Finally my summer vacation had
arrived and my wife and I were preparing for our summer cruise. This
year we would be out sailing for two weeks, the longest consecutive
time
so far. The last two years we spend eight days on the boat and when we
were on our way home, we both felt that we would like to try being out
longer next time. So we tried.
My wife had to work Friday, so we decided to use Saturday as provisioning day and set out on Sunday morning. This was not a very good decision though...more about that later.
With provisions for a 14 day cruise the boat sat quite low in the water when we set out on Sunday at about 1000. However, earlier cruises had taught us that the extra ballast only improves the boat's ability to go to weather, provided that it all is stuffed in right (Trim somewhat low in the bow to compensate two people in the cockpit.)
We did carry food for two weeks although we planned to stop at some places where there are restaurants and shops to get more fresh things. Mostly we carried canned food and fresh food that can live well in the somewhat cooler bilges (potatoes, paprika, carrots, pasta, apples, oranges (to make fresh juice in the mornings), onions etc.. We also had a small cooling bag which holds cold a few days. There we carried some stuff we would eat during the first few days, i e sausages and cheese.).
Our plan was to get as far away from the city as possible the first, day, and then sail slowly north, as far as we would get, as we did not have been sailing up there before.
Winds were about 10 knots from the south-southwest which suited us well. Forecasts also told us that these southerlies would prevail some more days.
This little lighthouse marks kind of the boundary of normal daysailing range. We now would not see it again for two weeks. This felt great!
To get a bit away from the city one has to sail one of two ways. Of course, also every powerboat going out over the week-end has to do this. This is why it is not so good to start or finish a cruise on a Sunday. (There is another reason, to be told later....).
After passing the famous Vaxholm castle (where the Swedish fleet waited doing nothing in 1717 while Russian warships burned the outer parts of the archipelago), we turned into Lindalssundet, also called the highway to the archipelago. Now we really learned this thing about powerboats and Sundays. It got very bumpy... But finally we made it through and into more open water.
I did, of course, forget to take a picture of the castle, as I have seen it so often. I know you haven't, so I promise I will sail there soon again and take a picture. However I photographed some nice houses along Lindalssundet.
At 1800 we hade reached out first nightstop. This was actually the whole cruise's longest leg, but we really wanted to get away from town.... We stayed at a nice little cove, actually it's a sound, as there is an island blocking the southern entry of the cove. This makes it very sheltered although there is heavy boat traffic in the lane south of it. But almost no swells reaches in. There were a few other boats there, among them a big German sailing yacht that had anchored in the middle. Everybody else was mooring bow to land and anchor aft, as we usually do it here.
We were so hungry after the long sailing day that we skipped any advanced cooking projects and had pasta....
The next day it was overcast, and later on we would get some rain. We decided to leave anyway, as we wanted to put some distance between us and the city (and the powerboats...).
Winds were still from the south and about 10 knots. We sailed for five hours until arriving at the next stop. Around lunchtime, we had some instant noodles (the kind that comes in a cup and you only pour hot water over it which we had pre-prepared in a thermos).
We passed a funny little island with a lot of Cormorants in dead trees on it...
Finally we arrived at Träskö, where we stayed the night. Most of the time it was drizzling.
This is the anchorage at Träskö in the evening. Quite a few boats here, too.
Tuesday brought better weather and winds still from the south at the usual 10-12 knots. We happily continued north, with the wind, not knowing what would happen in a few days. So far we always listened the the forecast on the radion two times a day. I did not yet bother to check medium range forecasts via WAP, which I soon should learn is a good idea....
We now sailed in much more open water, at least to the east.
After four hours we arrived at Själbottna. Here I took this season's first bath.
The water was a bit cold, but it felt good. I liked this little cove which is not so sheltered to te east, but works in all other winds.
Now the weather forecast changed. They talked about the wind veering into the north and increasing to about 20 knots in the evening. We decided to make an early start and sail to Blidö. This would mean tacking up all the way through Blidö sound, but I thought that it would be easier there to get shelter if the wind increased further. This decision I would not have made if I had checked the medium term forecast now, as it already would have told me that the wind would stay in the north (it stayed there almost a week!) and that there would be a small craft varning for winds of up to 28 knots the day after. However, we still were headed north, as was our plan and so we did the tacking. After seven hours we got to Blidö. Here we at least could have a shower, eat at a restaurant and buy some fresh food. We also, I thought, could stay here an extra day if the wind was trying to build to a gale.
Blidö visitor's pontoon in the evening. Here I finally checked the medium range forecast.
My wife had to work Friday, so we decided to use Saturday as provisioning day and set out on Sunday morning. This was not a very good decision though...more about that later.
With provisions for a 14 day cruise the boat sat quite low in the water when we set out on Sunday at about 1000. However, earlier cruises had taught us that the extra ballast only improves the boat's ability to go to weather, provided that it all is stuffed in right (Trim somewhat low in the bow to compensate two people in the cockpit.)
We did carry food for two weeks although we planned to stop at some places where there are restaurants and shops to get more fresh things. Mostly we carried canned food and fresh food that can live well in the somewhat cooler bilges (potatoes, paprika, carrots, pasta, apples, oranges (to make fresh juice in the mornings), onions etc.. We also had a small cooling bag which holds cold a few days. There we carried some stuff we would eat during the first few days, i e sausages and cheese.).
Our plan was to get as far away from the city as possible the first, day, and then sail slowly north, as far as we would get, as we did not have been sailing up there before.
Winds were about 10 knots from the south-southwest which suited us well. Forecasts also told us that these southerlies would prevail some more days.
This little lighthouse marks kind of the boundary of normal daysailing range. We now would not see it again for two weeks. This felt great!
To get a bit away from the city one has to sail one of two ways. Of course, also every powerboat going out over the week-end has to do this. This is why it is not so good to start or finish a cruise on a Sunday. (There is another reason, to be told later....).
After passing the famous Vaxholm castle (where the Swedish fleet waited doing nothing in 1717 while Russian warships burned the outer parts of the archipelago), we turned into Lindalssundet, also called the highway to the archipelago. Now we really learned this thing about powerboats and Sundays. It got very bumpy... But finally we made it through and into more open water.
I did, of course, forget to take a picture of the castle, as I have seen it so often. I know you haven't, so I promise I will sail there soon again and take a picture. However I photographed some nice houses along Lindalssundet.
At 1800 we hade reached out first nightstop. This was actually the whole cruise's longest leg, but we really wanted to get away from town.... We stayed at a nice little cove, actually it's a sound, as there is an island blocking the southern entry of the cove. This makes it very sheltered although there is heavy boat traffic in the lane south of it. But almost no swells reaches in. There were a few other boats there, among them a big German sailing yacht that had anchored in the middle. Everybody else was mooring bow to land and anchor aft, as we usually do it here.
We were so hungry after the long sailing day that we skipped any advanced cooking projects and had pasta....
The next day it was overcast, and later on we would get some rain. We decided to leave anyway, as we wanted to put some distance between us and the city (and the powerboats...).
Winds were still from the south and about 10 knots. We sailed for five hours until arriving at the next stop. Around lunchtime, we had some instant noodles (the kind that comes in a cup and you only pour hot water over it which we had pre-prepared in a thermos).
We passed a funny little island with a lot of Cormorants in dead trees on it...
Finally we arrived at Träskö, where we stayed the night. Most of the time it was drizzling.
This is the anchorage at Träskö in the evening. Quite a few boats here, too.
Tuesday brought better weather and winds still from the south at the usual 10-12 knots. We happily continued north, with the wind, not knowing what would happen in a few days. So far we always listened the the forecast on the radion two times a day. I did not yet bother to check medium range forecasts via WAP, which I soon should learn is a good idea....
We now sailed in much more open water, at least to the east.
After four hours we arrived at Själbottna. Here I took this season's first bath.
The water was a bit cold, but it felt good. I liked this little cove which is not so sheltered to te east, but works in all other winds.
Now the weather forecast changed. They talked about the wind veering into the north and increasing to about 20 knots in the evening. We decided to make an early start and sail to Blidö. This would mean tacking up all the way through Blidö sound, but I thought that it would be easier there to get shelter if the wind increased further. This decision I would not have made if I had checked the medium term forecast now, as it already would have told me that the wind would stay in the north (it stayed there almost a week!) and that there would be a small craft varning for winds of up to 28 knots the day after. However, we still were headed north, as was our plan and so we did the tacking. After seven hours we got to Blidö. Here we at least could have a shower, eat at a restaurant and buy some fresh food. We also, I thought, could stay here an extra day if the wind was trying to build to a gale.
Blidö visitor's pontoon in the evening. Here I finally checked the medium range forecast.