Many small Lugger marine engines and Northern Lights generators are equipped with a power takeoff (PTO) unit that can be used to drive accessories. Hydraulic pumps are a common use case for this PTO. These PTOs are equipped with electric clutches to allow them to be powered or unpowered at will. This is convenient, but…
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Dune and Bunkers
The tiny island of Dune was connected to the Heligoland main island until 1720, when a storm flood destroyed the land bridge between them. As the name suggests, sand dunes cover much of the island and beaches ring the shores, making it a popular summer destination. The island’s healthy seal population also is a major…
Heligoland Storm
On our third day in Heligoland, a storm came through bringing southwest winds over 40 knots. In the large port basin, Dirona was moving around a bit in the wind and waves, and the boats in front of us on the dock were really tossing. The harbour would be removing the dock for the winter…
Exploring Heligoland
Heligoland is a dramatic archipelago thirty miles offshore from mainland Germany. Attractions include incredible natural beauty, extensive seabird life, seal colonies, naval ruins and many excellent restaurants. On our second day in Heligoland, we toured throughout the main island and particularly enjoyed the views and scenery from the cliff tops at the north end. Below…
Duty-Free at Heligoland
Heligoland, Germany is part of the EU, but is not inside the EU Customs Union or VAT area. The duty-free sale of fuel and luxury items such as alcohol, cigarettes and perfume make up a big part of the island’s economy. This is the reason we’ve stopped here for fuel three times in the past…
Kiel Canal to Heligoland
From Lake Flemihude, just inside the Kiel Canal, we made a 97-nm run to Heligoland, a small island 30 miles offshore from mainland Germany. Despite adhering to an 8.1-knot speed limit in the canal, the delays in locking through, and an initial negative current in the river Elbe, we got enough positive current later on…
Copenhagen to Kiel
After an excellent week in Copenhagen, we reluctantly departed to continue south towards Amsterdam. Over two nights, with an overnight stop in the Smalandsfarvandet, we ran 153nm to just inside the Kiel Canal at Lake Flemhude. Shortly after departing Denmark and entering Germany, our US registration again attracted an official inspection, this time from the…
Orestad
Copenhagen’s Orestad neighbourhood, southeast of the city center, is known for its spectacular modern architecture, so much so that companies run architectural tours of the area. On our final day in Copenhagen, we made our own architectural tour of Orestad by bicycle. We were really impressed with the modern and innovative architecture, including several by…
Culture Night
We were lucky to be in Copenhagen for the city’s annual culture night, where over 250 museums, churches, theatres, libraries, city buildings and businesses host a public open-house. After going through the list of participants, we selected a tour of the world-wide headquarters of Danish shipping company A.P. Moller – Maersk and the Copenhagen Opera…
Kastellet
Kastellet (the “Citadel”), just north of the city center, was commissioned by Frederick III in 1662 to defend the port of Copenhagen. The pentagon-shaped structure is today one of Northern Europe’s best-preserved forts. On our fifth day in Copenhagen, we walked north of Nyhavn to visit Kastellet. On the way, we toured Amalienborg Slot and…
