Initially we had planned to explore the Danish archipelago for at least a week but unfavorable weather shortened our trip to just 2 days. We left Kiel on Friday with a good easterly breeze and pretty awful weather for August. Fortunately the wind got lighter, the sky clear and the second half of the 30 nm leg to the island of Aeroe was more enjoyable than its start. Right in the middle between Germany and Denmark we found a weir orange object adrift. Turned out it was a humongous damaged drift buoy. We managed to pull it on board with much difficulties to free the ocean from the plastic waste. Our anchor dropped right next to the southern tip of Aeroe, next to the lighthouse. Because of the shallow draft of our canoe we could anchor so close to the beach that we didnt even need a dinghy to get to shore.
The next day brought cold and foggy weather with a stiff breeze. The morning was spent wing foiling, riding down the swell which bent around the cape near by. Around noon, the wind went down a bit to around 20 kn, the anchor was lifted and we started sailing back to keel with great speed. Shortly after the wind increased again, probably up to 30 kn, forcing us to put in a reef. Still doing 8-9 kn we were both holding on behind, staring at the huge waves and bracing for spray which would come over us every once in a while. These were not particularly terrible conditions in general, but the heaviest we have ever sailed proasis in yet. After this wiled ride the wind out of a sudden completely died once we entered the Kiel fjord and we had to use our electric engine for the last couple of miles. Eventually we made it home just before a heavy thunderstorm. We were only gone for two days but it still feels like a week worth of adventure!
Turned out it was a humongous damaged drift buoy.