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Almost drizzle but more like mist welcomed us to this new day so a walk out to the Submarine museum called where I went on board U955, a proper U-Boat. So incredibly small inside and what space there was crammed with pipes, valves and gauges. How they knew what to do I have no idea but it took me back to that remarkable TV series "Das Boot" but my goodness it was crampt, I don't think their galley was any bigger than ours and they fed 24 souls, also they only had two loos!
We filled up with diesel in Laboe, a lovely tidy clean and spacious marina, leaving in mist and calm. Our course took us almost directly to Fehmarn Sound over which goes the Fehmarn Bridge. A military vessel stood firmly in our path and I called them on the VHF and asked if we could pass. No reply…it seemed they didn't want to talk on the radio but instead they motored to find us and announced that we could pass to such and such a bouy. I couldn't find this bouy and assuming I misheard changed course for a likely alternative. Over their tannoy they advised I only need to take a course of 094deg and we would be safe. Many bows and raisings of the hat seemed to attract waves of friendship back and we passed on into a fog bank which lasted nearly an hour.
Then as it cleared we approached the Fehmarn bridge. I had researched this bridge before we left England and it is something of a civil engineering masterpiece, its vital statistics said it had 23m clearance. Now our good ship has an air draft of 20.2m to the top of the mast and then some for the aerials. I reckoned I needed 21.5m and was fairly confident as we approached as the tide guage on the bridge pier showed a draft of 22m available so we all but stopped and drifted under. There was not a lot of room to spare but we got under without mishap - much to Wendy's amazement.
On to the little old marina where we are now tied up for the night after a 40 mile trip in what turned into abeautiful evening.
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