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Private Notes
Paul and Sheryl test sail their new 49-foot boat by exploring small ports around Chichester Harbour - one of England's largest boating centres. They sail with two local sailing champions, meet a woman who's made a business putting old sails to creative use, learn to identify edible plants along the shoreline, and discover that drying out at low tide can be a useful skill for maintaining the boat and getting to the best pubs in the harbour.
Satisfied that their new boat is ready for sea trials, Paul and Sheryl leave Chichester Harbour and sail to ports around the Solent and Isle of Wight. They visit areas of great natural beauty, learn how to creek crawl to find secluded lunch stops, meet a Royal sailing enthusiast, and discover how nautical equipment is produced and tested while visiting historic ports in this world famous cruising ground.
Paul and Sheryl sail cross the English Channel to the Channel Islands where they learn to deal with the huge tides, hike the scenic coast paths on Jersey and Guernsey, meet a family that manages a small community on the tiny island of Herm and find out about the German occupation in World War II by attending Liberation Day festivities.
The Shards discover a unique form of inland boating in England when friends invite them aboard a narrow boat to travel through one of England's oldest navigations, the Wey Navigation. They learn about narrow boating traditions and meet the friendly community of people keeping them alive, discover how easy it is to get started in narrow boating, and experience life on the historic waterways so important to England's development during the Industrial Revolution.
Paul and Sheryl set sail from England and cross the North Sea to Holland, then sail through the shallow waters of the Wadden Sea to visit the Frisian Islands. They must contend with tides and currents while navigating through tricky shoals and ride out a storm by beaching the boat on a sandbank. But the natural beauty of the islands and relaxed nature of the people living here make the challenges all worthwhile.
Leaving the North Sea, Paul and Sheryl join the summer migration of boaters making the 2-day transit through Germany's Kiel Canal to reach the Baltic Sea where there is a tall ship parade for Kiel Week. They sail on to Denmark to explore islands of the south Fyn archipelago where in Faaborg they learn how to smoke fish in the old ways. On the island of Lyø they visit heritage homes, meet a family running a traditional farm, and a woman who has created a show and museum honouring local maritime history in her kitchen.
The voyage through the islands of Denmark continues with a visit to Ærø where Paul and Sheryl take a night tour through the fairy tale town of Ærøskøbing with the nightwatchman. They hire an electric car and learn about the island's use of solar and wind power. In Marstal they learn about traditional shipbuilding methods at the Seafaring Museum then sail up island to Copenhagen where they moor in the Nyhavn Canal and explore the heart of the city
Setting sail from Copenhagen, Paul and Sheryl leave Denmark and head to Sweden battling bad weather to reach the port of Ystad on the south coast before exploring the remote islands of the southern archipelago. In Utklippan they are greeted by the characterful lighthouse keeper and his daughter who row them out to visit the local seal population and on the mid-Baltic island of Gotland they participate in the annual Medieval Week festivities.
The Shards set sail from the island of Gotland and begin exploring the vast archipelagos along the east coast of Sweden. They fish for flounder with a local fisher, navigate through rocky channels, try out a wood-burning sauna they find in the forest, join a rendezvous of Swedish ocean cruising sailors, tour a tall ship and sail into the old port of Stockholm.
It's September and Paul and Sheryl travel inland waterways across Sweden taking their sailboat from Stockholm on the east coast to Gothenburg on the west coast. En route they travel through the historic Göta Canal and Trollhätte Canal and before crossing Lake Vänern visit Vadstena castle where they anchor in the castle moat.
's the end of the sailing season in Sweden and autumn storms are brewing. The Shards set sail from Gothenburg to run south from the weather down the Kattegat through the Straits islands of Denmark to Kiel City, the sailing capital of Germany where all children are given sail training in school. It is also a base for the German Navy's Baltic fleet and Paul and Sheryl learn about its history on a visit to the Laboe Naval Memorial before leaving the Baltic for the North Sea by way of the Kiel Canal.
Back in the North Sea, Paul and Sheryl make their first stop in Norderney, one of the East Frisian Islands of Germany before entering the Dutch canals at the major port of Delfzijl. They travel the picturesque standing-mast route through the countryside before sailing to ports bordering Lake Ijssel and conclude their voyage in Amsterdam.
Following their Baltic voyage, Paul and Sheryl return to England where they store their boat for the winter and fly to Panama to sail with friends exploring the remote San Blas Islands aboard Diesel Duck, a 41-foot motor yacht. They meet the Kunas, the strongly independent and artistic people who inhabit these islands, and learn about their unique way of life based on the concepts of god, nature and the cosmos.
