Denmark

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Revision as of 02:41, 6 March 2015

Denmark Cruising Guide

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Denmark.

Denmark
Denmark
Flag of Denmark
Capital:	Copenhagen 55°43′N, 12°34′E
Language:	Danish
Currency:	Danish Krone (DKK) although the Euro is widely accepted, particularly in southern Denmark
Timezone:	UTC+1 (DST observed)
More notes about the country
Latest News
Content - news items, etc.

Denmark as of 1st January 2006 had a population of 5,427,459. Although a small country Denmark has influenced the rest of the world to a greater extent than the country is generally given credit for. Beginning in the Viking Age about 750 AD the Danes became notorious for plundering churches and monasteries. This however is a very one-sided picture as the Danes were to a very large extent farmers who set up colonies in coastal states around the North Sea. Many towns in Britain which today proudly bear Nordic names were Viking settlements.

The Danes were united and officially Christianized in 965 AD by Harald Bluetooth. The extent of Harald's Danish Kingdom is unknown, although it is reasonable to believe that it included Jutland down to the defensive line of Dannevirke (in present day northern Germany), the Danish isles and into southern present day Sweden; Scania and perhaps Halland and Blekinge.

By the end of the 16th century the Reformation had developed into a Lutheran orthodoxy. The conversion of the church from Catholicism to Lutherism was a notably peaceful transition in Denmark.

Denmark and Sweden were for many years locked in a power struggle for supremacy in the Baltic region. The struggle extend from 1553 to 1660 during which a number of wars were fought with Sweden almost succeeding in completely subduing Denmark in 1659. Only intervention on the part of the Netherlands saved Denmark but the country was much weakened and, when peace came in 1660, the country was only a third of its former size having ceded all provinces east of the Sound to Sweden.

After the conflicts with Sweden were finally resolved Denmark entered a process of civil change. The country ceased to be governed by hereditary nobles and became a collegiate administration. The nobles were deprived of most of their privileges and Denmark, in the space of a lifetime, transformed from a medieval state to a modern, vibrant bureaucracy.

From 1720 to 1801 Denmark lived through a long period of peaceful development. This came to an end in 1801 when Admiral Lord Nelson bombarded Copenhagen destroying the Danish fleet in port and thereby altering the balance of power in the Baltic in favour of the British, depriving Napoleon Bonaparte possible support from both Denmark and Sweden.

The 1840:s saw political turmoil in Denmark which after nine years of struggle on the part of the peasants against landowners, saw the signing of the first Constitution in June of 1849.

Political strife was even more present in the province of Schlesvig-Holstein. The issue was that of language in this German speaking province. Resenting being forced to speak Danish in the provisional administration and surfing on a wave of revolution which started in the French February Revolution, civil war broke out in 1848. The culmination of this conflict came after the revolutionaries supported by the Prussian army were soundly defeated at Fredericia in July of the following year.

The issue of Schlesvig-Holstein blew up again in February 1864 when a combined Austrio-Prussian army declared war on Denmark. The invading Austrio-Prussian army routed the Danish and the war was irretrievably lost. In October of the same year, at the Peace of Vienna, Denmark ceded Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg.

After the loss of Schlesvig-Holstein the Danish government withdrew from international conflict and strictly adhered to a policy of neutrality. This policy continued throughout the period of the First World War during which Denmark succeeded in maintaining its neutral status.

Despite the experiences of the First World War, Denmark's neutrality ended on 9th April 1940 when German troops occupied the country within a few hours. No resistance was offered by the Danish armed forces and in return Germany respected the country's "political independence". From 1942 onwards the resistance movement, supported by Britain, became increasingly active. The German occupation ended in 1945 but not before the Danish vice-admiral Vedel had given orders to the navy to sink its own ships to prevent them being taken over by the occupying force. A total of 29 ships were sunk in Copenhagen harbour.

Denmark's post-war history has been strongly influenced by European integration. Together with Great Britain, Denmark joined the European Economic Community in 1973. Participation in the single European currency, the euro, was rejected at a referendum in 2000.

Climate & Weather

Submit the climate & general weather details here. For very large countries remove this section and cover weather in Region ( Region Template) pages.

Sources for weather forecasts:

• Forecasts for Danish waters

Charts

Danish charts are of excellent quality. Best for boating purposes is "Det Levende Søkort" (The Living Chart)which is a digital version of ALL Danish paper charts. It is sold at a cost of some 675 DKK which works out at €90 - a very reasonable price for a complete folio of Danish charts together with the charting program and a host of other information about safety, Danish ports (including chrtlets and photographs), bridge opening times etc.

Det Levende Søkort is sold through the Danish Sailing Association [1] or can be bought at boating stores or through chart agents.

Paper charts are also available through Danish Chart agents and are also widely sold by boating stores and chandlers

Approaches and Navigation

Any navigation notes here. If this section does not apply remove it.

Local Radio Nets

Lyngby Radio maintains a continuous listening watch throughout all Danish waters on VHF channel 16. Working frequencies vary according to the relay station used. In an effort to reduce traffic on V.H.F. channel 16 ship stations are requested to call Lyngby Radio on the appropriate working channel.

For a map and list of V.H.F. channels follow this link Lyngby Radio (unfortunately only in Danish but the map and list are easily understood)

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Arrival/Departure procedures

Arrival

Details?

Departure

Customs

Details?

Customs and Immigration

Details?

Immigration

• Schengen Information.

Fees and Charges

Restrictions

Health and Security

Health

Submit any health warnings/information. Remove any of these sections do not apply to this particular country.

Security

Details?

Popular Cruiser's Ports and Stops

Denmark, which to a very large extent is composed of islands of which 405 are named, has numerous ports and anchorages. Information concerning the more popular of these are listed below.

Offshore Islands

• Bornholm

Bornholm is situated closer to Sweden than to the rest of Denmark. The island lies between Sweden and the coasts of northern Germany and Poland. Being thus situated, it is an extremely popular stop-over point for yachts sailing accross the southern Baltic. The two main ports on the island are Ronne and Nexo. Of the two, Ronne with approximately 15,000 residents is the larger. The town was first mentioned in 1227. This unique island is well worth a visit.

From a sailing point of view, the harbour of Ronne is afe and secure in all weathers although passing through the breakwaters with a strong following wind can be dangerous, as the local ferry masters have found out! A rescue cutter and fast RIB are based at Ronne as is a naval reserve vessel.

If time permits, when visiting Rønne it is worth hireing a bicycle and making a leasurely 3-day trip arround the island on the dedicated cycle path.

Transportation

List transportation to other countries, etc.

Routes/Passages To/From

List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

• The danish ocean cruisers association (DOCA) will assist any cruiser wishing to visit Danish waters. Contact Email
  • DOCA member Erik Larsen (Lynaes, Sjaelland) will be happy to advise any sailor cruising Danish waters and the Baltic. Contact Email

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

• Denmark Sailing and Cruising Discussions on Cruisers Forum

External Links

Authorities:

• The Danish Meteorological Institution's English and German pages
• The Danish Maritime Authority

Pilots:

• Danska Havenlods (Danish Harbour Pilot, unfortunately only available in Danish)

Boatyards and Engine Maintenance:
See each Port

• Thurøbund Boatyard

References & Publications

Books, Guides, etc.

• RCC Pilotage Foundation, Passage Planning Map based index to RCC Crusing Guide Books & Passage Planning Guides.

• 'Sejlerens' Marina Guide. This is a free of charge guide (in Danish and German) that is available in most marina's harbour masters offices. The 'volumes' 1 - 3 cover most of the danish harbours, marinas and landings. It does not replace a harbour pilot with its detailed information on navigation and on approaches but it contains chartlets and general information on the harbours, some general information and commercial advertisements connected to boating and tourism in the area. Please note, that not all harbours are covered, but these magazine type of publication provide a pretty good overview and there is a new issue every year.
• The Reeds Nautical Almanach Skagen to Gibraltar also covers the Danish harbours along the North Sea Shore line between Skagen and the German border. It contains passage information and has valuable information on tides, approaches and radio, it has chartlets of the harbours and it is in English. Unfortunately, it does not cover the Baltic Sea. There is a new edition every year.

• Willy Ker, RCC Pilotage Foundation Faroe Iceland Greenland, Imray, ISBN: 0-85288-7655, Last Update 2004

• To generate your own (danish language) pdf-file containing a pilot of all danish harbours go to http://www.danskehavnelods.dk/ and press "Lav din egen havnelods", which means "Create your own harbour pilot". On the next screen press "Vælg alle" (meaning "Select all"). Press "OK" in the dialogue box asking "Er du sikker på du vil vælg alle havne og broer vist i listen?" (Which means "Are you sure you want to select all harbours in the list" ). Then press "Vis havnelods" (which means "Show harbour pilot"). A dialogue box will prompt you: "Er du klar til at lave din egen havnelods? Det kan tage et par minutter, vent venligst!". This means "Are you ready to create your own harbour pilot? This will take a few minutes, please wait." Press OK, and wait. Be patient and just let the browser alone. At some point you will get a PDF of approximately 350 MB.

Personal Notes

Personal experiences

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