Sailing on the Eendracht: From Varberg (Sweden) to Esbjerg (Denmark) | Junior van der Berg & Cheryl Everlo
After a long journey, mostly spent waiting at the airports in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, we finally arrived at the station by train. A ten-minute walk later, there she was, moored in a beautiful spot in the harbor of Varberg, Sweden: the Eendracht! What a joy it was to step back on board.
Arrival
We were warmly welcomed by Yvonne. After a funny mix-up—our registration didn’t quite make it clear that we were a couple—we were allowed to share a cabin after all. Slowly, the other participants arrived, and the atmosphere in the tea garden became more lively. After an opening word from Captain Hein, safety instructions from Dewi, and a delicious outdoor meal prepared by Barbara, Joep and Wiljan started the engine and we set sail out of Varberg harbor. Passports were collected by First Mate Roland for administrative purposes. Onward to an amazing adventure!
Unlike most Eendracht trips, on this journey participation in the watch system—a kind of work schedule at sea—wasn’t mandatory, but helping the crew was always possible and encouraged. After a night of motoring, the next morning the watch received instructions on winches and lines from Quartermasters Marco and Paul. After lunch, we finally hoisted the first sails together, and now we were truly sailing!
It was immediately clear that the depth of Scandinavian waters is significantly greater than in the North Sea, sometimes hitting over 600 meters on the depth gauge. This was no surprise to most crew members, of course; the ocean is much, much deeper. Equally impressive, though very different, was the enormous number of jellyfish—large, small, yellow, and blue.
The Voyage
The first stop on this journey was the Swedish village of Lysekil. In the afternoon, a local guide led an excursion through the village. Participation was entirely optional. Upon return, the aft deck bar was renamed the “Tikibar” by Lennart and Yvonne, and the evening was lively well into the night.
During a night of strong winds, we sailed quickly—around eight knots—and, as planned, arrived the following morning at the picturesque town of Risør. The village is filled with charming white-painted wooden houses. Though the sea was cloudy during the crossing, the sun broke through as we docked, revealing a clear blue sky. Cheryl and fellow passenger Anne took the opportunity to swim around the boat. Junior captured the moment from the shore, and Marco kindly carried their clothes to where they exited the water.
Another excursion took place that day, led by Yvonne. We first visited a wooden church dating back to 1647, then hiked up to the Risørflekken viewpoint for stunning views of the town and the Eendracht, as well as a break from the climb. At the top, you could also step back in time to explore World War II trenches and bunkers. The evening ended with a delicious BBQ on the aft deck and more Tikibar fun afterward.
The journey from Risør to Arendal (yes, the town featured in Disney’s Frozen) was challenging for many. The wind from the previous day created significant swells, and motoring caused seasickness for several participants. The tea garden gradually filled with crew and passengers seeking relief. Fortunately, the cook Barbara happily handed over the kitchen duties to passengers Pien and Plonie for the day. Ship’s doctor Wout was on hand with medication, bandages, and sometimes just a listening ear for those struggling with seasickness. Once we entered Arendal, however, it was pure enjoyment: colorful houses on either side and lush natural surroundings.
In Arendal, we stayed a little longer, making time for a friendly game of bowling among the crew and passengers. On three lanes, we competed for victory, with Rémon even using the dragon slide to guide the balls perfectly down the lanes. The next day, everyone visited a scenic viewpoint, and Dewi climbed the mast under the watchful eyes of interested onlookers for an inspection.
Our originally planned first Danish stop, Hvide Sande, was skipped. Navigating a five-meter draft in six-meter-deep waters with heavy swells was not ideal. According to Hein, we didn’t miss much, aside from some white beaches as the name suggests. During the day, we continued sailing and received sailing lessons from Lennart and Dewi.
The upside of this detour was that we could sail through the night. We were grateful to take part in the “dog watch” from midnight to 4 a.m., keeping watch over the ship, manning the helm, and doing fire-and-leak rounds throughout the vessel, with the highlight being pan-toasts! Another fun aspect was experiencing how it barely got dark at sea. Helmsman Kees showed us the first tall ships appearing on the radar during this watch, signaling that Esbjerg, and the end of our journey, was drawing near.
At 4 a.m., we were relieved by the watch of Stefan (serving as boatswain and quartermaster for this voyage). The sails were lowered around 7 a.m., and we enjoyed our last sailing breakfast before slowly entering Esbjerg harbor.
Final evening in Esbjerg, we held the HUTquiz. Teams did their best to answer questions from quizmasters Lennart and Yvonne, with the highlight being the Eendracht round. After drinks and socializing, it was time to sleep. The next morning, after breakfast and heartfelt goodbyes, the first passengers and crew disembarked with only fond memories.
Some passengers, including Anne and Nina, stayed a few extra nights to serve as cooks for the day visitors in Esbjerg, where the tall ship races would begin in a few days.
We want to thank everyone—the crew and fellow passengers—for an incredible journey and the positive energy everyone shared. It was wonderful to feel so warmly welcomed as newcomers and, over the course of the week, get to know each other well enough to truly feel like a team—and almost like a family—by the end. We had an amazing week, thank you!