100 years ago: An adventurous summer – sailing round Rügen on the “Ingeborg 3” and back to Berlin

The report in which the “Schiffer Sala” (with the proud designations M.Y.C.v.D.-C.M.Y.-St.Y.C.-Kr.-Abt. d. D.S. Vb.) An account of the adventures of the “Ingeborg 3” in the summer of 1926 appeared in our sister magazine YACHT that very same year. We are reprinting it here in its original form, with the spelling as it was at the time. A look through the archives reveals that some things were different 100 years ago – but many others were not. In this seventh instalment, the cruise comes to an end – but not before circumnavigating Rügen. Once again, in high spirits...

​Text: Schiffer Sala – M.Y.C.v.D.-C.M.Y.-St.Y.C.-Kr. Branch of the D.S. Vb.

• Part 1 of the journey can be found here.
• ​Part 2 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 3 of the journey can be found here.
• ​Part 4 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 5 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 6 of the journey can be found here.

You have to get your sea legs

​Our floating home had now been moored here for a week, partly unoccupied and unguarded, as the rest of the crew’s holiday leave had by then come to an end; this time, with a new crew, both owners arrived on board on 28 July – four men in total, brimming with enthusiasm.

With wind force four to five, the new crew were first given a chance to get their sea legs during a lengthy cruise, sailing both downwind and upwind, before setting course for Saßnitz the following day, which we reached in the evening amidst changeable weather, with periods of calm interspersed with thunderstorms.

Rügen’s beautiful views

With Sitznitz as our base, we visited the seaside resorts of Binz, Sellin and Göhren, met many old acquaintances and made new friends, so that life on board became quite lively and delightful. This was followed by boat trips to Stubbenkammer, including a climb up the Königsstuhl. The weather was as glorious as our spirits throughout the whole trip.

The wooded shores of Rügen, the cliffs and chalk cliffs in the north, the sun sinking into the sea, glowing red, and then the rows of lights in the seaside resorts at night, the lighthouses and all the ever-changing moods of the sea — all this has such a soothing effect on the soul and never fails to move one, as if it were a revelation.

The Bodden as a cauldron

Given the wind and swell, it seemed advisable to head for Lake Sellin over the next few days, if we did not want to be stuck for any length of time in Saßnitz, which had little to offer. On 3 August, a force 6 westerly wind was blowing when we decided to set off at 11.30 am.

It was a boozy affair that claimed its first victim. When we were abeam Südperd, the wind occasionally picked up to force eight, so that the Bodden looked like a witch’s cauldron. The waves were short and steep, interspersed with heavy breakers. As we were now also heading straight into the wind, the spray swept over the boat so fiercely that one could barely see out of one’s eyes, whilst at the helm every wave ran down one’s collar and out of one’s trousers.

The 500 nautical miles are complete

This journey was such a fabulous experience that repeated cries of delight faded away in the howling wind. Given that, even in this weather – albeit only briefly – it was possible to go full throttle, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Rolandwerft and Bayerische Motorenwerke.

The boat settled very gently into the sea, yet the bow rose so quickly that green water never reached the deck. The engine, too, performed its duty flawlessly; indeed, over the 500 nautical miles we had covered so far, we had not experienced a single misfire, let alone a breakdown; admittedly, the fuel was free of water on this occasion.

A bottle of cognac in the wake

We only stayed on Lake Sellin for two days, and as the wind had died down considerably, we weighed anchor on 5 August at half past three in the afternoon, had coffee in Zinnowitz and moored at the green area in Swinemünde at half past ten.

One problem that was difficult to resolve was the supply of ice, as the crew were so spoilt that they wanted their drinks served cold. But a solution was found there too. One day, whilst the captain was looking for the lead line, a kitchen fairy hauled in the lead line that had been trailing astern, and hanging neatly from it in a bowline knot was the bottle of cognac, splendidly chilled. From then on, several lines were always hanging over the side, and a special drinks watch had to ensure that nothing got caught in the propeller during manoeuvres.

Washing up was a real pain. Even though the machine’s cooling-water tap supplied hot water, and anything that wasn’t strictly part of the kit ended up overboard, we were still often ordered to do the washing up. Preparing meals was simpler: just take … a few tins, open them, heat them in a bain-marie — and that’s it! Only when fresh meat was being fried would a male cook take charge of the matter, just to be on the safe side …

It’s time to head home

We stayed in Swinemünde for two days, cleaning and painting the boat and dealing with urgent post. Then we set off again via Zinnowitz and Greifswalder Oie to the waters off Rügen, where we sailed. Following severe thunderstorms, we decided to set off for home at 7.30 pm on 9 August.

However, as the atmospheric disturbances continued throughout the night, and the long, dead, sideways swell was making some of the crew feel unwell, we decided on the spot to set course for the small fishing harbour of Greifswalder Oie, where we dropped anchor at 10 pm amidst thunder and lightning.

“Ingeborg” back at Wannsee

After a short, deep sleep, at 4.30 am on 11 August, we set off on our final journey home, and in calm weather, occasionally punctuated by thunderstorms, we sailed across the lagoon – with brief stops at Heringsdorf and Swinemünde – through Stettin and upstream to Stolper Dammhaus, where we dropped anchor between two groynes at 8.30 pm. The following day, between 4.75 am and 6 pm, we made our way to our buoy at the M.Y.C.v.D. in Wannsee.

For the return journey (from Oie to Wannsee), we covered around 300 km in two days, and despite the current flowing against us and the canal, it took us just 22 hours of pure driving time – something not many vehicles are likely to manage.

• ​Part 1 of the journey can be found here.
• ​Part 2 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 3 of the journey can be found here.
• ​Part 4 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 5 of the journey can be found here.
• Part 6 of the journey can be found here.