I was a proud owner of small sailboat as my dream home and stuck in Landskrona marina. That old Johnsson outboard engine just leaked gasoline whatever I tried. On any information from Internet, super epoxy should have fixed that leak but that didn’t work out for me. But a layer of epoxy, waited 24h and put gasoline into the tank. Waited a little bit and the connection started to throw expensive gasoline to sea again. The basic idea to drill that hole bigger and put 3mm brass tube to it should have fixed my problem, but there wasn’t any 3mm brass tube for sale in Sweden. I should have ordered it from UK, but there was no delivery address to deliver it. With epoxy available in Swedish stores, I joked that having named 3,5% alcohol a beer so obviously their epoxy isn’t strong enough to hold gasoline. Sweden has lot of such kind of regulations.
Finally, I got enough donations to buy a new engine. I had budgeted Chinese one for 300 EUR which I should have been order from Switzerland. But, I again lacked the delivery address and that Chinese seller told, that their logistics company can’t deliver it for me to pickup.
Therefore, I was looking any old outboard sold Skane or Goteborg. But I was always unlucky to get those. Usually, when I was prepared to collect something it was already sold.
When I noticed, that I could get new electric one and extra battery for my budget, I immediately took train to Helsingborg marine shop to buy it
However, as they didn’t had the powerful one at this shop at the moment, I took most powerful they had in stock. It was enough to get me out from Landskrona marina finally but useless at sea. I should have bought 55 lbs engine for boats up to 6m, while. got only 40 lbs one for boats up to 5m.
Later I discovered that local Biltema shop would have had 55 lbs one in sale for nearly same price that I bought my 40 lbs one, but I wasn’t aware about that. Biltema was always, that you have to ask and then they check their catalog.
My plan was to learn sailing around a week or two before starting my journey to Denmark. However, Mimmi decided that she want’s to be in Denmark and took me there.
Meanwhile, I had drop down the foresail halyard and was sailing main only.
I ended up Humlebaek, which was nice small town but to get south, I had to wait proper wind. Therefore, I was anchoring during strong winds nearby beach. Mimmi was waving and I had to hold myself inside the cabin. I had a small anchor coming with the boat and it wasn’t properly secured by previous owners. So, one moment I was looking that my boat somehow moves and discovered, that my anchor was gone. Lucky me, that this nice guy in Landskrona who helped me with mast donated also storm anchor. This has become very useful. Somehow, he though that this anchor should be in boat stern. But anchoring a boat from stern isn’t much working out. Waves are coming from stern then and could even sink a boat. Therefore I learned hard way to anchor directly from bow. Put a special anchor rope clamp there that anchor is connected straight to stern and secured end of the rope as well. This has been made my anchoring during high winds much tolerable.
After few days I was able to sail south on good downwind and made short stop in Horsholm. This was very busy marina, but I was able to dock and nobody asked money from me there.
But when I tried to continue to Copenhagen, I ended up too much in the middle of the sea and wasn’t able to turn Mimmi around to get to the harbour entrance. And it was busy shipping line as well. But Mimmi was very glad to continue downwind towards Malmo – back to Sweden. Made over 3 knots of speed even until wind died. There was short rain when wind didn’t know anymore, which direction to blow and afterwards there was no wind at all.
I was stopped in the middle of shipping line and obviously wasn’t a good place to hang on. Therefore, I started my motor and motored towards nearest coast.
Meanwhile some wind come up again, so I anchored between Barseback and Bjarred.
Next days was warm and sunny with no wind. I regretted that I do not have yet solar panel. It was decided essential to my boat home and I should have ordered it either back in Tartu or at least to Landskrona. But as mentioned, I didn’t had any delivery address in Landskrona and Sweden isn’t a place for someone to help you out with that.
After few calm days I was out of food, therefore set the main sail and somehow Mimmi was moving 0,1 kts or so. By afternoon more wind was coming out, so I ended up in Lomma. Sailed in to local yacht club marina and docked my boat there.
My MacBook Air had stopped to switch on, so I had another problem to fix. Took a bus to Malmo and was able to buy a screwdriver to open it. When I got back, I had “parking ticket” that I haven’t paid harbour fee and have to visit their office, which I did. However, as doors where locked and nobody there, I just left and sailed towards Malmo. Had to wait better winds in anchorage to cross that busy shipping line and find another small marina “Laguna” on other side of Malmo, where I was able to enter. Went to ask if I could keep my boat in their harbour during winter months and fix here, but she told me that they are private club and I need to be Swedish national to apply, showing bank records, criminal records, etc.
At least I was able to fix foresail halyard. I wonder why Swedes refused to winch me up to the mast using mainsail halyard to fix the issue and considered only option to take the mast down. One nice morning I just used crane ladder, tied a rope to mast to tilt the boat that mast will be closer to me when climbing up to ladder and fix the issue alone and sailed away afterwards.
OK, I found small city marina on the other side of beach and some mornings docked my boat there, anchoring nights usually in beach bay nearby. As the harbour office was closed with the note that “please pay harbour fee using mobile bank ID”. As I’m no longer a customer to any Swedish banks and obviously didn’t had their mobile ID, then I wasn’t able to pay. There wasn’t much other boats docked to that pier anyway. One old German couple spent a night there with their much bigger sailboat and one day there was Danish guy with his son and motorboat.
To get permanent docking place for the winter period in Malmo doesn’t cost much (around 100 EUR for my small boat), but was difficult to get. First, you need to have mobile bank id and pay around 30 EUR fee to get yourself to the queue. Then, when a place will be available you will be notified and have to pay full amount within three days.
There was a place in Malmo, where homeless persons can get free breakfast and shower (lunch cost 5 EUR) and I used their services. Collected PANT (plastic bottles and cans) and tobacco during my walk to that place and bought noodle soups, biscuits and coffee with pant money.
Until autumn storms arrived and I found another unused big harbour on the next side of that beach bay – Limhamn. It had high concrete walls, so I docked my boat near to the ladder to use it for getting up and down from boat. There was some piers, one of those was private and another was for local sailing school. And I noticed two other old boats like mine docked to those walls. Therefore each morning I woke up early, walked the beach road to the city to have free breakfast in their homeless center and hot showers as well. There was also a church in Malmo giving free breakfast (soup even in Thursdays lunchtime) and some food on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. There maybe a bread, but mostly a pack of vegetables which should be consumed within days. As it took me around two hours to walk there, over an hour in line and another two hours to walk back, I found this sometimes useless. But, I could collect pant and tobacco on the road, therefore I made this trip for this purpose.
I just needed to sort out the delivery address for a new computer and solar panel. At first that homeless center was kind to give me such, but later refused as I have no history living in Malmo before. Therefore I asked city post office to have Poste Restrante. They asked me to register myself in Skatteverket, which I again did. In Sweden, you have to have a tax number and mobile bank ID for everything. Skatteverket took my application for temporary tax id number and that was enough for post office. However, when solar panel arrived I had to walk to the post sorting center to get it. And somehow they didn’t wanted to give me it demanding passport. As I explained, I’m EU citizen in EU area and do not need passport and visa to stay in Sweden. After some consultation with their bosses, the employee in sorting center was kind enough to give me my package. It was 50w marine solar panel, which is something but for normal usage, I would have needed more powerful solar. My original idea to buy Chinese 300w one would have been waste of my money as they are only 30w max and do broke easy. I remember when ordering 500ml stainless steel cup for my coffee and got only 50ml one useful to drink vodka from it. And 100,000 mA battery back was something 5000 mA only.
MacBook Air 2015 from UK was sent using DHL, so I got it from nearby DHL delivery point and postal service was not needed.
As 12v adapter for my MacBook had stopped working as well, the seller was happy to replace it. Therefore I ordered replacement, but this was delivered to boat ex owner address rather than mine. Because I had used him for previous one.
I kindly asked him to post it forward to me which he did, however lacked enough postal stamps to put on the package. Therefore, I was invoiced some 6 EUR and would have paid it to get my package. However, the invoice lacked bank details and IBAN number; and I wasn’t even able to get it paid in the post office using their card terminal. So, I informed Post Nord and they answered that my package would be delivered anyway but this may take some time as they have only one guy working in the terminal.
When darker period had arrived, I noticed that those lamps will consume lot of my battery and now, when in solar I must replace those with Led’s. Therefore I ordered a bunch of 12v Led’s with last 10 EUR I had in my card and to my surprise, those arrived in a week and without any hassles. Therefore, I had finally done with Sweden and ready to sail to Denmark again.
Next day was unusual cold and sunny morning, therefore I charged my battery using solar, collected some tobacco and cans in Limhamn old town, got myself a 2,8% beer and motored out.
Sail went very well upwinds until I reached the bridge. Whatever I tried, when Mimmi reached under the bridge winds started to blow any directions and she was thrown back. Until I lost main sail halyard again and was in the mercy of wind blowing from wrong direction. And I ended up blown to shallow waters between the bridge and Saltholm island.
By calling 112, they forwarded message to Danish volunteer rescue service and I was on my way to Denmark.
They put me to Dragor harbour service dock. In morning I went to harbour office and they found a ladder also, hold the boat and ladder while I was climbing up and sorted out the issue.
But staying in the service dock longer was not allowed as boats wanted to stop there frequently to tank gasoline. I supposed to be docking from other entrance. When I tried to move boat there using my motor, this didn’t work out so I had to drag her back and found somebody with more powerful motor to drag me to that other entrance. Finally, I was saved and in Denmark. There was Netto supermarket nearby, so I cashed those bottles and cans that I had collected in Malmo and had Danish pant and purchased food and wine. Wine is freely available in Denmark supermarkets and costs half of Swedish price.
Next day I walked to Copenhagen and looked the canal place I once imagined to dock my Mimmi there. This was full of boats and no way I would have sailed there under all those bridges and shipping lines.
Therefore, I needed better place to keep Mimmi. When I returned harbour master visited me and asked to pay. Obviously I did not had any money and to keep Mimmi in his harbour would have cost over 3000 EUR, which obviously I didn’t had. I mentioned that my rudder seems to be damaged, so maybe it’s dangerous for me to continue my journey. But he answered that everybody here is too busy and when asking for work, he mentioned that there is no work here! If everyone is very busy, sure there must be work!
Anyway, I left their harbour to continue my journey but wind was blowing Mimmi again to busy shipping line, therefore I turned back and mainsail halyard again dropped. So, I anchored near harbour. One nice guy with very small sailing boat dropped by to ask: “do I need something?”. I answered that I need some food and he comes back with cookies and bread. Next morning I tried to sail into that harbour with foresail only, but Mimmi missed harbour entrance so I dropped anchor and one Danish couple with their small motorboat dragged me in.
This time it was easy fix. Just took a hook and dragged the line down. As I was again docked, there was a nice moment to collect pant and buy some food again.
To my surprise, Police arrived to check me out. “A worried citizen” has called them. But checking that I was OK and the sail was fixed, they left.
I was little bit worried to sail into Kobe bay as there was busy shipping line very close, but my sail went well. As I didn’t wan’t to risk anymore to pass under the bridge to get to the Copenhagen canal, I decided to sail Vallensbaek/Ishoi. There was a big harbour there. It was Sunday evening, so I decided to ask Monday morning that maybe I could keep my boat over the winter there.
But the answer from both harbours was negative, so I just anchored my boat Brondby Beach waiting for better wind. At least they do not lock Supermarket’s trash containers in Denmark (they do it in Sweden), so I was able to find enough food.
As I wasn’t able to sail much forward, I just anchored my boat nearby beach and waited better weather conditions. And next night storms started. Winds over 40 knots. Wasn’t easy to sleep and checking does my anchor holds was my main activity in total dark.
Next day the storm continued, but I found a moment to take my boat inside harbour protected area. However, to anchor my boat other side of piers area didn’t work out. When dropping the main, she just went opposite direction towards pier rocks and I didn’t had any possibilities to stop her actions. The 0.6 HP motor was again useless. Finally, I catch some railings of the establishment on the end of pier and tied my boat there to avoid Mimmi to end up in moles. The storm continued several days and next day harbour Captain comes to visit me. He was totally unhappy seeing me there and called the Police. I explained, that otherwise my small boat would have ended up on those rocks and you would have been obligations to clean it up. As I would have only back my back-bag, took my computer and left in dark. Also, I demanded the Police to confiscate my boat from me as this person (harbourmaster) demanding me to make suicide and untie my boat from secure position in this storm. Danish Police refused to take any actions and recommended, that we should negotiate some agreement. When storm decreased, I had to make my decision: should I continue with my journey to Germany during winter storms in Denmark or find a way to get rid of my new home?
As past days has been too stressful and as I was used to live as homeless person, my decision was hard. Tried in harbour to find some persons, who are willing to pay me some money of the tools or something At this moment I was only looking to buy myself some wine to enjoy my experiences. After trying to negotiate with several persons, I finally found a Young Couple to take the tools, bolts, etc from my boat. They where friendly and even give me the ride to the City and around 20 EUR for wine. At least those young people had a boat and no idea, what to do with her.
Anyway, I just left Mimmi to dock with new electrical motor, which was was sponsored by my e-wife, left all documents to marina office entrance, keys to unlock the lock to enter the cabin and decided my destiny. This wasn’t my first time to do something useful and robbed this way. My experiences being in Sweden and Denmark have confirmed my suspicions, that those nations are scammers. Next story will be regarding Danish rules to be “homeless person” there.