After 12 years of tireless work to restore the sanded-up Sønderho Harbor, the support association was pleased in 2021 to see that the efforts had borne fruit.

Today, the harbor has become a real attraction and a destination for many residents and summer guests. After the harbor's reopening, there were 50,000 visitors, and in 2022, there were around 60,000 guests at Fanø's famous landmark, Børsen.

In this context, it is important that safety is in order, and therefore volunteers from the Sønderho Harbor Support Association spend several hours each year marking the sailing channel.

– Safe sailing in the Wadden Sea requires that costs are placed in the navigable tidal channels so that one can find their way, says Brian Schmidt Nielsen, who is the chairman of the Sønderho Harbor Support Association.

Previously, this work was done from a dinghy that the volunteers towed behind them. It can be strenuous, as it involves a stretch of six to seven kilometers, and often there are strong currents.

However, it is now possible to sail around to the task – Fonden Sol og Strand, through Margit and Kjeld, has granted 9,000 kroner for the purchase of an outboard motor.

– This is a donation that is incredibly useful, and we are very grateful – with this money, we can buy a used motor that is in good condition, making it easier to get around and mark the channels, says Brian Schmidt Nielsen, who grew up with sailing.

He got his first dinghy at the age of six and subsequently learned to sail in the Wadden Sea, and the Support Association hopes that future generations will have the same opportunity.

– We have a natural gem right outside the door, and it warms my old sailor heart that so many take the opportunity to enjoy the landscape from the water, he says.