During the Corona years, holidays in their own country were also very popular with the Danes. There was atrue boat boom among the locals. Last year, for the first time, as many foreign crews headed for the neighbouring country's marinas as in the times before the pandemic - above all from Germany. This brought the Danish marinas almost 1.2 million overnight stays - the highest number in 15 years! Denmark, which is also in the current World Happiness Report once again in second place, has lost none of its appeal.
The downside of the boom: the harbours are getting crowded everywhere, especially in the high season. The waiting lists for a permanent berth, which are particularly popular with German skippers in the border region, are long in some places and marina expansions are basically unavoidable. However, ever larger, more modern harbour facilities clash with the need for peace, nature and relaxation - in other words, everything that Denmark generally stands for.
Achieving this balancing act is a challenge that marina operators are facing up to. In many places, they are already adapting to the increased requirements. Jetties are being replaced and extended, sanitary facilities modernised and playgrounds built. More extensive projects such as new harbour entrances, coastal protection measures and prestigious architectural projects such as the "Maritime Centre" in Esbjerg have already been implemented in some cases. At the same time, efforts are being made to minimise the impact on the environment.
From the spruced-up barbecue station to the largest construction site in Europe, from the North Sea coast across the Kattegat to the Danish South Sea: the following area report provides an overview of the most important innovations in the "Land of Happiness".
1. Marina Minde and Marina Toft
The playground at Marina Minde was renovated last year. In 2018, the nearby Skibsværft Toft, now called Marina Toft, was also taken over. A new 1,800 square metre winter storage hall was put into operation here in the autumn. Several outdated buildings were demolished. Investors are currently being sought for a racking hall for motorboats, as seen in the USA or Australia.
2 Sønderborg/Als
In the harbour of the water sports mecca in the south of Jutland, the playground and barbecue area in the northern part have been renovated. Investments have also been made in rescue and safety equipment on the site. Car campers now have their own area slightly away from the harbour area, but directly on the beach. And there is a new disposal point for waste water and chemical toilets. The "Marine Café" at the harbour has had a larger selection of food and drinks on the menu since this spring and also has more outdoor seating than before.
3 Augustenborg/Als
The jetties in the marina have been extended. There are several new berths for yachts up to 20 metres long, which have already been rented out. The playground has also been renovated. Four charging stations for electric cars have been installed on land.
4. Marstal/Ærø
In 2022, the three harbours on Ærø recorded record growth with almost 40,000 overnight guests. As a result, up to eight million Danish kroner, around one million euros, will be invested in the two municipal harbours of Marstal and Ærøskøbing. With 20,000 guests, Marstal is the country's busiest pleasure craft harbour. Construction of the Eriks Hale coastal defence project began just under a year ago. The five groynes, which are intended to protect the headland adjacent to the harbour with its colourful bathhouses, were completed in winter. Since this spring, there have also been new machines to simplify the payment of harbour fees and access to the toilets. Guests are given a code for the toilets and waste bins. "In the past, the containers were freely accessible, which meant that they were also used by holiday home owners and others and we often found garden waste in the waste bins. We hope that waste separation will now work better in future," says harbour master Christian Ørndrup. There are also two new floating docks. The entire harbour basin is to be converted as soon as possible. Two new toilets have been added to the toilet building on jetty 10.
5. guldborgsund
Not much would have been missing and the waterway between Lolland and Falster would have been lost to shipping in the course of the work on the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. A fixed railway bridge over the Guldborg Sound south of the King Friedrich IX Bridge with a clearance height of just 3.5 metres was still planned in 2020 as a hinterland connection to the tunnel. Instead, construction of a bascule bridge began in the spring. This means that it will still be possible to pass through the sound with a vertical mast in the future. The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2026. And: the navigation signs in the southern sound have been changed, so be careful when approaching!
6 Vordingborg/Seeland
The municipality has come up with a discount promotion for the 2023 season: Anyone staying two nights in one of Vordingborg's eight municipal harbours will receive a third night free of charge - regardless of which harbour they stay in. This includes Vordingborg Nordhavn, Masnedsund, Bogø, Præstø, Hårbølle, Stege, Kalvehave and Klintholm.
7. Klintholm/Møn
One of the harbours participating in the discount campaign is the one in Klintholm on the south coast of the island of Møn. Since Vattenfall and EnBW relocated the service stations for the maintenance of their wind farms here, there has been a lot going on. This mainly affects the eastern part of the harbour, where the shuttle ships for the workers sail in and out.Guest sailors are advised to avoid this area. In winter, a new "harbour lounge" was also built centrally at the easternmost slipway and has now been completed in time for the new season. It is equipped with a lounge, a kitchenette and public toilets.
8th Copenhagen
Several large and sometimes controversial construction projects are causing unrest among Copenhagen's sailors. Dredging work and harbour closures due to tunnel and bridge construction are putting increasing strain on the local clubs. Among other things, they are concerned about a planned bicycle bridge between the new Copenhagen neighbourhoods of Nordre Toldbod and Refshaleøen. They fear that the planned opening hours of the bridge will not be sufficient. With around 25,000 passages a year, it would be an enormous obstacle. In a response from Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, it is now stated that possible alternatives, including a ferry solution, are being examined.
Over the past 20 years, there have been repeated attempts to develop the southern area on the artificial island of Prøvestenen in Copenhagen into a new large marina with space for up to 1,500 boats. Parts of the area, which has since been designated as a recreational area, have already been prepared for construction. However, the work was halted due to funding difficulties. For some time now, a sailing association has been endeavouring to have the plans for the derelict area resumed. This request was approved by the city in 2022. The aim is to create a natural yet modern harbour less than three kilometres from Copenhagen City Hall Square. Completion is planned for 2028.
What's more, the new marina in Copenhagen's Nordhavn is actually only intended as a temporary solution. 600 boats from the neighbouring Svanemøllehavnen are to be moved here during the work on the new Nordhavn tunnel. Nevertheless, it is a modern marina with a stone enclosure, floating jetties, crane, harbour office and clubhouses for each of the three sailing clubs based in Svanemølle. The plan is for the affected boat owners to return to their original location in 2027. However, many people are already hoping that the new harbour can remain in place after 2027.
9th Rungsted/Seeland
In the southern harbour basin, 30 old jetties have been replaced. The overhaul of the almost 50-year-old facility was desperately needed. It marks the start of a comprehensive modernisation of the harbour. A total of 180 million Danish kroner is to be spent on this, which equates to around 23.4 million euros. Over the coming years, the plan is to create an artificial reef, build new barbecue areas and a playground, extend the beach, create space for food trucks and even build a diving tower. The ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion is scheduled for 2026, with completion planned for 2029.
10 Helsingør/Sealand
The sanitary facilities in Helsingør Nordhavn have been newly renovated, and there is a brand new playground for children in front of the harbour office as well as a free bouncy castle on the central pier in summer. Another attraction in the harbour is the large outdoor aquarium Vandlaboratoriet, where staff from the Øresund Aquarium provide information about nature and wildlife in the Sound during the summer. The jetties offer a direct view of the water, and children can fish for crabs or look out for large flatfish hiding in the sandy bottom.
11 Roskilde/Sealand
Roskilde is proud of its new harbour house, which houses sanitary facilities, a kitchen and a laundry room. Apart from the washing machine and tumble dryer, their use is included in the berthing fee. The number of berths has also been increased by 20 per cent to 371.
12th Nyborg/Funen
The marina has switched to a new digital system. At the vending machines in the harbour office and in Østerhavn, guests can pay the mooring fee, book a crane and obtain codes for the showers and washing machines.
13 Kerteminde/Funen
In 2021, we reported on the extensive construction work on a new pier. This has now been completed in time for the start of the season. The obstructions that accompanied the work are now a thing of the past. Several new berths for boats up to 20 metres in length have also been created here.
14 Juelsminde
Every year, Danish harbours are honoured as part of the prestigious "Port of the Year" competition. In 2022, the marina in Juelsminde was awarded the honour, which water sports enthusiasts could vote for online. It scored particularly well with its new large playground called Juelsminde Naturlegepark ( wp.juelsmindenaturlegepark.dk ). It has a lot to offer children of all ages, and all activities are free except for padel tennis.
15th Ballen/Samsø
There is now a larger laundry room in the largest and busiest harbour on the island. The promenade steps in front of the harbour office have also been completed. And investments have been made in better signage and more safety in the harbour area.
16th Anholt
Since this year, the sea rescue station on Anholt has had a new and more powerful boat: the "Jacob Fredriksen" is 17.5 metres long and, with a maximum speed of 26 knots, can also operate in the wider area around the island in the Kattegat in almost any weather and come to the aid of skippers in distress.
17th Nykøbing/Mors
A new floating dock is currently being built in the harbour on the island of Mors in the Limfjord. However, there will be no new berths for guests. Instead, fishing boats and Airbnb houseboats from a German investor will soon be moored here. The owner of the new 96 metre long and four metre wide jetty is not the sailing club, but the municipality. Guest moorings are still welcome at the three other jetties. For this year, there are now also season tickets that can be ordered from the harbour master before arrival: You only pay for the nights you spend on the boat, but at least ten nights, and can then theoretically stay there for the whole season.
18 Esbjerg
The new marina is located on Esbjerg Brygge, the 60,000 square metre artificial harbour island with its lagoon. In the new Havneøen-Esbjerg Strand urban area, in addition to the marina, a wide range of maritime leisure and bathing facilities, green spaces and educational buildings are planned.
The new "Maritime Centre" was inaugurated in January: the wooden building inspired by boat building is set to become an architectural landmark for the municipality. Known as "The Lantern", the building is designed to withstand storms and floods.
Primarily a home for water sports clubs, the centre is open to visitors. Guests can use the centre around the clock. Here you can stay overnight or watch the club members working on their boats in the workshops. The highlight is a wooden promenade deck, which is designed to resemble the inside of a rowing boat.
Also under construction is the "Aqtiv" project, an aquatic experimentarium in the lagoon behind the artificial harbour island. Various obstacle courses, water polo and a wakeboard course as well as swimming lanes and much more are planned here.
Major construction site: the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link
"Magnor", the world's largest water shovel excavator, has been in operation between Fehmarn and Lolland since 2021. Around 70 per cent of the excavation work for the tunnel trench has been completed. From next year, 89 tunnel elements will be lowered into it. The German-Danish Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) will ensure unhindered and safe shipping traffic in the Fehmarnbelt during the offshore construction work. All vessels entering the VTS area are strongly recommended to report to the VTS via "Fehmarnbelt Traffic" on VHF channel 68. In the event of an inability to manoeuvre, the free service of an assistance tug can be requested via this channel.
Skippers should pay particular attention to the work areas in the Fehmarnbelt marked with restricted area buoys during offshore work. The Femern A/S construction consortium has produced a leaflet for shipping with information on the special conditions in the vicinity of the work areas. The current positions are publicised in the nautical publications of the shipping authorities. There is also expected to be plenty of traffic from work vessels outside the work areas. In addition, a viewing platform up to 24 metres high called "The Arrow" is due to open near the Danish tunnel portal near Rødbyhavn at the beginning of 2024. Interested parties will then be able to take a look at Europe's largest construction site from a lofty perspective and find out about the technical background and sustainability aspects.
