Deja vu

It's that time of year again. The sun is up bright and early and fresh breezes entice the sailor down to the sea.  Somewhere a year has gone.. or more... without me capturing it here on blog.
It was a quiet year for sailing it has to be said, but when I find the time I will backtrack and fill in some of the missing detail. On the boat I finally got round to the fridge project- upgrading the battery, adding a solar panel, and wiring in for a small Weico electric coolbox. Time on the water on the other hand was limited. We sailed away at midsummer and took a few days down around Landsort, and later in the season a few overnight stops. And that was it. Life had other plans.

So now it's May and Mata Hari is back in her berth with the mast up and, almost, ready to sail. Life had other plans this summer to... But we will see whether wanderlust gets us out on the water more in any case.

I have in fact been thinking about moving up to something bigger- mostly because I saw a boat I liked at a good price. But a bigger boat is more work and more expense at at time when time on the water is at an ebb. So instead, there's a new plan. ..a plan to catch up with some of those things on Mata Hari that after 15 years are due some attention. And a new project on the horizon. Time for an auto-pilot? If nothing else I will get more time for blogging.....

Homeward bound

We arrived at Nämdö from Vindalsö as the sun set after four hours beating in 20 knot winds... Hard work after a week on the beach.
Nothing wrong then with a lazy breakfast in the sunshine 😊

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Vindalsö

After a beautiful, hot and sunny day on the water, broad reaching in 6 knots of wind, we have arrived at Vindalsö. We're joined by three other boatloads of happy dancers... With more arriving tomorrow.
The forecast is for magic sunsets and good company ahead..

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Kalvholmarna

Holiday time..and a chance to get out and enjoy the fantastic weather.
A somewhat roundabout sail past Dalarö to a busy but quiet bay on Kalvholmarna. Light light winds.. And all is still.....

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The shape of things to come...

A fine sunny day in March. Time to take down the covers and start thinking about getting the boat ready for the season. I did say thinking about...it doesn't do to rush these things.

Coffee in the sunshine, check the berth, find where in the mast rack we left the mast... um and ah a little bit on how much anti-fouling it needs this year. That must be enough for one day.

To Furusund

The next day we took our leave and sailed north up Blidösund.  The winds were light from th southeast but we made good speed to start with.  In the narrow sound though the wind proved elusive and we were ghosting along if not stopped for the best part of two hours.
Eventually we caught a breeze and had a gurgling reach out to the north end of Yxlan.  From there we close hauled into Furusund to approach the harbour with the same name. Sails down we motored in looking for where to anchor up to the guest jetties. Then we spotted a young man from the marina hailing us. "What`s your beam?" he asked... not something I've needed to know before. I stuck out my arms and guestimated...and obviously gave the right answer as we were pointed further in to the harbour to nose into a Y-boom space. Luxury.. and no messing around with the anchor in a confined space.

More luxury was dinner where we traded the grill for the värdshus... a proper posh dinner with great views of the passing ferries on their way to Åland.  Surprisingly, given how close they pass, there was very little swell...

Själbottna

Holiday moved northward... making good progress looking for a good spot that would take three boats with lee from the fresh south westerlies. Eventually after trying a couple of nearby spots we settled on Själbottna.  And as is often the the case our quiet spot soon filled up.  It was our last night in company as we planned to head on northwards and our companions were only out for the long weekend.  Still its nice to have company when the chance comes.

Off on our holidays

The long awaited day arrives...   this years sailing holiday begins, and we are heading north again, aiming for Grisslehamn a little north of Stockholms archipelago.

To get us off to a good start the first leg is a brisk 30nm witha good wind from the south carrying us on at good speed.  We plan to meet up with friends for the evening so the final destination is a bit up to how far we come - and where they've got to.  This slightly flexible equation resolves itself as wecome past Stavsnäs thanks to the miracle that is the mobile phone and we settle on a sheltered are in the midst of Möja skärgård..  picked from THE book to have reasonable all round shelter, and good prospects of space for three boats together.

Both of these prove to be true.  The last mile or so south down a narrow sound we take by motor and tie up towards the outer end of a promontory in what is a fairly busy spot.  About an hour later company arrives and we are soon three boats tie up to shore with the crews assembled on shore swapping stories and enjoying a beautiful sunset... 

Midsummer is well past and the skies are get darker.. starlight is also back on the agenda and from our rock we look right out at Polaris and the Great Bear

August 5th 2013
Winds - S-SW 7 to 8 m/s
Distance 29,5nm

Kymmendö

We set out for Mikkelsland,in the islands south of Dalarö, but when we arrived at what looked like a good spot on the chart the shelter int he prevailing wind wasn't really up to scratch - so we changed plan and sailed on to Kymmendö - just a little further round off the end of Ornö, by Jungfrufjärden.  We anchored in to an open bay just inside the cove - which by co-incidence was about where we anchored on our first and only other visit here.  It wasn't long before were joined by a string of other boats.

After a spot of lunch we took up miniHari and took a test run on the oars up and down the bay.  Not bad was the verdict..  very light to turn, but still not too bad for course stability.  And of course we ended the day with the grill out - crossing the headland for a fine sunset....

miniHari. Now you see it. Now you don't.

First trip of the season is a chance to test the new tender - a Seahopper Crafty Scamp, a folding dinghy a snip over two meters long.  Over winter it's had two coats of deck paint inside, and I've made some modifications in the forepeak to get it to lie along  the port side  when stowed...

Trickiest from a stowage point of view has been the oars and mast,  which are both two meters long and competing for space with the coolbox under the cockpit.

First impressions?  Well..

Setting it up on deck took some planning. There is no flat space big enough for the boat.  In the end we put it across the cockpit with one each side which worked very well.  I'm not sure how it would be in a channel swell but in a sheltered archipelago it's going to be fine.     

Rowing, it is very light. One up it sits high and turns on sixpence... but the downside of that is that you need to keep attention to your course. Then I  had a bit  of trouble keeping the oars positioned at the right length.. partly lack of practice, and partly that I've yet to put any sort of collar or binding on them.

Setting up to sail took a while... including a few first time tasks.  The biggest puzzle left now is the best and easiest way to secure the mast.

Sailing was fun if a little frustrating at times. We were in an enclosed bay with the classic 'winds.. light to variable'.  Adjusting the rig- the front of the sail need to be tight to keep the gaff high  and give the right shape when sheeted in. Likewise the yoke for the mainsheet  block was too long to start with. I shortened it a lot out on the water.

Upwind was hard work.. a lot of drift to leeward meant a lot of tacks and the daggerboard pops up which doesn't help.  (Two holes and a little bungee should fix that at least :-)

Overall, fun to sail.. if you can still squeeze into a bathtub.

Spring at last

It feels like a long winter, but is time at last for preparing the boat for the season.  When the covers came off there was still snow lying around and the scaffold for the covers ways frozen into the ground.

Now,a couple of weeks later, the sun is up and it is a please to be in the marina working on the boat.

Last season we changed anti-fouling to the new low copper version.  One side effect of This is that the new paint is not as soft and sends in much better shape after the season. So This year we are trying a new approach and just touching up the existing layer instead of painting a whole new layer ( or two).  Apart from saving several hundred crowns it's hopefully better for the environment.  We will see in the autumn if it is actually still effective in inhibiting growth.

Apart from that, high up on the last is rubbing and polishing... as usual the hull is quite faded after a season in the sun.  But, after a few hours with rubbing and polish she now has her old shine back. Step one done

Up to temperature

Spring still feels a long away off, with fresh snow this week, but the boat's not forgotten. The cushion covers from the berths went in the wash last week.

And today. I made a major investment...

an old steak thermometer from the fifties or sixties .

OK. Not essential but hopefully a useful addition to the galley for all those grill evenings out in the archipelago

Old tat

January and thoughts are already on getting the boat ready. Apart from how I'm going to stow the new tender and whether to buy a new genoa there's also the galley to look out for.  I have it in mind to find a few seventies bits and pieces to add to the folkboat feeling.

Yesterday at a vintage shop in town I picked up this small melamine tray. Not sure how old it is but it should come in handy once the sun has gone below the yardarm...

Thievery and seasons end

Despite our best intentions late season didn't bring much sailing - a short trip to Kolnäsviken was about the sum of it.  The new tender arrived.. which was great - but a little too late to try it on the water.  That will have to wait for next season.  Then, after a weekend emptying lockers and taking down the mast it was all set to bring the boat out.

So, one Friday afternoon we left work early to take the boat round to the slip to be hauled up.  Imagine my surprise then when I went to set up and start the motor - only to discover it wasn't there....  Some blaggard had been and nicked it.  What sort of mean spirited soulless twat does that sort of thing?

 The marina were great and quickly arranged a boat to tow us round to come out - but it really did add the final touch to a pretty remarkable season... for all the wrong reasons.

Let's draw a close on sailing season 2012 and look forward hopefully to a sailing filled summer in 2013.

(Actually, on a positive note the new anti-fouling looks really good after a pretty inactive season.  Let's hope that means less work in the spring ;-)

Cheers!

... 

Back at base

It's not a long trip back from Kolnäsviken...  but packing up after a week on the boat takes a while, so it seemed only reasonable once tat was done to finish the week as we started with a meal at the marina restaurant.  We are still on holiday you know ;-)

All in all...  a nice week on the water .  Not in the least taxing - not even by our standards.  We averaged about 10nm a day, but distance aside it was really nice - especially after waiting so long to get the boat shipshape again.

Homeward bound

From Biskopsö the route lay homeward..  though not before taking the chance to meet up with friends that were also out sailing.  We discussed a few alternatives - but finally settled on an old favourite - Kolnäsvik.  It's not much over an hour from Karlslunds with any decent wind - but what the heck.  It's sheltered and easy and the sunsets from the seaward side are great.

The trip from Biskopsön was another nice day on the water.  The wind was quite fresh but manageable and we made good speed - despite beating a good bit of the way.  Tacking angles seemed a bit sloppy at times - but part of the reason revealed itself when I discovered we were sailing against the current in the narrower channel north of Ornö.  It was a shock I have to say as it's very rare to notice any sort of current in the archipelago.   

Arriving in Kolnäsvik the neighbours were already there and helped guide us in to shore... which turned out to be harder than anticipated.  The north shore there is quite shallow at first before dropping away and depending on the water level it can be hard to get to shore without grounding.  This was one of those days... and we played around a while before I was happy.

But, once tied up it was time for a little after sail.. G&Ts in the cockpit, and a lazy evening watching the grill grill....  sitting out chatting on the headland until well after sunset.

Visiting the Bishop

From Kyrkviken we headed east and a little north to Biskopsö.  It's a place we've been before.  Normally we pull in between the islands in the western part of the island group but this time we opted to try the bay on the north side of Biskopsö itself.

It was a nice sail there.  One of those days when you are close hauled almost all the way - but still don't end up tacking that often... and with winds that give good speed without overpowering the boat.  Great sailing.

Once there we motored  in to the bay - finding a sheltered spot on the north side against the isthmus.  The shore was smooth sloping rocks that were easy to come ashore onto - but behind was thick undergrowth of something not dissimilar to gorse; i.e. lots of prickles.  The bay there was it turned out also quite shallow.  Looking over the side you could see the bottom and dipping showed it to be just 1,50m.  OK with our 1,2m draft but not so much to spare.

When evening came we set up the grill on the rocks and cooked dinner.  Being in a bay though the sun disappeared quiet early so we settled on an evening walk.  Good that we did as following the shore and then crossing the neck of the isthmus brought us out to the proper shore and the proper sunset. We even had the forethought to bring whisky and chocolate with us....  Now that's what you call desert!

And what a view...

Manners maketh man...

Kyrkviken really is a short hop from Fjärdlång so it was about lunchtime when we dropped sail and motored into the narrow channel leading into the long small bay that is Kyrkvik.  Astern of us another boat turned in from the main fairway to follow us in...

It was soon clear though that following our stately passage wasn't really on their minds and, in a display of boorish singlemindedness, they proceeded to overtake in the narrowest part of the channel to rush ahead of us and tie up first alongside the guest harbour quay.  As luck would have it the new neighbours were only there for lunch and we soon had the bay much to ourselves.

Kyrkviken is new to us, but situated on the back side of Ornö it's actually a good spot for victualling when out in the outer archiplago.  By the jetty there is a small cafe serving burgers and beer, and just behind a restaurant with both good food and a pleasant view (out to Mata Hari bobbing by the jetty).  Behind the restarant is a small grocery store -  not the widest assortment, but enough to top our larder for the next few days.

After lunch at the cafe we took a walk further afield stopping to look at the church, and then searching out the other shop that should have been nearby - in the next bay to the south.  It turns out it has closed down....

Somewhere in between we passed a loppis..  a barn full of jumble, and came away with a small chopping board come teapot stand.  With a little tender loving care it should find a spot on board for next season :-)

On rations...

Once we got to Huvudskär we discovered that in our haste to be away on holiday we'd forgotten something....  Food!  Not all the food - but the fresh meat sitting in the fridge at home.  Not a crisis - but cause for a change of plan.  Instead of heading further south towards Nynäshamn we decided instead to visit Kyrkviken on Ornö - with what should be the nearest grocery store.

But, the larder was not completely empty, so we made an easy leg of it and headed first to Fjärdlång.  It was neither long nor difficult to get there - with the sort of light wind sailing I really enjoy.  Enough to keep the boat gurgling along while you check the chart and the marks to keep on course between the islands.

The anchorage in Fjärdlång was new to us.  There were a few other boats there- but there was plenty of space.  The wind was pretty much down the bay - but we found shelter behind a small headland and settled down to a nice evening on the cliffs with the grill (and the lamb we'd remembered to bring from the freezer...

It was - as the picture shows -  one of those superb evenings, where the wind drops away completely and the colours just wash in.

Holidays.... :-)

Happy holidays again

 

It took a while to get the mast fixed - although the job itself was very quick once I got the parts and the rigger in the same place.  Mast up and time to sail away while the summer vacation is still upon us . 

We laboured to get to the marina with all our baggage for a week... and concluded once we got there it was late in the day to sail off.  So we spent the first evening on the berth enjoying the hospitality of Karlslunds sjökrog.  There are worse ways to begin a weeks holiday I can tell you.

Bright and fresh the next day we set course southward to take us outside of Ornö.  We were heading towards Huvudskär, but my plan was to stop short and stop over at Notholmen - normally a quiet spot with good shelter when the winds are right....

We had a good sail there - reaching but not too much on the nose - but to our consternation there were already a couple of boats anchored ashore in the little bay.  Experience says there isn't much space for more than a couple so we looked at the clock and decided to head on to Huvudskär anyway.

As luck would have it this put us much more against the wind. which had filled in - so that last hour turned out to be the hardest part of the day - not least as that last stretch is all about picking a route between the islands and cobs.  In fact, rather against our usual practice, we sailed in through the narrow inlet into the lagoon as the chop and brisk winds made dropping sail outside less than attractive.

Once inside we anchored against Lökholmen - only a few meters from the spot we tied up on our first visit here...  around ten years ago...