to be had in the fishing harbour.

18th June

Very Narrow and Short Finger Pontoon

    We arrived around 2am, looking for somewhere to tie up on the so called finger pontoons. There were not many, and all we could find was the end one. These really were finger pontoons, about 10cm wide! They were also short. As we figured out how to tie up to this arrangement, a trio of Polish lads who were amazingly still awake on the adjacent boat, came out to greet us and help grab the bow ropes. It was a job and a half, but we managed to get 3/4 of the boat tied up alongside the pontoon. The Polish guys were also trying to get to Leba. After thanking them for their assistance, we had a cup of tea before retiring to the luxury of a stationary bunk, Bliss.

Wladyslawowo Marina

    Morning started properly for us six hours later. The marina was a bleak prospect, the access to the boat via the very narrow finger pontoon was a hazard, and the shower and toilet were charged for. The only good news was that the winds were now favourable for a sail along the coast to Leba. Thus, it did not take long for us to decide, pack up and go. We wished our Polish neighbours farewell and safe voyage, and departed.

Viking Ship

    As we left the harbour, we passed a replica Viking ship that we had not spotted at 2am; perhaps the port had not changed much since those days. We hugged the coast, passing a sandy beach full of kids splashing about in the freezing water; they breed them hard around here. Our journey to Leba continued under leaden skies releasing the occasional downpour, and with the wind behind us. The shore was always within our sight; a long, low stretch of white sands and sandy cliffs, topped by forests as far as the eye could see.
    For a change, the wind was kind, even if it did drop a little, but it got us to Leba by the evening, where we tied up to a finger pontoon. We were greeted by a torrential downpour.
    We did our bit for England and took the ropes for a few boats coming in shortly afterwards. The majority of the boats in the marina were German, all on their way counter-clockwise around the Baltic. Soon we were inundated with advice about marinas we could use on our clockwise journey.
    To wind up the day, a couple of beers in the restaurant were most welcome.