Summer in Sandhamn? 10-12 May 2018

This is Sweden! A feel of Plisson at Saint Cado in the Etel river. So much Stockholm archipelago! One rock, one stuga, one flag, one tree. What else would you need?

This was close to Sandhamn, probably the heart of the Stockholm Archipelago for many sailors in Stockholm, even though it tend to be a bit too much POSH, the opposite of the lagoon ideal of the Sweeds. 

Arriving in Sandhamn from the North.

Sandhamn is fun and nice. Very scenic, with gravel roads going around the island. But Sandhamn became known lately because of the "Sandhamn murders" from Viveca Sten... You can see some of it in French from Arte on Youtube.

Sandham at the start of the season. You can moore overnight for 20€

... and get the French flag raised as you dock. La classe!

On the way back, a couple of encounters, as usual... First, an hydrofoil moth, flying around us around 20 knots...So amazing to witness such sophistication!

then, the Tree Kronor av Stockholm.

This is the Tre Kronor av Stockholm, a brig built in 2005 and representing the city of Stockholm. More information on this spectacular ship in Swedish available here.

Finally, news from the font... As François keeps on saying, the default status of a boat is to be broken somehow somewhere. I should admit confirming the François's rule as the bleeding of my pilot cylinder two weeks ago provided relief only for a few hours. Then again, I could hear the engine trying to steer the boat while the helm remaining loose and Belisama drifting aside dangerously... Not that much you can find on the Internet to solve Lecomble and Schmitt problems. But still, after a few hours of deductive thinking, I assumed that the electro-switch engaging the pilot was faulty. I found the switch on my boat and a quick inspection showed that things were just right there.

If not the switch, then the command line to the switch. I removed the lead of the Furuno pilot unit and after careful inspection, realised that the connexion to the switch was loose, and that I probably touched the wire when retrieving my diving equipment stored close to the pilot, when changing the anode recently. Refitting the wire solved the problem immediately. Oufff! I will be able to sail to Huvudskär solo this weekend

The Furuno pilot calculation central FAP 7002. See the default connexion, which s not obvious on visual inspection.