Sour to be sailing: Ørkenhavn hit by sandstorm

- Look again at the windows.

Jesper Dalgas pointing to the now 'sandblasted' glass windows in the motorsejleren.

- I can not see out of them more. And it is not possible to washing the boat clean of the sea salt and sand. For there is no water. And furthermore, there is also no snakes.

The 41-year-old fritidssejler from Esbjerg beats of the moment arms.

He finds himself in the middle of the new marina in Esbjerg - a prestige project for more than a half a billion dollars. But right now the enthusiasm for prestigebyggeriet be at a very small place.

Photo: Christer Holte

- That is true of everything. It is pure tornadoes of dust clouds, which swoops over the area, as soon as it blows. And it does it pretty much always here. The port is situated right next to the sea, explains Jesper Dalgas.

E. write 'S-A-N-D' in the dust on the boat's deck.

Previously there was about a few hundred yachts in the old harbour in Esbjerg.

But they have been ordered to leave the site and move over in the large-scale marina, which, however, is far from being completed.

Jesper Dalgas look forward to havneprojektet is finished, so he can once again see out of the windows in his boat. Photo: Christer Holte

The first 50 boats have arrived to the new port with the view to long areas of sand, gravel and stendynger.

About 150 boats are currently in the country, but they will be launched in the coming time.

Project Esbjerg Beach was set in motion two years ago and includes a large area just to the north of Esbjerg city, close to the well known sculpture 'the People by the sea' or 'The Four White Men, as Svend Wiig Hansen's sculpture also being called.

the Project includes a marina for a few hundred yachts. There is included an outer harbor for larger vessels and sluice gates which regulate the water level in the harbour. Large dykes to prevent flooding in the area.

On an artificial havneø will be built in a maritime center, where a number of associations and clubs need to keep to. It applies, among other things Esbjerg Søsport, diving clubs, roklubber and a havneskole.

There should be shops, cafes and a restaurant in the center. Yet there is not found an investor for the project.

The old lightship 'Horns Rev' will also have enough space in the new havneareael.

There is immediately no help for the frustrated fritidssejlere. For the whole of the marina with havneø and a maritime center for 50 million dollars is only finished in 2022.

That lack of investors, and a design competition will only be printed now by the Esbjerg Municipality.

- I do not know why we should be hunted out of the fishing port and the out, before the marina is completely finished. It is, in my opinion, a kæmpefejl. There is no doubt that it all will probably be very nice again. But we had it good in the fishing port, and we would rather have been there, rather than out in this desert, says Jesper Dalgas.

The now-retired havnedirektør Ole Ingrisch has previously stated that there is a need for more space in 2. the basin to the vessels, which service offshore wind farms in the North sea.

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It is not easy to be old.

And obviously it is extra hard when you are an old sea dog.

- the Truth is, a large part of the sailors did not want to move from the old, cosy harbour close to the city. We are actually tired of, that we must forth in all the new, notes the 69-year-old Niels Olsen.

Barricades around ørkenfortet in the sandblasted marina has come up in the weekend. Photo: Christer Holte

One thing is the constant wind and the sandfygning. There is also lack toilets and water on site.

- I have a hard time to see the magnificence of this project. But it could be, if I live long enough to experience it. Many of us are old do not like renewal. We are also vestjyder. We may not like change.

The young people are clearly happier for the new port, than we are. None of us can understand, that it suddenly had to go so quickly. We find ourselves in a desert of sand. And that is far into town. We are afraid that the intimacy from the old port, completely disappears here. All clubs must be located in the same center. I would prefer that each club gets its own little building, says Niels Olsen.

Together with several comrades in Esbjerg Søsport he has been placed in a makeshift utility trailer close to the harbour itself. The weekend has been used to fortify the 'ørkenfortet' with a barricade of boards, which should provide a little shelter.

Niels Olsen says that many of especially the older sailors do not like to be moved. Photo: Christer Holte

- It helps a lot with the utility trailer. Otherwise there is nothing but sand here, says the 73-year-old Per Stokholm Semann.

He thinks that the idea of havneprojektet is good enough.

- But I hope that they build houses here on the artificial island and not something concrete. It must fit into the environment, and we have 'øjebæer' enough in Esbjerg in advance.

the 73-year-old Per Stokholm Semann: We should not have more 'øjebæer.' Photo: Christer Holte

According to several of the fritidssejlerne is the ramp, where boats must be launched, sized wrong.

- When you've gotten the boat running down the ramp, so you can't open the car doors and get out of the car, sounds the from boaters.

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Kenneth Fahl used the beautiful easter weather to visit the new marina, together with her daughter Cecile on 2.

Father and daughter was out walking on the flydebroerne to study the small and large ships.

Photo: Christer Holte

- I have kept an eye on the project. I think that there are many opportunities in it. If it will be a big win for Esbjerg, I don't know. I don't have a big opinion on it. However, it is always exciting with something new, says Kenneth Fahl.

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Bjarne Lamhauge from Esbjerg had together with three comrades arms full of fishing tackle, when he Sunday headed out to the 27 foot sailboat Dot.

- We aim to catch herring and makreller. There should be a lot of herring here at the moment, says Lamhauge, before he jumps aboard the good ship and make ready for departure.

- I hope it goes better than one of my comrades. The other day, he reached only a few hundred metres out of the port, before he went aground on a sandbar, laughing, Bjarne.

Then there must be studied herring. Bjarne Lamhauge and three mates are ready to facilitate. Photo: Christer Holte

the 53-year-old Jan Pedersen sits back in the harbor on his 25-foot sailing boat.

- the Mast comes up first in the morning, smiles.

Then Pedersen is using the time to dust and clean on the good ship 'the island.'

It blows in with the sand. But there is probably not anything to do about it, notes, Jan Pedersen.

Jan Pedersen are busy with the cleaning on his sailboat. Photo: Christer Holte