This is the final entry of my 7-part sailing series. Click here to see a list of the series posts.

We made our way looping out of Kappeln east, south, then west back to the port of Eckernförde where our voyage began. I took the wheel for much of the trip, during the mild, gray day.

We carefully lowered the sails one last time and neatly secured them with practiced hands.

Speaking of hands, I examined the neoprene gloves I had worn on the colder days and noted the damage they suffered protecting my digits from a similar fate.

After unloading all our baggage and leftover food, we had the challenge of fitting it all into the cars we had taken to Eckernförde.

Then we had to exchange our farewells.

Postlude:

Many people called it “the trip of a lifetime,” but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to think I wouldn’t get to take a voyage like this again. And indeed, within weeks after the completion of this trip, everyone who had taken it wanted to do it again — and so we will! In August 2024, the Abel Tasman will set sail from Rostock, the same former East German city where I attended university in 1989!

Thank you for reading this series! If you see view of the other posts, here they are:

Sailing the Baltic 7-Part Series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Getting Underway
Part 3: Flying Sails, Flying Cards
Part 4: A Lecture and New Speed Record
Part 5: Avernakø and the Captain’s Dinner
Part 6: Sønderborg, Another Talk, and Back To Germany
Part 7: Disembarking and Postlude