Friedriksort Lighthouse
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Ships Leaving Kiel Regatta
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I took over the watch at 4am, and we were still drifting along. Watching the fairly clear behind me, I could tell, by the reflected red glow underlining a bank of clouds on the horizon, where the sun was going to rise. It seemed to take ages, but eventually the first golden bead popped above the horizon, and the rest of the glowing red globe soon appeared. I never cease to marvel at sunrises.
Kiel Canal Entrance Lighthouse
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After a few gybes with a decent wind behind us, we approached the outer reaches of Kieler F�rde in brilliant sunshine. We came across a few tall ships leaving Kiel, no doubt participants of the Kiel Regatta a week earlier. As we passed the tall, ugly Naval Monument towers, Alan decided not to pull into Laboe for diesel, but to carry on into the Kiel Canal. Due to our late arrival, and also lengthy wait at the lock gates, we knew we would not get all the way through the canal by nightfall (yachts are only allowed to travel along the canal during daytime). Therefore, we planned to stop over at Rendsburg.
As we turned off from the main canal up towards Rendsburg, I noticed the place where we had run out of diesel over twenty years ago, and I had waded ashore with jerry cans to search for fuel.
More Regatta Ships
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We arrived at the small marina just as the heavens opened, accompanied by thunder and lightening; a magnificent reception! In the midst of the torrential downpour, I observed a long, low, slim boat with almost twenty teenage girls in it, paddling along to the steady count of a chap operating the rudder on the stern. The poor girls were absolutely soaked, and didn't look too happy, but he kept them at it for another hour paddling endless laps around the harbour basin.
Town Theatre
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Old Town Market Square
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Town Hall
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When the rain stopped, and Alan caught up on some sleep, I took a wander around the centre of Rendsburg. It was a neat and tidy town, the main High Street being pedestrianised. As I passed the town theatre, a magnificent white building, I was saddened to see that the musical concert season would not be starting until a couple of weeks later, a pity really since there were some good sessions in the line up.
Schlossplatz with no Sign of a Castle
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Exquisite Doorway
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Advancing along the High Street, I sensed from the shops and businesses that this was mainly a working town rather than just a tourist trap.
I crossed into Altst�dter Marktplatz, the old town market square, with its gorgeous old town hall building. Just behind the square was the St. Marienkirche church, a red brick building with its northern side covered in ivy. I could hear brass instruments being played inside, but all doors were closed to the public.
Further along the High Street lay a more modern town square with a glass shrouded mall along one side of it. I much preferred the old market square with its charm and groups of tables and chairs sprinkled outside the cafes.
A short walk from here took me to Schlossplatz with its verdi gris monument and an imposing red building standing behind it - not a castle.
We ate at a restaurant by the marina in the evening. Our conversation drifted to Kiitaja's engine. As we approached Rendsburg, we had noticed that the engine revs would occasionally pick up. We could find reasons for the engine speed to drop, but not for it to increase. In frustration, Alan rang up Billy, the chap who had given us valuable advice when we had engine problems during our approach into Helsinki. Billy was currently enjoying a solo sail around the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and was marveling at the Old Man of Hoy as Alan called. Alan explained the symptoms to him, and Billy suggested the likely cause would be the governor in the fuel system being faulty. It was not the sort of thing to try and fix there and then, but if we could live with it, we would get back to Blighty safely.
