Klaus Jensen is one of those who keep the wheels turning on Anholt. In his primary function as harbour master, he is the service organ for the many thousands of sailing boats that set course for Anholt every summer. And in his 'leisure' role as restaurateur, he makes sure they can get a good meal at the cosy harbour.
Leisure is not the most important thing. During the high season, Klaus Jensen is busy from 6am to midnight, but he loves it and has no regrets about making the leap from being a business owner on Djursland to living on Anholt four years ago. Part of the explanation is that he has family and roots on the island that go back hundreds of years.
SEE OPPORTUNITIES
Klaus Jensen is good at seeing opportunities, and he strikes when they're there. A job as a blacksmith at BASF in Grenaa gave him the opportunity to start his own business. It grew into a company with over 100 employees before the crisis made it necessary to cut back. Later, he bought a car-painting company, which was expanded and later sold, and when 'Finn's Fisk' on Anholt came up for sale, Klaus Jensen and his wife Anja took it over and started the restaurant 'Algot'. The business has since expanded to include an ice cream shop, the sale of gourmet hot dogs and a property that today houses, among other things, the grocery store on the harbour.
This summer Klaus Jensen had 36 employees in his companies on Anholt.
"The first years I was in the kitchen at 'Algot'. It was hard work, but I really got to know the business and the products. It helps me today when I have to plan and buy," says Klaus Jensen.
HARBOUR SERVICE ON DELIVERY BIKE
In summertime, it is of course the job of harbour master that takes up the most time. Klaus Jensen is known to the many tourists who come to the harbour on his bicycle, which is his preferred means of transport. Tourists find that Klaus helps them with practical matters, good advice, tips for excursions on the island and much, much more. He is a very visible ambassador for Anholt.
"We are constantly working to improve our service to tourists. We have to do it professionally - but still in our own way, and we seem to have succeeded", says Klaus Jensen.
"We certainly get a lot of praise from tourists," he says.
The number of visiting sailing boats is steadily increasing, and this year all records have been broken. 13,500 boats have visited Anholt Harbour so far - 3,200 more than last year. Around 40,500 tourists have been personally welcomed by Klaus Jensen or one of his team in 2018, which has been the biggest and longest season in living memory. Never have so many visited the Kattegat Island. Success obliges, and now the harbour is being extended with a new mooring bridge for the island's own boat owners. The former jetty and a new floating bridge will provide space for an additional 60 boats in the current harbour basin, while the outer basin is being deepened to allow for future expansion with more floating bridges.
LONGER SEASON
Klaus Jensen is looking forward to offering more capacity. On the biggest day this summer, there were 696 yachts in Anholt Harbour, and this is only possible because the sailors are received in a dinghy, from which they are given a place. This allows the harbour to be 'packed' properly and is a service that makes sailors cheer.
But Anholt will also expand opportunities in other areas. Namely by making the season longer. This will be done by attracting tourists with activities and events such as "Lobster Days", literature festival, "Long Outside Festival" and much more.
"We have been working on extending the seasons and today we have a good post-season. Different activities will help to create activity in the pre-season, so we can expand the number of tourists and use the capacity optimally," says the enterprising harbormaster, before he jumps on the bike to receive another team of sailing tourists.
