I
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t all began in
Sticklinge. This small boatyard on the
north shore of Lidingö was the winter berth of Mata Hari, an IF båt from 1974,
and our choice of boat to explore the waters around Stockholm. After less than a week to prepare her she was
ours and in the water ready to go.
On a wet Sunday morning we raised the mast (with some help), rigged the
boom, took a final check and headed out of port, the venerable outboard cutting
a green swathe through the water.
Out the small harbour,
and with a bit of sea room, we stopped and made sail off Storholmen and set out east along Askrikefjärden. Mata Hari is well set up, with the halyards
and trim lines brought back to the cockpit – but that only helps when you know
what to do with them. To start with it’s
definitely a case of taking it easy.
Evenso the first surprise is that we’re doing a healthy six knots. In planning the trip we’d reckoned on two
days averaging a lot less than this so it could be a lot quicker than expected.
Lidingö is a big
island to the west of Stockholm, in the Archipelago that runs north and south
along the Baltic shore. There is little
tide to speak of and only very small currents.
That all simplifies navigation, but a good chart is essential. There are over twenty thousand islands, and
most of them have rocky shores and trees on.
Knowing where you are and where to go is only the first step of course
as for every island you can see there are a scattering of rock beneath the
surface. Most are close to shore, but
not all.
After an easy reach
along Lidingö we reached the first navigation exercise. Around the western most point there are
several islands and rocks to weave between before we can turn south west
towards Stockholm. By reputation the IF
båt is a little slow through the tacks, and with a novice crew it would be easy
to end up in irons. It would be better
not to do that with little room to manouevre.
However, the winds
were light and things went smoothly, so we were able to beat through on the
inside of St. Hoggarn and into Hoggarsfjärden.
An unfortunate thing with islands is that they tend to funnel the winds
into the channels – so it was no surprise to find the wind on the nose – with
the prospect of it staying that way all the way into Stockholm. The good news? Well we get plenty of boat-handling practice!
After plenty of tacks
we came arrived at Lilla Värtan, open water marking the entrance to Stockholm
proper. In the midst of it lie
Fjärderholmarna, a group of small islands.
I had planned to detour round them on two long tacks, but now with a big
shift we were headed clear down the strait.
Great! ..while it lasted. By the time we were abreast of the islands
the wind had shifted again and we are back to tacking, and trying to avoid the
Waxholm boats coming out from the city en route for the islands with their
loads of trippers.
Coming into the city
the wind is more unpredictable – fresher for one, and gusty too. Our trip up Saltsjön is testing, easing the
sheeting positions to make the genny easier to handle. Still this is the end of the first leg and we are pleased to drop sail and start the
outboard for the next bit.
To go through the
center of the city is impossible without dropping the mast. Instead we go around the south edge of the
center, skirting the fashionable Södermalm.
The first stage is through the short Hammarby Canal, passing under
Danviksbron. According to the chart we
have at least 1.5m clearance. ..are we
sure….?
And then to Skanstull
and the Hammarby Sluss. This is the lock
that separates Mälaren from the Baltic.
Eventually we had found information to bring with us on how this worked…
and work it did. We waited while the
lights changed, and a solitary sailboat motored out the other way, and then
motored in ourselves. The engine though
is not happy at slow revs, nor it seems happy at warm starting. Hmmm.
We are in the lock – but can we get out again!
By the time the gates
open we are in business again and able to point the boat into Årstaviken. Home!
Well almost. It’s a short walk
from here to the apartment – except we’re not stopping. Everything here is familiar. We stop in Liljeholmen to stock up on fuel –
but they are closed – and motor on under the E4, passing south of Stora
Essingen.
It’s hard from the
chart to guage how much room there is to sail in these narrower channels. In parts it seems quite a lot. We have a plan to stop for lunch after the
main city is passed. (Lunch – it is
after 3pm!). At the same time we have
picked a likely spot to anchor over night.
We contemplate stopping, but in the end decide we will make sail again
and press on. The lunch stop becomes a
stream of cheese sandwiches as we sail.
The winds, much gentler now and the water beautifully flat as we take
our first introduction to Mälaren.
After the first open
waters have to pass through the narrower waters to the south of Fågelön (bird
island) and Kungshatt (king’s hat(!)).
This last bit is quite narrow and gives us plenty of tacking
practice.
And then, in a fresher
wind we are into Fiskarfjärden and heading for our anchorage. As we turn more westerly we are thankfully
off the beat, and comfortably making seven and a half knots. Maybe we should be hiking out….
