Esbjerg, Denmark, and into the Lymfyord

At 7:30 a.m., about three hours after sunrise, we cast of from the dock in Hornum in Germany, under mostly cloudy skies, en route to Esbjerg, Denmark. We experienced west winds at 20-24 knots from the west, which allowed us to sail all day with three reefs in the main sail. The sea state went from 2 foot chop to 5-6 foot waves, so it was not the most comfortable ride. The sky was gray, the water was a darker green-gray, the temperature was chilly and the wind was nippy, so I spent a lot of the time below until the amount of blue sky exceeded the gray. 

Peter with the main sail halyard with Hörnum in the background

Sherri at the wheel

The southern tip of the island of Sylt, where steady, on-going erosion is visible

Choppy sea state off the west coast of Denmark

Waves breaking over the bow 

From the channel approaching the port, we could see the 30-foot tall sculpture of four men called Man Meets the Sea, which sits on a grassy mound above a white sand beach. When we arrived at Esbjerg around 6 p.m., we went into the marina through a breakwater and an open concrete lock gate that can be closed when there is a storm surge from the North Sea. The marina was not full, but we could not see any piers that could accommodate a 17-meter boat, so we rafted up to a similar sized sailing yacht, S/V Libertas from Prague, just inside the entrance. Since the owners were not on board, we remained on Mantra until they returned. The Czech couple came aboard for drinks in the evening, and it was nice to become acquainted with them.

Man Meets the Sea sculpture

Esbjerg is the fifth largest city in Denmark, established as a seaport in 1868, after the Danish North Sea port of Altona came under German control at the Second Schleswig War in 1864. Prior to becoming a port city, Esbjerg was an agricultural area. The harbor was officially opened int 1874, and the municipality received the status and privileges of a market town in 1899. Originally, the city served as a fishing port and major export center, particularly of agricultural goods. Now, the port facilities have expanded to handle container shipping and support the wind-turbine industry. 

The day after our arrival (Wednesday, June 10), we walked into the relatively young city, passing through part of the industrial area supporting the port. We passed by a facility for Kosan Gas, the company from which we purchased a small liquid propane tank in Greenland since we could not refill our American tanks. We stopped in to see if we could return the empty tank there. Since it wasn't a retail outlet, a refund for the tank itself could not be issued, but they would take the tank. One more unneeded item off the boat! After that, we also passed a large processing facility for Polar Seafood, recognizing the polar bear on an iceberg emblem which we saw in cities and villages in Greenland last year.

We walked through some residential areas, where most of the buildings are two to four story unembellished red brick structures, pleasant but not inspiring. An exception were two architecturally striking apartment buildings of glass, concrete and metal. 

Unique apartment buildings

Eventually, we made it to the main shopping area of Esbjerg, which has blocks of wide pedestrian streets with a variety of shops. In the city plaza, construction of a large stage at one end was underway in preparation for an annual eight-day festival. In the center is a modest equestrian statue of King Christian IX, who was the Danish ruler at the time the city was created. We stopped for lunch at an outside table at a restaurant called Dronning (Queen) Louise, eponymously named for King Christian IX's wife.

Pedestrian street in Esbjerg

Equestrian statue of King Christian IX

Artwork and political statement on a pedestrian street

After lunch, we stopped at a large supermarket for snacks and vegetables and then caught the bus back to the area of the marina. Only cash was accepted for fare, but we had no Danish kroner. The friendly driver was willing to let us ride for the four 1-euro coins we had. 

That evening, we visited Jack and Adele on Libertas, and enjoyed conversation, a lovely dessert Adele had made, and drinks in their spacious salon. Two friends of theirs from the Czech Republic arrived while we were there. The four of them are sailing to Bergen, Norway. 

At 4 a.m. (Thursday, June 11), slightly before sunrise, we cast off our lines to Libertas and floated gently away. After leaving the port channel, we headed directly north toward the Limfjord, a 180 kilometer waterway through the center of Jutland from the Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat, into which the Baltic Sea drains. 

Leaving Esbjerg before sunrise

Peter at the wheel

Until February1825, the Limfjord was only open to the sea on the east side of Denmark. The North Sea flooded the coast from the Netherlands to North Jutland, drowning 800 people, devastating the agricultural economy and creating a western opening to the Limfjord. This essentially made North Jutland an island. 

The wind was too light for sailing, so we motored past hundreds of operational wind turbines and more under construction, paralleling the coast approximately 25 kilometers from the coast. Wind power supplies about 60% of Denmark's power, more per capita than any other place in the world.

Operational wind turbines and some (yellow) under construction

Although we were forced to motor, the trip was more pleasant than the trip from Sylt a couple days earlier. It was mostly sunny and, after we got offshore, the sea was flat. I went back to bed after we were on course for the Limfjord and then spent the rest of the day in the pilot house. Peter took a nap in the afternoon. While we were both topside, we were able to play games and pass the time comfortably. Shortly before 9 p.m., we entered the Thyborøn Channel and made our way past the first anchorage we considered to a more sheltered, more bucolic area, dropping the hook in 4 meters of water at 9:37 p.m. in Lem Vig (Bay). We sat in the pilot house and watched the sunset.

Bluffs and farms on the coast of Lemvig

Sunset, Lim Veg

We settled in, I took a shower, and we had a very late dinner before going to bed around midnight. Today, we are sitting at anchor as the wind howls around us and rain comes and goes. We will spend time this afternoon determining where we may stop in the Limfjord.