Slowly to Stockholm

We had a nice couple of days in Trosa, a small but quaint town with many wooden houses lining the river bank. We took the dinghy and tried to venture up river but got caught in the Trosa version of rapids at the outskirts of town and had to turn back after nearly swamping the inflatable!

Trosa river before the rapids

Trosa town

We’d had enough of marinas so on 26^th June sailed north to Stora Marskair. Another lovely archipelago anchorage. The weather is finally beginning to warm up and Pete was sailing in shorts and a T shirt which rarely happens at home. We actually made use of our new cockpit tent to keep off the sun when we anchored.

We had planned to stop at another natural harbour on the night of the 27^th but a low was forecast with strong North West winds and, as we could not seem to find an anchorage with good shelter, we went the 14NM to Karlsund marina on a really hot and sultry day. A rather typical marina - top prices with minimal services, no fresh water points on the guest pontoon, and no fresh bread in the shop. Added to that, it was very hot, at least 30deg. under the cockpit cover.

As forecast, the front passed through during the night and we woke up to a dull, cool and blustery day. Wandering Star and Jomora fuelled up (at inflated marina prices), and we again headed roughly north east as the day warmed up and the sky cleared. We arrived at what is probably the best anchorage we have stayed in to date, (Agno Tvattfatet – don’t try to say it fast!). This natural harbour is almost totally enclosed except for a 20m wide channel which leads into a tree lined lagoon. At the north end of the lagoon is a small Sea Scout camp where a dozen or so young folk had dinghies pulled up on the shore. After we had anchored and launched the dinghy we spoke to a lady who was supervising and she told us that the children had built or renovated all the dinghies and were now on holiday to try them out. It was great to sit in the cockpit with Anne and Alan Jan and Chris (from Wandering Star) and watch the young ones having fun.

 

Tvattfatet entry, Wandering Star, and the young ones sailing

 

Tvattfatet Bay taken from Jomora

The boys exploring

Finally the big day dawns. On Thursday 27^th June we sailed (or rather motored), to Stockholm. We elected to take the picturesque route through the village of Boo (lots of inane jokes ), and through a series of canalised lakes where some of the cuttings are only just wide enough for two boats to pass. This route passes some of the finest houses in the Stockholm area all with moorings, boat docks and saunas on jetties - like the Fal estuary with attitude. This “short cut” exits on to the main channel into Stockholm city and we motored past big inter island ferries on one side and what looked like royal parkland residences on the other to the Wasahamen marina.

This marina is the equivalent of the Sixhaven marina in Amsterdam in that it is as about as close as a masted vessel can get to the centre of the city and although crowded and expensive is almost a “must do” for a day or two.

Wasaharmen marina

Looking across at Stockholm old town