Through the Stone Door

St Anna's Semester - Monday

After a day in port it was nice to be out sailing again... even if the winds continued to be fresh and largely in the wrong direction - at least the sun was shining. We took the direct route from Landsort heading west to cross to the archipelago south of Trosa.

By lunchtime we sailed through the narrow sound giving entrance to Tvären. The wind had dropped off and was fluky behind the tree-clad promontory so we ended up beating in no wind just feet from the quayside... holding on for the traffic to pass us and give us chance to tack off.

Soon after we met up with Åsa and the other boats for lunch in the sun.. and a very nice lunch it was too. From there it was time to turn southwest passing through Stendörren (The Stone Door) and following the navigation channel between the islands, sometimes sailing and sometimes turning the engine on as we headed upwind through narrow passages.

As evening approached we stated looking for shelter for the night and eventually settled on an island right on the edge of the archipelago. The open approach was deceptive, until with a little help from the shore we found the right line to come through the shoals off shore. Sheltered from the wind, and with the sun low in the west.. it must be time to share a 'sun-downer'?

We are on holiday after all..

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18 July 2007
Landsort to Kallhamn: 22,9nm
Paul, Pål, Karin
Winds:
SW-W 9-13m/s

Blow the man down

St Anna's - Sunday click to view

It was a lumpy night, with the wind veering west and the swell breaking into the harbour entrance. I was up several times in the night to check fenders, and the anchor line.

Daybreak showed galloping seas covered with white horses. We've a long way to go to St Anna's, we should be moving on, but there's not much enthusiasm to head out. Karim wants to sail, and sets a reef and noses out - but is back in port inside an hour when a reefing point blows out. So we are in port for the day.

But port is no comfy place with the broken sea that chops up from the entrance - so one by one, as space comes free, we move berth to further in, until we're all together in the farthest corner, the flapping flags the biggest reminder of the choppy conditions round the corner.

Landsort is nice - even when it blows. Take a walk to the clifftops. Watch the surf breaking on the shoals off to the west... or walk down to the pilotboat harbour, sit and take a beer on the quay. ..or best, after dinner, set a little music on, and dance salsa on the jetty.

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15 July 2007
Landsort:
Paul, Pål & Karin
Winds:
W 13 m/s

And then we were three...

St Anna's Semester - Saturday

It was a bright and early start - well, nine o'clock at least - as we left Ängsholm for the next leg. Still with headwinds we beat down Mysingen with fresher winds and more swell as we passed Örnsgrund and tacked towards the open Baltic.

We stuck it out with the genoa for a lumpy and somewhat exhillerating stretch before cutting west and dropping sail to motor into the narrow passage through to Nynäsviken, and lunch with Saul & Cissie - salsa friends of Karims. They have a beautiful summer cottage - and a wee small jetty - tucked into an inlet in this enclosed bay. Here we enjoyed lunch in the sun, talked dance, and listened to salsa. Great!

But we're not there yet. We are meeting Lena on Landsort and have some sailing to do. We go by motor through the remarkable Dragetskanal, just 2.5 m wide - dug by prisoners of war in the 1600s to providing a sheltered exit from Nynäsvik to the west. And from there set sail southward, weaving through the islands towards Öja. The wind is strengthening, and with only part of the jib unfurled it takes a while to get the sheeting position right and get her pointing.

It's a short stretch, and we are soon bucketing in the swell outside the guest harbour, sails down and the outboard complaining, now too deep, now sucking air..
How nice to slide into the lee of the headland and motor into smoother waters.

Lena is already here and we find space rafted alongside... just as well as the small harbour is more or less full. 26 knot winds are forecast for tonight.

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14 July 2007
Ängsholmen to Landsort: 25.25 nm
Paul, Pål & Karin
Winds:
SW 5-9 m/s

Southward Bound

St Anna's Semester - Friday

Holidays have to begin somewhere... and for us it was standing in the rain at Karlslunds Marina unloading the car. A fine start for a week on the boat. But, packed up and ready to go the rain stopped, and beating out into Mysingen the sky cleared.
Somewhere up ahead was Karim, who'd been sailing all day from Bullandö, and Ängsholmen, our evening rendezvous. Past Mysingeholm both came into view as Karim's more southerly track converged on ours, and so we followed them in the last stretch to our evening's mooring, close in to the cliffs in a sheltered bay around half way down Mysingen.
Anders, crew for the day, jumped ship to join Karim & Patrik whilst we all gathered on the headland for dinner ...and to watch the sun set over the sound.

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13 July 2007
Karlslunds to Ängsholmen: 16,5nm
Paul, Pål, Karin & Anders
Winds:
SW 3-7 m/s

Midsommar

Midsommar 2007

Midsummer is not the time to be in the city - unless of course you like being on your own. In cottages and villages around the country family and friends gather to celebrate the longest day, with dancing and feasting .. and having a good time.

And what you can do in a cottage in the woods, you can just as well do on an island out in the archipelago. Which is why on midsummer's eve Mata Hari pointed her bows south west and in company of Ander's Misil we set sail for the southern end of Ornö, for a party with some likeminded salseros.

It's a short and familiar trip - apart from the last part, gliding into Björkosund in the wind shadow from the island. We turned up just in time to be pipped for a place on the quay by Karim's Albin Express - so, most unusually for Sweden, we ended up rafted on the outside.

With a genial host, good company, an enormous barbecue, music, and a broad verandah for a dancing... well you can imagine how that is can't you?

Morning dawned bright and early (I must fix a curtain for the window in the washboard) and breakfast was followed by a morning stroll through the woods and along the shore. The forecast - 80% risk for winds over 10m/s (20knots)- was not inviting, and the winds over the bay were enough to hint at how it could be out in open water. Plenty of time for more herring (and just a little nubbe). But the winds are due to drop later...

Much later, around four o'clock, the wind seemed much the same, but it's time to be on our way. But, good fortune or good planning, by the time we were ready to leave the wind had shifted towards the south and dropped a point and in the lee of Ornö the homeward trip was easy sailing.

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22/23 June 2007
Karlslunds to Björkösund: 12,6nm round trip.
Paul, Karin
Winds:
Outbound E 4-7 m/s
Inbound SE 5-8 m/s

See it on the map...

Lunch on the rocks

Another weekend and another sunny sunday. ..so why waste it?
Pack the barbie and we're off to the islands!

The forecasts as usual disagreed on the wind which turned out to be a good breeze as we reached out to Havstornsudden, and then turned to beat up towards Långgarn. Somewhat wiggly tacks mind, as Eugen is getting the feel of the helm.

Our goal - the island of Långgarnsholm, lies just off the island of Långgarn - itself just off Gålö. Together they form a long sheltered inlet open in the east. Approaching, the wind dies away and it's one of those fluky close reaches to creep up towards lunch. Keep clear of the wind shadow from Långgarn - but not too close inshore...

Soon we are decamped to the rocks and the BBQ is lit. Lie back... crack a beer - and enjoy.

Afternoons are never as long as you'd like, so after a scant two hours it's time to head home. Of course, beating here means running back... A very pleasant - and warm - experience in afternoon sun, not least for the strawberry dessert and coffee and pastries on the way back..

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10 June 2007
Karlslunds to Långgarnsholmen: 11,3nm round trip.
Paul, Pål & Eugen
Winds: SW 1-5 m/s

See it on the map...