The plan for today was to go to Vinga, another of the coups de coeur of François and Valérie on Cybèle 17. However, "significant" North-East winds, the anchoring place is not so safe. Therefore, we decided to stop a bit before in the Knipplan marina on Källö, very well protected from all winds.
Källö
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| Belisama on Knipplan |
Källö is a very small island, which we discovered on bike. From the top of the island, there is a very nice view in all direction, but very exposed to winds. The restaurant in the harbour is fantastiskt! In addition, there is a small footsore, a pizzeria and a Thaï food to go place.
But what made the magic of the place was the night...
Here is the view from the top. Note the bench!
I had forgotten to tightly attach the main sail halyard and therefore, I had to dress-up in the middle of the night to fix it. And this is what I saw when getting out...
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| Noctilucent clouds over Källö |
These are
noctilucent clouds, meaning clouds that are glowing during the night. These clouds were first described in 1885, two years after the eruption of the Krakatoa which generated fantastic sunsets all over the world. It is not clear if they were the result of the Krakatoa eruption, or the result of people watching the sky in the aftermath of the eruption. They are only observe during the summer months between the latitude 50° to 70°, on both hemispheres. They are the highest known clouds, at 85 km from the surface of earth. In these latitude, when the sun sets, it remain not very far below the horizon line, and the sun can therefore still illuminate the noctilucent clouds that are very high, above any other clouds that would be in the shadow of the earth.
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| Noctilucent clouds over Källö |
It is only the third time in 15 years in these latitudes that I observe this phenomenon. The feeling is magic.
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| Noctilucent clouds over Källö |
Vinga
Departing early, we make an attempt to visit Vinga. However, the harbour is fully pack with boats, which is not a surprise on a July holiday Saturday. On the other side of the island is a bay that should be protected from the South West winds that we have today (10/12 m/s). Unfortunately, the swell is oriented North West, as the strong winds of the preceding two days, and enter directly in the small bay, making it improper for anchoring safely.
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| Vinga, approaching from the North-West |
I will still have a chance in two weeks when departing from Göteborg to France.
Göteborg
Finally, we decide to get back to Göteborg. On the way, we meet Mathilda of Mollösund, a two-masted schooner built in 1985 as per original techniques. Mathilda is operated by "
Tradition Sailing", a non-profit organisation.
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| Mathilda of Mollösund |
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| Björn For lighthouse maintenance ship |
To much of our surprise, we meet a boat presenting with the Q pavilion on the mast, the yellow one, associated with quarantine. Suddenly, we feel back at the time of the cholera and plague epidemics, when this practice started. Initially, you feel like you should stay clear from such a boat as there may be contagious people on board. While hoisting the Q yellow "jack" may mean that you have someone sick on board, the most accepted use is to signal the contrary: you hoist the Q yellow jack to let everyone know that you do not have anyone sick on board, and at the same time, you are inviting for the health and custom inspection of the ship so that you can freely enter the harbour. Now we are reassured!
Finally, we make it too Göteborg. This is the end of the first two months of sailing for the 2020 season. I will now get back to Stockholm for two weeks, before embarking around 10 August for a return trip to les Sables d’Olonne. I will restart posting in the blog by then!
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