Wednesday 5 August 2015

23rd - 28th July 2015 Nynashamn to Trosa

23rd July
With a forecast of light SW breezes and rain worsening later, we got up at 0600, breakfasted and made ready,  leaving at 0725. We motored south through a deserted Gardsfjarden in dry but dull weather. In Nynasviken we were overtaken by a bigger yacht and were happy to follow her through Dragets canal once again. As usual I had underestimated the time needed and we missed the 0900 opening of the Tottnas bridge. However we'd missed it handsomely and had only about 15 mins. wait in the rain for the1000 opening. At the appointed time a yellow jacket marched into view which covered a red headed lady who remotely lowered the road barriers as she approached the bridge. On the bridge she opened  an equipment box and we heard bangs as latches were loosened and the bridge started to swing open. In the meantime a yacht on our side quit the mooring buoy, a second boat came up from behind and another yacht approaching from the south prepared to come through the wrong opening; all in all a situation was developing. We hung back a little, the opening bridge got very close to the approaching boat which finally realised its error and crossed over to the correct side in a hurry. We went through without problems, thanking the redhead for her work.
We were now headed directly into wind in the lead between Liso and Svardso and Kristin raised the main. We motored sw into clear water and thankfully the rain stopped.
Once out into Svardsfjarden we turned WNW and had a very pleasant little sail to Ramsholmen light.
Now Ramsholmen and Galklubb lights define the main shipping route up to Sodertalje so we looked around cautiously before crossing it into less travelled water, hardening up onto a westerly course.
At this point the rain returned and visibility correspondingly reduced. However the plotter was still operating and we made for the gap between  Knytnaven and Aspskargrund buoys. ( I do love some of the buoy names). We could then make out the gap between Dofskar and its hallarna about two cables apart and then proceeded to a southerly cardinal named Naggen before joining the conventional route to Trosa,  and went on to lower sails in calm water before going upriver to the harbour there. We found the harbour quite full and distinctly disconcerting. We had prepared for stern buoy moorings but found they had substituted box moorings during the winter. Box moorings are a line of piles about a boats length from the quay. You are expected to drop a bowline over each post as you enter the mooring. We, however, made for a gap between two other boats, secured the bow and then with help from a neighbour put a loop round one of the posts and later used a long boathook to drop a bowline over the other.
The harbour master seemed not to understand box moorings properly as he had equipped each post with a conventional loop as used on the quay itself.  A wooden hook, to stop the loop falling down would have been far more useful.
We plugged into the electrical supply and yet again put up our plastic sheet to keep the rain away from cockpit and cabin. We were to stay for several days in Trosa avoiding or enduring a string of depressions.
Our friends Martin and Maria, by way of contras,t made a heroic passage through Myssingen in a series of tacks that lasted six hours. It is not something we like doing any more.
Another unwelcome change in Trosa was the disappearance of the fish shop and smokery from the shop arcade near the harbour. There is still a smoked fish stall about a mile and a half away next to a large ICA supermarket.
We ate out once at the open air restaurant beside the river. this had both good service and cooking but its coffee was deplorable. Nevertheless we would go back there.   Fina fisken looked a bit boring last time we looked at the menu but it is right back on form and we ate there twice. My dish of half a large crab and a couple of giant crab legs, together with sauces, was excellent and so was Kristins shell fish platter with half a lobster, half a crab, giant crab leg, mussels and shrimps was at least as good, thoroughly recommended.

Sunday 2 August 2015

20th-22nd July Sodertalje to Nynashamn

At Sodertalje we ate mostly on Badger as most of the restaurants looked poor or worse.  we visited the Main church again to find it distinctly redeveloped and though expensively refurbished, some of the changes were for the worse. In particular, most of the grave slabs in front of the main altar have been removed and some have been put in inconspicuous places. We are incensed because two of the slabs are of considerable historic interest as they were for a man who was a barber and another a tanner. Neither trade would have entitled a man to a place next to the altar in the 17th.C in Sweden.
20th July
Rather late departure as we had to prepare the boat, stow the tant and El cable etc. We also decided to get more food and buy a new weather station which should be easier to fit at the masthead, so got away only at 1115 after having filled with water and diesel.
We motored south to Skansholmen and moored in sunlight at 1310. On the way we'd encountered various very fast moving motor boats with no manners who had rolled us dreadfully.
Skansholmen is an interesting place. It is now mainly a private caravan site and a marina with two restaurants, neither of which appealed. It does have fuel, water and electricity, none very conveniently and a shop which sells very little of interest. The caravan site was once a fort guarding the way into Lake Malaren but little remains for the untutored visitor. The stately homes in the are were destroyed in 1719 by the Russian wrath but were quickly rebuilt. The area is rich farmland.
21st July
Our purpose was to reach Nynashamn to meet up with Martin and Maria. Up at 0500 because we expected heavy rain in the afternoon. We motored south in very light SW breeze and took the opportunity to find out how best to tow the dinghy to minimise drag. We found that the boat's speed did not change whether we had the dinghy towing loop hooked directly to the stern cleat or out at the full length of the towing line or at intermediat distances. It is conceivable that an even longer line might be better but not very likely. In any case a very long towing line would be much more likely to cause problems both in harbour and at sea.
Note:- We later found when examining the dinghy, no damage from the exhaust gasses and light soot fouling only.
We made our way through the wriggles ( archipelago west of Nynashamn) with only one incident. We were lining up to go through Dragets canal and had checked that no mast was coming our way when suddenly a small motorboat appeared. We had to do a hasty 360 degree turn to avoid it and then went through, enjoying the scenery and overhanging trees.
We arrived in Nynashamn at 1115 and moored, putting the tent up at once because of rain threatening and went off to lunch at the smokery on the harbour quay. As expected, it was excellent.
We duly mad contact with Martin and Maria, neither of us immediately recognising each others boats and We had a delicious dinner with them on their boat in the evening.
We did not accompany them to Brunnsviken mainly because of the threat of a lot of unpleasant wether in the following few days. They had to make the journey because at Brunnsviken they knew an engineer whou could sort out a tricky problem with their masthead light.
For us it was the wrong way to go and we do not like Myssingen ( the big open stretch of water NE of  Nynashamn ) in bad weather). It was a pity as we very much like their company.
22nd July
In indifferent weather we stayed in Nynashamn, buying food and doing a few chores. The weather looked reaonable for the 23rd so we made ready for a bolt to Trosa to sit out the next lot of bad weather soon to follow.