Sønderho Havn Støtteforening

Sønderho Havn – a natural landing in the Wadden Sea National Park. Information for sailors

Buoyage of the fairway up to Sønderho Havn

Buoyage of the fairway up to Sønderho Havn

With regards to a safe passage we recommend, that you read the text about the buoyage principles and fairway up to Sønderho! – Starboard and port markings could fool you!

Jetty and floating pontoons

There is no jetty in Sønderho Havn. Therefore, it is advised to moor boats at the sandbank along the fairway or to swing at anchor.

At the dock off Børsen there is a 40 metre long and two-metre-wide footbridge (or quay), that ends as a floating pontoon with a deck of oak planks.   

The ponton, with a freeboard of 50 centimetric, is moving with the tide. The mean tide amplitude at Fanø is about 1.3 metre. Therefore, the pontoon is connected to the footbridge by a hinged access boardwalk. You may moor at the quay. However, with regards to other skippers, we kindly ask you only to use the quay as short time as possible.

Further, there is another, but smaller pontoon in the dock with a 35 centimetric freeboard.

Weather forecast and tide gauge

Link to information about Tide, water levels, wind and weather at Sønderho Havn.

On dmi.dk you can also download local Tide tables for i.e., Esbjerg, Nordby, Ribe Lock (Ribe Kammersluse) and Mandø.

Facts about the harbour and the fairway

  1. How long is the fairway?
    The length of the fairway is about fem kilometres. The width is 6-12 metres. The depth is 0.4 metres at mean low tide and 1.7 metres at mean high tide.
  2. Navigation in the fairway is on the skipper’s responsibility
    It is recommended to approach Sønderho on incoming tide. At normal high tide, the fairway is navigable from two hours before until about one hour after full high tide for boats with a drought less than one metre.
  3. For overnight stay
    There are two camping grounds in Sønderho and a shelter place at Annesdalbjerg in Fanø dune plantation.  
  4. It is free of charge to use Sønderho Havn
    However, the Sønderho Havn’s Support Society kindly welcome voluntarily contributions, which can be put in the money box at the footbridge. Payment is also accepted by MobilePay 17 56 33.
  5. For help or other assistance
    You are welcome to call or e-mail the harbour’s contact person: Christian Fischer, tel. +45 40 45 09 93 or e-mail chrfischer@mail.dk.
  6. Be aware of soft and slippery grounds
    By walking around the harbour area, you should be aware of soft and slippery grounds along the fairway. Walking around is on your own responsibility. For protection of breeding and resting waterbirds, assess on the marshlands, Trinden and Keldsand, to the east of Sønderho is prohibited all year round.

Your boots and shoes can get stuck in the mud!

Boots in mud

Mud and sludge, which many simply call mud, are fine-grained material or clay. It is a natural part of the Wadden Sea, deposited in connection with the movements of the tides. In Sønderho Harbor, where the water almost stands still twice a day, the fine material is deposited, which, unlike sand, has poor load-bearing capacity. Therefore, if you venture beyond the water's edge, you will experience that your shoes and boots sink into the mud. It is certainly not pleasant, and it can be difficult to get the rubber boots back up.

So do not let your children venture into the water, even though it may be tempting!