Logs

Selkie - Sweden for Selkie

Left to Right: Tristan, Nick, Rory, Lily, Mara, and me behind the camera. Here we hike and forage for berries ashore. -- Maggie Magdalena Hirt   "Writing is a process, a journey into memory and the soul."                           -Isabel Allende IMG_5242.. read more...

Selkie - Sweden for Selkie

   Sweden was like Candy Land for us. In Stockholm, the Vasa and the Junibacken, which is a kid’s museum based on Swedish children’s books, kept us enthralled all day long. Though Nick had to stay behind and fiddle with the engine, the kids probably had the most fun day of the entire Baltic. Nick and I let loose later in the night, when we rented scooters and zoomed all around the city, which landed us at a delicious steakhouse.     In the Swedish Archipelago, we had to motor against the wind and waves a lot dodging and weaving between rocks in the fairway, but we found so many nice anchorages and marinas. We explored the forests foraging berries and meeting mythical white cows, we fed the ducks and explored peninsulas of the mainland by biking and hiking, and we. read more...

Selkie - Finland for Selkie

The Finnish Archipelago started out slow and easy with hikes and berry picking amongst the islands at anchorages. We were the first to squeeze into Helsinki, and I knew that we loved the marina and the town straight away. The best part of getting around were the glorious electrical scooters. Blekholmen, the yacht club island we all docked at, had beautiful weddings all weekend. After Helsinki, we went back out amounts the islands hoping for the best. We were quickly humbled on day one. The islands and rocks are everywhere, and we managed to go straight towards one. Locals quickly helped us, the mysterious beauty became a dangerous, stressful one. Don’t get us wrong, we rated Finland as one of our top three favorite countries right from the beginning, but everyone has to be very. read more...

Selkie - Russia for Selkie

Nick has studied Russian history with his dad all his life. It was the only history class that he received perfect scores in. A few years ago, Bill (Nick’s dad) died after a nine year battle with ALS, but we could feel his excitement for us after we cleared customs and headed into St Petersburg.Warning to all, though dangerous due to boat traffic, do not steer away from the buoys upon entry. I did. Oops. Nick always comes to the rescue. In Russia, they apparently love the jet ski. Big boys with toys paying attention to no rules. Anyway, tied safe and sound with the fleet at the yacht club, Selkie quickly found a playground and got some rest. In the days to follow, we toured the Hermitage and saw loads of art. We ate stroganoff at the nearby nightclub and enjoyed watching young adults. read more...

Selkie - Tallinn, Estonia for Selkie

On our morning upon arrival, our engine, which had a hiccup the night before and had been patched up by Nick, died again. We informed Mark and Cecilie. They were kind in finding us a raft up to to haul us in, but were also happy to catch lines if we sailed in. Nick got to work on the engine, and it was, of course, playgrounds and ice cream for the kids and me. We tried out the Hop On, Hop Off bus, and we got a bit of history and a bit lost. The next day, with engine part ordered, Nick joined us on the bus and we visited the Eppingi Tower. It was small and perfect for the amount of time we had. Walking along the wall, you come to an open door. There are no big signs and the medieval wall itself is breathtaking. Inside, the kids dressed up in every costume they could get their hands on,. read more...

Selkie - Gotska Sandön for Selkie

Every morning for us was a countdown to beach time. As a family, we enjoy these secluded anchorages the best. It’s fun to be with others who enjoy the same thing. Our kids were so happy. They danced a lot on the bow and hung out in the cockpit nonstop. It really felt like summer. It’s great to reclaim our cockpit space, after a long winter without it in Scotland. It was purely boot storage there. So! We loved the beach: walks, swims, rock hunts, hikes, locals, books, naps, exercise, and the lighthouse. When Nick and I took the long route to the lighthouse, we enjoyed getting a bit lost and identifying flowers with a new app on my phone. We saw Towheads, Noble Goldenrod, and Fire Weed, to name a few.The first night at anchor, I had some time on Sea Crusader. We talked about sailing, kids,. read more...

Selkie - Loving the In-between Moments

-- Maggie Magdalena Hirt   "Writing is a process, a journey into memory and the soul."                           -Isabel Allende IMG_3076.. read more...

Selkie - Visby for Selkie

The entry into Visby was super windy for the last four boats. It is so nice to have ARC sailors waiting for you to, of course, protect their own boats, but to help others feel comfortable and in a community of caring people. All ended well with tight lines and a lot of bumpers. It rained a lot that day, but Lily and I adventured out to investigate laundry and provisions. We ended up cutting through on a trail up a hill and along the medieval wall that surrounds the city. How cool! We grabbed some fresh fruit and provisions for the potluck the next day. That night, Nick and I went on a date to Kitchen & Table. We had the share menu, and the food was the best we’ve had in a long time. To top it off, one of our wedding songs, “Stand by Me,” came on.For the walking tour on Tuesday, I. read more...

Jolief - Diary

Day 40, 17th July 2019, Visby, Gotland.Sight. Ian and I hired a car for the day so we could see more of the island. We drove to the eastern side to look for some limestone stacks, which we found at Asunden. We continued up to Farosund and turned south to end up at Tofta Strand.Hearing. Lots of seabirds, mainly terns, at Asunden. Visby continued to party on into the night on the quayside.Taste. We found a really cool cafe, Cafe Maffen, in Farosund and Ian had a chicken curry salad and I had tomato and mozzarella salad. Very tasty and good value for Gotland.Smell. The sea seems to be very sulphurous around this island.Temperature. A warm day with still some coolness in the northerly breeze.Touch. Cold sea water as we dangled our feet at Asunden. Sand on skin as we chilled on Tofta Strand. read more...

Jolief - Jolief blog

The Sense of sailing ⛵ This is a 4 month trip to the Baltic and back on yacht Jolief.I aim to write a daily blog using the body's senses as my cues. Day 37, 14th July 2019.Kristianopel, Sweden. We had arrived to Utklippen sooner than anticipated so cracked on up the Kalmar sound last evening. Motoring on to Visby this afternoon and overnight. Sight. This is a lovely harbour with facilities included in the harbour fee. Beautiful lagoons teeming with wildlife. Hearing. I awoke at 0500hrs to a very different dawn chorus to the one at home. Swallows twittering on the guard rail, geese, crows and herons all creating a cacophony of early noise. Got told off for washing up too early and making a racket. Taste. Avocado mash for brekky and Tracey did a use-up pasta bake for supper on the move.. read more...

Selkie - Rønne, Denmark

At our first port, Selkie was mid wall in the center of it all. It was wonderful to see the boats with flags flying. We found are old ARC Europe 2018 flag and proudly added that to the show. Even though the plant and stacks were not pretty, we loved the space for Mara to bike right next to our boat. Nature and downtown were such a short walk away that we had fun were we were. The BBQ was delicious and fun. It’s been so long since we had the opportunity to do that. Winter in Oban, Scotland did not lead to BBQs, but it did lead to a lot of fish and chips. We enjoyed sharing ARC stories with Cecille. Lily has been a bit down and grumpy. She does not like to talk about her broken arm, and I’m not use to seeing her this way. But! Her x-rays in Rønne went well; however, Nick’s slippery knife. read more...

Jolief - Jolief blog

The Sense of sailing ⛵ This is a 4 month trip to the Baltic and back on yacht Jolief.  I aim to write a daily blog using the bodies senses as my cues. Day 35, 12th July 2019. Ronne, Bornholm. Sight. Sightseeing today on a bus tour of Northern Bornholm. We visited Hammershus Castle, Gudhjem Harbour and Osterlars Church. Hearing. The thrumming of Harley Davisons wherever we go. The bike rally continues. Taste. Ian and I had a gorgeous hand made pizza for lunch in Gudhjem. It was next level.! Especially with the extra chilli. Smell. The musty smell of the cruising chute sail being liberated from the portside lazarette after nearly a year. We set it up ready for the predicted light winds over the next couple of days. Temperature. A beautiful blue sky. read more...

Circe - Day 4 - Calm overnight passage en route to Visby

A late afternoon departure on Friday from Rønne took us into a beautiful overnight passage with water like glass - great for the sleeping crew.Julie . read more...

Circe - Day 1 - Spectacular Sunset from Circe

A smooth passage from Rostock to Rønne was a great way to begin the ARC Baltic. After arrival in Rønne on Tuesday evening, we were met with this beautiful sunset storm front scene.JulieS/V CirceSent from Yahoo Mail on AndroidIMG_20190709_214108_097. read more...

Selkie - A poem for Leg 1

“Company” ~for the 2019 ARC Baltic Rally ~during leg 1 to the Pearl of the Baltic, RønneAs sunrise smoothly paints and stretches watercolors,when the wind is gentlebut the sails bulb full,when sea deep, wide, and longwater fill the lines and helm in hand with history,when the cobalt surfaceand the water tension holdto separate two worldsand peacefully work themtogether, I am in sailingin good company. -- MaggieMagdalena Hirt "Writing is a process, a journeyinto memory and the soul."-Isabel Allende. read more...

Selkie - Sunset Leg 1 At Sea to Rønne

Purple skies and cobalt seas after a full rainbow, wing to wing we sail on. I listen to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot, a good Michigan tune. My son Tristan is my music man. He always chooses the right song for the right moment. We couldn’t ask for better conditions to sleep in at sea: Calm, rocking us to bed after some fruit-filled crepes. The windy, wavy start with a man overboard search seems like a different day. I wish every evening was like this one: Peaceful. Hopeful. Open skies and seas. Fire pink twilight. And a half moon. -- Maggie Magdalena Hirt   "Writing is a process, a journey into memory and the soul.". read more...

Jolief - Daily Blog

Our trip so far.  Colin, Tracey and Gwyn left Caernarfon, North Wales on 3rd June on JOLIEF heading up the Menai Straits to the Irish Sea.  We stopped over in St Mary, IO Man, Peel IOMan, Portpatrick, Gigha, and Oban where we met up with Ian.  We had a trip to Tobermory to meet some of Tracy's friends before going north on Loch Linnhe to Fort William to enter the Caledonian canal. Scottish weather accompanied us along the canal forcing us to have an unscheduled stay in Fort Augustus. Loch Ness looked foreboding in a NE wind and driving rain. We emerged from the canal into the Moray firth and sailed to Whitehills Harbour. Bertie the harbour master went over and above to help us during our brief stay. We left to cross the North Sea on 16th June.  We flew across through. read more...

Kleopatra - Tag 1 - Eintreffen in Warnemünde

Nach einer schnellen und beeindruckenden Nachtfahrt sind wir heute vor dem Mittag in Warnemünde angekommen. Wir haben den ganzen Nachmittag Arbeit gehabt und am Abend die ersten anderen Crews der ARC Baltic getroffen. Die Kleopatra liegt nun mit der Rally-Flagge geschmückt in der Box und die Crew von zwei Wochen sitzt beim Nachtessen.Philipp. read more...

Kleopatra - Tag 2 - Warnemünde und Crewdinner

Am heutigen Sonntag durften wir die zwei Gesichter von Warnemünde kennen lernen. Bei einer „guided walking tour“ führte Heidi die beiden deutschsprachigen Crews der „Inflagranti“ und der „Kleopatra“ durch das beliebte Ferienziel. Sie zeigteuns nebst den malerischsten Ecken des 1000 Jahre alten Fischerdorfes auch das Wohnhaus des expressionistischen Malers Edvard Munch und die Skulpturen des zeitgenössischen Rostocker Bildhauers und Medailleurs Wolfgang Friedrich. Einst von Dänenkönigen regiert,dann von Vögten verwaltet, gehört das Dorf heute zu Rostock - Selbstverwaltung kannte es nie. Heute wird Warnemünde von der Grossschifffahrt geprägt. Nebst vielen Handelsschiffen und Fähren legen hier jedes Jahr rund 200 Kreuzfahrtschiffe an, was von AprilMärz bis Oktober für einen stetigen Strom. read more...

Kleopatra - Kleopatra's Crew

fltr: Patricia, Roger, Robert, Konrad, John, Walter, Angelika, Barbara and Martin IMG_20190706_204014. read more...

Kleopatra - Tag 3 - Training

Die Aussicht vom Warnemünder Leuchtturm geniessen, Crew-Briefing mit interessanten Informationen zur bevorstehenden Woche, ein Abendessen auf den Bootsterrassen am Alten Strom rahmten den Tag. Als einzige Crew sind wir heute auch rausgefahren, haben ein zweistündiges Training mit allen Manövern absolviert und sind mal kurz 14 Meilen durch und auf den Wellen gerockt. Das Boot läuft und wir kennen uns nun ... Morgen geht's RichtungBornholm, Dänemark. Philipp. read more...

Kleopatra - Safety Training at Warnemünde Bay

Skipper Philipp with new crew members Patricia and Robert  IMG-20190708-WA0001. read more...

Selkie - Rostock

Early morning we entered Rostock on Saturday. We tied up on the outer wall, and then we were asked by the marina to join the other ARC boats, which meant our first mooring on pilings since Jolly Harbor on Antigua over a year ago. It could have gone better, but it is hard to do with only me to run about trying to lasso. We put the pilings on slips, which won’t be done again because we hardly had enough line. We do however prefer bow in and will continue to do so. We also lost power with our bow thrusters. Nick has tended to it and fixed the problem since. I also made friends with Suzanne, who promises to share her double-handed techniques. We were exhausted from our high traffic crossing from Copenhagen, so we rested up and then took the kids ashore to stretch their legs. In the park, the. read more...

Selkie - Selkie introduction

Hello soon-to-be ARC Baltic Family.! S/V Selkie here. We are a Westerly 49, formally know as Laridae, and Happy Hippie. Our Captain, the Dad, the hard worker, the money maker, is Nick Hirt. My name is Maggie, the wife, the mom, the first mate, the galley goddess, the homeschool teacher who loves poetry. Our four children consist of: Tristan (12), the gamer, the babysitter, the Hobbit enthusiast; Lily (10), the animal lover, the diver, the baker; Mara (6), the singer, the dancer, the puzzler; and Rory (3), the roarer, the mumbler, the well-loved baby of the family. We grew up and learned to sail on the Great Lakes off of Holland, MI, and Toledo, OH. Selkie and crew are currently on a double over night trip from Egersund, Norway, to hopefully, Copenhagen, Denmark, and then to Rostock,. read more...

Kleopatra - Ready

Tomorrow we will take off with SY Kleopatra next to Fehmarn at Marina Grossenbrode. We’re looking forward for yachts assemble in Yachthafen Hohe Düne ,Rostock in one week! Philipp . read more...