We left our berth in Nykoping backwards and kept going in reverse out of the harbour. The wind was westerly and the route out of the berth was westerly as well. Badger's bow tends to go downwind so going backwards is the easy option even though steering is uncertain. Out in clear water we opened up the jib and set of east and northeast in bright sun The forecast had been for southerly breezes but we got west veering northwest and decreasing. We motor sailed and took the chance to try increasing engine revs above the previous practiaal maximum of 2400 rpm. Anything above that tended to lead to ever increasing engine temperature until I took fright and lowered the engine speed again. This time we managed 2600 rpm without problems. Clearly the new thermostat was being helpful. Unfortunately the noise level was up also but we needed to make progress. Ideally we should be in Stockholm in two days as the Stockholm Early Music Festival started on the 1st of June.
The sail from Nykoping to Sweden is always beautiful and today was no exception. Although the wind was feeble and gradually becoming adverse the sun was hot. Indeed it was so hot that Kristin had to take a spell in the cabin to cool down and rest. The scenery was at its best with new paler green leaves to enjoy and great drifts of silver birch pollen on the water. It made tiny clumps up to a centimetre in diameter and pale yellowish green in colour. As the boat's wash touched the patches they sank and made clouds in the water. Pilotage here is intricate and needs attention even though we know the area well.
We were passed by another sailing boat which went ahead and to our starboard side. We were approaching a tricky passage between two islands where the passage indicated by two towers at the the adjacent ends. The boat appeared to be directly in line with that passage. Unfortunately the marks are deceptive as a large flat rock lies just below the surface in front of the space between the islands. One must head considerably to the port side of the shore marks where there are two inconspicuous but essential buoys to lead the boat on a big dog-leg. We used our fog horn and pointed and eventually the other boat changed course much to our relief.
We continued on....and on and on enjoying the scenery and more interesting pilotage. Eventually we reached a marina at Skansholmen, rather run down but ok for an overnight stop and rather tires, ate on board and went to bed. Our day's run was 36.5 miles.
28th May
Woke early and headed up the long inlet leading to Sodertalje. As it is a route for big ships we have to watch out astern as well as ahead as big ships cannot leave the deep water route and usually have tight schedules involving locks and harbour berths. Approaching Sodertalje we were passed by a touriststeamer that crosses Sweden and also found a big freighter ahead of her. We followed them up to the lock and waited. Oddly enough we, together with other leisure craft were calle dearly for th elock opening at 0915 rather than the usual 0930. We guessed that they needed the 0930 slot for something large and so got rid of us early.
a few hundred metres after the lock is an opening bridge. Badger is sufficiently small to slip underneath the closed bridge and there is always a guilty pleasure in being able to get away from a larger boat that has to wait for the opening. This day too was sunny and we motor sailed again. This part of Lake Malaren is lovely too but closer to the city the water is constantly cut up by fast motor boats which makes for a very rough and tiring ride. We were glad to get to the Hammarby lock and near our journeys end. This lock is a pain. very short ropes hang down from the lock side and one is expected to steady the boat by holding onto them and combat the water surging through the lock. At the same time one is required to insert a credit card into a portable machine an punch in the pin-code; which also requires two hands. It really is not much fun. We survived and poodled towards another opening bridge called Danviksbron. Life was further complicated because huge construction work at Slussen in the centre of Stockholm has seriously hampered local rail traffic so many more busses are needed and Danviksbron only opens once per hour. a Period we spent tied up to a stone wall being bounced by incessant motor boat traffic.
We had discovered on the way that Wasahamnen, our destination was hosting alarge meeting of vinntage boats so worried if there would be room for us. There was and we tied up, pausing to admire really lovely vintage motor boats with very fine lines before greeting friends from former years. We had arrived in time and were able to relax after two hard days motoring and several more days of preparatory work before that. We were comfortably in time for the Music Festival.
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Fitting Out, Nykoping 21st-27th May 2017
Leaving Martin's lovely house with regret on Sunday morning, we made straight for the boat-yard and got the car close to the boat to ease further loading (car to boat) and unloading ( tools not needed while cruising). That took some time as the deck is about 3 metres from the ground. I left Kristin to stow clothes etc. while I started on outside jobs, scraping the anodes, patching the bottom paint and greasing the Kiwiprop. We've had the Kiwiprop for some years and greased it annually. Sadly the special grease required tends to weep out an oil from the grease gun and, although I'd bought more grease, I just could not face digging out old grease and putting in a new tube. It would have been very time consuming and dirty work. Something to look forward to in the autumn. I also had to check over and grease the seacocks. Again it's not one of my favourite jobs as it requires extreme contortions and a special spanner used for nothing else. We also checked into Stjarnholm to our usual room with a big pottery stove and rather nice breakfasts.
Monday was occupied with fitting a new masthead combination light with a two wire lead. Current flow in one direction gives a tricolour and reverse flow an all round white. This too was troublesome as as I could not drill through the stick Stainless of the mast cap. In the end I had to use existing holes and amixture of pop rivets and self tapping screws.The evening gave us our first visit of the year to Kohiro for a suchi feast.
Monday was hard work with a 170 mile round trip to Taby, north of Stockholm to retrieve our liferaft after an expensive service. The road through Stockholm is busy and complex but Tomtom obliged well. Ekens Naval the service agent had an enormous reversible open liferaft capable of holding 175 people on test. If filled with water it would have been able to hold half a dozen boats the size of ours. The firms personnel were friendly and expert.
Wednesday was launch day and we found that both Totte and his replacement were out sailing Totte's boat so Jet's assistant was Jimmy, the yard manager. Together, they got the launch done and the mast raised and went off to the marina to continue fitting out. The usual routine of mast tuning, boom and sail fitting etc. followed. In addition we made sure that the holding tank could be emptied.
Because of problems with overheating I fitted a new thermostat as a precaution. By the end of Friday we were fit to go and we had a reasonable forecast but a threat of worse weather later.
We made an early visit on Saturday morning ( 27th May) to City Gross to buy food and dumped the car in the boatshed for the summer.
By 1105 we were ready to leave said our goodbyes to Mikke the harbour master and set off for Stockholm.
Monday was occupied with fitting a new masthead combination light with a two wire lead. Current flow in one direction gives a tricolour and reverse flow an all round white. This too was troublesome as as I could not drill through the stick Stainless of the mast cap. In the end I had to use existing holes and amixture of pop rivets and self tapping screws.The evening gave us our first visit of the year to Kohiro for a suchi feast.
Monday was hard work with a 170 mile round trip to Taby, north of Stockholm to retrieve our liferaft after an expensive service. The road through Stockholm is busy and complex but Tomtom obliged well. Ekens Naval the service agent had an enormous reversible open liferaft capable of holding 175 people on test. If filled with water it would have been able to hold half a dozen boats the size of ours. The firms personnel were friendly and expert.
Wednesday was launch day and we found that both Totte and his replacement were out sailing Totte's boat so Jet's assistant was Jimmy, the yard manager. Together, they got the launch done and the mast raised and went off to the marina to continue fitting out. The usual routine of mast tuning, boom and sail fitting etc. followed. In addition we made sure that the holding tank could be emptied.
Because of problems with overheating I fitted a new thermostat as a precaution. By the end of Friday we were fit to go and we had a reasonable forecast but a threat of worse weather later.
We made an early visit on Saturday morning ( 27th May) to City Gross to buy food and dumped the car in the boatshed for the summer.
By 1105 we were ready to leave said our goodbyes to Mikke the harbour master and set off for Stockholm.
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Badger Report 2017. Journey out
We had a rather harried time before leaving for Sweden because of planning for the autumn re-roofing of the garage and items to be bought with long lead times. One result was that packing was hurried but I hope we did not leave anything important behind.
Anyway we left on 15th May and duly got the DFDS ferry to Dunkirk. My only real angst was to have missed buying good sandwiches from Waitrose at the M3 service station and instead to have got inferior ones on the M25. The ferry was as usual extraordinarily boring but uncrowded and our Tomtom, impressively led us directly to the carpark of th eOld House in Veurne which was its usual efficient and friendly self. IT started out as a 17th C. orphanage but has very modern bedrooms and bathrooms, alos excellent breakfasts. We ate at De Plakker as our favourite restaurant OOgappel was shut. We there had marrow bones for the first and probably the last time and then I had an excellent Flemish beef stew.
16th off to Den Bosch or 's Hertigon Bosch (sic) as Carnegie's Cottage hhas turned into a 5 day a week hotel, mainly to allow staff to have two days a week off instead of none. We like Den Bosch and its Catholic Cathedral but thought the Art Gallery expensive though it had some nice Breughels. It was only in Bath for the Bachfest that we found a Breughels Exhibition that we saw traced out the Breughels, at least four of them painters with other known painters allied by marriage. The Den Bosh Gallery also had some good paintings by a man whose surname was Nitt and who had some lovely studies of back lit trees in sunlight. The Nieuw Uilenberg hotel was indeed new, indeed a boutique hotel in the oldest pard of the city where it would be unwise to take a car; the steets are very narrow but charming. Many of the Den Bosch canals are covered over but one can take a subterranean boat tour.
17th May Shortish drive to Otterloo and the Kroller Muller Museum once again. We had a lovely group of Van Goch paintings on show with a lot of his very early and sombre portraits. The Kroller is said to have the second best collection of Van Gochs in the world and I certainly saw some I had not seen before even in reproduction. We proceeded then to Carnegie Cottage which was apparnetly doing well on five day opening and enjoyed it enormously as always. It is right on the edge of the Hoch Velue National Park, the chef is the husband of the owner and knows his trade and dining room is an Art Gallery. The rooms are good and we stay whenever we can.
18th May Long drive 500+ kilometres to Lubeck and Der Alten Statdmauer another favourite. The rooms are very orange and cheerful but it is quiet, clean and friendly - also parking is cheap.
We ate in a brewery where the equpment was large and mainly copper, the food was Ok but the beer good.
18th May After booze shopping we left for Rostock and a cheaper ferry crossing. Rostock too was a good place to visit and we found a superb fish restaurant for supper. Te day ended badly with the expected TTlines ferry replaced by a Scandlines one. They catered almost entirely to the truck trade giving them the best seating and providing the worst of thrucker grease food. They claimed that shortness of staff was the reason we had to have a row to get fresh bed linen - not recommended.
19th May godd sunny day and another long drive to Nykoping but less traffic and stress. We did a little unloading - car to boat - and went on to stay the night with great friend martin Morris. After shower, barbecued salmon and wine the world seemed a much better place
Anyway we left on 15th May and duly got the DFDS ferry to Dunkirk. My only real angst was to have missed buying good sandwiches from Waitrose at the M3 service station and instead to have got inferior ones on the M25. The ferry was as usual extraordinarily boring but uncrowded and our Tomtom, impressively led us directly to the carpark of th eOld House in Veurne which was its usual efficient and friendly self. IT started out as a 17th C. orphanage but has very modern bedrooms and bathrooms, alos excellent breakfasts. We ate at De Plakker as our favourite restaurant OOgappel was shut. We there had marrow bones for the first and probably the last time and then I had an excellent Flemish beef stew.
16th off to Den Bosch or 's Hertigon Bosch (sic) as Carnegie's Cottage hhas turned into a 5 day a week hotel, mainly to allow staff to have two days a week off instead of none. We like Den Bosch and its Catholic Cathedral but thought the Art Gallery expensive though it had some nice Breughels. It was only in Bath for the Bachfest that we found a Breughels Exhibition that we saw traced out the Breughels, at least four of them painters with other known painters allied by marriage. The Den Bosh Gallery also had some good paintings by a man whose surname was Nitt and who had some lovely studies of back lit trees in sunlight. The Nieuw Uilenberg hotel was indeed new, indeed a boutique hotel in the oldest pard of the city where it would be unwise to take a car; the steets are very narrow but charming. Many of the Den Bosch canals are covered over but one can take a subterranean boat tour.
17th May Shortish drive to Otterloo and the Kroller Muller Museum once again. We had a lovely group of Van Goch paintings on show with a lot of his very early and sombre portraits. The Kroller is said to have the second best collection of Van Gochs in the world and I certainly saw some I had not seen before even in reproduction. We proceeded then to Carnegie Cottage which was apparnetly doing well on five day opening and enjoyed it enormously as always. It is right on the edge of the Hoch Velue National Park, the chef is the husband of the owner and knows his trade and dining room is an Art Gallery. The rooms are good and we stay whenever we can.
18th May Long drive 500+ kilometres to Lubeck and Der Alten Statdmauer another favourite. The rooms are very orange and cheerful but it is quiet, clean and friendly - also parking is cheap.
We ate in a brewery where the equpment was large and mainly copper, the food was Ok but the beer good.
18th May After booze shopping we left for Rostock and a cheaper ferry crossing. Rostock too was a good place to visit and we found a superb fish restaurant for supper. Te day ended badly with the expected TTlines ferry replaced by a Scandlines one. They catered almost entirely to the truck trade giving them the best seating and providing the worst of thrucker grease food. They claimed that shortness of staff was the reason we had to have a row to get fresh bed linen - not recommended.
19th May godd sunny day and another long drive to Nykoping but less traffic and stress. We did a little unloading - car to boat - and went on to stay the night with great friend martin Morris. After shower, barbecued salmon and wine the world seemed a much better place
Sunday, 31 July 2016
July 2016
Because of my pneumonia and natural idleness we spent a lot of time in Stockholm, visiting museums and eating out. For much of the time I was sleepy. However we finally got going on 3rd July. We were impelled to do this because a huge sailing race was due to start in the morning and the whole harbour would be closed. This it was a case of get up at 0445 and away at 0520. We had already said our goodbyes to our friends at Wasahamnen so were free to leave in bright sunshine and no wind. We refilled with diesel at Fjaderholmarna once more and made for Baggenstacket. We had little harbour traffic at this hour except for a couple of large ferries probably arriving early to avoid the harbour closure. We had some wind assistance ( SW beaufort 1-2) but motored on to Malma Kvarn and the restaurant, arriving at 1030 and settling easily into a berth. The restaurant was now open and we had good food; leaving on 7th July when we had to change our berth.
While at Malma we had some success picking wild strawberries and while doing so saw a red deer above us on the hillside at very close range. It seemed quite unafraid. We were equally impressed with its athleticism, leaping up substantial rocksteps. We left on 7th July when we had to change our berth. This was omething we were reluctant to do in the rather fresh westerly wind and crowded conditions.
We made unsurprisingly north to Gallno to our favourite and very sheltered anchorage. Here we stayed for three nights mostly in sunshine and swam from the boat in water around 20C; not ideal but refreshing and cleansing.
Here we inflated the dinghy and made cautious use of the electric outboard. It is very pleasant to travel almost silently. I was cautious as I have no real idea of the range available from the battery.
We have a pleasant path from our landing point through pine woods and pastures into the village "centre" which consists of shop, resaurant and cafe. It has a reasonable stock including strawberries and the restaurant serves good food.
We needed to change the scenery and moved a scant six miles to Ingmarso a harbour we love. It is not well sheltered and the ferries disturb the water but it is in a beautiful spot with a superb and theatrical huge sloping smooth rock face as backdrop.
While at Malma we had some success picking wild strawberries and while doing so saw a red deer above us on the hillside at very close range. It seemed quite unafraid. We were equally impressed with its athleticism, leaping up substantial rocksteps. We left on 7th July when we had to change our berth. This was omething we were reluctant to do in the rather fresh westerly wind and crowded conditions.
We made unsurprisingly north to Gallno to our favourite and very sheltered anchorage. Here we stayed for three nights mostly in sunshine and swam from the boat in water around 20C; not ideal but refreshing and cleansing.
Here we inflated the dinghy and made cautious use of the electric outboard. It is very pleasant to travel almost silently. I was cautious as I have no real idea of the range available from the battery.
We have a pleasant path from our landing point through pine woods and pastures into the village "centre" which consists of shop, resaurant and cafe. It has a reasonable stock including strawberries and the restaurant serves good food.
We needed to change the scenery and moved a scant six miles to Ingmarso a harbour we love. It is not well sheltered and the ferries disturb the water but it is in a beautiful spot with a superb and theatrical huge sloping smooth rock face as backdrop.
Saturday, 25 June 2016
7th - 19th June 2016 Stockholm and the islands
The end of the festival had left us musicked out and fairly tired so we had a lot of down time, and cleaned house and spent time with friends in the marina. We also made progress in writing up instructions for toilet use and doing little jobs on the boat.
We were waiting for the arrival of our friend and opthalmologist, Richard Hoyland who arrived on Sunday 12th June to have a brief sail with us. He duly arrived and went off to see the Vasa and later on a little of Stockholm.
Richard was staying for a week so we had to plan a cruise which introduced a little of the Stockholm Skaergard but which lessened the risk of TBE ( tick borne encephalitis) as he had not been able to get immunised against it before arrival. A further problem was the weather forecast, which was for good weather for the first three days with likelihood of bad weather later on.
We had provisioned and left on Monday 13th to sail to Malma Kvarn but stopped to refuel at the Feather Islands ( Fjaderholmarna). We had four empty 10 litre cans and had motored 80 miles to Stockholm from Nykoping so the matter was urgent. We had the usual problem discovering how to use the automatic payment system with a dim LCD screen and bright sunlight but eventually the job was done. As usual, Stockholm harbour was criss-crossed by fast ferries leaving enormous wakes so motoring our was less than pleasant.
Turning South into the steep walled cutting leading to Baggenstacket improved matters immediately. The older houses perched on the slope were splendid, the sun was shining and there was plenty to observe and speculate about. The problem of excessive speed in the channel is shown by the number of small power boats stored clear of the water on what must be very expensive powered boat lifts.
Once through this amazing "cutting" our path turned east through woodland and boat parks to Baggenstacket itself. The initial canalized part is narrow and curved. We tend to be cautious here as we have seen largish ships using the canal; particularly a long nosed gravel boat (it has a long conveyor poking out of the bow, designed to deliver gravel and sand onto land over shallow water and rocks) and a fast Vaxholm ferry. I would not like to meet either in a 10 metre wide channel. Happily we were preceded by an official boat of some sort and had no surprises.
Once our we put up the main and eventually the jib to sail, initialy slowly to the SE down the long lengths of Baggensfjard and Ingarofjard. The southerly wind gradually increased giving us extra speed in good sunny weather but we had some difficulty in keeping away from the cliffs of Ingaro.
At one point we got up to 7.2 kts. which impressed us but made steering hard. We were a little over canvassed.
At the exit to open water we were able to ease sheets, moderate our speed and lessen the drama while heading N of E along a well marked channel past Grono and Kofoten lights.
At one point we were overtaken by an autogyro equipped with floats. I dont think I have ever seen one before. This one took two people in separate open cockpits one behind the other. It was driven b a pusher propellor with a much larger hovering propellor above. The noise level was surprisingly low compared with helicopters. The floats were long tubes with hemispherical ends which surprised me. I would not have thought that such clumsy hulls would have allowed the autogyro to get up sufficient speed to take off.
Soon after this we approached Malma Kvarn (59N15.3,18E36.9) seeing a small crowd of dinghies from the sailing school at Malma practicing and managed ro avoid them in their erratic manouvres, drop sail and motor in. As is our usual practice now we went straight for the innermost moorings, hooked a buoy, Richard stepped ashore and we tied up. An English sailor approached us later to say we must have been here before as we'd picked a better mooring than he had. The harbour itself was very quiet with the restaurant deserted. However we had both power and water together with good food so ate happily and went to bed content.
Next day our destination was Sandhamn with a short but not very interesting sail along large shipping channels for the most part. I looked rather more carefully at the chart to find a "short" cut south of Munko (59N14,18E43.5 that looked promising. We sailed slowly across to Munko and turned NE through a charted channel and this proved fruitful with a pleasant if fleeting visit to an out island community both sides of a narrow channel beteen Langholmen and Runmaro. Our track then turned E to approach Sandhamn and then turned N close to Sandhamn itself along the big ship track, keeping a nervous eye both in front and behind in case something very large started to get near us. Nothing was seen and we turned the corner and made for the KSSS ( Royal Sailing Club) harbour on Lokhomen on the other side of th channel to Sandhamn.
Lokhomen harbour is in three sections. The first is on a separate island (59N17.4,18E55.6) with a rather open staging and buoys on the E side, intended for large boats. The inlet between this island and Lokholmen is mainly intended for club members but does have some visitor accommodation but we chose to go further north through a very shallow channel to very lovely moorings on the NE side of Lokholmen. We lay to the staging and our stern anchor but put out a warp to shore from our port center cleat for extra security. These mooring were well equipped with water, electricity and rubbish bins and were in a very well sheltered pool with high rocky walls. richard took the free ferry to Sandhamn to explore but we stayed with the boat.
I was beginning to cough a lot and was not feeling particularly well. Nontheless, this had been a good day's exploration and sail.
The following day we set off for Ingmarso, partly to get better shelter for poorer weather already forecast but mainly to traverse some fun areas of the middle Skargard.
We travelled ENE along the main shipping route towards Stockhom, again being cautious about big ships but at Gastholmsgrund Light we turned N across Kanholmsfjarden. This was where the Russian submarine was spotted last winter and it must have had a good navigator on board. We sailed north looking behind us to port as a large inter-island ferry cum workboat appeared to be wanting to ram us but we passed ahead and soon got to the narrow entry into a crowd of islands at 59N22.1,18E47.36 and then passed W of Sack and then through the shallow and narrow channel between Norra Stavsudda and Lindholmen ( 59N23.4, 18E 46.85). Although Norra Stavsudda is very pretty we found it disappointing in a previous visit with a poorly stocked shop and a bad restaurant so we did not pause but went N through clearer water to go W of Stor-Kunnan and Kapholmen crossing Traskofjarden to wriggle W of Gistholmen and Soderon to Ingmarso. We stayed here two nights as the following day was wet, we rigged the cockpit sheet for comfort and protection and Richard explored the island on foot. The shp here is well stocked but the restaurant menu looked uninteresting this year so again we ate on-board. I was glad of the rest and continued to cough and splutter. On Friday we got up at 0445 on a very quiet grey day to make our way back to Stockholm. The forecast for the weekend was Saturday and Sunday was poor and entertainment better in Town. Our route back along Traskofjarden, down the W side of the Gallno complex and through Grindafjarden and Lindalsundet was conventional but had an exciting moment when we had to cross the main shipping route approaching Oxdupet.
We had noticed the distant approach of two International ferries to the north and they passed us as we were close to Brodsticket Light (59N25.4, 18E24.2) The first reached Oxdupet 1.6 miles away, turned t starboard and disappeared. The second approached Oxdupet and I prepared to cross behind it. I suddenly notice a third ferry coming towards us FROM Oxdupet that I had not spotted at all. I hadn't anticipated it as ships are not usually allowed to cross in this region. We made a rapid turn away and the third ship passed us very quickly. We made our onward way to Stockholm without further incident. We had been lucky.
Since arrival we have been in Stockholm. I went to see the doctor on 22nd June to be diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia which explains my tiredness and tendency to sleep all the time. The pills I've been taking have now worked and I am recovering. that makes two escapes in rapid succession.
We were waiting for the arrival of our friend and opthalmologist, Richard Hoyland who arrived on Sunday 12th June to have a brief sail with us. He duly arrived and went off to see the Vasa and later on a little of Stockholm.
Richard was staying for a week so we had to plan a cruise which introduced a little of the Stockholm Skaergard but which lessened the risk of TBE ( tick borne encephalitis) as he had not been able to get immunised against it before arrival. A further problem was the weather forecast, which was for good weather for the first three days with likelihood of bad weather later on.
We had provisioned and left on Monday 13th to sail to Malma Kvarn but stopped to refuel at the Feather Islands ( Fjaderholmarna). We had four empty 10 litre cans and had motored 80 miles to Stockholm from Nykoping so the matter was urgent. We had the usual problem discovering how to use the automatic payment system with a dim LCD screen and bright sunlight but eventually the job was done. As usual, Stockholm harbour was criss-crossed by fast ferries leaving enormous wakes so motoring our was less than pleasant.
Turning South into the steep walled cutting leading to Baggenstacket improved matters immediately. The older houses perched on the slope were splendid, the sun was shining and there was plenty to observe and speculate about. The problem of excessive speed in the channel is shown by the number of small power boats stored clear of the water on what must be very expensive powered boat lifts.
Once through this amazing "cutting" our path turned east through woodland and boat parks to Baggenstacket itself. The initial canalized part is narrow and curved. We tend to be cautious here as we have seen largish ships using the canal; particularly a long nosed gravel boat (it has a long conveyor poking out of the bow, designed to deliver gravel and sand onto land over shallow water and rocks) and a fast Vaxholm ferry. I would not like to meet either in a 10 metre wide channel. Happily we were preceded by an official boat of some sort and had no surprises.
Once our we put up the main and eventually the jib to sail, initialy slowly to the SE down the long lengths of Baggensfjard and Ingarofjard. The southerly wind gradually increased giving us extra speed in good sunny weather but we had some difficulty in keeping away from the cliffs of Ingaro.
At one point we got up to 7.2 kts. which impressed us but made steering hard. We were a little over canvassed.
At the exit to open water we were able to ease sheets, moderate our speed and lessen the drama while heading N of E along a well marked channel past Grono and Kofoten lights.
At one point we were overtaken by an autogyro equipped with floats. I dont think I have ever seen one before. This one took two people in separate open cockpits one behind the other. It was driven b a pusher propellor with a much larger hovering propellor above. The noise level was surprisingly low compared with helicopters. The floats were long tubes with hemispherical ends which surprised me. I would not have thought that such clumsy hulls would have allowed the autogyro to get up sufficient speed to take off.
Soon after this we approached Malma Kvarn (59N15.3,18E36.9) seeing a small crowd of dinghies from the sailing school at Malma practicing and managed ro avoid them in their erratic manouvres, drop sail and motor in. As is our usual practice now we went straight for the innermost moorings, hooked a buoy, Richard stepped ashore and we tied up. An English sailor approached us later to say we must have been here before as we'd picked a better mooring than he had. The harbour itself was very quiet with the restaurant deserted. However we had both power and water together with good food so ate happily and went to bed content.
Next day our destination was Sandhamn with a short but not very interesting sail along large shipping channels for the most part. I looked rather more carefully at the chart to find a "short" cut south of Munko (59N14,18E43.5 that looked promising. We sailed slowly across to Munko and turned NE through a charted channel and this proved fruitful with a pleasant if fleeting visit to an out island community both sides of a narrow channel beteen Langholmen and Runmaro. Our track then turned E to approach Sandhamn and then turned N close to Sandhamn itself along the big ship track, keeping a nervous eye both in front and behind in case something very large started to get near us. Nothing was seen and we turned the corner and made for the KSSS ( Royal Sailing Club) harbour on Lokhomen on the other side of th channel to Sandhamn.
Lokhomen harbour is in three sections. The first is on a separate island (59N17.4,18E55.6) with a rather open staging and buoys on the E side, intended for large boats. The inlet between this island and Lokholmen is mainly intended for club members but does have some visitor accommodation but we chose to go further north through a very shallow channel to very lovely moorings on the NE side of Lokholmen. We lay to the staging and our stern anchor but put out a warp to shore from our port center cleat for extra security. These mooring were well equipped with water, electricity and rubbish bins and were in a very well sheltered pool with high rocky walls. richard took the free ferry to Sandhamn to explore but we stayed with the boat.
I was beginning to cough a lot and was not feeling particularly well. Nontheless, this had been a good day's exploration and sail.
The following day we set off for Ingmarso, partly to get better shelter for poorer weather already forecast but mainly to traverse some fun areas of the middle Skargard.
We travelled ENE along the main shipping route towards Stockhom, again being cautious about big ships but at Gastholmsgrund Light we turned N across Kanholmsfjarden. This was where the Russian submarine was spotted last winter and it must have had a good navigator on board. We sailed north looking behind us to port as a large inter-island ferry cum workboat appeared to be wanting to ram us but we passed ahead and soon got to the narrow entry into a crowd of islands at 59N22.1,18E47.36 and then passed W of Sack and then through the shallow and narrow channel between Norra Stavsudda and Lindholmen ( 59N23.4, 18E 46.85). Although Norra Stavsudda is very pretty we found it disappointing in a previous visit with a poorly stocked shop and a bad restaurant so we did not pause but went N through clearer water to go W of Stor-Kunnan and Kapholmen crossing Traskofjarden to wriggle W of Gistholmen and Soderon to Ingmarso. We stayed here two nights as the following day was wet, we rigged the cockpit sheet for comfort and protection and Richard explored the island on foot. The shp here is well stocked but the restaurant menu looked uninteresting this year so again we ate on-board. I was glad of the rest and continued to cough and splutter. On Friday we got up at 0445 on a very quiet grey day to make our way back to Stockholm. The forecast for the weekend was Saturday and Sunday was poor and entertainment better in Town. Our route back along Traskofjarden, down the W side of the Gallno complex and through Grindafjarden and Lindalsundet was conventional but had an exciting moment when we had to cross the main shipping route approaching Oxdupet.
We had noticed the distant approach of two International ferries to the north and they passed us as we were close to Brodsticket Light (59N25.4, 18E24.2) The first reached Oxdupet 1.6 miles away, turned t starboard and disappeared. The second approached Oxdupet and I prepared to cross behind it. I suddenly notice a third ferry coming towards us FROM Oxdupet that I had not spotted at all. I hadn't anticipated it as ships are not usually allowed to cross in this region. We made a rapid turn away and the third ship passed us very quickly. We made our onward way to Stockholm without further incident. We had been lucky.
Since arrival we have been in Stockholm. I went to see the doctor on 22nd June to be diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia which explains my tiredness and tendency to sleep all the time. The pills I've been taking have now worked and I am recovering. that makes two escapes in rapid succession.
Stockholm Early Music Festival 2016
We arrived at the Festival Booking Office an hour early to be greeted very warmly by both Peter Pontvik the Festival Maestro and Anne Katerina, his principal assistant. In part it amuses them that we, who make the longest journey, arrived first; in part it is that we are faithful attendees and appreciative. We are part of the furniture.. We had been given very good reserved seats, much to our pleasure. It reduced considerably the amount of queuing and standing we had to do.
You can find the programme on the website www.semf.se. We always get a great deal of music for our money and most of it is excellent
You can find the programme on the website www.semf.se. We always get a great deal of music for our money and most of it is excellent
20 - 23rd May 2016 Fitting Out
Our journey across Europe had been hasty and a bit fraught with the Mercedes B giving all sorts of fault conditions from inoperative tyre pressure warning upward. We were now under time pressure to be in Stockholm by the First of June to collect our tickets for the Stockholm Music festival.
Our first task was to try to understand the new toilet system that had been installed; finished only just before we arrived. The system includes an electric toilet, a biggish holding tank, five operating valves and an emptying pump. It is a mass of valves and wiring. The engineer gave us a run through but we needed the boat launched before we could test it properly. In addition I had to put back an internal door and a lot of panelling and also to devise a shelf to disguise but not hinder access to the controls.
There were other major tasks to do before launch including stowing all the clothes and kit we had brought with us, unloading tools from the boat (used only in fitting out) to make room and the usual round of bottom painting, sea cock checking and we had three clear days to do it.
We did make it but are beginning to feel our ages and cannot as hard or as long as we used to do.
Launch, for once was at a civilized hour so we could breakfast at the hotel and have lunch at the catering school. The latter is working fine and still has super salads and home made bread. We also have gone back like homing pigeons to Kohiro, who still make superb suchi.
After launch was another familiar programme of fitting boom, mainsail, calpack, battens, reefing lines, greasing the Furlex system, fitting genoa, jib sheet ( we use just one, doubled).
In Darthaven chandlery I had bought on spec a can of magic spray intended to make sail raising easier. I applied it to the Furlex, mainmast and boom slots and to the relevant sail edges. I had no great faith in the product which appeared to be soapy water but it made raising the genoa much easier than usual and also fitting the main into the boom slot. Yes it definitely worked.
Finally we had to buy and stow food for the trip to Stockholm. The weather, previously good had turned cold and we had to rig our cockpit cover and to use thermals and the extra blankets in bed. The outside temperature dropped to less than 7C at night and the cabin temperature to 12 -3 C by morning. The next question was "when can we leave with a reasonable forecast?"
Our first task was to try to understand the new toilet system that had been installed; finished only just before we arrived. The system includes an electric toilet, a biggish holding tank, five operating valves and an emptying pump. It is a mass of valves and wiring. The engineer gave us a run through but we needed the boat launched before we could test it properly. In addition I had to put back an internal door and a lot of panelling and also to devise a shelf to disguise but not hinder access to the controls.
There were other major tasks to do before launch including stowing all the clothes and kit we had brought with us, unloading tools from the boat (used only in fitting out) to make room and the usual round of bottom painting, sea cock checking and we had three clear days to do it.
We did make it but are beginning to feel our ages and cannot as hard or as long as we used to do.
Launch, for once was at a civilized hour so we could breakfast at the hotel and have lunch at the catering school. The latter is working fine and still has super salads and home made bread. We also have gone back like homing pigeons to Kohiro, who still make superb suchi.
After launch was another familiar programme of fitting boom, mainsail, calpack, battens, reefing lines, greasing the Furlex system, fitting genoa, jib sheet ( we use just one, doubled).
In Darthaven chandlery I had bought on spec a can of magic spray intended to make sail raising easier. I applied it to the Furlex, mainmast and boom slots and to the relevant sail edges. I had no great faith in the product which appeared to be soapy water but it made raising the genoa much easier than usual and also fitting the main into the boom slot. Yes it definitely worked.
Finally we had to buy and stow food for the trip to Stockholm. The weather, previously good had turned cold and we had to rig our cockpit cover and to use thermals and the extra blankets in bed. The outside temperature dropped to less than 7C at night and the cabin temperature to 12 -3 C by morning. The next question was "when can we leave with a reasonable forecast?"
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