# V1 The Viserion's first voyage – or: When Sassnitz suddenly becomes Denmark
- Christian Nüßer
- 20 hours ago
- 8 min read
Everything was actually planned down to the last detail: From Neustadt, we were supposed to sail via Kühlungsborn and Warnemünde to Sassnitz. There, we planned to experience the SailGP over the weekend and then sail back to Neustadt via Hiddensee.
But as so often happens in sailing, the weather – and initially the technology – had other plans.
So our SailGP trip turned into our first real voyage with the SY Viserion . A journey with technical problems, a spontaneous course change to Denmark, an unplanned day in port on Bogø, thunderstorms, hail, strong winds, a night at anchor – and finally a wonderful return trip across the Baltic Sea.
But above all, it was one thing: the first time we cast off with our Viserion.
Day 1 – Cast off! Or maybe not…
There it was at last: the moment we had been waiting for so long.
For the first time, we were to set sail on the Viserion from our berth in the ancora Marina in Neustadt, heading out onto the Baltic Sea. Our home for the next few years, with its approximately 1,400 berths, is located directly on Lübeck Bay – practically the perfect starting point for our future voyages.
Engine on, crew ready, first lines cast off.
But wait.
Just as we were about to release the last line, we discovered that the bow thruster wasn't working.
Okay, never mind.
Secure the lines again and troubleshoot.
First, we checked all the switches and fuses. Our friendly neighbor on the dock also helped us with the search. Without success.
So, a call to the shipyard.
Using telephone support, we worked our way through the system step by step – armed with the measuring device. Finally, we were able to narrow down the fault: The safety relay of the bow thruster appeared to be defective.
But that's not all.
During further inspection, we suddenly discovered water in the bilge of the forward cabin .
Not exactly what you'd want to discover on the very first voyage of your new boat.
So, troubleshooting number two began.
Fortunately, the cause was quickly found: a hose clamp on the deck wash system hadn't been tightened properly. Not a dramatic problem – but of course, it had to be fixed.
After further consultation with the shipyard, it was confirmed: Someone would come by the next morning and replace the defective relay.
And so our first day of sailing was over before it had even begun.
We made the best of it and used the day to finally sort the equipment on board, which had previously been stowed rather provisionally, properly.
Not quite the planned start.
But probably a rather fitting first lesson for our future travels:
In sailing, a plan is initially just a suggestion.
Day 2 – Now for real: Cast off!
The next morning, at around 8:00 a.m., the repair of the safety relay began.
Around noon, the time had finally come.
Cast off – this time for real.
Our original goal for the day, Warnemünde, was no longer realistic due to the time we had lost. So we decided to sail towards Kühlungsborn first. If the wind and speed were right, we might be able to continue on towards Rostock.
As soon as we reached Lübeck Bay, the sails went up.
With winds around 10 knots, we were sailing east at approximately 6 knots .
And suddenly all the trouble of the previous day was forgotten.
Viserion sailed.
Our boat was finally where it belonged.
At sea.
Around 7:00 PM we approached Kühlungsborn. However, a strong rain front was moving in behind us. Our goal was clear: to moor in the harbor before it arrived.
Almost there.
Just as the first line was about to be passed over the finger pier, the front hit us. Rain and strong gusts turned what should have been a straightforward docking maneuver into a bit of a challenge.
With some effort, Viserion was finally safely moored at the jetty.
The modern Kühlungsborn marina offers visiting boaters good infrastructure with a harbor office, petrol station and supply facilities – and above all, it is only a few steps away from the promenade, restaurants and the Baltic Sea beach.
After this first real day of sailing, we had certainly earned our dinner at the harbor restaurant.
Afterwards, we went back on board and the evening ended comfortably in the cockpit.
The Viserion's first real day of sailing was over.
Day 3 – Change of plans: Course Denmark
The next morning we had to make a decision.
Our delayed departure had already put us behind schedule. At the same time, very strong winds were forecast for the weekend.
Reaching Sassnitz at all costs?
No.
We decided against participating in the SailGP and thus against the actual goal of our trip.
Of course that was a shame. But for me, that's precisely what cruising is all about: the course isn't determined by the date, but by the weather, the boat, and the crew.
So we turned the bow to the north.
New destination: Denmark.
And suddenly a completely different possibility arose.
The Smålandsfarvandet had been on my personal to-do list for quite some time. The sheltered waters between Zealand, Lolland, Falster and the smaller Danish islands are a wonderful cruising area.
Our first destination was to be Stubbekøbing on Falster.
The crossing was pleasantly uneventful. However, I changed our plans again en route. Instead of Stubbekøbing, we headed for the small harbor on Bogø .
A good decision.
Bogø lies between Møn and Falster on the Grønsund strait. The island was formerly heavily influenced by seafaring and even had its own navigation school between 1865 and 1929.
The perfect setting for a relaxing evening on the boat.
Or so we thought.
For as soon as we were in port, Viserion was overrun by an incredible number of small
Besieged by flies.
It feels like billions.
The cockpit was therefore cancelled for that evening.
So the order was: close the hatches.
We cooked by red light in the saloon and made ourselves comfortable below deck.
This too is apparently part of the adventure of cruising.
Day 4 – Strong winds and a day on Bogø
The wind had picked up considerably.
We therefore decided to leave Viserion in port and spend a day in port.
Time, then, to explore Bogø in more detail.
Our walk took us, among other places, to Bogø Mølle , the island's landmark visible from afar. The current Dutch-style windmill was built in 1852 after its predecessor burned down.
It remained in operation until 1965 and is now a listed building. From its elevated position, there is a wonderful view across the Grønsund to Falster.
The activity down at the ferry landing was at least as interesting.
Here, the historic wooden ferry IDA operates between Bogø and Stubbekøbing.
The IDA was built in 1958/59 at the shipyard in Stege and is one of the few old Danish wooden ferries still in regular service. The crossing across the Grønsund takes just twelve minutes. Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and even cars are transported.
A beautiful piece of Danish maritime history.
Our unplanned day at the port turned into a really lovely day of vacation.
And slowly we had to start thinking about how we would get back to Neustadt.
Day 5 – A decision and four tough hours at sea
We had two options for the return journey.
Option one led against wind and current through the Guldborgsund and then through the Smålandsfarvandet. Relatively moderate conditions were forecast there.
The second option led back towards Gedser and from there across the open Baltic Sea to Germany.
However, significantly stronger westerly winds were forecast there.
Since our schedule had gotten a bit out of hand, we opted for the supposedly faster route via Gedser.
As it would later turn out:
That wasn't our smartest decision.
At first everything went well.
We made our way south along Falster. Occasional gusts of around 25 knots shook us up quite a bit, but were still manageable.
Then we reached the southern tip of Falster.
And the Baltic Sea showed us very impressively who has the last word here.
As soon as we rounded the peak, the traffic separation scheme lay to our south – and at the same time, the weather around us became increasingly bad.
New thunderstorm cells kept appearing on the radar.
We tried to get south.
No chance.
Hail.
Heavy rain.
Gusts.
I constantly had to run with the wind – at the same time we had to be careful not to unintentionally enter the traffic separation scheme.
Sailing to Gedser was no longer a viable option either. We would have had great difficulty reaching the harbor against the gusts, and a docking maneuver under those conditions didn't seem sensible either.
So we were left with only one option:
Wait.
We walked back and forth for more than four hours.
A little further south.
Expire again.
New thunderstorm cell.
New attempt.
Back again.
At some point in such situations, it's no longer about getting somewhere as quickly as possible. It's solely about getting the boat and crew safely through the situation.
Around 9:00 PM I finally made the decision:
Aborted.
We walked back towards the east coast of Falster and found a sheltered anchorage there.
The anchor was finally dropped at around 10:00 PM.
Quiet.
After that day, we needed one thing above all: sleep.
Dinner was therefore pragmatic.
Canned pea soup.
Rarely has a can of pea soup tasted better.
Day 6 – The Baltic Sea can also be different
The next morning we woke up with the sunrise.
And it was almost unbelievable.
The sun was shining.
The wind had died down considerably.
The Baltic Sea, which just a few hours earlier had shown us its teeth quite impressively, suddenly presented its other face.
At 7:00 a.m. the message was:
Anchor up.
This time we passed Gedser without any problems.
Course SSW towards Neustadt .
And then Viserion was running.
We sped towards the German coast and were finally able to cover the nautical miles that had simply not been possible the day before.
Only at the entrance to Lübeck Bay did the wind slowly die down.
So, sails down, engine on.
We walked the last few miles towards Neustadt in glorious sunshine.
After the previous day, this calm Baltic Sea felt almost unreal.
Time to review the past few days.
Around 7:30 pm we moored again at our berth in the ancora Marina.
The Viserion's first voyage had ended.
And now there was only one goal:
Pizza and a cold beer at Meyer's Sea Lounge.
Not to Sassnitz – and yet exactly the right first trip.
The plans included Sassnitz, Rügen and the SailGP.
What we got was Kühlungsborn, Bogø, a historic ferry, an old windmill, strong winds, thunderstorms, hail, an unplanned anchorage off Falster and a can of pea soup.
And perhaps that was exactly the much better first voyage for our Viserion.
We learned an incredible amount about the new boat in just a few days.
We have identified and resolved the initial technical problems.
We have learned how Viserion performs in light winds.
We experienced how it behaves in significantly stronger winds and unpleasant seas.
We changed plans, made decisions, and also made a decision that we would make differently in hindsight.
But above all, we experienced what we had hoped for from this boat:
Viserion isn't just our new sailboat. She's our home on the water – and with her, we can change our plans at any time and simply set a new course.
Sassnitz and the SailGP will therefore have to wait a little longer.
Denmark was a pretty good substitute.
And if that was the Viserion's first real voyage, then we are very excited.
to what the next few years hold in store for us.
The first trip is complete.
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