6-8th July 2015 Paradiset to Ingmarso and Stockholm

The forecast on 6th was for high winds and rain so we made for Ingmarso, which was crowded and took one of the outer berths. This was not very desirable but the alternative was approached down a narrowing wedge of water and the departure would have been difficult and possibly embarrassing. We duly got rain and wind, right on the stern. We then had the difficult job of keeping Badger's bow just off the pontoon so allowing us to get ashore while attached by a tape to a buoy. The tape inevitably stretched during the gusts and we found our newly acquired bow fender useful in avoiding damage to Badger's very fine bow. We did manage to get showers, have meals at the good restaurant with Paul and Marylin of Starship Sirius and to walk a little on the beautiful tracks on the island.
Late on the 7th we reckoned we had found a small weather window the following morning so planned for a very early departure.
8th July
Up at 0400 and away at 0430. We had offered to say good bye to Paul and Marylin when we left but they merely shuddered. The weather was calm but drizzly, basically half right. We motored off into simply lovely waters and the rain stopped. We made good progress west to the north of Gallno and from there were on familiar territory with virtually no other boats moving. In the very open stretches NE of Vaxholm the light was good if gray and the scenes were very beautiful indeed.
However at Vaxholm itself the rain began again, visbility dropped abruptly and we began to seevery large ferries on the approach to Stockholm. The latter part of the trip was a matter of keeping going, trying to keep dry and watching fore and aft for big ships, two of which passed close by us on their way in to Stockholm. We arrived at 0949 after a trip of 27 miles and found a berth at Wasahamnen.
We plugged into shore power before all the sockets were taken, put up our plastic cover so the cockpit and our clothing could dry out and relaxed.
During the morning and afternoon, more and more boats arrived at a very full harbour, moved up and down the channels between the moored boats and pushed off again. Yet again we had gained by getting up early.