On the track of La Pinta in Baiona, 14 -16 September 2022

We made it to Baiona, along the Galician cost, 193,411 days after La Pinta made it. La Pinta was one of the three boats of the first expedition of Chistophorus Columbus (as they call it here) that departed from Southern Spain on 3rd August 1492. It was the first one to make the return journey in March 1493, reaching Baiona and bringing back the news of the success of the expedition!

La Pinta on the main beach of Baiona these days, with the welcome committee, I mean our welcome committee.

But this was just the start of the story, as it seems that Martín Alonso Pinzón, the captain of the Pinta made it to the Americas couple of years before this expedition with Chritophorus Columbus...

Glada Hudik, Hälsingland, 30 October-1 December

Why to visit Glada Hudiksvall (happy Hudik) during the all Saints weekend? Apparently, there is not much to do around there. But upon advice from a friend, we decided to go and explore the area, and in particular visit the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, a Unesco World Heritage Site. But we did not realise hat they would be closed in Winter...

Habour warehouses along Magasingatan, the iconic view of Hudiksvall

A few churches on Gotland, 20-22 March 2020

During our stopovers along the years on Gotland, we had visited quite a few of the medieval churches in Gotland. We took an early spring weekend in Gotland, as at a time Sweden was not confined, and we went through the country side from wonders to wonders as all churches are covered with frescos from the Middle-Ages...

Ninety-three medieval churches are located on Gotland. As Gotland converted to Christianity during the XIth century, the inhabitants started constructing stave churches, wooden constructions inspired by the Norsemen. None of these stave churches have survived. They were replaced during the XII century by stone churches. During the prosperous Hansa trade times of the XIII century, churches were reconstructed and expanded with some adopting a more gothic style and incorporating stained glasses. No new churches were erected in Gotland after the 1400s'.

Dalhem church

Here is a sample of our discoveries during the weekend...

4 November - Lid and Floda churches

Lid church

Floda church

A weekend to visit two new churches decorated by Albertus Pictor...

One more Pictor Church, Täby, 10 September

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I made it to the Täby church, one of the churches with best preserved paintings. This painting by Albertus Pictor is famous as it is unique and was the inspiration for Ingmar Bergman scene of the knight playing chess with death in its Seventh Seal movie.

Albertus Pictor cheesecake game with death, Täby

Bergman The Seventh Seal chess game scene. See copyright.

More pictures on BalticSailors...

A hidden treasure, Stallarholmen and Selaön, 28-30 August 2019

When sailing in the Mälaren, Mariefred and Strängnäs are two of the most visited spots. But in between, there is an opening bridge at Stallarholmen that very few sailors would consider for a visit. Yet, Stallarholmen is the entry point for the Island of Selaön, the largest lake island in Sweden, and a real coup de coeur!

The Överselö medieval church on Selaön

Judge by yourselves! Two decorated medieval churches, one of the largest viking grave field with plenty of rune stones and a stone ship, the Mälsåker castle, and a lot of nature and forest, full of mushroom at this time of the year.

I let you get a look...

A visit to the ancestors, Birka, 21-23 August 2019

Birka, is considered as the oldest city in Sweden. It was founded around 750 AD and abandoned 250 years later. At the peak of its activity, Birka comprised up to one thousand inhabitants. Birka is located 30 kilometres west of Stockholm on lake Mälaren. It is a popular day excursion from Stockholm. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Birka guest harbour?

To Nynäshamn, via Sandham and Utö... 28 July - 1 August 2019

New crew this week to get back to Nynäshamn, Sweden, with Gérard, an old friend sailor, who wants the type of "heavy sailing" that his family is reluctant too... Plans are set to sail through Gotska Sandön or even Gotland, but in fact, the excess of wind will make us revise them, as it would not be safe to anchor in Gotska Sandön with 30 knots of northerly winds.

The new itinerary finally sees us going from Mariehamn to Lido's, then to Sandhamn (not Svenska Högarna as expected because of strong northerly winds), then Utö, before Nynäshamn.

Torsholm, a supposed guest harbour in Kumlinge, 23 July 2019

Upon leaving Gladalaxen guest ham, we decided to get back to Kumlinge on the east coast, in the guest harbour of Torsholm as indicated on the SXK cruising club pilot book. Tyvär as they would say around here (too bad in English), the big guest-pontoon just disappeared and we had to revert to an old abandoned wooden pier from a factory looking as having closed in the previous century... A good night swinging as the ferries were landing close to us, but overall fine as we wanted to have a chance to visit Kumlinge again since it has so mucho offer...

Kumlinge church.

Rauma, a must, 19-20 July 2019

Rauma (61.141226, 21.472628) is the most interesting stopover we had in Finland this season. Rauma is a city with a long tradition of sailing.

Tatoo exhibit in the Rauma maritime museum.

Stuck in Tankar, 9 to 11 July 2019

Tankar (63.949918, 22.850983) is a small lighthouse island as we love them, located at the entrance of the pathway to Kokkola. It used to be a busy pilot station and even though the station moved to Kokkola, pilot boats are still stopping over in the old pilot basin between assignments.

Tankar pilot basin, with Belisama on the right and Anitra on the left

The approach is straight forward. There are 15 guest mooring in the harbour, including the old pilot basin where one can moor except on the west pier still used by the pilots. The draught is three metres. The north and east pier of the pilot basin are equipped with electricity. Staying overnight costs 10€, 15€ with electricity, to be paid at the café.

A pause in Luleå, 27 - 30 June 2019

Luleå, a pause on our summer transhumance, after already 626.3 nautical miles in 5 weeks. Stéphane is getting back home after more than four weeks on board, and Kaja and Mišo are getting in for the next couple of weeks.

The new crew

As you can imagine, this is the opportunity to shop, to wash, to fix things, to clean, to recover and enjoy for a few days staying still. But Luleå has more than that to offer...

Rödkallen, 27 June 2019

Rödkallen (65.311784, 22.371747) is another of these outer islands where fishermen were coming since the middle-ages to fish herrings.

Rödkallen and its lighthouse

But it is not easy to get there...

Pite-Rönnskär, 25 June 2019

Pite Rönnskär (65.036346, 21.55612)is an island in the Bottenviken located at the border between the provinces of Västerbotten and Norrbotten. The small harbour is well inside the less than 3 metre depth of the nautical charts, and even of the 0.5 metre of the Navionics sonar charts. Yet, there is an alignment to reach the harbour safely, at least for an OVNI with the centre board up. Room for 2/3 boats on the pier.

The Pite-Rönnskär guest pier, with electricity. 100 kr/day

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.

Chasing auroras in Tromsø - 13 - 16 December

This was my third trip in Tromsø in winter, and as for the two previous trips, we saw nice auroras. Tromsø is certainly one of the very best place in Europe to watch auroras. But Tromsø in winter has much more to offer.

Ersfjordbotn

Days are rather short when we approach the winter solstice, but you can get around from 11:00 to 14:00, giving plenty of time to explore the fjords around...

Övergran church, 4 November 2018

Another of the Albertus Pictor painted churches visited during All Saints day in November. 

And another marvel church in the Mälaren!

Husby Church - 2nd November 2018

On second of November, we visited the church of Husby-Sjusoflt, one of the churches with Albertus Pictor frescoes.

Dingtuna chuch - 1st November 2018

Visiting the churches with Albertus Pictor painting is quite complicated because they tend to be closed most of the times. Around Västerås, we realised that most of these churches are no longer holding Sunday mass. They are just used on few occasions for baptism, wedding or funerals. All saints celebration is one of the few period of the year when the churches may be opened to public.

The Dingtuna church is located few kilometres from Västerås (see map here). It is one of the 35 churches painted by Albertus Pictor.