Sailing Hatseflats
A 15ft Pram for Dinghy Cruising
20180624
20180625
20180626
20180627
20180628
20180629
20180915
20181014
20190422
20190510
20190511
20190512
20190525
20190601
20190803
20190804
20190805
20190807
20190819
20190820
20190821
20190822
20190823
20190828
20200216
20200603
20200612
20200712
20200718
20200719
20200727
20200822
20200905
20200910
20200911
20200912
20200913
20200920
20210305
20210509
20210724
20210905
20210912
20211003
20220430
20220508
20220603
20220618
20220821
20220828
20220904
20220911
20221009
20230423
20230520
20230528
20230625
20230805
20230806
20230810
20230903
20230906
20230910
20230911
20231001
20231008
20240423
20240603
20240623
20240710
20240714
20240720
20240723
20240725
20240726
20240727
20240730
20240908
20240915
20240929

Hatseflats Design

Hatseflats Hull Build

Fitting Out Hatseflats

Building TooPhat

<< >>

20240725

Baltic Sea Challenge Part 1/4

Birth Of A New Challenge

It was a longtime dream of Koos Winnips to have a coastal raid spanning multiple days. The Raid NL brought back good memories but this time the trip should be on open water.
At the end of the 2023 Koos, Hubert, Bert and Ingo Muller discussed the possibilities of a five-day raid on the Bodden in German Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Each day would be a friendly competition with a new destination 40-50km away. We limited the new event to only 10 boats and sent out invitations to potential participants. Soon we had 10 committed entries and a similar number of boats on the waiting list.

The final line up consisted of:
Ingo - Lettmann-based EM2 sailing canoe 'Galactica'
Bert and Ingo E. - Pirat dinghy 'Merirosvo' (Finnish for 'pirate')
Hubert - Norwegian pram 'Hatseflats'
Koos - Artemis canoe 'Wolf'
Sybren and Tineke - Randmeer yacht 'Fuut'
Mark - Wenonah Prospector
Ladia - Goat Island Skiff 'GISWerk'
Vincent and Inge - Ilur 'Aries'
Frits - Mirror 'Bubbels'

Wednesday 24 July

On the eve of the Baltic Sea Challenge we assembled at the EM2 campus for the skippers briefing and brought out our maps to discuss the global plan. Many skippers had purchased the Juebermann TA6 for canoeists and bikers, but some had bought the maritime charts for the Bodden as well.
The global plan: Given the wind directions for the next few days we would not sail towards Peenemuende but sail past Stralsund and explore the northern Bodden area. The tentative goal for the first day would be Barhoeft which allowed a last minute decision towards the western or the eastern Bodden.

Thursday 25 July

We left the EM2 beach and assembled before Neuhof to meet Sybren and Tineke with their yacht 'Fuut'. Rene, Danny, Kristin and Tobias were waving good bye. Everybody was ready. I blew the horn as our start signal and we were away.
The first part was an upwind leg to the railway bridge at Altefahr. I had put in a reef on Hatseflats and sailed at the end of the fleet. Frits on Bubbels was no more than an orange speck in the distance. After Devin I got better speed and closed in on Frits who was trying to find a good spot for crossing under the bridges. I saw that Ladia and Vincent already sailing at the other end of the bridges. Frits disappeared under the bridge. I went under the bridge at the highest point. The turbulence around the pillars held me back and Hatseflats drifted sideways. I just made it through in time. The second bridge was easier but it was still a nervous time. After the bridge I tacked towards the waterfront of Stralsund to get out of the waves. As we neared the Kubitzer Bodden I passed Frits and found the the sailing was getting easier. I sighted Sybren and Tineke anchored off the marine training base near Parow and asked if they were OK. Behind me Frits went onshore despite the warning signs and was promptly reprimanded and seen off by an officer from the marine base.

Meanwhile I had turned the corner and met the others at a lunch spot in the reeds. From there on we saw the 'Fuut' and 'Bubbels' pass in the distance. We broke up and started across the Kubitzer Bodden towards our new destination of Vitte on the island of Hiddensee.
I was chasing Ladia, Mark and Vincent but they were too quick again. When I got on a broad reach in the shipping channel I could finally pass Mark. This gave me time to take off my glasses and look at my GPS and map to check my position when 'Bang!' I managed to sail Hatseflats into one of the red buoys in the shipping channel. A scary moment, but no leaks as far as I could see.
In the distance I saw Ladia and Vincent entering a harbour when I got a message from Koos that we should not sail all the way to Kloster but to 'Vitte', the village in the middle.
On Hatseflats I changed course and arrived at Vitte at 1830 ahead of Mark, Vincent and Ladia. I moored alongside the Pirat of Bert and Ingo E. and put up the boat tent for the first time while afloat.
Frits was nowhere so Tineke decided to call him. It appeared that Frits had not checked his messages and had sailed all the way to Barhoeft. He decided to sail to Vitte instead of waiting it out. Once moored at the jetty I could not see any damage on the bow of Hatseflats.
While we had pizza on the terrace and I confessed my mishap in the shipping channel, Frits was still completing his personal Odyssey towards Vitte. He arrived at 2145 hours, happy after the long sail despite the stop at Barhoeft. The fleet was complete once more and the sun was already nearly down.
There was talk of a 'sundowner' party and prize giving on the beach but I guess they had all fallen asleep. I had a quiet borrel on the beach with Sybren and Vincent and slept for the first time under the new boat tent.

Distance: 41km
Winner: Koos (check this)



Skippers meeting at EM2 campus
The start from the marina at Neuhof
Lunch at Prohn
Our destination: Vitte on the island of Hiddensee
Frits completing his Odyssey.