Ellos - UK Leg 3: Varberg - Grenaa (Denmark) 22/9/23 77NM

Our post rig tune passage planning meant that we brought forward our departure to Grenaa to 0700 and we headed out towards the island of Anholt in the middle of the Kattegat into another strong breeze, this time over the port bow, with pouring rain to top things off. During the course of the day the wind swung from SW to SE to NE and then back to SW and dropped from 25kts to amost nothing. We spent a seemingly endless day passing Anholt (which in the summer is a Danish party and festival island and apparently really special) and after the last 5 hours under engine, tied up in Grenaa having taken on some fuel at around 1930. The crew rushed ashore to grab a table in the marina restaurant and left David washing the boat, only to return 15 minutes later to announce that everything was shut! So Spaghetti Carbonara and decent red onboard it was... Now our original plan had been to break the next part of the journey at Korsor beside Storabaelt for the night and then continue the next day to Kiel. But some circuitous reading of forecasts and the Valpolicella got us thinking!
The forecast for Saturday morning was wind from the SE, again where we wanted to go, and pouring rain. Korsor was nearly 75NM and it promised to be another slog, followed by a similar day on Sunday... but there was a glimmer of sunlight (metaphorically as well as literally) in the forecast! All of out technology suggested a weather front moving through at around 1100 the following day with clear skies and a big wind shift North of West, which would blow us South to StoraBaelt and then much of the way on to Kiel. "Shall we do the whole thing in one go overnight?" We debated the merits of this, a good sleep, a good breakfast, stocking up with food, a fast broad reach and sunshine, versus two days of slog. It quickly became clear that this was the right decision...but it meant we would go under Storabaelt at around midnight! Saturday promised to be an interesting day.

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