Rendsburg to Brunsbuttel

Fairly dull stretch on the motor + main along the second 2/3s of the Kiel Canal. Nothing much to say except that we are now moored along the entrance of a major lock with fairly substantial ships entering and leaving. It's grey, windy and raining. It will be a noisy and turbulent night... Alongside we have a Swedish Jeanneau, length about 46 feet, just returning from a pan meditterranean and trans atlantic tour. The owner is sure he will sell the boat and do no more sailing...

Tomorrow we head out to sea. Despite all preparations (tide tables, charts, atlasses) I have little idea of what to expect. It's the main and only channel into Hamburg, it's narrow, and heads west to north west. So tomorrow we are also heading west to north west with an area of low pressure passing through producing force 6 winds from.... west to north west. So we will aim for the mouth of the Elbe and go for Cuxhaven, 15 miles into this weather and 2m waves will probably be enough.

Rendsburg 54 deg 18.4'N 009 deg 40.2'E
Brunsbuttel 53 deg 53.7'N 009 deg 08.8'E
Wind 5-12 knots, clouds 7/8, visibility good
Distance 34 nm