Smålands Farvandet

Smålands Farvandet is probably the nicest cruising ground in the whole of Denmark. The trip through the winding, very shallow channel from Vordingborg past Kalvehave and out into Stege Bucht is simply wonderful, and shouldn't be missed under any circumstances.

Vejrø is the archetypical desert island - with a marina!

Technically Rødvig is in the Bøgestrøm, and Korsor is in the Støre Belt, but they are included here because they can be used to cap a trip through the area.


Vejrø

Vejrø is a private island, with a small very basic marina. Its a popular stop for weekenders as you really can get away from it all. Apart from the owners shop and ‘taverna’ there is no other civilisation. The marina itself is just a set of boxes, in two pools. Only the Starboard pool is usable as the Port side silts up.

When we visited Vejrø, the entire island was for sale. Own your own desert island!


Kalvehave

From Vejrø, the whole area funnels Westerlies down towards the narrows at Vordingborg, so it can be a wet trip traveling west. There are two ways into the channel - either under the 26m Storstrøm bridge, or a lifting bridge at Vordingborg. There is a 20m fixed bridge before you get to Kalvehave.

Kalvehave is about half way if you are making the journey from the Store Belt to the Sound. There is something very attractive about the place. It's difficult to say why, as, on the surface, there is not much to recommend it. The only restaurant closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, there is little water depth, and, apart from a local supermarket, there are few other facilities. But the spot is just stunning. Kids swim off the end of the harbour pier, the views over Stege Bucht are stunning, and the marina has a wonderful sleepy atmosphere.

The marina proper is to Port when entering, but there are boxes and a wall you can lay alongside in the Fishing Harbour, to Starboard - and this is the better bet. We managed to get one of these boxes and then stared in astonishment at the Depth sounder, which read 1.2 meters (We're aground at 1.6!). Hurried check with the books indicated that the tidal range was 0.6 meters - would we get out? In fact the tidal range was negligible– we stayed afloat the whole time.

The place was enlivened by a couple of fishermen, ostensibly drunk as lords, and a dog. Apart from the singing, getting the dog into and out of their small dinghy was a performance of merit.


Stege Bucht

There is a glorious trip from Kalvehave out towards Copenhagen. The channel is narrow, winding, and shallow. At some point, our depth sounder read less than we float in, but the bottom is weed, so we think it was confused.

The trip starts off in the sheltered Stege Bucht, then gradually, as it gets out to the Bøgestrøm becomes more exposed. The route is well buoyed, although sometimes not much than 100 meters apart. Careful study of the chart is useful to keep to the deeper side of the channel!


Korsor

Korsor is a town with a past. It used to be the main ferry port linking Copenhagen with the rest of Denmark and the mainland of Europe, but it has suffered a huge shock - the Store Belt bridge. The ferries are now but a recent memory, but they have left their mark on the town.

The town itself is divided in two by the Korsor Nor - Denmark's largest inland lake. Technically, Korsor is on the south bank, and Halsskov on the North. Halsskov itself used to be split in two by the railway, which ran down to the ferry berths. Now, the railway has gone, and the large gash left where the tracks were has been semi-landscaped into a park. The ferry berths and the old railway station still exist, but grass grows where was once a busy port - its all very eerie. Imagine Dover if the ferries left, and the harbour was grassed over...

The town is quaint, with some really old houses, and a large church. The harbour quayside has been improved, with some new building and cafés, but the scene is still dominated by the Grain Silos

The marina is within walk of the town. There are relatively few guest berths, and those that do exist are subject to some swell - the design of the marina seems to encourage waves to bounce around the harbour. It does however have a good restaurant-first appearances are not impressive, but the food is good. Cheaper than Langeland, costs were 100DKK a night.

Korsor, dominated by the Store Belt bridge (£24 for a one-way crossing) seems to be off the Sailing School circuit, and undeservedly seems to have fewer visitors.

At the weekend, the Town held a maritime festival. The was somewhat like an English Town fete, centered around the harbour. The most entertaining part was watching the service people fight it out on the greasy pole above a large tank of water.


Rodvig

Despite being only 20 miles apart, Rødvig is completely different from Kalvehave. Nestled in a bay between some cliffs, the town has the air of being a small fishing village on the English south coast, rather than being 50 miles from Copenhagen.

The general area is known as the Stevens Peninsula, and is a popular spot for cycling holidaymakers, although the absence of many decent beaches deters the hordes. The cliffs, such as they are, are known as Stevens Clint.

Sailing into Rødvig needs a little care, as fishing stakes extend from the shore on either side of the bay, and they are ill-marked. A straight-line approach from the safe-water buoy is a good idea. South easterlies can kick up a fair old sea all the way in, as there is considerable fetch - all the way from Poland!

Rødvig yachtharbour is not huge, and attracts its fair share of visitors, so berths are not guaranteed. There are some more boxes in the fishing harbour next door, but it is a tad industrial. The harbour office doubles as the local tourist office and there is a small shop selling provisions on the waterfront. A bigger supermarket is 15 minutes walk away. There is a reasonable beach the other side of the fishing harbour.

The town has about 3 restaurants, the best of which is Rødvig Kro, a few minutes walk from the harbour. Not cheap (about £50 a head) but the food is excellent.

The town boasts a ship engine museum, 2 minutes walk from the harbour, and a private railway. This has an hourly service which links with the Copenhagen S-Tog at Koge.