Ratan for midsummer, 22 June 2019

Ratan is a small island 20 miles north of Umeå and providing a good shelter for most winds. This will be the first time in almost a months that we see more than one boat at a time. Yet, none of the boats in Ratan are Swedish!

Belisama dressed for midsummer 

 This is the first time that Belisama pavoise. It took me a while before identifying the correct order on a French boat for displaying the flags... It should be:
           - from the foot of the jackstaff to the masthead: E, Q, 3, G, 8, Z, 4, W, 6, P, 1, I, Apercu, T, Y, B, X, 1er substitute, H, 3ème substitute
           - from the masthead to the foot of the flagstaff: D, F, 2e substitut, U, A, O, M, R, 2, J, 0, N, 9, K, 7, V, 5, L, C, S

Note that order changes according to countries and some countries do not specify an order.

But we were not in Ratan just to show off...

Norrbyskär, 19 June 2019

Norrbyskär is our last stopover before Umeå. This island was once in the XIX century and up to the 1950's the largest steam powered sawmill in Europe.

A surströmming experience in Skagshamn, 17 June 2019

Up north again, we make a stopover in Skagshamn, interested to further understand how the surströmming is prepared. Who knows, maybe Belisama will enlarge its fermented stuff menu by adding surströmming?

Hail in Skaghamn

Back to Ulvön, 17 June 2019

Leaving Barsta and Bönhamn, we continue up north for a short ride to Ulvön, still deserted at this time of the year, before the seasonal peak.

The Ulvön bay

Sundsval, Härnösand, Barsta - 13-16 June 2019

After a week of canicula, we experience a complete change of weather, with head cold wind obliging us to tack our way, day and night, with significant swell. To make it worth, the small harbour where we had plan to rest for the night has been damaged by the January storm and is no longer safe for mooring. The plan B marina has a jetty more like a swell breaker and inappropriate for mooring in such weather. We therefore continue to Sundsvall where we arrive 2:00 at night.

Picture by Stéphane.