Sunday 20 May 2007

In the swim!

Runmaren: click for album

There is this magic with the weather, that when you get away from the land the sun shines...

The forecast for Saturday was winds gusting over 20m/s so we opted for the short tour to be home on Friday; and a trip to Runmaren . Not an island we've visited before although we've sailed past many times.

The trip there was around three and a half hours, mostly close hauled or reaching. After checking out the smaller bay on east Runmaren and finding three boats already moored in the 'best' spot we motored round to West Runmaren and the more open bay there. There was just one other IF for company as we came in to the cliffs. Good deep water close in - but not too many spots where it's easy to step ashore. ... and as I later found - not the best holding for the anchor. ( I was a bit stingy with the anchor line)

It was lovely, with the stern pointed west for the sunset.. and still calm water all around. In May the evenings are still chilly, but there are far fewer boats around so you get these lovely islands almost to yourself. The island itself is part of the Utö nature reserve stewarded by Skärgårdstiftelsen - and it's easy to understand why as eider swim in rafts off the cliffs, and oystercatchers wing past piping.

Supper was beef, pan-fried on the BBQ (I left the rack at home), and grilled bananas doused in Grand Marnier. Which, with a little red wine, is just the thing to leave you feeling relaxed and mellow as the horizon darkens and the stars come out...

............

Morning, still and sunny, saw the first dip of the year. We stretch the mainsheet back to the backstay when we're moored for more room in the cockpit - and oops!... that was the shackle going over the side as I loosened it to move it back. No spare on board - and I think I can see it down there... and a weight and a line to mark where it is, 3m down...
Splash! ...and brrrrr... it's cold!

Sadly I didn't manage to find the shackle - but the water was actually a lot warmer than I'd feared. It won't be long before swimming is back on the agenda for real. :-)

And the mainsheet? We robbed Peter to pay Paul and swapped out a shackle on the boom downhaul for a smaller one...


..............
17/18 May 2007
Karlslunds to Runmaren: 19.6nm round trip.
Paul, Pål
Thurs: Variable S-SE 2-4 m/s
Fri: SW 0-2 rising W 5-6 m/s
See it on the map...

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