Under a cloud

The homeward trip had the luxury of  a following wind - at least to start with and we made reasonable pace in modest winds under blue skies.

Too good to last you might think - and it was.  By half way home the weather over the land was threatening with trains of dark clouds skirting along just inshore of us.. getting closer and closer as rumbles of thunder echoed over the water.  We'd edge away towards the sunshine, only to lose the wind and fall back into the shadow.

After an hour of playing tag the clouds rolled overhead and the rain started...

...but by then the thunder had moved on and we just got a shower for ten minutes or so.  More annoying was that the wind died and to get us home we had to fire up the outboard. 

I've not been chased by a cloud before.....

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25 June 2011
Sittuviken - Kalrslunds
Paul, Kia

Midsommar by sea

This year midsummer saw what's getting to be our traditional trip south to celebrate with friends out in the country.
The weather for the trip down was good - breezy, and maybe a bit too much on the nose for a quick sail but we set off with full sail and were soon close hauled and well heeled over on the leg out from Karlslunds. To keep us pointing we took the winch to the jibsheet to tighten it in - which proved not to be the best of plans. Not long after I noticed the leech was fluttering a lot - and a look behind the mainsail showed the genoa had split a seam. So down it came and the rest of the trip was beating with just the main...

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24 June 2011
Karlslunds - Sittuviken
Paul, Kia

Midsummer by sea

Midsummer, as every good Swede knows is a time to disappear off to the country to be among good friends and celebrate the year's longest day - which I can tell you is loooong.  But if you are going to the country why not sail???

So three of us set off bright and early for a five hour sail - and much against tradition we had sunshine all the way , and not bad winds withall.

And, having arrived and slung the hook off the end of the jetty...  Lunch onboard - silltårta (herring tart), what else - and a little nubba,  a swim to cool down and freshen up, a quick change and then it's off to the party....