A Day's R&R
Trip Start
Apr 29, 2011
1
33
109
Trip End
Sep 03, 2011
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The day was cold – these westerly winds are definitely colder than the easterlies. In fact we were sailing with our full heavy duty Musto suits on; these are usually only used at the beginning and end of the season and indeed, last year they weren’t used at all, I don’t think. Still, we were making good progress and by 10:45 or so we had the engine on and were approaching the mouth to the canalised river, the Juru Kanalas. We had to keep to one side, avoiding shallows and a wreck that was reputed to be there, as a large vessel overtook us.
We were soon in the Cruise Terminal Harbour, the only area that is open to visiting yachts now that the Old Castle Harbour’s places have all been taken up by local boats. Actually, what I just said was not totally accurate, as we were directed out of the Cruise Terminal Harbour, round the corner to the Cruise and Naval Vessel quay and there we tied up against the wall, having passed a British registered elderly Nauticat (a cruiser sailer) saying hello as we did so. We were conveniently situated for the harbourmaster’s office and facilities and were pleased to be settled in, a total journey time of 22.75 hours, engine on – engine off time and a distance of 126 miles logged.
We were soon chatting to Alan (from the Nauticat) who’d come along the jetty and pleasantries over, we went for a shower and change of clothes, had lunch and lounged around for a couple of hours, then set off to explore the town a little. We knew we weren’t staying long in Lithuania and I’d only changed sufficient moneys to give me 100 Lits ( £23 roughly) and the harbour and shower dues were 80, so shopping was not on the agenda!
The excellent Baltic Sea Pilot states ' Klaipėda is a friendly, pleasant town, not without charm’ and I think we would agree, what we saw of it in the two hours that we wandered around. It was obvious that efforts were being made to renovate buildings and to get rid of the worst of the Soviet era, but much remains to be done. One of the main features of the town are the significant ramparts that stretch in all directions, the fortifications were very extensive and due to the efforts of the Teutonic Knights in 1404, when they took over the town and called it Memel. This name was retained until it became part of Lithuania in 1923. After the war and being part of the USSR and with access to the ice free Baltic, the port area was massively developed and the evidence of this is there today. In fact the Town Council is now actively encouraging visiting cruise liners, in order to boost the town’s economy.
On the way back to CW, we passed Alan’s boat and he invited us on board for a cuppa. His friend Dave was there; Dave hails from Ipswich and he has joined Alan for the summer. Interestingly, Alan keeps his boat in Tollesbury, on the saltings. Tollesbury is the marina we kept CW in before we left for Holland last year and it is an area that we retain fond memories of. Alan and Dave have been as far as St Petersburg, having motored solidly for 6 days up the Baltic to Helsinki before stopping for a break (quelle hommes!!) and were now on their way southwards and we were pleased to give them some advice and information of our travels to date.
Back to the boat and a nice Thai chicken curry prepared by Julie, an episode of ‘Yes Minister’ and early night.
