Last sailing before the winter - 13 November 2016

Last of the last for 2016. Temperature today was 1°C. Belisama had to get out in order to fill the tank for the winter, as it is advised to reduce as much as possible the air in the tank in the winter to avoid condensation. Therefore, a short 30 minutes ride to one of the fuel pump open at this time of the year!

Autumn gale, 7-9 October

This weekend, a gale was announced over the Stockholm archipelago. A good opportunity to stay home and rest a bit. But not with two visiting friends from Austria and Croatia!

8.5 knots with back winds...

A bridge further - 3 October 2016

After a night along the way, we enter Stockholm and its bridges opening once every hour. Still many boats with masts over 14 metres in this sunny Sunday afternoon. On the menu, the three bridges of Liljeholmsbron, Skansbron and Dansvikbron and a lock. By now, you have understood that "born" means bridge in Swedish.

Liljeholmsbron

Arholma - Landsort, old edition, 4 October 2016

A good friend of mine offered me recently the book Arholma - Landsort, in its version from 1971. This is the book all archipelago sailors have onboard as it gives the tips and tricks to get in all natural harbors of the archipelago. This was a good reminder of what was sailing before the GPS era...

By curiosity, I looked at the current representation in the various electronic charts...

Mariefred - Stockholm, 30 September - 2 Octobre

Back to Mariefred after a working week in Stockholm and a memorable storm over Sweden (See Cybèle posting). The west coast was devastated with trees down and train traffic interrupted. Belisama did not suffer in Mariefred though I could see some tearing on the mooring lines.

Strängnäs - Mariefred, 23-25 September

First day of autumn, which started on 22 September at 16:21 this year. We continue our exploration of the Mälaren in the back season during the weekends, with great pleasure. 

Lunch break at the Taxinge castle, close to Mariefred  

Arriving to Mariefred, with Gripsholm castle on the left

En route for Strängnäs - 16-18 September

We have an exceptional month of September. Warm and dry, very appropriate for sailing. With no new rain in past two weeks, we could not find mushrooms this weekend. We went from Nynäshamn to Strängnäs, through Södertälje, entering in the Mälaren. Very god practice through bridges and locks!

Setting full moon at the rising sun, Södetrtälje.

Early autumn cruises, 9-11 September

With the autumn are coming the longer darker nights. Around the equinox, days are shortening very fast, loosing almost one hour  per week! Then we start seing again the stars in the sky and eve the milky way!

Muskö, Saturday night

Muskö is famous for its submarine (don't miss reading Mankell's "Troubled man") and for its mushrooms...

A mushroom week - 3 September 2016

The week started Monday, on the way to the office where I came across these young parasol mushrooms. They usually appear in rings in the pastures called fairy rings in English, but witch rings in French! 

I was not equipped to pick them. Therefore, I came back the day after with a knife and a bag...

Symetrical or asymmetrical? 26 August 2016

For Belisama, I opted for a Code 0 and an asymmetrical spinnaker. This allows covering most of the wind directions most effc-iciently, except the real back wind, where I was really missing the old symmetrical spinnaker of La Malouine. 

Following an encounter with Flocon de mer, I decided to experiment a bit...

More meteors on the way to Öja - 22/25 August 2016

Fog bow

A fog bow to start the trip, on the way to Huvudskär. Second one that I ever saw. Fogbows are rainbow in the fog rather than in the rain. The droplets are so small that they do not decompose he sun light in primary colors, but rather result in a white arc. Interestingly, their diameter is usually smaller (around 35°) than for rainbows (42°). Note the probable anticrepuscular ray pointing up-right. 

Through the Draget Canal - 24 August 2016

The Draget Canal is a straight between the main land around Nynäshamn and the island of Järflotta. It is the small section heading north in the middle of the map, coming from Nynäshamn. I had long heard of the canal as La Malouine homeport was not very far, on the west side of the peninsula. However, being indicated as 1.5 meter deep was preventing the 1.8 meter deep "brise de mer" to attempt passing through. The weather forecast for the morning was very light winds from SSW, right in the nose, meaning a couple of hours on engine to reach Öja. Engine for engine, we decided to go through the canal. The marina captain is not very optimistic about the success as the canal was last dragged 35 years ago... Being seven meters large does not allow reversing! With Sweden rising-up almost one centimetre every year, it should be 30 centimetres shallower than by then.

Therefore, not a problem for an OVNI...

Artipelag, 22 August 2016

As we welcome onboard a new crew for a last week of vacation this august, we make a first stop in Artipelag on Sunday night, after a weekend of rain! The idea was to depart early morning to benefit from a norther wind towards Huvudskär. However, we got tempted by the Andy Warhol exhibition and were much fascinated by it. Not to be missed for any Stockholder, in particular sailers, as the dock there is top!

  

Note the shadow of Belisama on the middle right of the picture, the only boat on the dock...

Gävle - Stockholm, with a Sunday at the stuga... 6 & 7 August

Last weekend, we left the boat in Gävle, coming back from Sundsval and our way back to Stockholm. With favourable winds on Friday evening, after two hours of train to Gävle, we left the harbour directly, for a nigh of sailing under spinnaker. 

Light breeze, 4 m/s, 6 knots average speed with the spinnaker, by early morning we turn Öregrund, then Lidö, heading south west towards Stockholm. 

Entering Öregrund sound just before sun rise.

And we arrived by mid-afternoon at the stuga...

Sundsvall - Gävle, 30/31 July 2016

The last weekend of July, as the next two ones are devoted to bringing back Belisama from Sundsvall where we left her at the end of last week, to Stockholm, where she should be by mid-August to welcome the next crew.

No wind on Friday evening, we sleep in Sundsvall. After tacking the whole day, we finally make it to Kuggören, one of the most beautiful Lilliput village that we came across along the east coast.

A ride to Storholmen, 23 July 2016 - 62°20.537'N 17°33.101'E

Gérard and Marion, having embarked in Umeå a week ago, are flying back on 24 July from Arlanda. Therefore, we need a good 57 miles night ride using the land brise in the spinnaker to reach Sundsvall in due time. With 2 to 7 m/s wind over the night, it will take us 10 hours to reach Storholmen, where we make a pause before entering the Sundsvall marina.

Picture by Gérard

Ulvön, 22 & 23 July 2016 - 63°1.287'N 18°39.179'E

Ulvön is one of the most touristic island in the Högakusten world heritage park. It is absolutely worth the trip! There are three marinas that were fully occupied when we arrived. This gave us the opportunity to test for the first time our "Swedish mooring" to the rocks. More impressive than difficult!

Ulvöhamn kapell - 22 July 2016

The chapel in the island of Ulvö is the best decorated that I have seen so far in many years in Sweden. It was built in 1622, was moved there in the 18th century, was almost demolished in the 19th century, but survived until today. 

Trysunda kapell - 20 July 2016

The Trysunda chapel was built in the 1600's by the fishermen from Gävle.

We went there following the posting by Cybele 17 indicating a "coup de coeur". And indeed, it is a "coup de coeur"...

A ride to the top of the mast, 19 July - Köpmanholmen, 63°10.400'N 18°35.314'E

Köpmanholmen is a very small dock where one can moor for the night for 100 SEK, all inclusive. We arrived there tired of tacking our way southward. The place is best known for its surströmming, sort of macerated herrings. What the costal pilot book does not tell you is the smell of the thing...

Trysunda, 63°8.349'N 18°47.115'E - 19 July 2016

Trysunda is said to be one of the most beautiful island in the Högakusten area. A small fishermen village protected from all winds, with a good marina (200 SEK).

Skeppsmalen - Umeå, 15 July 2016

Skeppsmalen is a small fishing harbour that is dying slowly, as the land around is moving-up and the harbour drying-up. 8 mm per year, that is almost one meter in a century!

Skeppsmaln, 14 July 2016 - 63°11.458'N 19°0.916'E

After a new day under spinnaker, we arrived in Skeppsmaln, a Lilliput village where Gulliver Belisama is quite noticed. By the way, this is the first time I anchored from the back, stern to the jetty with Belisama. The start of a long series.

Galström to Lustholmen - 13 July 2016

Waiting for the sea brise to come, we visit Galström, after a night along by the pier. 

A visit to Kuggören - 12 July 2016

After a quiet night the SXK buoy in Kuggören, we made it ashore and discovered a very nice spot! Rough life for the locals, living on a field of marine rocks, from fishing. 

Nowadays, it is a "Naturreserverat"...

From Kuggören to Galström - 12 July 2016

On the way up north, we are following the solar winds prevailing for now. The sea brise starts around 13:00, and we depart by then. 

A foggy journey from Hudiksvall to Kuggören - 11 July 2016

We arrived yesterday night in Hudiksvall for replenishing fresh food in the boat. Apart from good footsore and system bolaget, Hudiksvall is not worth the 12 miles detour it imposes for whoever wants to head north. In any case, we needed fresh food, and a System bolaget, so we enjoyed the stop. After visiting the church, and shopping at the Hemköp, we decided to move on, by 17:00, for Kuggören...

Kuggören, from the SXK buoy in the bay.

A spinnaker ride to Hudiksvall - 10 July 2016

Fantastic weather today for 45 miles to Hudiksvall where we need stop for getting fresh food! With a SE wing between 6 and 8 m/s (12 to 16 knots) Belisama flies over. What a ride!

Start of the mushroom season in Kusökalv - 10 July 2016

To day, we picked the first mushrooms for the 2016 season. Quite early in the season, and not really impressive boletus. But boletus nevertheless! Quite Ok in the omelette for lunch. 

Nourishing mosquitoes, Kusökalv, Österhamn, 61°3.407'N 17°16.841’E

It is quite rare to have a chance to see your boat while sailing. On the way out from Gävle, we came across "Flocon de mer", an OVNI 395  registered in Cherbourg! What are the odds in the Gulf of Botnia to encounter a French OVNI, within one hundred meters?

Belisama on spinnaker, on her way up north from Gävle. 

Meteors encounters on the way to Gävle - 6 & 7 July 2016

On 6 July, after there days in Norrtälje to change the propeller of the bow thruster, we decided to leave early afternoon, and to sail overnight to head up north rapidly. The first encounter was a typical nordic sunset in summer, with the sun going down very slowly almost parallel to the horizon, accompanied this time by two small sun dogs. Can you see the sun dogs?

Norrtälje gästhamn - 59°45.316'N 18°43.623'E

Norrtälje gästhamn is a small marina at the end of a 8 miles fjord. Well protected, and with a very good restaurant Piren. Buoy to the jetty, >2.6 metres depth.

250 SK for a night, with WIFI and electricity.

Cormorants - 2 July 2016

A post about cormorants, as we come across more and more ghost islands when sailing in the archipelago. Cormorants in Sweden are as in most places not liked much as where they settle, fishes tend to decrease dramatically, and they pretty much destroy the island they live on. In other part of the world, the guano they produce is used as natural fertilizers, and therefore cormorants have a very important role in the local economy. In other places, they were and still are used for fishing, by recovering large fishes in their throat, after having attached a lace at the base of their neck for preventing them from swallowing their catch! 

A cormorant island on the eastern fairway from Stockholm.

Inra hamnskär - 59.734837, 19.319136

Inra hamnskär is one of the last ilets on the eastern way out of the Archipelago. It does not look so well protected on the chart, but offers very good shelter in the small bay on the east, or along the northern part of the shore.

Northern shore of Inra hamnskär

Lidö - 59°46.680'N 19°5.443'E

Lidön is an island part of the Archipelago foundation. The east harbour, Österhamn offers a nice shelter from all winds except E-NE. It is a very popular stop over tor those going to and from Åland and Finland. Often crowded, but the jetty can be used to moore and remains usually free. We tried to anchor twice with no success as there are seaweeds on the sea bed.

Encounters on the way to Lidön - 2 July 2016

Lidön is a small island at the far east part of the Stockholm Archipelago. It marks the end of the archipelago, and the start of the open sea. It is the main way out of Stockholm for most cruises.

The first passing us is the S/S Frithiof. She was built in 1897, for the Stockholm exhibition. 

A midsummer weekend, 21 - 25 June

A midsummer eve in little Huvudskär. Almost alone, most probably due to the Euro cup taking place, with Zlatan and the Swedish team playing. I wish the Euro cup would take place every year! 

Huvudskär, again - 10-12 June 2016

Huvudskär again, for the second weekend in a row. Few hours from Stockholm, and already 'out there'. Just one boat again his weekend to share the archipelago with. The season will start in two weeks from now, but until then, the archipelago is ours!

Morning channel, Huvudskär

Check lists for taking sea and preparing for landing

Experience has taught me that a good checklist is a real security tool for ensuring safety of the manoeuvres associated with taking sea and landing. Find below the first draft of the first two I am currently developing:

Area	Check list before taking sea
Kitchen	Lock all drawers Put dishes in cupboards Close the dish dryer Cover the cooker with board
Carré	Check and close all roof windows Secure the oil lamp
Bedrooms	Lock all doors and drawers Close the roof window
Chart desk	Switch on “Dérive” and “Propulseur” on the central electrical board Switch on “Centrale navigation”, “VHF” and “HIFI” Close all 220v switches
Bathrooms	Lock doors and drawers Close roof window Drain the shower Close toilet lid
Deck	Check that no lines are falling in water Remove electricity line Remove all covers, including roof console Get the winch cranks
Instruments	Switch on the pilot on the stair console Switch on the chart plotter on the helm console Switch on the bow thruster on the helm by pressing the two ‘on’ buttons Check the position of the centre board on the chart plotter, and test the centre board commands
Start engine	Press the ‘on’ button on the Volvo panel on the helm. Wait until the sound signal Start the engine, thrust on low Listen for the water getting out through the exhaust
Prepare sails	Open the lazy bag Remove the main sails straps Free the jibs sheets

Area	Check list for preparing landing
Sails	Furl the jib Secure jib sheets Strap main sail and close lazy bag
Deck	Remove the bowsprit Install fenders Prepare mooring lines, front, middle and back
Instruments	Switch on the bow thruster on the helm by pressing the two ‘on’ buttons Check the position of the centre board on the chart plotter, and test the centre board commands
Engine	Press the ‘on’ button on the Volvo panel on the helm. Wait until the sound signal Start the engine, thrust on low Listen for the water getting out through the exhaust

Cruising the outer archipelago, 6 June

On Monday 6, we get back to Stockholm through the outer archipelago. 2 nautic miles north-east of Huvudskär, you can find a typical 'skier' of the archipelago. A skär, or skerry in English, is a small rocky island without trees, and this one has a small stuga on it, the traditional Swedish summer house, which may have been a fisherman summer outpost in previous centuries.

The Island of Skären, 2 nm North-East of Huvudskärn

Huvudskär, 5 & 6 June 2016

Huvudskär is one of our preferred destination in the archipelago. It is therefore quite often the case that we start the season by a weekend in Huvudskär. Huvud skär means the 'head' 'rock', of the Skärgården, the 'garden' of 'rocks'. This is because it is the first you come along when sailing from the South. Early June, it is desert.

Belisama in Huvudskär on sunset, 5 June 2016

La Malouine on her way back home - 1 June 2016

This morning, 4:30, at the sun rise, La Malouine departed from Nynäshamn to La Rochelle, her new home port. She goes back there, at the age of 42, nicer than ever.

 How she made it to Stockholm at the first place was not that easy to get as the previous owner from whom I bought her in 2008 had no clue! But I found out...

Class J: "la classe"

Tacking in the Stockholm sound. Impressive.

Start of the return journey - La Malouine goes back to La Rochelle - 26 May 2016

Thursday 26, after working hours, we were driven to Rangsta to bring La Malouine from there to Södertälje, in order to ensure that the crew coming from France to bring La Malouine back there, can easily access her through public transport. Rain, fog and cold...

This its the reverse trip as the one that took place at the end of September, when I brought back La Malouine from Löparö to Rangsta. In September, Käringholmen had long been abandoned by mating cormorans, and was left to her ghost status after life was pretty much killed by their dejections. End of May, June is the bird mating time, and thousands of them are nesting on such islands in the archipelago. You can smell them miles ahead...

Käringholmen, in May, when cormorans are mating

Last week in Rangsta for La Malouine

Brudskär, the island of the bride, is the small island facing Rangsta Brygga, where La Malouine was attached for the past 8 years. Whenever arriving or leaving Rangsta, I always stop there for a minute. This week will be the last week that La Malouine will be placed there, and I will miss the place.

Brudskär, 58°59.419'N 17°44.923'E

From Pampas to Vasahamnen - First move for the season

Today is the big day, awaited all along the freezing winter, the first day that we release the mooring lines for the season. As a sign, my coffee welcomes me with an apparition.

Shoal of fishes - 2 May 2016

I could not resist the picture, having come across large shoals of fishes on the way back from Podgorica. This is a call!