The Brunsbüttel lock gate opens in the early summer evening. The conditions couldn't be better: the tidal current in the Elbe estuary, a pleasant breeze and a clear night full of stars. Heligoland is calling! The boat steers leisurely through the open sea towards the large ships lying on the outer roadstead like a city in the last light of day. Behind them, the light from the Heligoland lighthouse streaks across the horizon and rises higher and higher as the night progresses.
Hours later, with steaming morning coffee in hand, the upper and lower land are clearly recognisable. Shortly before the destination, the ship and the crew are shaken up once again when the waves become steeper over a flatter bottom. And suddenly the current picks up surprisingly strongly. Then the harbour is reached.
Travelling can be a challenge
The crossing is not always so uncomplicated. Sometimes the trip to the red rock can be a challenge. Strong winds, high swells, sea fog or horizontally lashing rain can really put a strain on a crew on the North Sea. Those who have made it will be relieved to prepare the lines in the sheltered outer harbour. But you are not yet moored. The southern harbour of Heligoland has its pitfalls. Usually you have to do a lap or two in the harbour. The question of a free place on the jetty or even a box usually doesn't arise during the season. It's all about deciding where to go into the harbour.
Finally alongside another yacht, the work continues: deploying the shore line and retrieving the extension cable for the power supply from the depths of the saloon bench, provided one of the rare sockets is free. Climbing over sea fences and under sheets over many inner berths is standard practice on Heligoland. And don't forget the small change: one euro for the wash house and two for the electricity.
No, Heligoland harbour is not comfortable or even cosy. And yet it regularly harbours countless returning guests. Many stay for longer. And not just because there is so much wind that the return journey has to be postponed. Holidays on the "rock", as it is known to connoisseurs, are not uncommon among northern German skippers.
On the way from the harbour to the lowlands, its beauty is initially hidden behind the kind of residential area that you would avoid on the mainland, at least at night: Broken windows have been replaced by old advertising signs, boats are left to rot in a backyard.
Landmark of Heligoland
But finally the first postcard motif: "Oh look, that's the famous crab shack!" exclaims a visitor fresh off the ferry from afar a few metres away at the sight of the lobster shacks. The bright colours of the stalls compete with each other and line part of the bay around the inland port in a gentle arc. Where lobster fishermen used to store their gear, their owners now sell fish sandwiches and snacks, souvenirs and books by the island's author James Krüss.
Right in the centre, a vending machine kiosk allows you to make credit card purchases around the clock. In addition to unavoidable items such as beer, chocolate and toothbrushes, the resourceful owner also offers the one-euro coins that are indispensable for the wash house, four for the price of 4.50 euros! This offer is only accepted by those who don't know that the manager of the wash house, Bernd Paul, keeps kilos of coins in stock to change skippers' banknotes.
Strolling across the island, you can see the open sea from almost every point. However, the view is most beautiful after a reasonable amount of effort via stairs or winding paths from the upper land. Red rock and deep blue sea are covered like a mosaic by a grey veil where clouds push themselves in front of the sun. Lange Anna rises bravely out of the surf in front of the cliffs. The 47 metre high rock needle is Heligoland's landmark. The waves of the North Sea gnaw at it, it becomes narrower in the current of the tides until one day, hopefully in the very distant future, it will sink into the sea.
Seabirds hover in the updraft and swoop down to their prey. They are just tiny dots from up here. In their nests on the rocks, their young squawk for food. A feast for ornithologists who are on the lookout for that one great photo with high-quality camera equipment or want to add new exhibits to their studies. They willingly share their knowledge.
"The rock is called Guillemot Rock," one of them says, "but these are gannets. The guillemots sit further down in the rock layers." In June and July, thousands of guillemot chicks take to the skies, he continues. "They have to fly immediately. In the process, countless numbers are eaten by the skuas."
A perfect day on holiday
Shy sheep graze on the other side of the narrow red hiking trail. Cliff cabbage - only found here in Germany -, sea fennel, orchids and coltsfoot adorn the edges of the paths and bomb craters. The crumbling remains of old fortifications tell of the island's fortified history, while information boards cover every facet of Heligoland, from local celebrities to Schleswig-Holstein's largest nature reserve at the foot of the rock. To the east, lush allotment gardens with colourful huts nestle against the cliff.
A visit to the Oberland is a dubious pleasure when hordes of day tourists wander along the paths or even sway rudely after extensive whisky tasting. In the evening, however, after the cattle drive towards the ferry, you can sit on one of the comfortable benches and watch the sun wander around the Lange Anna and finally sink into the sea.
"We were up here on midsummer," Maria Pilar Lozando Fernandez reports enthusiastically. "Hundreds of people watched the sun set in a very contemplative mood and applauded as it disappeared behind the horizon." Actually, she says, she and her husband only wanted to stay for a short time. But once they arrived on Heligoland, they switched into holiday mode. Hiking, relaxing, taking the ferry over to the dunes for a swim in the sunshine and warmth. "Beautiful white sandy beaches and clear water - a perfect day's holiday! And where else can you swim with grey seals and harbour seals?" enthuses the native Spaniard, who has come over by boat from Hooksiel.
However, the dune is not only home to cute seals, but also to the "Cemetery of the Nameless", a place that evokes shivers and respect for the sea. Behind blooming dog roses and glowing orange sea buckthorn, all those who were washed ashore by the North Sea and deposited on the dune have found their final resting place over the centuries.
Exchange for cruise planning
Back at the harbour, a chat on the jetty is a must. Some exchange tips for planning their cruise. Others, who have travelled from the Azores, the Caribbean or further afield with a sun-kissed serenity, bring stories that make the evening entertaining and their own plans more ambitious.
Only the inevitable announcement from the centre of the packet: "We want to leave tomorrow at eleven!" can abruptly interrupt reverie. It also seems to be the law that the rain and wind start in the morning just as the lines are cast off and the boats have to reorganise themselves.
With a bit of luck, this kind of spectacle will be over after a day or two and your own boat will be in pole position at the jetty. But until that happens, the split day can be used for paying and provisioning. Seven lines, one for each day of the week, give the WSA's opening hours the necessary officiality on the notice board in the showcase, but they are the same every day of the year without exception. However, they are not always compatible with the skippers' tide-determined schedules; some people are tempted to refrain from paying when stopping briefly overnight.
But: "I don't miss anyone! We know exactly who was here and when and didn't pay, even years later," emphasises the friendly woman at the harbour office. The employees of the Helgoland branch of the Tönning harbour authority, as it is officially known, walk along the jetties and quay walls and note down the names and home ports of all guest berth holders. They also coordinate how they are to be moored: in the right sizes and at the right distance from each other.
"We don't do this for fun. At the latest, when the wind picks up or shifts and the rows of packets start to swing, it becomes clear just how necessary the distance is," says the woman from the harbour office, taking the opportunity to make an appeal to the occasionally unassertive skipper community. The fact that recreational craft are allowed to moor here at all in a federal harbour is not a matter of course and also explains the appropriate infrastructure.
Supply situation in the harbour
The supply situation in the neighbourhood is quite different. At the harbour just around the corner, fresh bread rolls are sold at the door of the bakery in the morning. In addition to outdoor clothing and a small range of yacht accessories, Jörn Rickmers offers tax-free refuelling at the petrol pump or ship's filling station. In the evenings, the Greetsiel fishermen moor at the northern Spuntwand and sell fresh fish or Knieper by the kilo from the depths of their boats.
The claws of the crab, freshly cooked, with a hint of lemon juice or white wine, served with a warm baguette and some aioli, are a must-try. Even if you have to use water pump pliers, forks and tweezers on board due to the lack of lobster claws.
In the duty-free shop, the sales assistant tells us: "You are allowed to export one litre of spirits per person duty-free", and adds businesslike: "Or two 0.75 litres, that won't be objected to either." His advice remains unchecked due to the lack of subsequent checks when travelling on. However, this is not uncommon in some places, as the authorities' radio transmits which ship is on Heligoland. On the return voyage, customs officials are then happy to come on board in the lock or in one of the mainland harbours.
The movement of goods is also controlled by ship chandler Manfred Engel, whose delivery vehicles whizz back and forth between the jetties and his warehouse-sized shop from morning to night. Shopping could hardly be more convenient: Browse through the range, write down what food and drink you want, order and pay at the till, stating the name of the ship and berth. At the same time, the staff put the goods together, take them to the harbour and bring them to the boat with handcarts.
The delivery is not primarily based on a pronounced service concept: "We sell deposit-free disposable drinks," reports the owner, "and have to ensure that they are intended for the ship's needs. We can only do that by delivering them." Alongside ambulances, the police and a taxi service threatened by the ban, his cars are among the few that are allowed to drive on Heligoland. Even bicycles are only allowed for children.
This makes for a relaxed stroll along promenades and alleyways with shops and cafés in houses that nestle together in closed rows and breathe prefabricated pragmatism rather than telling the story of a sophisticated seaside resort. Individualism is expressed in the changing bright colours and here and there in colourful flowers or seafaring devotional objects in front of the doors.
History of the island
Below ground, bunkers in the upper and lower parts of the island bear depressing witness to the suffering of the islanders during the Second World War. Thousands of bombs rained down on the island, destroying almost everything the people of Heligoland needed to live. They were evacuated. In 1947, British forces even attempted to erase the island from the sea charts with a gigantic blast. Not a stone of the old villas, not a plank of the old wooden houses and huts was left standing. Only the rock held out.
It was not until 1952 that its inhabitants were able to return and rebuild their island. Today's development is the result of an architectural competition and is modelled on the Bauhaus and Scandinavian architectural styles. However, this background knowledge hardly makes it any easier for visitors to find it appealing, although it does have some plus points for the residents: The sea can be seen from most of the house windows and especially from the countless balconies, while the narrow alleyways and the many projections defy the constant wind day in, day out.
If it's also raining and the boat is dancing in the harbour, a little escape to the "Mare Frisicum" spa is a good idea. Wrapped up warm in a bathrobe after a sauna session or lying on the roof in the bubbling whirlpool, you can watch the play of waves, clouds and light over the sea.
About joy and sorrow
With all the hustle and bustle that the residents are exposed to in summer with thousands of tourists, it's not surprising that you don't immediately encounter the Heligoland warmth everywhere. But it does exist. In the evenings, for example, when Jasmin Tavarez Ventura, landlady of the "Bunte Kuh" restaurant in Unterland, gives tips to newcomers or chats with her regular guests - those skippers who come back time and again - about the joys and sorrows of island life.
She also regularly talks about her favourite event, the Rock 'n' Roll Butter Ride. The largest and smallest punk festival in Germany, which rocks the dune every year at the end of April and sends its offshoots to the lowlands, "you absolutely have to experience it! Hundreds of punks who party peacefully and clean up afterwards," enthuses the landlady.
Days later - we also stayed longer than planned - we cast off the lines again. We have a long trip across the open sea towards Sylt. Once again, the conditions are perfect. Hopefully they will also be perfect on the way back. Because then we will have to make another stopover on Heligoland, no: we will want to.
Here you can moor on Heligoland
The south harbour: There are a number of berths here that cannot be precisely quantified, but are large enough for ships of all sizes. First come, first served moor alongside the jetty, all others go into the packet. It is essential that you adhere to the boat size specified on the bulkhead!
In winter there is room for two packets at the east quay. The rest of the jetties are washed out and electricity is available above the quay with a card from the WSA. The wash house is open around the clock all year round, except in winter during storms.
The mooring fee is 6.50 euros (up to 8 metres boat length) to 18 euros (up to 20 metres length). Yachts from 10 to 14 metres in length: 13 euros. Contact: Helgoland-Port, VHF channel 16 and 67, tel. 04725/81 59 35 83, WSA opening hours daily 8-12 hrs.
The WSC Helgoland: The water sports club has eight guest berths with boxes in the south harbour for boats up to eleven metres in length. Enquiries on site or book on 04725/80 06 14. Cost: 2 euros/boat metre.
The north-east harbour: Only boats up to ten metres in length may moor in the north-east harbour. Please note: There may be crosscurrents at the entrance. Harbour office opening hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5.15 to 6.15 pm, Fri. 1 to 2 pm, Sat. + Sun. 10 to 11 am. Costs: 2 euros per metre, 2 euros per person.
Worth knowing: The visitor's tax on Heligoland is 2.75 euros per person per day. Cash is essential. In many restaurants, you cannot pay with a debit or credit card. And one-euro or two-euro coins are required for access to the toilet and electricity. Long lines, balloon fenders and possibly a long power cable are essential for the parcel bed. Save electricity! There are only a few power connections on the jetties.
Stock up on drinking water. On Heligoland it is obtained from a desalination plant and is expensive. Water can only be bunkered at a station next to the WSA building.
