On a sunny day in August, 2022, we sailed to the small, apple-shaped island off Funen’s north coast. The island is clearly visible from Juelsminde, and we’ve often anchored up near it. On this day, we went a step (or a few;)) further – anchoring up on its west side, we jumped in the water and swam/paddled/took the dinghy into the island’s sandy beach. Here, we went for a walk along beautiful grass-topped clay banks that slope down towards the beach. The island covers an area of 2km2, has 2 human inhabitants in the summer, and is uninhabited by humans in the winter – it houses plenty of birds, deer, and wild sheep all year round. The centre of the island is covered in lush beech forest. All we could hear as we walked along, trying to avoid stepping in the many sheep poo dotting the grass, was the soft rustling of the wind in the trees. The sea shone in a beautiful glittery blue as far as the eye could see – populated by many anchored boats. When we came back to De Gæ Nok, we had a picnic of watermelon, cherries, crisps, and carrots before returning to Juelsminde.
Making this little outing extra special was the fact that Sanoop’s parents, visiting from India, as well as his brother and his wife and kids, visiting from New York, were with us. Neither of them are used to being on a sailboat, and this was their first trip to Denmark, so I was very relieved that the weather had decided to give them a smooth and bright introduction to both sailing and my home country.
De Gæ Nok 