For the last couple of years I have been servicing the engine myself. I'm a little proud of that. I can hardly find out how to open the helmet for the engine on the car.
My self service has not caused any problems. But we thought it would be a good idea to have a mechanic inspect the engine before we set out on the long trip.
The idea turned out to be good - especially when the mechanic during his work appeared in the cockpit with two drive belts singing on the last verse. I had not seen that. The belts would have put the engine out of action within a short time and could in the worst case have caused it to burn together, perhaps even at a critical time.
After paying a now quite well-grown bill at Boeb's, we said goodbye to the friendly people at the yard and sailed over to a gas station on the opposite shore.
Here was a man ready to help with mooring and refueling diesel - almost like when the gas station attendant filled the car with petrol when I was a child.
And then we went to the canal cruise.
The River Trave, which leads into Lübeck, is wide and deep.
There is plenty of water outside the marked fairway. For safety's sake, we stayed in the fairway. As a result, we made eye contact with the helmsman on a nicely large freighter that overtook us a few meters away.
The landscape around us was varied. Sun-drenched forest slopes, bays with sandy beaches, fine anchorages, idyllic little fishing houses and some industry slowly passed us by
We sailed the 27km all the way to the city and lay down in Hanse Marina. (On the canals, the distance is not measured in nautical miles, but in kilometers)
Lübeck is an exciting city.
It was founded in 1143 and was a city-state until 1937, when it was incorporated into the Third Reich. Probably because Hitler was annoyed that the city senate had denied him permission to give a speech in 3.
The city has a population of just over 200.000 residents.
Stockholm is said to have been built with Lübeck as a model. You can also clearly feel the city's influence on the architecture in Copenhagen.
It had gotten really hot and when we had rested a bit we went up into the city, found the pedestrian street, strolled down it, looked at shops, street jugglers, musicians and painters.
We reached Niederegger, making the world famous marcipan, owned and operated by 6. generation of the family.
We shopped in the store and agreed to visit their cozy sidewalk cafe the next day
Early in the evening we were back on the boat, had dinner, talked a lot about Dorte, who is suffering from a serious incurable disease, and sent the warmest thoughts to her, Morten and their family.
Technically good is to open a can of mackerel in tomato without cutting or being sprayed with tomato
Hi Carl and Pia
Have just read about your challenges at the start and that you are in the right direction. Tough!
That with the mechanics. Good that you also choose expertise check here :-). Good wind - or rather engine power on the further journey.
It was good in now can start the trip with new belts on the engine. I wondered for a moment that there are two belts - but there is something about Yanmar having a belt-drawn cooling water pump and it is an extremely important size on board when you have now sent mast and rig in advance. So keep up the good work - and keep an eye out for driftwood and the like that may come across. Thue
It is nice to hear that everything is in the best order now, and you have really taken hold of the river and canal sailing. It will be exciting to follow, not least because you are in the middle of the cities. But maybe traffic jams and queuing can also occur on the canals? We wait with anticipation for the next epistle.