Heading back South – to Karlskrona

(Apologies fir lack of pictures - technical error with download from camera!)

Once Joanna and Nikki had left we started our journey back to Fehmarn in Germany to lay up Jomora.

The plan was to gently cruise back taking in ports and places that we had not seen on the way North. On August 10^th we sailed south from Nynasham and around the Landsort light before heading to Lanjo a natural harbour on Nyckeskar Island.

 The next day we cruised gently south and picked up a Swedish cruising club mooring at Blanko. We got the cockpit tent up just before it poured with rain.

On Monday August 12^th we sailed 30NM to Vastervik and stayed two days to see the sights and to stock up with food, fuel and water. Vastervik is a nice little town well worth a visit.

Our next passage was the most complicated of the entire trip, because the route from Vastervik to Oskarsham via the islands of the archipelago is extraordinarily complex so it was a case of Keren at the chart and chart plotter giving Pete directions from one mark to the next. In actual fact navigation through the rocks and islands of the Swedish archipelagos is not difficult as long as each buoy or lighthouse is ticked off,  but it is a bit disconcerting when you pass rocks almost close enough to touch! The passage was not helped when the sky clouded over and we had the mother of all thunderstorms complete with spectacular lightning. At one point we shut everything down and drifted while we had a rest and the worst of the lightning passed by.

At the Blankholm marina in Oskarsham we met Paul and Jean, fellow CA members who sail a Halberg Rassy 36 called Caritas. They were on passage south to their winter layup base at Kalmar. The marina at Oskarsham is quite run down and not very well managed. There was no one available to take our money and we emptied the diesel tank after only taking on 24 litres.

From Oskarsham we sailed through the Kalmar straits which separate the Swedish mainland from the island of Oland against a head wind to Borgholm, Kalmar, Kristianopel and then West into the most Southern of the Swedish archipelagos to Karlskrona.

We are fated to sail against the wind! Four days tacking, close hauled with the motor running going South through the Kalmar straits only to have the wind veer to the West when we turned the corner to Karlskrona. We have been told that this is the typical weather pattern in Sweden, North East winds in early summer when everyone is heading North and South to South West for the return trip. What with head winds and tricky pilotage we have used the engine an awful lot this summer, thank goodness it is so reliable.

The one good thing is that the marinas and anchorages are virtually empty at this time of the year. The Swedish sailing season is very short and when the children go back to school in the first week of August the Swedes and Finns disappear, leaving the marinas to the Brits, Germans and Dutch heading south.

The South Stockholm Archipelago to Navisham with Joanna and Nikki

Pete returned back to Stockholm after visiting his Mum with daughters Joanna and Nikki on July 31^st.

While Pete was away Keren had thoroughly spring cleaned the boat and done a mountain of shopping.

The girls spent the next day touring the city and met up with a friend from Uppsala.

On Friday August 2^nd we motored out of the Wasahamnen marina, refuelled and took the canal past the town of Boo and South to the island of Agno where we anchored at a “natural harbour” called Napoleonvikken (apparently named because Napoleon’s son swam there). A blazing day with a very light Southerly breeze.

A happy cruise ship

Joanna drives the boat while Dad looks on

Through the canal to Boo

At anchor in Napoleonvikken. It's hot enough to need

the wind scoop

 

For the next 5 days we pottered about the Southern part of the Stockholm archipelago not sailing more than 12NM each day and staying in natural harbours apart from a visit to a small marina on the island of Uto. The weather was glorious and rather than seeking shelter from the weather, we anchored where we could catch a cooling breeze!

 

 Close to the rocks at Kolnavikken

 



 Kolnavikken

Dad and Keren paddle ashore

 View from the hill above the marina at Gruvbriggan

on Uto island

Tupudden anchorage, Musko island

 Nikki in charge of navigation

 

Joanna making sure we miss the nubbly bits en route

to Navisham

On August 7^th we had a first rain for a week with 18kn of wind (dead ahead as usual), so it was decided to go to the marina at Navisham. Of course, just after we had moored and eaten a huge buffet lunch, out came the sun and the wind dropped. 

Contrary to the reports in the cruising guides we liked Navisham which is a big, clean, well run marina in a nice setting. The town is not particularly historical but a good place to stock up. The main reason we are here is that it is only one hour by train from Stockholm and the railway station is next to the marina. The girls will have an easy trip to the airport when they leave.

Looking North towards Navisham marina