Mon to Braviken

With a forecast of strong winds later, we got up at 0500, breakfasted and were away in calm conditions and bright sun motoring back on our outward track admiring the scenery by 0600. After passing our former anchorage we continued towards the NE south of Inner Karro and on to join the main route just N of Rodakuggan. This part of the route is broad and well marked with highish wooded islands and some interesting skerries S of Aspoja we have yet to explore. Here we saw anchored a three masted ship we had seen previously and then went right up to a starboard hand buoy with a gold crown on it called Kejsaren or Tzar. It is of ancient origin and sailors used to drink a toast when they passed it from joy at getting past the perils of the rocks. Since there are considerable perils in both directions for a sailing ship the toast was probably justified in both directions. Close inspection of the buoy shows empty tot glasses on it. After this buoy the channel widens until we get to the Arkosund complex. It’s quite easy to make mistakes here and I've seen a forty foot Janneau with a broken back from hitting a rock in Arkosund at seven knots.

Because of the expected strong winds, we’d intended to stop in Arkosund but luckily it was just 0900 so we listened to the up to date forecast which was benign and decided to go on across Braviken. The Promarina guest harbour here has been rebuilt, putting all the guest places together where there is least shelter from bad weather and equipping the places with lazy lines. These are slimy ropes you have to drag up from the bottom of the harbour to attach to stern cleats – unpleasant. We went a little further north to look at a yacht club harbour which looked a much better bet but decided to go on. In some ways it was a pity. Arkosund has some splendid ornate late 19th early 20th C houses that are distinctly Addams Family but without the bats. We had a very pleasant sunny sail across Braviken, a little too close hauled for real enjoyment but welcome all the same and went into Oxelosund Fishing harbour which has excellent shelter and a reasonable restaurant. We were met unexpectedly by Roger and Gwyn Robson which was very pleasant. They had stopped at Broken and been told we had joined that club. The fishing harbour was very crowded by people wishing to avoid the promised strong winds which duly arrived later in the day. We spent the next day on chores, shopping via the road train and washing clothes and ourselves. The evening was shared happily with Roger and Gwyn.