Sylt

About This Anchorage

Sylt is Germany's most famous North Sea island — known for its dramatic 40km west coast cliffs and beaches, the exclusive resort of Westerland, and the extraordinary geography of a 38km-long island connected to the mainland only by a railway causeway (cars must be transported by train). The west coast is pure open North Sea — waves break directly on the sand cliffs (Rote Kliff, the famous red sandstone cliff at Kampen). All yacht access to Sylt is from the east via the sheltered Wattenmeer — Hörnum harbour in the south and List harbour in the north. Westerland is Germany's most glamorous beach resort — Rolls-Royces, designer boutiques, and Germany's most expensive real estate. Hörnum is the quiet, nautical south tip — preferred by sailors.

Hazards

• !West coast completely exposed — NEVER anchor or approach within 1nm of the west coast of Sylt
• !Hörnum Tief tidal currents 3–4kt at springs — anchor on very long scope; the ebb current through the Hörnum Tief is powerful
• !List–Rømø ferry (Denmark border crossing) — regular crossings; monitor AIS
• !North Sea swell wraps around the southern tip (Hörnum Odde) in SW conditions — the anchorage can be uncomfortable
• !Schleswig-Holstein Wattenmeer National Park — strict bird sanctuary boundaries; GPS waypoints for exclusion zones required

Skipper's Tips

• →Hörnum is the sailor's entry point to Sylt — the town is small and unpretentious; hire a bicycle to explore the Hörnum Odde nature reserve (seal haul-out) and the south spit
• →The sail north through the Wattenmeer from Hörnum to List (25nm, pass List harbour at north tip of Sylt) is the classic Sylt circuit — plan for the tides carefully
• →Rote Kliff at Kampen (accessible by bicycle from Hörnum, 15km) is the most photographed site in Germany's North Sea: 20m red sandstone cliffs directly above the beach
• →Evening sunset from the Hörnum Odde (south tip, 1.5km walk from harbour) — looking west across the open North Sea — is one of Germany's great natural spectacles
• →The Sylt Express car train from Niebüll (mainland) runs every 30 minutes in summer — useful for crew changes without boat movement

Nearby Anchorages