Costa Luminosa passes by

The Costa Luminosa (294 m x 32 m) was tonight going northwards in the Sound on its way from Copenhagen to Flam in Norway:

The Costa Luminosa in the Sound tonight. 

A nice evening swim in Øresund

Tonight the Nordic summer again showed its friendly face. A nice evening swim was the right choice for these two:

Two tankers and a bulk carrier in the Sound

The tankers Deniz A and Tellus, and the bulk carrier carrier CIC Pireaeus were among the ships that I observed yesterday in Øresund. Hopefully their crews were able to enjoy the glorious summer day in the Sound at least a litle bit ...

Danish tanker Tellus (124 m x 18 m) on its way to Fredericia yesterday.

Oil/chemical tanker Deniz A (105 m x 16 m, Maltese reg.) destined for Drammen.

Greek bulk carrier CIC Piraeus (225 m x 32 m) was heading for Riga.

The Island of Ven - A Summer Paradise for Cyclists and Yachtsmen

Ven (Hven in Danish) was made famous by astronomer Tycho Brahe, who lived and worked on the then Danish 7.5 km² island, which lies in the middle of Øresund. In 1658 the Danes were forced to cede Ven to Sweden, together with Scania and some other parts of the present southern Sweden.

Fishing and shipping have been the traditional sources of livelihood on the island. In the end of the 19th century several small brick factories were founded on the the northeastern shore, which led to a temporary increase in the island's population, with the record number of 1300 permanent residents in the 1930s. However, with the closing down of the brick factories, the population began to decrease. In 1954 it was 657 - in 2012 there were 356 permanent residents on the island, which is part of the city of Landskrona.

Today Ven is above all a summer paradise for cyclists and yachtsmen as well as other holidaymakers.

Below is a selection of images I shot during my visit to Ven yesterday:

The Uraniborg is one of the modern ferries operating between Ven and Landskrona. Ventrafiken also operates a service between Copenhagen and Ven. 

The highest point (39 m) of the island is close to the southern tip.

The ferries operate from the small community of Bäckviken on the eastern coast of Ven.

Bicycles are the preferred means of communication on Ven.

You do not need to bring your own bicycle, there are excellent yellow bikes, like this one, to rent.

Arriving by boat is a memorable experience on a beautiful summer day.

You need to navigate carefully when entering the marinas.

A Danish yacht arriving at Kyrkbacken.

The Kyrkbacken marina was full of boats yesterday.

Another view of the marina.

St Ibb's Church, is located at the top of a hill, with a wonderful view over to the Danish side.

The beaches are a popular choice for visitors on a warm summer day.

Some of the old fishing huts are now restaurants.

An old house in the middle of the island.

Roses nicely decorate the walls of this house.

Another house with roses.

Where ever you go, you are surrounded by greenery.

This is the view from the Church of St Ibb's to the north, with Helsingør and Helsingborg
in the background.

A great day of sailing off the island of Ven.

The Swedish yacht Julia going southward, with the port of Landskrona in the background.

A Danish yacht meets the ferry Uraniborg off Ven.

Ven is also an excellent location for shipspotters ...

PS
Just in case you are interested, there is a fine whisky distillery on the island, the Spirit of Hven. At the distillery, which also runs a restaurant and a hotel, you can taste the local whisky as well as local organic vodka and gin.

A vintage Oliver 60 tractor in Sweden

This 1947 Oliver 60 tractor belongs to a local collector in Scania, Sweden. The tractor is in its original condition, and still fully operational. The Oliver 60, built by the Oliver Corporation in Chicago, has an 18 hp engine and weighs about 1200 kg.

These two photos were shot with a wide angle lens:

Cargo ship Vingaren in the Nordic summer night

This is the small cargo ship Vingaren ( 89 m x 13 m, Faroe Islands flag) in the port of Höganäs at about 11 PM on July 5.

Surfing in the Sound

Yesterday the wind was good for surfing in the Sound, although perhaps just a little bit too gusty:

Container ship Laura Ann on its way to Gothenburg

Late this afternoon container ship Laura Ann (134 m x 23 m) was heading for Gothenburg in Øresund :

The Polish Navy's landing ship/minelayer Lublin 821 in the Sound

The Polish Navy's landing ship/minelayer Lublin 821 in Øresund.

Yesterday a former Soviet Navy landing ship, the Minsk 127, was going northward in Øresund. Today, another landing ship from the end of the cold war era - the Polish Navy's Lublin 821 - was going in the same direction. 

The 95.4 m x 10.8 m Lublin was commissioned at an interesting time - in October 1989 - only weeks after the first Polish government led by non-communists was appointed. 

The Tall Ships Races in Øresund on July 8, 2013

The German brig Roald Amundsen and the Mexican barque Cuauhtémoc  at Kronborg castle, 
early on Monday morning.

Monday morning this week was like a trip over 100 years back in time in Øresund, with tens of large sailing ships on their way from Aarhus to the next leg - Helsinki - of this year's Tall Ships Races. It was an unforgettable sight to see the big ships parade in front of Hamlet's historic Kronborg castle. Below is a selection of the participating ships.

The Mexican Navy's barque Cuauhtémoc in the Sound.

Another shot of the Cuauhtémoc.

The guests on board the cruise ship Columbus 2 were able to watch the Mexican tall ship at close distance.

The "winner" of this "Øresund Tall Ships Races" was without doubt the Mexican Navy's sail training vessel ARM Cuauhtémoc. The 67.2 m x 12 m barque looked gorgeous when it passed by in the light wind, using its full sail power. 

The STS Mir approaching Kronborg.

STS Mir in front of the Kronborg castle.

The Russian full rigged three-masted training ship STS Mir (109.6 m x 14 m) is always an imposing sight. On Monday morning the Mir, which is known to be one of the fastest large sailing ships, only used a small number of its sails.

The Danish full-rigger Georg Stage close to Kronborg.

The Danish three-masted sail training ship Georg Stage -  with its 54 m length, the smallest full rigger in the world - was sailing in its home waters. 

The STS Fryderyk Chopin in the Sound on Monday morning.

This is the STS Fryderyk Chopin approaching Kronborg. The 44 m x 8 m brig, designed by the famous Polish ship designer Zygmunt Choren, was launched in 1992. 

The brig Tre Kronor af Stockholm.

The Swedish brig Tre Kronor af Stockholm (35 m x 8.25 m) and a small cargo vessel met in the Sound on Monday morning. 

The Götheborg in Øresund on Monday, July 8.

Here the Dutch general cargo ship Ostguard is about to overtake the Götheborg.

Götheborg, a replica of an 18th century Swedish East Indiaman, is the world's largest operational wooden sailing  vessel. The original Götheborg sank off Gothenburg on 12 September 1745 while approacing its home port, having returned from her third voyage to China. The construction of the replica started in 1995, and the rig was fully tested for the first time in 2005.

The Dutch topsail schooner Wylde Swan in Øresund.

After a total conversion in 2010,  the Dutch tall ship Wylde Swan became the world's largest two mast topsail schooner. The overall length of the ship is 62 m and the beam is 7.3 m. The Wylde Swan, which has a professional crew of 12, offers accommodation for 36 trainees. 

STS Tenacious approaching Kronborg. 

The STS Tenacious, which was launched in 2000, became the largest wooden tall ship built in the UK in the last 100 years. The 65 m (including bowsprit) ship is rigged as a barque with two mizzen gaffs.

The newly converted brig Morgenster.

The Dutch tall ship Morgenster was in 2008 converted to a brig. Originally she was built in 1919 as a cutter. The ship has accommodation for 36 trainees and a crew of 10.

Alexander von Humboldt II sailing in the Sound. 

The German barque Alexander von Humboldt II (65 m x 10 m) is another newly built (2011) tall ship. The ship, which replaced the 1906 training ship Alexander von Humboldt, offers sail training for person between 14 and 75 years of age. 

The Shahab Oman in the Sound on Monday morning.

The barguentine Shahab Oman (44 m x 8.5 m) was originally built as a schooner in Scotland in 1971. In 1977 the ship was sold to the Sultan of Oman, and since 1979 it serves as a sail training ship of the Royal Navy of Oman. 

The Polish schooner Zawisza Czarny sailing towards Helsinki. 

The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association's three-masted staysail schooner Zawisza Czarny is here approaching Kronborg on its way from Aarhus to Helsinki. The 42.9 m x 6.76 m ship was built in 1952 as a trawler. The conversion to a schooner was done in 1961.