Leaving Oulu, we go through documented pathways to Raahe (64.688209, 24.470265). Pathways are well marked on the
Sailmate free nautical charts available as an app but we will discover that the height indicated does not correspond to what we get from our sounder. After a few researches, we realise that the sea level amplitude of variation around Oulu and Kemi can reach three metres, according to wind direction and atmospheric pressure (1 cm variation by mbar). The
Finnish meteorological site gives values and prevision of sea level and indeed, the sea level on that date was more than 20 cm lower than expected due to persistent northern winds in previous days, which counts when sailing on a 1.5 metre deep pathway.
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| Belisama on the guest pier in Raahe, 1.1 metre deep on the sounder |
Raahe is a town known for its old wooden house quater.
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| Raahe theatre |
The small sea museum (the blue building on the top picture) is worth a visit.
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| A wave subduer oil sack from Paris |
The following day, we continue south west to Ohtakari (64.088707, 23.406973), a small fishing harbour well protected, but small and shallow. When entering the harbour, you should stay on the left side of the narrow channel, but this is not indicated in the pilot book. Upon entering, through the middle of the channel, we went though a 1.1 metre depth. When getting out, and sticking on the southern part of the channel, we went through 1.9 metre all along. In fact, the sounder even went blank upon entering, and we understood when departing that it was because the centre of the channel is covered with vegetation reaching the surface... The small harbour is a very active fishing harbour and you should watch out for very large fishing nets posted just outside the entrance of the harbour. These nets are marked with two flagged buoys, but the actual net extends way beyond the two buoys, and is not necessarily very visible when waves are important.
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| Lilliput harbour, with Belisama being the only sailing boat. |
The peninsula is worth a visit, walking though boulder fields an old pilot house and beacon as well as a labyrinth.
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| The Ohtakari labyrinth |
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| Old pilot station a nd beacon |
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| A public barbecue protected from norther winds |
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| A salmon wind vane |
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| Ohtakari small museum |
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| Old observation deck |
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| 23:43, a failed attempt at capturing the green beam |
fantastic as usual!
ReplyDeleteI've been told in Sthlm that the level of the sea may vary from -90 to +90cm , depending on the winds north/south. You can easily see it on the pontoon of Wasahamnen ;-))
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