Green Onions

Sailsalsa is about two things... and salsa is one of them. Mostly, sailing is dinghy sailing - which for me is an annual chance to get out and have a blast -but this year we took a day trip to Lökholmen - 'Onion Island'.

Well.. it wasn't going to be Lökholmen. When we slipped the mooring and headed off to follow the other boats (3 cruisers + two hobies) we had a different plan. I was crewless till the last minute when Karin hopped on board and so we set off after the others in a really fresh breeze. Mata Hari sails like a dinghy.. in a blow you just haul everything in - kicker, outhaul, backstay (cunningham if you like) - until it's all as flat as you like and then point her where you want to go... upwind.

Closehauled, but not all that level we were soon abreast and heading in what we thought was the right direction as the others seemed to hesitate between the islands.. until eventually the tender caught us up to say 'Lökholmen'. And where is that... We hove to to check out the chart until my brain woke up and I realised that it's the island off Sandhamn where we stayed a couple of years ago. But that's quite close?! So let's go the long way...

And so we set off after Håkan and Johan to round Sandhamn and come in from the southeast instead. A beat to start with but once we dropped off a point or two a really nice reach.

Still, it wasn't too long before we were dropping sail off the Archipelago's premier sailing venue and pottering in to the (other) guest harbour. The Cats and the tender were already there - which meant the grill was lit and the beer was chilling on the waterline. Perfect!

Getting out again was more interesting after someone dropped anchor over my anchor line.. and we struggled to free it with half the harbour watching - but such is life. And the short route back was the first time I'd sailed through the NW gap to Sandhamn. Cosy, with oncoming traffic and a big cruiser itching to motor past.. :-)

But I did like that first stretch..

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1 August 2007
Vindalsö - Lökholmen
Paul, Karin

On the run...

Summer is short...and it pays to make the most of it, so it is only a few days after the last trip that Mata Hari is once again headig out from Karlslunds.

This time we are heading north, Karin & I, for a few days dancing and good company with 'Sailsalsa'. It's a fairly straight forward sail past Dalarö to Vindalsö - just short of Sandhamn - but at around 25nm quite a long day-trip. Today though the winds aregood - almost too good.

We have a strong tail wind pushing on, and although I start with the jib part furled I soon decide that justthe main is morethanenough - andwelose the aggravation of the genua flogging in the lee when a true run really is the best course. Strong winds however mean plenty of chop and rolling waves and we are obliged to keep an eye on the wind direction as the boat screws under the waves. A gybe in this would not be fun...

Waves though mean surfing on the run and speeds thatbreak with the usual rules of the gain. So much so that we hit 9.4 knots at one point (by the GPS) coming off a large wave in a gust.. A new record...

And with those good winds it is a quick four and half hours before we are heading in to greet old friends and new.
But - life being never so easy - that's just the time that we lose the wind in the lee of an island - and just the time that the ferry is wanting to back out and round us. It's a good job one of us was able to manoeuvre!

Still we've arrived. Let's dance!

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29 July 2007
Karlslunds - Vindalsö: 23,0nm
Paul, Karin

Sunday drivers

Breakfast.. and the neighbours as usual are first off - though today they have an excuse with a long trip north.

We have a more casual start and see them in the distance as the wind dies and we make slow time across Mysingen's open waters. But the weather is fine so it's no real hardship.

Eventually the wind fills in with a bit of sea breeze and with a healthy four knots plus we cross into more familiar waters - Långgarn and the shores of Gålö. And not long after we head up from the last close reach to drop sail and motor in.

Journey's end...
..and a big thanks to the crew!!!

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22 July 2007
Ängsholm to Karlslund: 13,38nm
Paul, Pål, Karin

Back to Mysingen

St Anna's - Saturday click to view

Karim was the early bird, but we were not so very far behind - saying farewell to our travelling companions before drawing out on the anchor to get under way.
We motored out from between the islands and sighting Karims reefed main in the distance set a course for Landsort. The winds are fair and it's a pleasant reach across open water - without the light winds of last year.

Gradually we catch up on Karim until , past Landsorts southern cape, we wave cheerio for the present as he heads in to Nynäshamn for a change of crew.
We head on for Ängsholm, breaking the trip up Mysingen at the same stop as on the outbound leg. We arrive as another boat leaves and have more or less the same place as before... to be joined just a bit later by Karim & Malin.

And just as on the first night the barbeque is lit out on the headland and we enjoy another fine skärgård evening. The last for this trip.

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21 July 2007
St Brännskär to Ängsholm: 28,75nm
Paul, Pål, Karin

Lazing on a Friday afternoon

St Anna's - Friday click to view

After two days of cloud and high winds our homeward trip was blessed with clear skies, pleasant winds and sunshine. By lunchtime we had made it back to Tvären and met up with Blå again for just a short sail before lunch. In light winds between the islands it took a while to pick a spot to anchor, but at last we threw in the hook and drew up to the shore - Lena' boat coming in after the now customary later start...

We are on holiday.. and with sunshine comes a strange desire for swimming and sunbathing and any thought of further travel is abandoned. Well almost. The forecast is for more wind in the night so after a recce on foot we motor round to the other side of the island and anchor again in a sheltered niche between the islands...

It's the last night we're all assembled, and out comes the guitar and flute for a memorable evening of song and good company crammed into the cockpit (but not ours!)

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20 July 2007
Lt Trassö to St Brännskär: 16,3nm
Paul, Pål, Karin

X marks the spot

St Anna's - Thursday click to view

No sooner have we arrived than it's time to start back again. The weather is not kind and in the blustery morning light we don't see St Anna's in it's best light. But here we are, and before we go about and head north we want at least to see something of the Archipelago.. so the day's plan includes a bit of a pleasure cruise around the islands.

There are two main channels through the islands and we plan to head south on the first and then cross to head back up further out among the islands. The only choice is what route to pick to cross between?

Choice made we head south on a reach.. skudding along between the islands and looking for the buoy that marks the turn.

How does this work again? When we reach the buoy we turn off towards this waypoint by this cob - and when we get there we turn between the cob and that underwater stone. Easy...

So which one was the cob you wanted??

Now on a broad reach, rocks, skerries and small islands rush towards us. The compass looks good and the waypoint is dead ahead... That one.
...and the underwater stone???

On the chart it looks like plenty of room, but out on the water - and not wishing to guess when the last proper survey was done - things don't seem to have so much margin. But better the devil you know.

We hold course on the cob and head up as late as prudence allows, slipping past looking at the darker water of it's sunken shores, but never once seeing that stone.

And so we find ourselves homeward bound.. As the channel bends the close reach becomes a beat, judging the legs to avoid the dots and x's scattering the island shores. And then a narrow gap, between a cob and reef to head into more open water towards Arkösund. We thread the gap between two islands, creeping through the lee, to avoid a more buffeting detour - and shake free onto a fine reach towards Arkösund and lunch.

With good tailwinds the afternoon sailing is more relaxed as we trail Karim across the open waters of Bråviken. Arriving outside Oxelösund with perfect timing the wind dies away just as we nose out across the shipping lane. We are obliged to veer away as the speck in the distance rapidly becomes a freighter bearing down on us.
Woow! But from there it's a quiet and leisurely sail to tie up at Liten Trassö, a popular anchoring spot just off the main channel.

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19 July 2007
Verkholm to Lt Trassö: 27,4nm
Paul, Pål, Karin
Winds:
W 7-11 m/s