D
enmark is one of my favourite escapes,
partly because this civilised country
is perfectly designed for cruising.
An inviting jigsaw of islands spreads
out in almost tideless waters between
Sweden and the Jutland peninsula.
Attractive sounds separate the islands
and the extravagantly indented shores
cry out to be explored by boat. Despite the latitude, summers
can actually be sunnier and more settled than at home, often
influenced by continental anticyclones.
Jane and I have enjoyed several coast-hopping cruises up to
Denmark, yet hadn’t been back for a while until June, when
we chartered a small motor boat for a week. Some Danish
friends had introduced us to Fjordland, run by Sanne
and Kenneth Svanholt, whose Suncamper 30
cruisers are based at Holbæk on the main island of Sjælland. This
salty old trading port lies near the head of the Isefjord, a beautiful
sheltered inland sea not far west of Copenhagen.
Suncampers are built in Poland for the northern lakes and
designed for lazy summer pottering. They look rather caravan-ish
but are ideal for simply chilling out. Fjordland charters them for
meandering between pretty havens in the Isefjord and neighbouring
Roskilde Fjord. Our plan was a week’s leisurely one-way cruise
in this lovely boating area, starting at Holbæk and finishing at
Roskilde, the original Viking capital of Denmark.
Our boat had a single Yanmar engine, a bow thruster,
a large-screen chartplotter and all mod cons, including
hot-air heating for early or late-season cruising.
But because we were here around midsummer,
we relished the long warm evenings in
our comfortable dining cockpit.29TRAVEL