Thursday 26th June
We left Nykoping and friends after a last visit with some of them to the Pud School - excellent fish soup with aioli.
At 1420 we slipped and raised the main but motor sailed in a light SE breeze until the track went NE (58N42.8, 17E18) and we could unfurl the jib. We then had a lovely sail througt the last narrow passage and out into clearer water. We chose as usual to take the narrow dogleg through the skerries at (5844.06,17E21.55) and got away with a very tight fetch going ESE through the hole. I did have the motor turning for this bit though not in gear. The obvious passage here is blocked by a large awash rock so care is needed. However the wind went light at Stendorren ( Stone door in Swedish) (58N44.6,17E23.8) where there is another tight dogleg. This route has been used for at least 800 years and I have enormous admiration for those who sailed large and clumsy boats through these passage without charts or much in the way of navigation aids.
From Stndorren we motored to Ringson and anchored for the night at 58N43.9, 17E26.6 very close to another friends boat Claire Elaine in very good shelter and exchanged gossip for drinks in the evening.
The forecast for Friday was good but bad for Saturday so we left Ringson fairly early and unfurled the jib at once to have a lovely gentle sail towards Savosundet ( 58N45.9,17E28.5). Approaching it the wind headed us and we had to motor through, distinctly hampered by the antics of two historic naval vessels moving in the opposite direction.
Once clear of Savo we were less hard on the wind and made good progress. The ib took on a very good shape and pulled hard, giving us 5 kts. plus. However we chose to go more or less east south of Asko in fairly open water and really enjoyed ourselves in the freer wind to the Askenhallen light at 58N47, 17E41.9. Here we went off the wind which promptly died so we then had to motor. Here we were overtaken by Saga Leon, a small cruise ship based in Nykoping that makes a precarious living running trips along the coast. We had not seen her for a while and were glad the business had not foundered. However putting palm trees on the after deck did not strike us as a sensible marketing ploy. We went on NNE through various skerries to the sound E of Liso ( 58N52, 18E48.2). We motored on up to the opening bridge to wait for it to open on the hour. After this was the normal serpentine route to Rassavikar and a pleasant two night stop there. The weather was cold and at times rainy but we avoided the strong winds blowing outside. The trees around us were being blown and made a continuous hissing but we got only the turbulence pushing the boat about a little. Our new anchor again worked well and came up reasonably readily once we had given it time to get unstuck.
We left Rassavikar on Sunday morning when the mist had cleared to about half a mile visibility. This mist was ahead of the forecast schedule and proved persistent with some patches quite thick. However this little archipelag is small scale and the vis was enough to stop us getting lost. We move quickly on to Nynashamn 58N53.9, 17E57.2 where we now are. We are staying here for at least two nights as the cold and the adverse winds make the long plod NE through Myssingen unattractive. The harbour itself is OK but constant ferry traffic makes the water rather rough and the town has little of interest to detain us.
As I write the sky is heavily overcast and the outside temperature is 15.7 C. This is undoubtedly the coldest summer we have spent in Sweden and we rather uselessly resent it.
Monday 30 June 2014
Friends at Nykoping
On the way to Nykoping we stopped off at Nykopings Varv to check up on our car which Mikke had kindly delivered to the yard. It was fine so we liberated it for our stay and Kristin drove it to the marina while I took the boat round.
We took the opportunity to stock up with food and wine, but also to have lunch at the Pud school (Richard's description of the Hotel and Restaurant School) agin and of course to Kohiro where John and Lizzie took us as a treat.
During this period Lizzie left to go home for a while and Pregrine and Fiona Bruce arrived in their splendid new boat Joya on their way to the RCC rally. is made for very pleasant gatherings and we left with some regrets as the weather became tolerable and we were anxious to get furthe north into the Stockholm Archipelago.
We took the opportunity to stock up with food and wine, but also to have lunch at the Pud school (Richard's description of the Hotel and Restaurant School) agin and of course to Kohiro where John and Lizzie took us as a treat.
During this period Lizzie left to go home for a while and Pregrine and Fiona Bruce arrived in their splendid new boat Joya on their way to the RCC rally. is made for very pleasant gatherings and we left with some regrets as the weather became tolerable and we were anxious to get furthe north into the Stockholm Archipelago.
Midsummer at Broken
Midsummer at Broken was fun but the weather was cold. Here we met John and Lizzie Langdon on Fidelity who are en route to Finland for an RCC rally. Many of the boats dressed overall with John taking great trouble to ensure his were in the correct internationally agreed order which made sure they said nothing obscene in any language. The summer pole was a small tree of the island with the correct cross piece and rings, duly decorated and erected. Songs and dances ensued but we missed them as they happened two hours ahead of schedule. I think it was because the children were agitating for their free ice creams. At 1800 we all lined up for the club party. We'd already seen the musicians arrive in the clubs garbage scow. They were a very effective young jazz group with an excellent saxophonist. The open sided pavilion was distinctly less crowded than the previous year, presumably because ot the cold weather. wE enjoyed the music and the meal we had prepared but left a little early because of the cold to sit drinking in our boat till late. Even when we all went to bed the party was still going on and the sound of music and song drifted down to us pleasantly. The bad weather and strong winds that had been predicted luckily did not arrive so our stay was peaceful.
We left the next morning for Nynashamn because we'd run out of food while John and Lizzie went off to Ringson for a couple of days.
We left the next morning for Nynashamn because we'd run out of food while John and Lizzie went off to Ringson for a couple of days.
Wednesday 18 June 2014
Wednesday at Broken 58N42.68, 14E14.34
On departing from Malma Kvarn full of good food and meeting friends, we set off south west to Nynashamn 58N54.0,17E56.8 mainly so we could buy more food and drink. We had a pleasnt early sail in gentle breezes but, as often happens on Myssingen, the wind strengthened and headed us so we had to put in a tack even when on motoer and main to get a sailable course. We stayed one night, had an excellent and unexpected Dagens Lunch at a restaurant I thought boring and expensive and left in the morning with relief..
We then sailed a mere 6 miles to Rassavikar 58N51.7, 17E52.4 where we stayed two nights in complete shelter more or less alone and surrounded by wildlife, trees and rocks - it was lovely. It was wet at times so we put up our plastic "shed" and then managed to scrape and oil the rest of the cockpit teak which now looks warm and glowing.
Our new Rocna 10 Kg. anchor set well and held while we moved round it as the wind changed.
This morning we pulled it up with some difficulty and set off through the archipelago surrounding Rassavikar to exit into Svardsfjarden and open water. We had a lovely jib only sail at up to 6 kts. south and west to the corner of a very long island inconveniently blocking the fjard. From here we sailed west on a closer and closer fetch and a westering wind to Savosundet 58N45.9, 17E28.3 and then southwest through tighter and tighter passages to Broken. Here 14 yachts have already arrived for Fridays festival including one from Germany and the weather has warmed up though it promises to be very nasty tomorrow.
We then sailed a mere 6 miles to Rassavikar 58N51.7, 17E52.4 where we stayed two nights in complete shelter more or less alone and surrounded by wildlife, trees and rocks - it was lovely. It was wet at times so we put up our plastic "shed" and then managed to scrape and oil the rest of the cockpit teak which now looks warm and glowing.
Our new Rocna 10 Kg. anchor set well and held while we moved round it as the wind changed.
This morning we pulled it up with some difficulty and set off through the archipelago surrounding Rassavikar to exit into Svardsfjarden and open water. We had a lovely jib only sail at up to 6 kts. south and west to the corner of a very long island inconveniently blocking the fjard. From here we sailed west on a closer and closer fetch and a westering wind to Savosundet 58N45.9, 17E28.3 and then southwest through tighter and tighter passages to Broken. Here 14 yachts have already arrived for Fridays festival including one from Germany and the weather has warmed up though it promises to be very nasty tomorrow.
Saturday 14 June 2014
Saturday in Malma Kvarn
We've had the promised gale. Last night it was pretty windy. I took the cover off again and the boat's motion reduced considerably but even so it was a bit bouncy. The night forecast was for 15 - 18 mtres/s northerly but our wind came from the east because of the lay out of the land. A party of children arrived for a sailing course but had to accept learning how to put sails up on dry land as it would have been too risky for them to be on the water. They looked about 11 years old. We've had two excelent meals at Johans restaurant 10 paces from the boat and Kristin has a new idea for party food - chicken breast filled with goat cheese - distinctly nice and with an an excellent wine sauce.
We should be off tomorrow SW to Nynashamn and then into a remote archpelago to try out our new anchor.
I should record that the Huawei Myfi gadget is performing well and giving web access both to the computer and the Kindle Fire
We should be off tomorrow SW to Nynashamn and then into a remote archpelago to try out our new anchor.
I should record that the Huawei Myfi gadget is performing well and giving web access both to the computer and the Kindle Fire
Friday 13 June 2014
Friday in Malma Kvarn 59N15.31,18E36.87
So we slipped from Stockholm's Wasahamnen at 1158 and motored off between Djurgarden and Skeppsholmen with not much traffic butr when we turned east we encountered the full Waxholm Bolaget treatment. These fast ferries dart about chucking up enormous wakes and equally chucking us about as well. After about five miles we reached the south going "cutting" leading to Baggenstaket. at 59N20,18E13 where we attained peace still motoring between high clifs covered over with expensive houses. The most splendid on the Eastern shore had long staircses leading down the cliff to landing stages. This was initially their only way of getting into Stockholm until the road bridge was built, probably in the 1930's. We had just got dunder this bridge when the rain started and steadily strengthened. It kille the gentle breeze he had enjoyed and before I could get fully dressed my jeans were soaked. Then the lightning started, stiking fairly close 0-1 seconds between flash and bang but not close enough to matter. At the southern end of the cutting we turned E into quiet water with houses, flats and yacht harbours but still some woodlands and got to the Dragets Canal 59N18.0, 18E16.5 as the rain stopped. The canal is fringed with little harbours and very lovely houses. It must be hard for the inhabitants to accept the idiots who go out on Wednesday evenings to a pub with a disco and return after midnight drunk at 30 + mph and crash into each other in the canal.
Once out into clear water we unrolled the jib with a gentle following breeze to our se gong path but actually to little effect. Baggensfjord s wide and deep with a pretty unfriendly cliff to the east but a good place to make progress. It soon turns into Ingarofjord and continues as before. There are some pleasant anchorages on the west side, notably Napoleonsviken which is very well sheltered. Motoring on we rounded the corner to go E and then ENE along the coat. taking an inshore route to look more closely at a number of small islands, mostly inhabited and some with dry toilets marked on the charts.
One of these has a splendid Viking type mansion in wood. This is perhaps the one that chsed away an aquaintance saying "Go away , this is private" which is not the way most Swedes behave. We wandered on into Klevsfjorden and thence to Malmakvarn which we found open but fairly empty. We moored outside the restaurant and found from the retired HM, Paavo, that the restaurant was to open on Saturday. Great news.
Later the present HM Claes appeared ans asked after my nose which had a role in mending last year.
We arrived at 16:30, withe log reading 24.2 miles.
The forecast is till for strong winds on Friday night and Saturday but the maximum has reduced to 16 metres/sec. - a slight improvement. We have increased the number of mooring lines and fitted the cockpit cover. This justified itself in the night when we had very heavy rain and this morning with a persistent drizzle.
We have now scraped and oiled the whole of the starboard cockpit teak which looks splendid and orange.
Johan, the chef, greeted us with the news hehas opened one restaurant tin the centre of Stockholm and has another in train. Perhaps more importantly he is opening tonight and we will be there
Once out into clear water we unrolled the jib with a gentle following breeze to our se gong path but actually to little effect. Baggensfjord s wide and deep with a pretty unfriendly cliff to the east but a good place to make progress. It soon turns into Ingarofjord and continues as before. There are some pleasant anchorages on the west side, notably Napoleonsviken which is very well sheltered. Motoring on we rounded the corner to go E and then ENE along the coat. taking an inshore route to look more closely at a number of small islands, mostly inhabited and some with dry toilets marked on the charts.
One of these has a splendid Viking type mansion in wood. This is perhaps the one that chsed away an aquaintance saying "Go away , this is private" which is not the way most Swedes behave. We wandered on into Klevsfjorden and thence to Malmakvarn which we found open but fairly empty. We moored outside the restaurant and found from the retired HM, Paavo, that the restaurant was to open on Saturday. Great news.
Later the present HM Claes appeared ans asked after my nose which had a role in mending last year.
We arrived at 16:30, withe log reading 24.2 miles.
The forecast is till for strong winds on Friday night and Saturday but the maximum has reduced to 16 metres/sec. - a slight improvement. We have increased the number of mooring lines and fitted the cockpit cover. This justified itself in the night when we had very heavy rain and this morning with a persistent drizzle.
We have now scraped and oiled the whole of the starboard cockpit teak which looks splendid and orange.
Johan, the chef, greeted us with the news hehas opened one restaurant tin the centre of Stockholm and has another in train. Perhaps more importantly he is opening tonight and we will be there
Friday in Malma Kvarn
We made a somewhat earlier than expected departure from Stockholm because of an interesting set of forecasts. Thursday and Friday were innocuous but Saturday would bring North winds of15 - 18 mtres per second. [ 1 metre/sec roughly equates to 2 kts. and 0.5 Beaufort ]. The weather has a tendency to arrive earlier than forecast hence our decision. The made it necessary to walk at once to SABIS, one of the best supermarkets we have ever been to.
One of its distinctive features is a cheese dept with a man who brings up his cheeses properly. Kristin bought an Epoisses ( ready tomorrow) and a Langres ( ripe) together with some hot smoked salmon a cake or two and some good bread. We also bought sliced bred because it survives longer but avoid eating it if possible.The cost was horrendous. I also spent time trying to get a months subscription to my "3" dongle card. The Phoneshop had one man only serving and a queue of 1. This did not move for several minutes. Phone shop discussions last indefinitely so I left. I should say SABIS have new trolleys which put the brakes on if you leave the shop. Kristin had to guard the trolley while I wandered off to Kjell, an electronics specialist. No luck so back to ~Kristin, who I found was having a suchi so I joined her. LAter I went back to Phoneshop and got served quickly. No they no longer supplied "3" subscriptions, try the betting and paper shop. I was beginning to lose hope but the betting shop came up a winner - appropriately. We had a taxi back to the boat ( two carrier bags, two backpacks, two boxes of wine and a pot plant - just too much to carry.
We said a rapid goodbye to the harbour crew and gave Leif the pot plant, watered up and left just before mid-day.
I~ must recall last year when we also bought an Epoisses at SABIS. There was no price indicated so the till lady had to phone describing the item in Swedish as an ep-oou-i-ses which we found rather charming
One of its distinctive features is a cheese dept with a man who brings up his cheeses properly. Kristin bought an Epoisses ( ready tomorrow) and a Langres ( ripe) together with some hot smoked salmon a cake or two and some good bread. We also bought sliced bred because it survives longer but avoid eating it if possible.The cost was horrendous. I also spent time trying to get a months subscription to my "3" dongle card. The Phoneshop had one man only serving and a queue of 1. This did not move for several minutes. Phone shop discussions last indefinitely so I left. I should say SABIS have new trolleys which put the brakes on if you leave the shop. Kristin had to guard the trolley while I wandered off to Kjell, an electronics specialist. No luck so back to ~Kristin, who I found was having a suchi so I joined her. LAter I went back to Phoneshop and got served quickly. No they no longer supplied "3" subscriptions, try the betting and paper shop. I was beginning to lose hope but the betting shop came up a winner - appropriately. We had a taxi back to the boat ( two carrier bags, two backpacks, two boxes of wine and a pot plant - just too much to carry.
We said a rapid goodbye to the harbour crew and gave Leif the pot plant, watered up and left just before mid-day.
I~ must recall last year when we also bought an Epoisses at SABIS. There was no price indicated so the till lady had to phone describing the item in Swedish as an ep-oou-i-ses which we found rather charming
Wednesday in Stockholm.
Another sunny day so walked to Valdemars Udde, forlerly the home of Prince Eugen in the late 19th C. He would have liked to be just a painter but was only allowed to do so part of the time. Eventually he found a role being the chair of a handicraft movement in Sweden and he took a great interest in it. This year we arrived at the opening time of 1:00 to find ourselves going in by the front door. They were in the process of rejigging the separate exhibitions space so less of the collection was visible than usual. We started would you believe, with an excellent lunch in the original house kitchen, followed by an exhibition of abstract weavings ( good) and another of sculpture ( so bad that the main interest was geological; he had some intereasting rocks he had mistreated). We went home and did some more teak work, eating at home.
Wednesday 11 June 2014
Wednesday in Stockholm
The Music festival is over and we are exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure - 13 concerts and two lectures in 5 days with lots of contacts with English and Swedish friends.
Monday we spent domestically with Kristin doing the laundry and I fetched some food and got bits for the boat.
Tuesday we started work on the teak, scraping off dirty varnish and then putting on clean. Today we went to Valdemarsudde - former home of Prince Eugen to see two exhibitions - one good, one poor and then returned to work on the teak. More detail will follow.
Monday we spent domestically with Kristin doing the laundry and I fetched some food and got bits for the boat.
Tuesday we started work on the teak, scraping off dirty varnish and then putting on clean. Today we went to Valdemarsudde - former home of Prince Eugen to see two exhibitions - one good, one poor and then returned to work on the teak. More detail will follow.
Saturday 7 June 2014
Thursday in Stockholm
To StadsMission for cold luch before the 1200 concert. This was an opera school exercise in performance directed by Mark Tatlow ( late of Drottningholm Opera) Illness robbed us of an actor and reduced the power of the soprano but very interesting performance concentrating on gesture as adding to the drama - right up Kristin's street and she asked a question and was subsequently asked if she was in the business.
1400 Talk on a Belgian project to digitise Almira Flemish song manuscripts housed in Vatican, talk of techniques ( 800 Mpixel camera) brueaucrcy of course and wish to make info available on net by autumn.
Parallel German group reckons it has 20 years work ahead of it. Again up Kristin'sstreet but also mine.
2030 Concert Collegium Marianum. Bohemian Baroque - principally Biber. Some table music - light but pleasant but some new and enchanting music.
Wine afterwards interupted by large group of musicians and Czech ambassador eating after concert. We had to retreat into corner to give them room. Were recognised and asked our opinion on the concert. All very agreable. Again the 2340 boat home.
1400 Talk on a Belgian project to digitise Almira Flemish song manuscripts housed in Vatican, talk of techniques ( 800 Mpixel camera) brueaucrcy of course and wish to make info available on net by autumn.
Parallel German group reckons it has 20 years work ahead of it. Again up Kristin'sstreet but also mine.
2030 Concert Collegium Marianum. Bohemian Baroque - principally Biber. Some table music - light but pleasant but some new and enchanting music.
Wine afterwards interupted by large group of musicians and Czech ambassador eating after concert. We had to retreat into corner to give them room. Were recognised and asked our opinion on the concert. All very agreable. Again the 2340 boat home.
Wedneday in Stockholm
To Moderna Museet seeing newTinguley and Niki de Ste Phaele joined sculptures outside museum. Next exhibition of Nils Dardel 1888 to 1943. Dardel shows wide variety of styles and is very good at satire. The Duchamp and Surrealist exhibition is still going and worth seeing. However the Monument to the third international by Tatlin has disappeared. Ate moderately well at the museum but wonderful view of Stockholm harbour.
To German Church for first concert of the series with L'Arpeggiata. Lovely playing, good singing and very violent female dancing. Theme was tarantella for performance, marriage and mourning. Extremely good start to season. Met number of old friends including eminent American Duncan who is on short visit consulting at Karolinska. Wine after performance and the 2340 boat back to Badger and bed.
To German Church for first concert of the series with L'Arpeggiata. Lovely playing, good singing and very violent female dancing. Theme was tarantella for performance, marriage and mourning. Extremely good start to season. Met number of old friends including eminent American Duncan who is on short visit consulting at Karolinska. Wine after performance and the 2340 boat back to Badger and bed.
Tuesday 3 June 2014
Stockholm impression
On Monday 2nd June we retrieved some post from daughter Alice containing documentation from the Swedish lifeboat organisation and a special flag to use when tied up to a Swedish Cruising Club buoy. We also did some cleaning and sorting on board Badger, washing the deck and trying to get rid of rust stains round the old liferaft cradle position. This kept us reaonably busy. We als emptied the rope locker and junked some old dog-ends of tatty rope. In the evening we went off to an Asiatic restaurant and retired to bed.
It gets cold at night with the inside temperature reaching 11C quite often. It's only really noticeable if we need to get out of bed as the sleeping bag and thermal blanket combo works very well.
Tuesday 3rd June
Today was initially cloudy and then rainy so not very pleasant out. We took the ferry to Gamla Stan ( oldest part of Stockholm) to have a very good and cheap lunch at the Stadts Mission Cafe before going off to the German church to get our Early Music Festival passes. As first in the queue we got special treatment, given chairs to sit in as indicating our status as old dears and photographed as first customers. Kristin is required to do an interview for Stockholm Radio when the festival opens tomorrow. Incidentally Leif, the harbourmaster at the marina had to answer questions on Badger to a radio interviewer doing a piece on water temperature ( currently 10C). Leif also showed us his pride and joy, a 1986 Morgan with a V6 or V8 engine. He drives it only if the day is dry and sunny.
I'm amazed at the amount of building development work going on in Stockholm. There are projects apparently going on everywhere. It is such a contrast to the lack of such activity in the UK. We are still in depression mode but Sweden clearly is not.
It gets cold at night with the inside temperature reaching 11C quite often. It's only really noticeable if we need to get out of bed as the sleeping bag and thermal blanket combo works very well.
Tuesday 3rd June
Today was initially cloudy and then rainy so not very pleasant out. We took the ferry to Gamla Stan ( oldest part of Stockholm) to have a very good and cheap lunch at the Stadts Mission Cafe before going off to the German church to get our Early Music Festival passes. As first in the queue we got special treatment, given chairs to sit in as indicating our status as old dears and photographed as first customers. Kristin is required to do an interview for Stockholm Radio when the festival opens tomorrow. Incidentally Leif, the harbourmaster at the marina had to answer questions on Badger to a radio interviewer doing a piece on water temperature ( currently 10C). Leif also showed us his pride and joy, a 1986 Morgan with a V6 or V8 engine. He drives it only if the day is dry and sunny.
I'm amazed at the amount of building development work going on in Stockholm. There are projects apparently going on everywhere. It is such a contrast to the lack of such activity in the UK. We are still in depression mode but Sweden clearly is not.
Sodertalje to Stockholm
1st June
We slipped at 0800 and motored out of the marina, across the channel to the waiting quay below the lock, anticipating competition for space. Today was the first time lock should open at 0830. We waited in the sunlight watching for signs of activity. At 0830 there was a very quiet anouncement on the loudspeaker and immediately the bridge began to open for us. We hurriedly untied, started the engine and motored in somewhat panicked as the lock keepers here do tend to act hastily and without care. In fact we were allowed to tie up without problems and the lock cycled just for us - no competion at all. We motored out into another cutting and under a bridge which makeds for an awkward wait for bigger boats but we slip uner it nicely. The water then widens out to display the two boatyards of the Sodertalje boat club. It really is a well found club and it also posseses an island as well. The last canal section follows, again entrance is controlled by lights which were white. Here are more boatyards full of old projects some f which do eventually come to completion. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of boats for sheltered waters, tugs, ferries, fishing boats and the like. One of the harbour masters in Stockholm has just taken his large wooden fishing boat into dry dock to check the condition of the planking, fit anodes etc. He has a team of freinds to help him get the job done in the week he is allowed.
Beyond the canal the water widens again, looking lovely with high banks covered in houses clinging to every knobble of rock. Building here means serious work, blasting, excavation even getting materials on site presents challenges. The wind was more or less Ne so we raised the jib which helped a little. The lake Malaren is large and open at this point with long views and good cloudscape to enjoy as we continued under autohelm. All too soon we changed course to the east into narrower channels and lost the wind, reverting to motor. Here there is considerable development with grand houses on the northern side, a stable complex and of course powerlines to worry about. Later are wider waters, more housing a ferry system and gradually Stockholm suburbs, punctuated by grand old Victorian era houses, big cliffs and forests, all very agreeable.
Later the city closes about us as we run down towards Hammarby lock past blcks of flats, some well made, others ugly, under various bridges.
The lock opened promptly letting us in with a number of power and sail boats and charging SEK 160 (£16) for doing so. We were ejected into a very nw suburb full of prestige flats but with a replica Viking boat ( now a Thai restaurant) for company. We had to manouvre about for ten minutes before the last bridge would open but were then free to enter Stockholm harbour. Here the water is always rough with the passage of large fast ferries, so best passed through quickly.
Familiar sights greet us, particularly the ancient dock crane painted to look like a giraffe and then the immense and gaudy Grona Lund funfair, full of mechanical emtics in full operation and at last Wasahamnen, our home for the next week or so where we were greeted by someone unknown before we had reached a berth. It is good to be back here and we should enjoy Stockholm immensely.
We slipped at 0800 and motored out of the marina, across the channel to the waiting quay below the lock, anticipating competition for space. Today was the first time lock should open at 0830. We waited in the sunlight watching for signs of activity. At 0830 there was a very quiet anouncement on the loudspeaker and immediately the bridge began to open for us. We hurriedly untied, started the engine and motored in somewhat panicked as the lock keepers here do tend to act hastily and without care. In fact we were allowed to tie up without problems and the lock cycled just for us - no competion at all. We motored out into another cutting and under a bridge which makeds for an awkward wait for bigger boats but we slip uner it nicely. The water then widens out to display the two boatyards of the Sodertalje boat club. It really is a well found club and it also posseses an island as well. The last canal section follows, again entrance is controlled by lights which were white. Here are more boatyards full of old projects some f which do eventually come to completion. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of boats for sheltered waters, tugs, ferries, fishing boats and the like. One of the harbour masters in Stockholm has just taken his large wooden fishing boat into dry dock to check the condition of the planking, fit anodes etc. He has a team of freinds to help him get the job done in the week he is allowed.
Beyond the canal the water widens again, looking lovely with high banks covered in houses clinging to every knobble of rock. Building here means serious work, blasting, excavation even getting materials on site presents challenges. The wind was more or less Ne so we raised the jib which helped a little. The lake Malaren is large and open at this point with long views and good cloudscape to enjoy as we continued under autohelm. All too soon we changed course to the east into narrower channels and lost the wind, reverting to motor. Here there is considerable development with grand houses on the northern side, a stable complex and of course powerlines to worry about. Later are wider waters, more housing a ferry system and gradually Stockholm suburbs, punctuated by grand old Victorian era houses, big cliffs and forests, all very agreeable.
Later the city closes about us as we run down towards Hammarby lock past blcks of flats, some well made, others ugly, under various bridges.
The lock opened promptly letting us in with a number of power and sail boats and charging SEK 160 (£16) for doing so. We were ejected into a very nw suburb full of prestige flats but with a replica Viking boat ( now a Thai restaurant) for company. We had to manouvre about for ten minutes before the last bridge would open but were then free to enter Stockholm harbour. Here the water is always rough with the passage of large fast ferries, so best passed through quickly.
Familiar sights greet us, particularly the ancient dock crane painted to look like a giraffe and then the immense and gaudy Grona Lund funfair, full of mechanical emtics in full operation and at last Wasahamnen, our home for the next week or so where we were greeted by someone unknown before we had reached a berth. It is good to be back here and we should enjoy Stockholm immensely.
Trosa to Sodertalje 59N11.4,17E36.9
Saturday 31st May
With a reasonable forecast the night before and no rain we left early at 0849. We had gone aground in the river but the fall in air pressure led to us coming afloat in the night. We were positioned with two boats rafted alongside close ahead and a big motor boat behind so we pushed off at the stern with the boat hook and reversed outbackwards to port which Badger preferred. We missed the motor boat and got away cleanly as the river current was slight. We went off sout through a Broads type exit with reeds and housing on one bank.
We thern turned east and gradually north between widely scattered islands under a grey sky The colouring was Paynes grey and it was cold - just like early season Solent sailing. We got the jib up and it helped push us along raising our speed to 6 kts. and moreAs we turned more and more north we came harder on the wind and boat speed increased. However the wind was becoming more northerly and we had eventually to roll up the jib beside the light Stenskar at 58N54.4, 17E42.8.
Just before this point we'd had to be careful judging leeway to avoid going onto a nasty reef.
At this point we entered the main shipping channel to Sodertalje and so had to look behind as well as in front. A commercial ship in these waters has no choice in course and very little in speed if it is to meet a schedule at lock or dock. It can certainly not turn round.
As we motored north we saw two ships coming south without problems. The scene now was of sailing up a very long fairly straight valley with low cliffs to starboard and low meadows to port.
One initial novelty was the island of Oaxen made, most unusually, of limestone and largely quarried away. It is in its dereliction, rather ugly but indicative of past industry.
The next point of interest is Skansholmen. This lump intruding into the fjord is at the same time an old fortress, a campsite, a marina and a ferry point. The ferry is always of concern as it is bound to set across just as one is passing. Luckily this time it stayed put till we had passed and then crossed just ahead of a big ship!.
Just before Skansholmen is a small islet covered with dead entirely white trees, very ghostly. The trees serve as roosts for cormorants, whose droppings kill the trees.
The dominant birds roost on the highest branches with the pecking order going down the tree. The lower birds suffer from the droppings from on high and have shorter lives and poorer health than the dominant ones. It thus resembles the typical management system.
Very soon the valley does a jink to the east so ships big and little have to make large course changes.
The corner is blind, so for big ships a serious cause for anxiety before the days of AIS. After this jink the valley narrows and becomes industrial. There is a high voltage power line to pass. This always makes for anxiety as the mast seems certain to touch the cables even though the sign on the bank reads 35 metres. After a dock or two and a power station burning wood waste comes the first canal. This has a rather dim white isophase light to show we may pass. The canal is a deep cutting through the rock with the E4 motorway bridge and a rail bridge to pass. After this we turned into the marina below the lock, refuelled and then moored. The marina is insecure and recently a CA boat was robbed while the crew slept. Nothing happend to us but we did not leave the boat unguarded and locked up as best we could for the night.
Day in Trosa
We spent the 30th May in Trosa. Faced with wettish weather and a forecast of strong northerly winds we stayed in harbour. Patricia Elaine joined us having started later from Nykoping. They had experienced harder weather than we had with winds up to 36 kts.. W had expected to eat well in Trosa but the good restaurant menus were boring. They had not woken up to the summer yet. Instead we visited the good cheese shop near the Systembolaget and bought two very strong and well made Swedish cheeses which frmed the basis of our meals that day.
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