Sejerø to Gilleleje
Our “sailing Denmark” month has now taken us to the charing port town of Lynaes, located on the northwest part of Sjaelland and at the entrance to the Issefjord. It’s an area characterised by low cliffs and extremely shallow waters. You really have to follow the leading marks to get to the marina.
These lush green cliffs are a stark contrast to those of Møns Klint on the opposite side of the island of Sjaelland in Denmark
Lynaes marina is still an active fishing harbour, and it’s full of fishing vessels in all shapes and sizes.
A fisherman in Lynaes has just completed a new paint job on his little vessel.
The marina seems to be the town center for Lynaes during the summer. When we arrived (on a Sunday afternoon) a demonstration of a sea rescue by helicopter was being carried out by the local coast guard. In addition, the local kayak club was giving free lessons and holding a kayak race. Even though it doesn’t have very many guest places (call ahead to reserve a place), it’s pleasant enough to spend a couple of days.
Freja taking up the largest guest berth at the marina. We had a lot of spectators and questions about the boat while we were there
Guest spaces in the marina are across the water from the fishing boats.
Because the water at the beach is so shallow, it may be the warmest in Denmark. The beach also attracts kite and windsurfers from all around, and we spent a lot of time there with Senna.
Senna loves the beach, but she needs a thorough shower before being allowed back on the boat!
You can rent windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment as well as kayaks here. Several footpaths lead to the cliffs for great views of the sea. You’ll find rental bikes at the marina office.
The beach is right next to the marina (you can see a mast in the photo)
We had dinner (fish, of course) at the marina restaurant — good food, excellent service. If you want fast food, there’s also a hamburger/fries place just in front of the marina. A sauna at the end of the pier is run by a local association. You can buy a token for use of the sauna at the marina office.
The sauna at the marina
The harbour also has a chandlery where we picked up a few things for the boat, as usual. Marine shops are like black holes sucking in your money, aren’t they? You always find some little thing that you’re sure you need — if not today, then tomorrow.
View of the guest harbour in Lynaes
It was so pleasant in this little harbour town that we spent 3 nights there!
This beautiful boardwalk was built to provide access to swimmers
Beautiful skies at sunset in Lynaes
A stairway leading down to the surprisingly warm waters around Lynaes
Another sauna at the pier (but this one is for private use only)
View towards the south end of the Isefjord.
Info on Lynaes marina:
Prices for all boats: 160 DKK including toilets, showers and electricity – a real bargain!
Contact: Harbour master Morten Fredriksen — Telephone: +46 47 93 9119, Email: lynaes.havn@mail.dk
We didn’t quite know what these interesting contraptions were — nets to trap fish? shrimp?
Or is it a way to prevent algae from getting into the marina? We couldn’t find anyone who could tell us.
Lynaes to Gilleleje
It’s not a very long sail to Gilleleje from the top of the Issefjord, but we wanted to arrive early to be able to get one of the few berths long enough for us.
View of the cliffs near the port of Gilleleje
Even during the off season, we’ve noticed that if you arrive any later than 14.00, there may not be any berths left for us. Often, the only places long enough are the along-side berths — the ones with buoys or booms are too short or too narrow or both. We do find it annoying that smaller boats that could easily fit into a Y-boom or buoy berth use the alongside spaces that are marked with signs saying “12 meters or longer”. When we ask to tie up alongside them, they always say no — which is understandable since our boat weighs around 27 tonnes fully tanked and loaded. Understandable but still annoying.
We arrived at Gilleleje at around 14.00, and after securely mooring the boat, set out to find the marina office and explore the large harbour area.
There seemed to be a major thunderstorm going on north of Gilleleje
We were pleasantly surprised to find several restaurants, cafés, and ice cream shop, two shops selling fish right off the boat, a marine store and several clothing shops. The only shopping that was missing was a supermarket.
View of the beach next to the marina
Gilleleje has a large refitting industry – specifically for older boats. We were fascinated by the way these older boats were built as we walked around the ship-rebuilding yards.
A large Swedish fishing boat being re-fittted
This sailing vessel is a beauty. You can see that the waterproofing used is still tar.
We did see a Netto shop not far from the marina, but after our previous visit to a Netto, we vowed to not shop there again. Thanks to to the Google app on the iPhone, we found a Superbrugsen within walking distance (open during the week from 8.00 to 20.00. and on weekends from 8.00 to 18.00). It has an amazing selection of wine (important!) and food, including lots of organic selections.
After a visit to Adams’s Fisk at the marina to stock up on some fresh “Skagen Mix” and fresh fish, we were good to go!
Gilleleje is not a very big town, so aside from some quaint restaurants and a lovely beach, there are just a few other interesting things to do. There’s a museum at the lighthouse called Nakkehoved Fyr, if you’re interested in the history of lighthouses.
View towards the lighthouse of Nakkehoved
The houses in the old town of Gillelje (just in front of the marina) have beautiful thatched roofs.
Info Gilleleje marina:
Prices 2016 (Width of boat):
Up to 2.45 m: 150 DKK
2.46 m – 3.45 m: 180 DKK
3.46 m – 4.45 m: 200 DKK
4.46 m and over: 300 DKK
Prices include toilets, water and electricity.
Showers are 10 DKK (you need to buy the tokens for the showers at the harbour office or the fish shop “Adamsens Fisk” or the marine shop “Speedy’s”.)
Telephone: +45 40 26 66 63.