Pinch me – am I in heaven? 16 June 2013 We explored Trosa town which edges a narrow river with charming houses and little motor boats before trickling down the fjord for a sunny, very light-wind day in and out of islands. At Nynashamn a couple of days of rain made chores tolerable. The town was host to the 1912 Olympic sailing, its grand villas, casino and hotels dominate rocky outcrops and inlets. We met Michael Whistler on Thursday 13th June from the Stockholm commuter train which stops behind the marina office and beside a fish smokery. Since then we have been living the dream: Sunshine and SW breezes (6-16 knots) have carried us tranquilly (under sail – we are getting braver) through yet more rocks and islands, from Nynashamn to Sandham (described as Sweden’s but more like a small Salcombe) on Sando via Uto island and Malma Kvarn on Fagelbrolandet. Uto is a nature conservancy site but we rock-scrambled over moss and lichen as directed by a sign post to view a 1719 Russian

soldiers’ stone bread oven (not much left – see pic). Then SO lucky, a local doing chores in the church allowed us in to see the oldest church organ in Sweden before we moved on to iron ore mines that yielded two million tonnes between 1150 -1879.

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Uto is also famous for its bakery; we have feasted on chocolate-coloured bread and smoked salmon, smoked prawn pate, knacker-brot and fig jam. Friday night partying at Uto was noticeable so we wondered what was coming when, on Saturday night, the Malma Kvarn cruising club apologised for forthcoming music and dancing and invited us to join them. It turned out to be gentle waltzing to Glen Miller on the wood decking! Tomorrow, 17th we head West for Vaxholm then Stockholm.

Furthest corners and summer itches 21 June 2013 On Monday 16th we departed our most Eastern point of the trip (59.17.35 N, 18.55.4 E), leaving Sandhamn

(without regret; opposite Lokholmen might have been nicer) for Vaxholm, just short of Stockholm city centre. We passed north of Varmolandet then the tiny rock of Ronnh at 11.35 am reaching 54.25.778 N, 018.21.941E, our most Northerly point. The turn coincided with even warmer weather so we introduced summer procedures – getting bottles of water frozen regularly as a makeshift fridge and setting up mosquito netting nightly. Immediately East of Vaxholm is a huge fortress island, also used as a prison, which successfully defended Stockholm in the 17th/18th centuries; from the roof there were extraordinary views of cruise liner funnels above trees as they passed other islands on their way to Stockholm.

Entering The City by sea is exciting (18th June), we crossed major channels, bowing to the might of liners, then approached ever-grander buildings, ships, towers and palaces (and the fun fair). We had reserved a berth at the Wasahamnen ( Marina) and found ourselves tucked under trees in a quiet corner.

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City Life 21 June 2013 SG took a breather and became a dormitory for 3 days. In Stockholm, public transport tickets are 30% cheaper if you buy from corner shops before boarding; tickets last for 1 hr 15 mins, enough to get to Drottningholm Castle (by tram, train & bus) or just the 2 km into the city centre. From the bell tower of City Hall we could see across islands crammed with domes and steeples to the Wasahamnen. Highlights

were the Vasa (a 1650s naval ship that sank in Stockholm harbour minutes after her launch and was lifted in the 1960s), the old town streets, the Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm Palace and the museum of leisure boats that included a huge collection of outboard engines, early Stars and a Venetian style Royal Ceremonial barge, all in immaculate condition. On Wednesday we heard ’30 seconds from Mars’ playing in the park beside us; by contrast on Thursday a delightful organ recital (introduced in Swedish and English – the lingua-franca) in the unattractive Cathedral. We were sorry to say goodbye to Michael Whistler, who had been with us since Nynsahamn. Today is Midsummer; leaving Stockholm we passed under bridges with traffic at a standstill as everyone makes for the islands for all-night partying; one couple had it right, their helicopter was parked on a rock beside their picnic. We took the Baggensstaket route out of the city; being a major holiday, craft were going both ways – scary as the width is 20′ in places.

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Out of the gulley and across a fjord, we thought Gustavsberg sounded interesting. Although the home of Arcona yachts, it was DEAD so we retraced our track for about 2 miles then on to Saltsjobaden, now home of the Royal Swedish Sailing Club where we were met with the warning that partying was about to start and would finish tomorrow morning.

Saltsjobaden, Midsummer night, 1 a.m. 22 June 2013 We wimped out of all-nighter but got this shot of the sky. There were plenty of people around partying – v. quiet this morning! Michael Whistler noted in Sandhamn that the angle between sunset and sunrise is about 45 deg; with fresher breezes, nights are more peaceful when tucked behind rocks and trees so we didn’t do justice to midsummer night (only the 1 am photo).

From wilderness to steel mill 28 June 2013 After Saltsjobaden we alternated anchoring with marinas, from the tranquil island of Agno we returned to the mainland at Dalaro where 18th century customs officers were at loggerheads with local pilots so each had a separate lookout hill. Then the island of Rano where herons squabbled with ducks and terns paddled around with swans, the pic doesn’t do justice to the light in the fjord entrance on a

perfectly still evening. Landsort, our next stop (25th) is an extraordinary island, 3 km long and very narrow, it marks the southern tip of the Stockholm archipelago. We tied up shortly before the sewage lorry arrived by ferry. Our request for a map of the island was met with raised eyebrows “There is just one road - it’s in front of you”. Stunning wild flowers and birds lined the track; at the far end the old lighthouse had 2 ancient cannons and a circle of WWII guns and comms rooms inside the rocks. The village behind it had the tiniest harbour for 3 modern pilot boats, we watched one leave, at speed, with about an inch spare either side of the harbour entrance. On our way home we spotted

16 a sign for ‘batteri’, not knowing what to expect we were utterly amazed at a 1973 Cold War huge gun installation, thoroughly camouflaged; beneath (underground and inside rocks) are four floors of accommodation where the defence team could live for a month. Next day we enjoyed a GOOD sailing day, downwind for 4 hours, wiggling our way to one of Sweden’s biggest ports, the steel plant at Oxelosund (we stopped at the Fiskehamn there on the way North). Needing supplies, this time we went to a marina nearer the town centre. Advantages – M got a haircut (total time in and out, 15 mins) and a big ICA had a fresh fish counter where we bought salmon steaks and elk mince. The 27th started with a dull motor (too much into wind and too many course changes to manage sailing as well as rock-hopping) before turning West up the Gota Kanal fjord. For 3 delightful hrs we sailed between islands until 1 mile short of Stegeborg where the channel is only a few feet wide and the wind died behind trees. The medieval castle ruin was our aim; an excellent audio guide is included in the £5 entry, built in a mix of granite and bricks, the latter are 600 years old. The ice cream shop beside the marina kindly agreed to freeze water bottles overnight for our ‘fridge’. On dealing with natural harbours 28 June 2013 · Having reached our furthest destination, we have slowed down and started to explore natural harbours. Swedish cruising chartlets show red lines along the shore indicating precisely where to tie to rocks or trees (chandlers sell rock picks, hammers and wedges if you want to set up your own cleats). The last post explains where we have been, this one is about going ‘au sauvage’ in the Baltic. So far we have chickened out of mooring to rocks and have anchored (and dragged on our first attempt so have avoided reed beds since), surprisingly rocky shores, even steep to, hold better. Rock-mooring needs the right kit; at the front end a split pulpit and rigid ladder on the bow. These are needed by the bowman who has to leap from the point of the bow onto the island before the yacht hits the rocks 17 head on. From SG, trying to leap 3′ down and backwards on to an uneven surface from a position involving toes balanced on the outside edge hanging one-handed from the spinnaker halyard (rope which is fairly tightly attached to the pulpit) is daunting. At the back end, whilst steering the boat straight at the island, about 70′ from the shore the helm drops from its clamp a hefty anchor (attached by a roll of heavy duty tape also attached to the stern) and checks at the point when the bow-gymnast can make it to the rock. We watched a boat leaving; a lad climbed 30′ up rocks to release a bow rope tied to a tree, a second person, holding the bow, grabbed the rope, chucked it and themselves onto the boat which then set off without the lad, picked up the anchor, circled, by which time he had chosen his rock from which to leap for the bow in the 15 seconds the yacht gave him to climb aboard. At our second anchorage at Raeno, we explored the island, took a photo of SG and found the loo (also marked on chartlets) deep in a mosquito-ridden wood but forgot to take a pic of a Stone Age one-holer used by the local boatyard (we found the visitors’ one later, it was more up-market). With no in the Baltic and Eco-awareness high it is not done to use boat loos without holding tanks (we’ll try not to make loos a perpetual theme). BIG tick in Big Box 2 July 2013 This post is mainly about birds. Breakfasting on deck in Gryts Varv we heard squeaks from the pontoon beside us; a pair of swallows swooped in and out tirelessly greeted each time by their babies’ chittering. From there we made a very short hop to the nature-reserve island of Boko one of the BEST places we have visited. On the island, a short walk (marked by an occasional stripe of orange paint on trees or rocks) took us to an amazing orange and black rock formation via acres of different coloured lichens, moss and pastures THICK with wild flowers including orchids, mauve and white. Then, not wanting to leave SG unattende d for long, and being a perfect summer afternoon, D went for the first, blissful swim of the trip. As evening fell more and more birds appeared; all around us martins flitted just above the water, to our right a pair of huge herons flapped up and down between reeds, rocks and trees, behind us a pair of swans nested and next to them on the same rocklet (look closely at pic, to right of swans) a pair of goosanders, in the distance we think we saw razorbills but best of all …… over the top of trees, being mobbed by a pair or gulls, A WHITE-TAILED EAGLE sailed (too far away to snap) 18

Keen to see eagles again, another short hop was needed and Trollholmen HAD to be visited. We had the anchorage to ourselves and took possession of Troll Island (but forgot to take a flag); from the summit we saw tree-covered islands stretching for miles in every direction – and not another human being or boat! 2nd July we woke at 7 am to a freshening westerly wind. It had been SE, so SG had swung round in the night. Looking out of the window we realised the shore was getting ever closer … we ate breakfast AFTER weighing anchor, which came up far too easily to have been holding us! With just the genoa we made anything from 3.5 to 5.5 knots (despite towing the dinghy), quick enough for us given the proximity of rocks and the usual pinch points and wiggles. By lunch time we were tucked up in Loftahammar which was deserted when we visited a month ago. It is small but has the necessary conveniences.

Solution 7 July 2013 Exactly half way through the trip the Loftahammar boatyard skip resolved D’s problem – the spray hood bar is no longer EXACTLY in her line of sight. And summer has come – yummy!

Last of the Skargard 7 July 2013 After Loftahammar we explored Ido and found old houses built into the ground for winter protection and dined (out) on divine pickled herring, smoked prawns, salmon and gravadlaks. Then on to Alo, reached through another 15′ gap between rocks into a circular, sheltered little bay, edged in one corner by a hamlet where the postboxes are lined up beside a boat-shed, where the ‘roads’ are either bare, undulating rock or grass tracks and tiny strawberries and blue berries grow in abundance. We failed again to photograph a white-tailed eagle but think we saw a Ferrugenous duck, and a huge, royal blue dragonfly whirred crossing the cockpit while we sailed. (Twitching is unavoidable here.)

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From Alo we reached along one of the main, charted routes between islands under genoa until M spotted boats overtaking us so the main went up too. The next waypoint was a fetch, the sea was flat calm, there was wind under the clouds which veered so was about to suit us well; then the fun began – the wind backed, veered, veered and backed, anything up to 40 deg and ranged from 3 – 12 knots true. We ate lunch then gave up tacking back and forth and motored the last 4 miles. Keen on my daily swim, I suggested an anchorage at Tvaggesholmen; we TIPTOED oh so carefully in with zero cross- track error to the waypoints, dropped anchor and looked around us. Charts don’t tell you anything about the topography; with low- lying land around we felt rather exposed to the winds and felt the pull of showers, so up-anchored again and had a scary tiptoe out of the bay into a narrow channel with underwater rocks to the next village. Figeholm’s centuries-old ship-building industry is now confined to a charming museum and local chaps building classic boats for themselves. D woke at 2 am, about 90 deg of the sky between NE – NW showed muted rainbow colours (but landscape in front was not good enough to photograph). We intended to sail to Oskarshamn on 6th but the boat next door warned us of a weekend motorboat-racing event; next day we heard the partying had resembled Cowes during Cowes week so our woodland ramble (deer spotted) was a good decision. Kalmar and its Sound 12 July 2013 Oskarshamn (7th July) held no attractions. Leaving before 8 am; 3 hours and 17 miles later we were tied up in Sandvik (not visited on our way North) on the island of Oland – a blast of a sail, reaching all the way. The Swedes seem very proud of Bla Jungfrun, a round island, now a nature reserve) in the middle of the Northern end of the Kalmar Sound (see bump on the horizon behind stone hut in pic). Oland has still-active quarries much like Portland (). 200 years ago green, pink and grey limestone blocks were rowed out to waiting ships for use in Stockholm. It also has stunning wild flowers and birds (we saw plovers and warblers). On 9th we headed south to the Hanseatic city of Kalmar. Our zigzag track confirmed the wind was exactly on the nose so we sailed 40 miles for the 30 mile distance to the channel under the 156 pillared, 6,000 m bridge. Our timing was perfect – we always intended about 3 nights in Kalmar and were slightly surprised that the big harbour was so full … then we read the weather forecast! Despite being 5 minutes walk from the Coop, we dined on Asda emergency tins as the rain and wind howled in the rigging. Kalmar castle is a World Heritage site; medieval in origin, it became a royal palace in the 18th Century when Sweden and Denmark stopped fighting each other (and other Baltic States); it and the Maritime Museum very 20 happily absorbed two days of vile weather. In the Cathedral, there was no doubt why the organist was practicing – we had not realised how universal wedding classics are.

Swedish waterspouts 12 July 2013

On the 12th, the flat calm after the storm made our last voyage in the East was a boring motor – except that we saw a seal in the water close to SG. Groenhoegen is an old fishing harbour at the southern end of Oland. You leave money in a tin for locally baked bread; the nearby lighthouse is a famous place for bird watching and we think we saw a shrike while walking.

Westward Ho 17 July 2013

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We left Gronhogen before the bakery was open and without visiting the lighthouse to catch a few hours of fair wind as the forecast predicted it would die before coming from the West. We sailed most of the way to Karlskrona ending up doing 7 knots in the channel with just a reefed mainsail, so resorted to motor to slow down (someone said this bit of is Sweden’s answer to the Bay of Biscay). For 300 years the Swedish has operated out of Karlskrona to fight the Danes, the Poles, the Russians (18th C. and 1980s) and, recently, off Somalia. The Maritime Museum includes 17th C working models made to test the feasibility of ships, dry docks, wind powered vehicles … all sorts. After this excitement, ice cream was called for; D cannot decide which was better, cardamom or cherry (both divine).

From Karlskrona we looped around headlands, on Monday from Karlskrona to Ronneby and Tuesday from Ronneby to Karlshamn; lucky for us we just about fetched our waypoints so put in minimal tacks. Our 6 mile walk to Ronneby town and back was worth it; like so many medieval Swedish towns, a fire in the 18th C left only the 12th C. Danish style church (the Danes owned S Sweden then) which is on a pilgrimage route from N Norway to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and retains wonderful wall paintings. An excellent ‘natuarium’ in one of the 19th C. spa houses included (dead and live) local wild flowers, rocks, insects and fish. We walked through a huge, beautiful park, elbowing our way towards the harbour against a flood of people heading for a mega concert – party-poopers or what! We berthed in Karlshamn on a tiny river, a vast food factory (AAK) on the West Bank, town (and us) on East. Day Marks (that line up when viewed from the sea to guide boats down the safe channel) are set in the Main Street (see pics of houses/flats and triangles). The town is gearing itself up for a 4 day festival of art, food and music; mobile stalls selling fish and banana dishes (eg deep-fried with chocolate and cream – heart disease on wheels) were parked beside Snow Goose, an enormous

22 stage is set up in the town square for the singing competition … and we moved on the day it started – stuffed shirts yet again.

Sweden’s Bread Basket 23 July 2013 Hano, a small island popular for breaking the 70 mile sail from Simrishamn to Utlangen, has a lighthouse with the strongest beam in the Baltic (23 miles). The harbour is small and there are no anchorages although the mainland is close. We sailed only 10 miles from Karlshamn so could choose our place alongside the harbour wall; by 6 pm more than 50 boats were crammed in. Our island walk took in some bizarre modern sculptures and a British memorial to more than 200 sailors who died during the Napoleonic wars when 1000 British RN ships filled the sound between Hano and Nogersund (mainland).

We heard Gyllebo Slott (castle) might be open to the public on Sundays, so had an extra day to fill to be in Simrishamn (the nearest harbour) on Saturday night. On 18th and 19th we enjoyed stomping fetches/close reaches; a short hop to Hallevik (because it has an excellent fish smokery), then nearly 30 miles to Kivik (complet ed in 4 hours). We have decided SG sails better with full genoa and one reef in the main in 16-17 knots of wind but as it picked up after we had put up a full main, we took the easy option of a roll in the genoa. Kivik turned out to have an even more amazing smokery but the deli was more expensive and our wood-oven cooked dark bread, eel, prawn pâté and salmon chunks (all smoked) from Hallevik provided never-to-be- forgotten lunches and suppers. Southern Sweden is so different, woodland is deciduous, there are small sandy bays and the area provides 70% of Sweden’s fruit. Walking back from Kivik’s Bronze Age burial ground and rock paintings, D picked (and ate) four cupped handfuls of wild raspberries.

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Of madmen, Swedes and English 23 July 2013 A month ago in Sandhamn (East of Stockholm) 4 jet skis tied alongside us; they were noteworthy for the fuel-cans and packs strapped around them. The 4 men were travelling over 3 weeks from the Northern tip of the Baltic to Marseilles, they were carrying tents +++! On the island of Hano (SE) tip of Sweden, into harbour came a Hobi 16 catamaran, flying a red Ensign, also heavily equipped, eg towing a rubber dinghy! One of the crew sported an immaculately waxed moustache above a dry suit (if they get too hot, they stop for a swim). The pair had intended spending July sailing from Dover to Stockholm but fog in the Channel forced them to trail to Travemunde (N Germany) then set sail.

Finding family, past and present 26 July 2013 9 am Sunday morning found us astride hired bikes heading NW out of the benign little ferry port of Simrishamn. On a perfect summer’s day we pedaled gently uphill through wheat and barley, huge kites (feathered ones) circled overhead, to reach Gyllebo Slott, which M’s grandmother owned in the 1920s, shortly after 10 am. Jessica, who manages the VERY smart riding establishment, directed us through the park gates to the ruin adjacent to the main house. M had emailed in May to say we would visit but received no reply and apart from cars in the drive, there were no signs of life. After exploring the gardens, we pedalled to the end of the lake to take a photo similarly positioned to the painting of the house that hangs on our staircase. We found several Danish style churches; the door of a gem was open, it is thick with 13th C wall paintings, including heaven and hell at the West end. Then on to Bronze Age paintings, clearly visible on top of a flat rock where one can stroll at will (pic: boat & upsidedown horse).

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On 22nd another day of motoring to reach the upmarket town of Ystad now stuffed with film crews since it came to fame in the Wallender series. A horn blower announces every 15 mins through the night that all is safe, perhaps this is why more ancient buildings survive here than in most Swedish towns (pic: 12th C. monastery). Roly arrived just 2 hours after landing at Copenhagen airport . Our last night in Sweden was spent in a dull commuter/holiday village of Hollviken (we didn’t bother to visit the replica Viking village) close to the Falsterbokanal which avoids sailing round the long, flat sandy hook which comprises SW Sweden.

Parking penalty in Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s Canals 26 July 2013

Hot and airless, on 24th we motored through the industrial landscape of Oresund that divides Sweden and Denmark – airport, wind turbines, freighters, the mind-boggling bridge and tunnel – into the Copenhagen river and canal system. A small crowd on the shore made it easy to spot the Little Mermaid; water-craft ranging from end-to- end tour boats, speed boats, all ages and size of yacht, rafts, rowing boats, kayaks and children driving rubber dinghies made turning left into Christianshaven a nerve-wracking scamper, inside the place seemed full to bursting, no chance of overnighting without a pre-booked berth. Despite rain on Thursday morning, we turned townie-tourists and visited castles, churches, towers, museums and art gallery. Perhaps it is where we are berthed, but Copenhagen appears to have a more diverse population, a 25 more international shopping centre and to be busier than Stockholm. Buildings from medieval times rub shoulders with the ultra modern, their adornments seem to come in 3s; 3 dogs(?) representing Denmark, Sweden and Norway on the Stock Exchange spire, 3 crowns on Christianborg (Parliament) Palace, 3 storks on a statue in the main shopping precinct. D found surely the world’s best wool and yarn shop and we watched with interest as tour boats, built to fit the low bridges, negotiated right-angled bends by nudging the canal walls.

We love the elephants (holding up the organ), sadly we miss-timed or did not find concerts but were miraculously transported back to when we entered the English church where M’s parents were married in 1946.

Of Kings and Vikings 2 August 2013 · We enjoyed a gentle beat from Copenhagen north to Helsingor then explored the castle where they were preparing for the annual Hamlet festival. The architects 400 years ago were clever chaps, the

casemates (sic), a warren of tunnels and rooms, enabled an army to survive a long siege. Denmark’s Kings became rich by extracting tolls from every ship passing the straights into the Baltic. The town itself was full of wine shops and drunken Swedes (it being Saturday) reminding us of the days of the Cherbourg booze runs. On Sunday Roly returned to work and we headed along the North Coast of Zealand – we needed him! The wind ranged from 7 – 22 knots; including hoisting and lowering the main, we made 12 sail changes in 5.5 hours and covered 30 miles. Water salinity has definitely increased, jelly-fish abound and we sighted dolphins (or porpoises?) at Hundersted (a dull ferry port) harbour entrance. We motored the entire 29 miles south to Roskilde in 0 wind passing thousands of swans, acres of fish traps, through a lifting 26 bridge, fought 2 knots of current through wiggly shallows reminiscent of rock hopping in Sweden but with a mile-wide expanse of water around us. 1000 years ago 5 Viking ships were scuttled to block the straight channels to defend Roskilde (then bigger than ) against Norse marauders. The ships are conserved and form the centrepiece of a museum and ancient crafts centre. The ever-expanding Cathedral, built of brick in 12th C. to replace a wooden one, contains the sarcophagi of most Danish Kings and Queens. The replica of the all powerful 16th C. Queen Margaret’s gold dress displayed in the cathedral museum is identical to one in Kalmar Castle; the original, stolen from Roskilde by Swedish soldiers, has pride of place in Uppsala – a hint of old rivalries perhaps? Wednesday 31 July brought a fresh Westerly so, apart from the narrows and bridge, we managed to sail back to Lynaes at the mouth of the Sound ready for a 60 mile sail to Aarhus to visit one of Michael’s Danish cousins. Aarhus, unexpected delights 5 August 2013 · Our longer passages seem beset with contrary winds and, for the first time for weeks, rain necessitated oilies. We decided against the big, new Marselisborg marina with its view of the royal summer palace (of the same name) and, once inside the old port of Aarhus, we were barely aware of the commercial docks which will be home to the World’s biggest container ship. Hurray! The first sensibly-designed shower and toilet facilities of this voyage (clothes stayed dry, room to turn round, private …. etc etc). We saw our first Baltic serious racing sailing club with fleets of Melges, H-Boats, Folkboats, 49ers, 2.4m etc. With our stern facing across the harbour we had a grandstand view of boats being sailed into their box berths (bow to pontoon, stern lines to 2 piles) and intense rowers (mostly coxed pairs, fours and eights), the first at 7 am. D expected a pleasant visit with Michael’s cousin Jorgen and his wife Tove (last seen 37 years ago); in the event we enjoyed two perfect days. Day 1, lunch aboard SG supplied by a superb (huge) fish shop on the opposite quay. Day 2, after a train ride inland to Silkeborg, Tove feasted us until late in the evening and we drank beer, schnapps and wine copiously.

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The town was another surprise, as Denmark’s 2nd largest, we expected an industrial centre, in practice it was more like a cross between and (UK) or perhaps Raleigh (NC, USA). We squeezed in visits to Den Gamle By, the open-air museum/town, an unnecessarily self- deprecating Cathedral (the guidebook states ‘cannot rival French and English Gothic Cathdrals) funded by Queen Margrethe 1 in 14th C. (apologies, her name is wrongly spelt in the previous post), (the long necked man amused us) a canal and ARoS, the contemporary art gallery with a circular, rainbow walkway for roof-top views. On Sunday 4th Aug we set a course for the island of Samso (to investigate its famous cheese) and, for the first time, changed our minds part way. Rerouting to the small island of Tuno, we found a youth sailing training camp in progress – a harbour full of supportive parents’ cruisers, a campsite full of tents and fleets of Oppies, Lasers, Feva’s and 29ers sailing off the beach beside the harbour. Here my fridge bottle was frozen at the mini-golf kiosk and the church tower doubles as the lighthouse

Bag of Allsorts 9 August 2013 By the title we mean weather, sailing and harbour conditions. After a perfect sail to Tuno (pic – pulpit detail) we were back to frustrations on Monday (5th) – beating, being headed, motoring, beating some more – to procure the famous cheese from Samso island itself. In Ballen harbour (Samso) we were rafted 4 deep (the harbour was so full one boat tied to the stakes that mark the edge of the stone mole); the boat inside us stated his intention to leave at 6.30 am, we set our alarms, stirred, noted howling winds, violent thunder, lightening you could read by – and NO signs of life next door. We believed the more favourable forecast for 6th August and were one of the first to leave as the rain stopped at 8.30. We started well, keeping up with a 45′ yacht but, under grey skies, the wind backed and built to 24 knots ON THE NOSE

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. Beastly Baltic bouncers occur in Denmark as well as East of Sweden. Our original eta was 1.30 pm, we actually tied up in the large, impersonal marina (in dire need of washing machines) at Bogense at 3 pm (pic – strange statue at the harbour entrance) and walked round the pretty town with old timbered buildings. On 7th we beat SW from Bogense to Middelfart in the Lille Baelt. Our track showed clearly where headers forced us to tack; we barely made 90 deg angles but the sun shone, the sea was smooth and we overtook our nearest rival . This town too has charming old buildings (look at the upstairs window) and was hosting the World ISAF match-racing championship so we walked an extra mile to watch and still find it confusing. Torrential rain again overnight, we eventually left Middelfart an hour later than intended as it showed no sign of abating. Lille Baelt is a deep, popular, major channel between the Danish mainland and islands; where there were about 60 yachts around us in the sunshine on Wednesday, on Thursday, in the rain, we saw a only a handful. We had a thrilling run, making 7+ knots, gybing most of the way (once past the major wriggles) so it was a relief not to have to look out for other boats when deciding when to gybe. Having opted for the shelter of Aarosund (West side of the Sound) rather than the Aaron island harbour (East side), an hour after arrival, the wind dropped, the sun came out and we caught the local ferry to the island with its wildlife sanctuary (although wrong time of year for seals) for a gentle stroll amongst barley (nuthatch spotted). In which D’s heart misses a beat 10 August 2013 · 10th Aug went like this: 9.00 am – hot sun – wind 4 knots – motoring out of Sonderborg, D at helm Noon – hot sun – 4 knots – motoring, M at helm 12.25 – hot sun – 5 knots – D says she will make sandwiches in 10 mins 12.30 – some cloud – 7 knots – M says ‘with luck that rain behind will miss us’ 12.32 – gloomy – 10 knots – M says ‘my jacket please’ 12.34 – rain – 12 knots – M says ‘quick, my oilskin trousers’ 12.36 – rumbles, flashes – 15 knots – M ‘put the IPad in the oven and get up here’ 12.37 – LE DELUGE, we stow the mainsail, unroll half the genoa, 7 knots over the ground 12.40 – ENCORE DU DELUGE + thunder, lightning; wind 25 knots, genoa 3 rolls, SOG 6 knots 12.45 – simultaneously lightening arcs across the sky & thunder BANGS, our hearts LEAP 13.15 – drizzle – 7 knots of wind, whole genoa out, harbour in sight 14.15 – alongside Faaborg, oilies drying in sun, we buy ice cream and smoked fish – YUM All around the South Coast (of Fyn) 14 August 2013 Our route south about Denmark’s middle island, Fyn, took in Sonderborg (popular with Army sailors out of British Kiel YC and known to Olly as ‘Sonders’) where we chanced on a free concert by a group from the Danish Royal Opera company and SG floated in jellyfish not water, Faaborg (more perfect smoked fish) Svendborg (memorable town square) and

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Nyborg (really really good castle); all enchanting towns built on trade-generated wealth from Neolithic times to 17thC.

The wind has built gradually from too little to sail, then anything between 4 – 18 knots. After the thunderstorm on 10th. heavy squalls and bright sunshine have brought shifty winds around 15-25 knots so we made Monday a lay day and missed the isle of Lyo .

On 13th, reaching under reefs and rolls we clocked >8 knots SOG! Fingers crossed that the wind has peaked. Today we flew under a pocket handkerchief sized genoa across the Store Baelt (15 miles) from Nyborg to Korsor (trains are frequent here for Cathie Williams and Keith Stevens who join us late this evening), the current was such that we reached rather than ran on a heading of 045 deg to make 072 over the ground. Lucky us, we crossed the shipping lanes just before four freighters passed under the huge road bridge . The worst was finding a suitable, available box berth on arrival; widths varied from 2.4 to 4.2m; we need > 3.2m. Tomorrow we start the Westward journey albeit slowly so anticipate beating from now on.

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Idyllic islands 21 August 2013 Fortune favoured Cathie and Keith who shared a train carriage with an alcohol-laden Danish lady and the only taxi from the station with a concert-guitarist to arrive at Korsor marina at 11 pm. 2 perfect sailing days took us to Lundeborg (less exciting than we hoped) and Troense which more than compensated with its 18th C. mansion where, in addition to grand state rooms, there are hunting trophies from 5 continents (sad to see so much taxidermy) and a charming museum of small boats including our post-SG boats – a Folkboat for M and an O-Jolle for D. D and Cathie cooked in the clubhouse kitchen feeling like they were back at CCSC and next morning, 7 am, the 80 year old harbour master (in uniform) delivered hot rolls. With wind on the nose, we motored back through Svendborg Sound to the dolls’ house island of Aeroskobing where a West Indies registered freighter did a 25 point turn in the tiny harbour to load malted grain for a brewery in Flensburg and we introduced Cathie and Keith to sill and schnapps and hot smoked salmon and halibut.

Even the weather was sad as we left Denmark, rain and F6-7 on the nose turned a 30 mile into a 40 mile beastly beat, tacking through 95 deg to keep momentum through the sloppy seas to reach Maasholm on the river Schlei, followed by NO wind on Monday; destination the marina built for the 1938 Olympics in the centre of Kiel where we said ‘goodby’ to Keith.

Kiel Canal in reverse On 20th we motored the length of the Kiel Canal (7.30 am to 6 pm) dodging huge cargo ships, it seemed busier than in May. We overnighted beside the Western lock exchanging banter with cruise liner passengers on their balconies as we wined and dined in SG’s cockpit, ready for ebb tide in the Elb next day (no tide in the Baltic, so extra thinking needed).

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We first became aware that 23rd August was a BUSY weekend in Brunsbuttel when half the yachts in the marina (German) dashed for the Kiel Canal lock at 10 am to catch the flood tide to Hamburg and Germany’s inland waterways while the other half (Dutch) crushed into the 3 pm lock for the ebb out of

the river Elbe. While waiting for the tide, we visited the Kiel Canal museum, amazing photos of its construction in late 1880s, it’s 5th extension will open next year and allow even bigger freighters through. D’s Dreads Dispelled 26 August 2013 5 nights, 4 days in Germany and not a breath of wind so 160 miles of motoring from the river Schlei via the Kiel Canal and Cuxhaven to the island of Norderney (pic, dawn off the Elbe). From the first D had feared the homeward leg outside the Friesian Islands (made famous by the book ‘Riddle of the sands’). Shifting shallows and a string of sand-dunes off N Germany and Holland have small harbours tucked into their southern shores reached via long narrow wriggles through sandbanks untenable in rough weather and of course, our homeward journey is against the prevailing SW winds. (Pic yachting on windless days!) Norderney marina was FULL (Norwegians going North after cruising in Brittany, Dutch and us Brits going South from the Baltic), we beat 2 other yachts to a space ( ) but 3 months in the Baltic has made us sloppy, we forgot the tide so when, an hour later, the harbour master asked us to squash up to create an extra space, we found ourselves stuck hard in the mud! Pontoon gossip informed us that Vlieland marina was full and anyway mud again next morning would cause us to miss the tide through Vlieland’s 32 narrow entrance. Then …. we could hardly believe our good fortune – Easterly winds! We set sail for the major Dutch Naval harbour of Den Helder as soon as we floated and passed all the islands in one 22 hour, 130 mile hop; we had goose winged past the islands going East in May and we goose-winged going West to arrive at 8 am after a stunning sail first in hot sunshine, then in soft moonshine. To add to our delight butterflies flocked (1 wanted to share Cathie’s sandwich) and a pipit (?) stopped by for a chat.

Our overnight in Ijmuiden on the way North dissuaded us from a second visit so having said goodbye to Cathy on 25th, we plugged on in virtually no wind 60 miles to Scheveningen.

Another mixed bag 1 September 2013 · We have raced through 5 countries (5 languages – German, Dutch, Walloon, French and English) and 470 miles in 7 days through every point of sailing. Ahead of schedule due to Easterlies, we took time out to visit (by tram & train) the refurbished Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. The time you spend in this amazing building will not be long enough, quintessentially Dutch it has room for Fra Angelica and Yves St Laurent, an aeroplane, ivory pistols, ship models and rock crystal bird/jug in addition to its famous paintings.

Yachties who keep their boats between Den Helder and Boulogne cruise elsewhere with good reason, there is not an inch of attractive coastline nor harbour (pic – 1 of many industrial scenes) although we didn’t stay long enough in any port (after Scheveningen, Zeebrugge, Dunkirque and Boulogne) to savour the maritime museums etc. Our interest increased as we beat into Boulogne, astern we caught a glimpse of Dover, ahead, our first sight of land above 200 feet since 6 May. (Pic, resort N of Boulogne) 33

On 30 August wind and tide did their level best to send us back to the Baltic: We crossed the dreaded Dover shipping lanes at right angles (well nearly – we were closed-hauled and could not afford to lose an inch of westward progress). In the western lane we crossed the bow of one and the stern of a second, parallel tanker, both tramping along at 15 knots. When it turned, the tide that had kept us NE of where we wanted to be, unfortunately did little to sweep us SW so our 48 mile journey became 65 as we tacked and tacked again in LUMPY seas across Pevensey Bay to reach Eastbourne as the light faded, too tired for more than a cup of cocoa. (M with safety harness clipped on even in daylight) We are back in England! Finale 2 September Time to be home – D put on a polar fleece for the first time since 1 June although still wearing shorts. Eastbourne was too dull to spend more than a night so we put in a short hop to Brighton – a nasty shock, not pretty, nothing original, just concrete, so moved on Cowes to be welcomed by the best aerobatic display we have ever seen and a lovely sunset. Good news – not only is it neap so less of a struggle going the ‘wrong’ way but the timings are PERFECT for our very last day. More good news – apart from surgical tape (used a. to stop the mainsail cover zip tags clacking against the boom and b. to protect D’s nails in anticipation of The Wedding) the first aid kit is intact. We intended to cruise home gently but D suddenly got the bug to be HOME and anyway, a kilo of Maroilles cheese needed looking after.

One last sail along the Jurassic Coast got us back to Weymouth in time for the 6pm bridge and a lovely welcome from Richard and Tess bearing cold champagne. A jolly ending to a most enjoyable saga.

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Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 1 5 May Weymouth - Haslar Marina Marina 0845 1830 9.75 57 2.25 Sunny W 5-15kt Great 1st day. Tried cruising chute for 1st time D & R marina has good facilities, but wifi out of range in visitors area

2 6 May Gosport Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour Marina in lock basin 0815 1935 11.3 65 11.5 Thick fog, no wind Left Gosport in thick fog. Motored all the way. Good views of Beachy Head

3 7 May Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne Nieuwpoort (Bel) Marina 0530 2130 16 79 16 Mod vis, light winds Long day of motoring. Crossed Dover straights traffic easily. Late night Hard to find visitors berths in the dark. Only very basic facilities arrival into strange hr available out of hours.

4 8 May Nieuwpoort Scheveningen (Ned) Marina 0715 2040 13.2 81 10 Sunny spells, poor vis, Sailed for a while but motored for most of the day. Crossed the Rhine and Very good showers etc, wifi worked well at the berth. Fuel from barge light winds, occ showers Maas (Europoort) easily. Pleasant arrival in daylight with rainbows. across the harbour, limited hours.

5 9 May Scheveningen lay day Sunny and windy Free bikes from marina office. Shopped at Jumbo supermarket. Visited by coastguard and customs for docs check. 6 10 May Scheveningen Ijmuiden, Seaport Marina Marina 1330 1700 3.5 25 1 SW 6-7, mod vis Quick sail up the coast on reefed genoa only. Bumpy entrance to harbour. Rather soulless marina, near commercial dock. All the facilities but wifi Difficult to come alongside the pontoons with this wind direction. didn't work at the berth. 7 11 May Ijmuiden Den Helder, KMJC Marina Marina 1025 1700 7.5 31 2.5 SW 6, mod vis Rolling down wind goose winged. Nice friendly marina, good value, good Good showers in base of control tower next to restaurant. Wifi ok b N h b 8 12 May Den Helder Oost Vlieland Marina 0915 1610 7 35 2.25 WSW 5-6, mod vis Interesting new bouyage in Molengat Channel. Fighting the tide most of the day 9 13 May Oost Vlieland lay day SW 5-6, 7 overnight Abandoned early departure due to wind strength. Walked into the town past the ferry terminal and up to the lighthouse. 10 14 May Oost Vlieland Norderney Marina 0510 1845 13.5 84 5 WSW 5 mod to 2, Motor sailed out of , good sailing until wind died. Fought the ebb showers tide into Norderney. 11 15 May Norderney Cuxhaven, SVC Marina Marina 0830 1800 9.5 60 5.5 SSE/S 3-4, smooth Motor sailed out of estuary again. Good sailing when we had wind. Motor Diesel by self service. Wifi only worked near yacht club. seas, mod vis sailed most of the way into the Elbe. Busy with big ships including Marco Polo (worlds biggest container ship).

12 16 May Cuxhaven Gieselau Lock, Kiel Canal Alongside 1200 2030 8.5 44 8.5 NE 2-3, smooth seas Alex left to go back to UK. Motor sailed against tide for most of the way to Loos in far end of lock-keepers cottage. No other facilities. the canal. Waited outside for nearly an hour. Motored to Gieslau Lock for the night. Very peaceful and rural.

13 17 May Gieslau Lock Holtenau then BKYC Alongside quay then 0530 1400 6.25 34 6.25 E light, much warmer Good passage to Holtenau lock. Short wait to enter, 12 Euro. Moored at BKYC good value. Wifi only worked in bar. box berth, bow to Holtenau for supermarket (10 mins walk) then to BKYC. jetty 14 18 May Kiel (BKYC) Gedser Box berth, bow to 0615 1945 13.5 79 10.25 NE - E 2/3, mod vis Frustrating day, mostly motoring again with light head winds jetty 15 19 May Gedser lay day Foggy and rainy Jess arrived by train and bus from Copenhagen :-) Wifi very patchy. Diesel by self service. Showers good. Supermarket 10 minutes walk 16 20 May Gedser lay day Sunny intervals, warmer. Good walk to southern tip of Denmark. Several twitchers in evidence. Jess left after lunch :-( 17 21 May Gedser Klintholm Alongside jetty 0830 1430 6 34 6 W 0-2, poor vis Motored all the way in poor vis. Very quiet in the harbour. Good showers. Wifi worked well.

18 22 May Klintholm Norrekas Hr, Bonholm Box berth, bow to 0530 1800 12.5 81 2 S 2-4, rain showers, Good sail for most of the way. took in one reef and two rolls of the genoa Good showers etc by harbour office. Wifi only worked near harbour jetty mod vis for a while. motored in for last hour to beat looming clouds. office. 19 23 May Ronne, Bornholm lay day W 2-3, warm and sunny Gale blew during the night. Sunny and clear. Royal yacht alongside for the Good chandlery and mechanic at southern end of main harbour. All Crown Prince to go hunting. Expedition by bus to see a charming round normal shops. church at Nylas.

20 24 May Norrekas Hr Hammerhavn, Bornholm Alongside quay 1335 1605 2.5 11 0.75 W/NW 1-3, sunny and Held up by repairs to a leaky water pump. Good mechanic fixed promptly. Facilities basic but OK, wifi works near cafe/showers. No diesel good vis Lovely short sail up to a delightfully peaceful small harbour, dominated by available. Hammerhus Castle 21 25 May Rest day in Hammerhavn, Bornholm N 2-3, sunny after rain Good walk to Vang harbour and quarry, via Hammerhus Castle Lots of walks around the island and a good bus service. overnight 22 26 May Hammerhavn, Bornholm Christianso Alongside quay 1230 1630 4 20 2.5 NE - ESE 2-3, mod to Very wet overnight and morning. Cleared enough for a short bumpy sail to Good showers up the hill with card from automatic. No diesel or wifi. poor vis, bumpy seas a charming little island. 23 27 May Christianso Utklippan, Sweden Alongside quay 0810 1830 10.5 54 2.5 NE 2-4, lumpy seas, Some good sailing but on the nose most of the way. In company with nice No facilities off season. good - mod vis German yacht for part of the way

24 28 May Utklippan Bergkvara Rafted alongside 0815 1730 9.25 50 1.5 NE -E 4 - 2, mod vis On the nose again for most of the day. Really a camp site with marina. No wifi, electricity and showers ok. quay then good, lumpy seas Diesel ok. until later

25 29 May Bergkvara Borgholm, Oland Stern buoy, bow to 0920 1545 6.25 41 1 E 3-4 gusts to 5, good Hit rock on coming out of Bergkvara. Silly mistake missing out one set of Very empty, season hasn't really started yet. Wifi via Cloud OK. jetty vis and sunny channel markers. No signs of water ingress. Fast sailing through the Excellent showers and washing machines. Supermarket 10 mins walk. narrows at Kalmar. 26 30 May Borgholm Byxelkrok, Oland Alongside quay 1050 1600 5.17 30 5.17 N 0 - 3, fog at start, Left port with bad vis, motored all the way. Wind got up too late and of the Again very empty. Free wifi. Small supermarket 5 mins walk. clear later nose again.

27 31 May Byxelkrok, Oland Visby, Gotland Alongside quay 0800 1815 10.25 55 0.75 NNE 3-6, poor vis at Left port in bad vis again. Mostly a close fetch but had to tack up coast at Excellent loos and showers. Pre-season limited opening hours. Wifi by start, lumpy seas the end. Difficult seas. Lots of leaks and diesel smell. CC.

1 Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 28 1 Jun Visby lay day Mist and rain am. Sunny Cleaned am. Shopped for essentials pm. Ate out really well at Backficken pm. on main town square. 29 2 Jun Visby lay day Sunny and warm Cleaned and aired SG. Stripped down heads and checked. Applied sealant Camping gas not found at petrol stations in town. Limited expensive to stbd toe rail. Explored town, churches, walls and gardens. supply from harbourmaster.

30 3 Jun Visby Vastervik Alongside jetty 0630 1700 10.5 58 7.5 Fog then clear, NW 0-3, Lots of motoring again. Very poor vis to start. First really rocky entry. Facilities not ready for season, pretty basic. Expensive. Poor wifi. smooth seas

31 4 Jun Vastervik Loftahammar Stern buoy, bow to 1430 1745 3.25 17 3.25 NE 1-2, sunny, smooth Had to motor, mostly light headwinds in narrow channels. Lovely approach Finally got mobile hot spot working :-) before we left Vastervik. jetty seas, good vis up fjord through narrow gap. Pleasant peaceful place.

32 5 Jun Rest day in Loftahammar Sunny and warm, light Shopped in the village. Walked around the edge of the lagoon to the NW. OK chandlery at harbour office. Small supermarket in village. SE wind 33 6 Jun Loftahammar Haradsskar then Fyrudden Alongside quay 0940 1735 7 33 6 Sunny, warm, light E/SE Fuelled before leaving, motored all the way to Haradsskar in glassy seas Everything seemed to be shut. Loos in local coastguard offices. Free winds with lots of algae. Bumped a boulder trying to come alongside directed by wifi. a local. Rafted up instead for a short visit. Decided to move on to Fyrudden as easier for the night. Drifted under genoa for a while in balmy conditions.

34 7 Jun Fyrudden Arkosund Alongside jetty 0910 1305 4 21 4 Sunny and warm, light Intense skargard navigation along rock infested channels. All very beautiful OK showers a little way away. Short walk to small supermarket. N, NW winds and interesting. A few more sailing craft around. Arkosund quite busy and Boardwalk around harbour to rocks and the other marina. unsettled from motor boat wakes. A pretty holiday resort with some fine waterside houses with jetties etc.

35 8 Jun Arkosund Oxelosund Fiskehamn Narrow finger 0945 1320 3.5 14 2 Light SW winds, sunny More skargard sailing to begin with. Managed to sail in very light winds. Very small basic showers, 5 SEK. Relatively expensive, payed at pontoons and warm Oxelosund Fiskehamn has a little more character than some places but not restaurant. cheap. 36 9 Jun Oxelosund Nykoping Alongside jetty 0850 1050 2.5 10 2.5 Light S/SW winds, Motored up a narrow buoyed channel through reedy edged lagoon. Continental adaptor needed for electricity. Free wifi. clouding over. watched student graduation antics rafting down the river. Pleasant church with music. Some nice old buildings and a ruined castle. 37 10 Jun Nykoping Trosa Stern buoy, bow to 1000 1600 6 29 6 Light N wind, sun and Motored through some small gaps and amazing scenery. Too busy to really Charming little town with pretty houses alongside the river. jetty clouds, occasional rain appreciate the sights. Lucky to dodge the rain showers. Too shallow to showers come alongside the jetty in the river, OK stern to buoy on the other side.

38 11 Jun Trosa Nynashamn Alongside pontoon 0930 1430 5 24 5 Light N, NW sunny with Couldn't sail properly, tried genoa a couple of times. Came in to Nynashamn some clouds Nynashamn in company with several Swedish yachts that we made the transit of a narrow channel with. Bigger more sophisticated place.

39 12 Jun Nynashamn lay day Light S wind, sunny and Cleaned in the morning, walked pm. Ate out at the Rokeri, nearby - good. Not cheap but good facilities. Wifi not working. Good chandlery. warm 40 13 Jun Nynashamn lay day Cloudy and rainy Shopped in the morning. Michael Whistler joined us by plane/train. Excellent smokery 'Rokeri' with very good smoked salmon etc.

41 14 Jun Nynashamn Uto Alongside jetty 0930 1150 2.3 14 0.5 Sunny and windy, SW 3- Lovely sail in the morning. Good walk to the delightful church through the Good showers, no wifi. Amazing bread shop nearby. Noisy from 4 woods, and then to the old quarries. Lovely little place. several boatloads of Swedish yahoos. 42 15 Jun Uto Malmakvarn Stern buoy, bow to 0840 1330 4.83 23 0.5 Sunny and clear, wind Very gentle sail with genoa alone. Lovely little inlet, well worth the visit. Fairly basic facilities but very quaint. jetty increasing during the Glad we arrived early as it filled up later with yachts. day. 43 16 Jun Malmakvarn Sandhamn Alongside pontoon 0900 1200 3 11 0.25 Sunny, W 1-2 Lovely gentle sail meeting increasing traffic as we neared the harbour. Expensive as one might expect of the local 'Cowes'. Very poor loos Busy and disturbed at times through motor boat traffic. and showers for the money and no working wifi. Too much like Salcombe or Cowes for comfort 44 17 Jun Sandhamn Vaxholm Stern pick-up line, 0800 1210 4.17 24 4.17 Dry but cloudy, W 2-3 Had to motor all the way through some interesting passages, with Much better value but still no proper wash basins and very localised bow to pontoon increasingly large and impressive waterside houses. Vaxholm is delightful wifi. Great castle to explore and a very good chandlery. but busy. Have now been at our furthest east 18deg 55.3min E, and furthest north 59deg 25.78 N for the trip.

45 18 Jun Vaxholm Stockholm, Vasahamnen Stern bouy, bow to 0820 1020 2 10 2 Very light W breeze, Motored into Stockholm accompanied by several large ferries. Lovely Good loos and showers, washing machines need to be booked, bottles quay sunny. passage into the City. Marina right next to the Vasa Museum, very frozen by harbour master's office. No wifi at the berth. Berth reserved pleasant. Went into town by tram, Town Hall tower very good, then to old via dockspot.com. Froze bottles. city and German Church. Out to good supermarket for supper bits. Excellent supper on board with fishy starter and pork fillet.

46 19 Jun Stockholm lay day Vasa Museum in the morning. Delightful free museum of small craft right next to the marina. Into town after lunch, Michael W left for the airport and home, D and I to old town again, shopping and Royal Armouries.

2 Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 47 20 Jun Stockholm lay day Tram, train and bus to Drottningsholm Palace. Good guided tours in the Good availability of camping gaz. palace and the Chinese Pavilion. Walked in the gardens. Old ferry back to town. St Jakobs Church and sat in the park. Excellent meal in the old city followed by a wonderful organ recital in the cathedral. Walked back to the boat via the supermarket.

48 21 Jun Stockholm, Vasahamnen Gustavsberg Stern buoy, bow to 0845 1115 2.5 13 2.5 E 2-3, sunny with Motored through the very narrow channels of the Baggenstat and Fasta. jetty clouds. Gasthamn looked pretty dead, tied up in the Arcona Marina instead.

21 Jun Gustavsberg Saltsjobaden Stern buoy, bow to 1215 1315 1 4 1 No facilities obvious at Gustavsberg so moved on to Saltsjobaden. Nice No shops in the vicinity. jetty welcome here and good facilities incl wifi. However the loo basins have no mirrors 49 22 Jun Saltsjobaden Napoleonviken, Agno Anchor 1320 1450 1.5 6 1.5 S 2-3, cloudy Short motor to a small natural harbour. Had some difficulty finding a suitable place to anchor. Very peaceful

50 23 Jun Napoleonviken, Agno Dalaro Stern buoy, bow to 1045 1245 2 10 1.5 SSW 2-3 Mostly motoring against head wind. Pleasant hop to a friendly little marina. Nice little town, busy with people returning from the islands after their jetty weekend. OK showers etc and free wifi. Froze bottles. 51 24 Jun Dalaro Ranohamn Anchor 0940 1340 4 14 3 SSE 1-2, sunny Managed to sail for a while. Lovely peaceful inlet with plenty of space when we came in. Rowed ashore to explore the woods and a small boatyard. 52 25 Jun Ranohamn Norrhamnen, Landsort Stern buoy, bow to 0845 1200 3.25 16 3.25 SE 0-1, very calm and No wind at all. Pleasant motor. Lucky to find a space in the harbour when OK showers etc, good value. Froze bottles. quay sunny we arrived. Good walk to the other end of the island with a small village, pilot station, lighthouse and coast defence guns. Bigger gun position near the gasthamn. 53 26 Jun Norrhamnen, Landsort Oxelosund, Badhusviken Stern bouy, bow to 0830 1400 5.5 28 0.25 NE 3-5, mostly cloudy Gentle downwind sail with just the genoa. Very little activity until we came Wifi, washing machines and electricity included in the price. very good jetty close to the end. Moored in the other marina in Oxelosund, nearer the showers etc. froze bottles. town. 54 27 Jun Oxelosund, Badhusviken Stegeborg Stern bouy, bow to 1015 1530 5.25 27 2.5 SE 0-2, cloudy at first Motored to Arkosund, then sailed along long fjord. Nice gentle sail. Good showers and helpful shop. Froze bottles. jetty delightful little marina next to ruined castle and ferry. Friendly Danes in motorboat (Jens and Elisabeth) gave good advice re mooring in Copenhagen 55 28 Jun Stegeborg Langholmsviken, Vaggo Anchor 0950 1505 5.25 27 4.5 W then SSE 0-3 Very light to start, then headwinds. More traffic in N/S waterway. Anchored in lovely small natural harbour. Very peaceful.

56 29 Jun Langholmsviken, Vaggo Gryts Varv Alongside jetty 1025 1230 1.5 9 1.5 S 2-3, sunny Headwinds again. Tight wriggle through narrow channel at the end. Large Good showers, only one basin in loo. Froze bottles. No wifi. well appointed yard with over wintering sheds. Small guest harbour near restaurant. Well sheltered from south end west.

57 30 Jun Gryts Varv Bokohamnviken Anchor 1030 1130 1 5 1 S 1-2, sunny Motored through some small gaps to a delightful inlet. Anchored. Explored Beautiful little place. by dinghy after lunch. Short nature trail along side of inlet. Saw white tailed eagle being mobbed by gulls.

58 1 Jul Bokohamnviken Trollholmen Anchor 0930 1200 2.5 10 2.5 S 1-2, sunny Motored again, through some narrow channels. Had the place to ourself for More spacious inlet but still very pretty. Well marked trail on shore. a while. Explored by dinghy to shore close by and to Trollholmen itself. Trollholmen fun to invade!

59 2 Jul Trollholmen Loftahammar Stern bouy, bow to 0715 1145 4.5 20 1.5 WSW 1-3, cloudy Thought we were dragging nearer to the shore so left early. Managed to Good showers, washing machines. Froze bottles. jetty sail most of the way through some wriggles. Pleasant sail up the fjord.

60 3 Jul Loftahammar Ido Alongside jetty 1015 1300 2.75 14 1 SSE 2-3, sunny Managed some sailing until the last stretch. Interesting little harbour, a Good restaurant. OK showers (small). former pilot station. Good trails around the island and its close neighbour.

61 4 Jul Ido Alo, Lyckfjarden Anchor 1020 1220 2 11 2 SSW 1-2, cloudy at first Lovely little inlet. Very peaceful with a small village. Followed trail to Dry loo at landing. then sunny village and beyond. Explored neighbouring islet.

62 5 Jul Alo, Lyckfjarden Tvaggesholmen Anchor 0945 1500 5.25 23 2 WSW/ SW 2/3, cloudy Frustrating sailing with the wind constantly changing. Crept into the at first natural,harbour and anchored but did not feel happy about staying overnight, in limited shelter.

5 Jul Tvaggesholmen Figeholm Stern to buoy, bow to 1545 1630 0.75 2 0.75 Hit rock at exit, almost exactly on the same track as we came in!! Also quay scraped shallow patch on way to channel. Found a good slot near the harbour office. Charming little place with good maritime museum.

63 6 Jul Figeholm, rest day No space available at Oskarshamn so decided to stay put for the day. Very good showers, free washing machines and wifi - good value.

64 7 Jul Figeholm Oskarshamn Finger pontoons 1000 1245 2.75 12 1.75 SE 1-2, sunny Managed to sail for a while towards Oskarshamn channel. Plenty of space Showers etc in bad state when we arrived. Not very good considering for us today. Lots of packing up after a big event. Not very exciting town. the size of the marina.

65 8 Jul Oskarshamn Sandvik, Oland Stern buoy, bow to 0820 1130 3.2 17 0.75 NNE 2-5, sunny then Lovely reach across with a rising wind. Pleasant little harbour. Fairly basic showers, OK wifi pontoon overcast 66 9 Jul Sandvik, Oland Kalmar Stern bouy, bow to 0800 1530 7.5 39 3 SSW 2-3 inc 5-6, sunny Good beat down Kalmar Sound until it became too narrow. Quite a tight quay then overcast squeeze in the harbour which is filling up in advance of some windy and wet weather over the next two days.

3 Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 67 10 Jul Kalmar lay day Gusty winds and heavy Gentle morning then explored Kalmar Castle and Cathedral pm Good showers, OK loos. Intermittent wifi. Bottles frozen at nearby ice rain showers cream kiosk. 68 11 Jul Kalmar lay day Strong and gusty winds, Good little maritime museum am. Shopping pm. Supper in Italian overcast. restaurant nearby.

69 12 Jul Kalmar Gronhogan, Oland Alongside quay 0900 1330 4.5 23 4.5 N 0-1, sunny and very No choice but motoring all the way. Nice little harbour with very neat OK showers but only 2. calm houses around. 'Eye of the Wind' alongside as well.

70 13 Jul Gronhogan Karlskrona Alongside pontoon 0800 1545 7.75 43 3.5 N 2-3 at the start, then Good reach to begin with then tried the cruising chute as the wind died and Pretty basic temporary showers etc. No wifi. Major redevelopment work W 1-2, sunny veered. Not much space left in the marina by 1530 in progress.

71 14 Jul Karlskrona lay day W 4-5 Good explore of the town. Couldn't go into the naval church. Excellent maritime museum. Great sandwich and wonderful ice cream at cafe on way onto the island. 72 15 Jul Karlskrona Ronneby, Ekenas Finger pontoons 0815 1245 4.5 23 1 WSW/W 4-5, sunny Good sail, took in 1 reef towards the end. Not sure where the channel was Small but OK. Bottles frozen at cafe. as we approached the jetty, quite shallow all around but OK. Good walk up to Ronneby town, through park. Delightful old church in the Danish style apparently.

73 16 Jul Ronneby, Ekenas Karlshamn, Inner harbour Finger pontoons 0815 1300 4.75 24 0.5 W 4-5, sunny partly Good sail to windward in slight seas. Plenty of room in the inner harbour Good showers, plenty of room. Bottles frozen at hotel cloudy when we arrived. Right next to the town. Some nice old cobbled street and wooden houses. 74 17 Jul Karlshamn, Inner harbour Hano Alongside quay 0900 1100 2 10 0.8 NW 3-2, smooth sea, Lovely sail most of the way. Tiny pretty harbour, plenty of space when we sunny arrived but filled up later. Excellent walk to lighthouse and north end of island. Royal Navy cemetery and Chesil like beach (much smaller)

75 18 Jul Hano Hallevik Finger pontoons 0920 1120 2 9 0.5 W 3-4, sunny Short sail across the Hano Bukt. Amazing smell from the smokeries as we Free wifi. OK showers entered the harbour. Delicious meal in the restaurant by the harbour. Amazing smoked fish from the smokery shop.

76 19 Jul Hallevik Kivik Alongside quay 0830 1230 4 27 0.33 NW 3-4, light overcast Glorious close fetch at over 6 kt average. Bumpy mooring with swell Good showers coming into the harbour from the north. 77 20 Jul Kivik Simrishamn Finger pontoons 1000 1200 2 10 2 No wind, sunny Had to motor all the way. Good wide finger pontoons, harbour filled up later Good showers by tally card. Washing/drying machines 30SEK (wide) in the afternoon.

78 21 Jul Simrishamn lay day Hired bikes and cycled to Gyllebo. Back via a church and some small villages. Also Bronze Age rock drawings. Hot and saddle sore at the end but very glad we did it.

79 22 Jul Simrishamn Ystad Finger pontoons less 0815 1345 5.5 30 1.5 ENE then SSE 2-3, hot Good sail most of the way under cruising chute and main. Got ahead of the Showers too few for the size of marina. Tally card for showers and wide! and sunny rest of the pack that left at the same time as us. Excellent chandlery electricity nearby. Big yacht harbour filled up quickly. Roly joined us via Copenhagen.

80 23 Jul Ystad Hollviken, Falsterbo Canal Box berth 0800 1410 6 33 3.85 NE/ SSE 0-3, overcast Motored at start then cruising chute for a couple of hours. Good sailing. Showers ok, no other facilities nearby. then sunny Had to wait ten mins for the bridge then into marina just out side. Fairly basic but convenient. 81 24 Jul Hollviken, Falsterbo Canal Christianhavn, Copenhagen Box berth on canal 0800 1245 4.75 23 4.75 N 2/3 smooth seas, Motored all the way in light headwinds. Interesting passing near the Limited number of showers but OK. Free wifi near harbour office. sunny Oresund bridge and Kastrup airport. Down canals into the heart of the city. Rather noisy with tourist boats during the day but does have its own Dipped into Langelinie just to look and saw Little Mermaid from seaward. charm Had to dodge tutor boats and kayaks down the canal to the marina.

82 25 Jul Copenhagen lay day Amalienborg Palace, Little Mermaid, Kastellet, Nyhavn lunch, Rosenborg, Art gallery.

83 26 Jul Copenhagen lay day Cathedral, Round Tower, Our Saviours Church.

84 27 Jul Copenhagen Helsingor Box berth on jetty 0820 1310 4.83 24 2.17 N - NW 3-4, overcast, Motored at start, then good sail until just off the main harbour. Explored fairly basic showers by tally card. Short walk to town and castle. No wifi rain shower Kronborg Castle and town.

85 28 Jul Helsingor Hundested Alongside jetty 0900 1430 5.5 30 0.75 SSE 2-5 then W, Roly left us as we left Helsingor to fly home. Good sail, chute up for 15 Showers Ok but quite a hike away. Basic showers nearby. Free wifi overcast with sunny mins, reefs in and out. Lucky to find very convenient berth. spells 86 29 Jul Hundested Roskilde Box berth on jetty 0830 1400 5.5 31 5.5 NW 0-2, mostly calm, Long motor up the fjord. Caught 1130 bridge in company with about 8 other OK shower. free wifi works near harbour office sunny and occasional yachts Southbound and same number the other way. Hunted a bit for a overcast mooring but very close to Viking Museum

87 30 Jul Roskilde lay day Sunny then overcast and Roskilde Cathedral and museum. Both good, cathedral amazing. rain plus thunder

88 31 Jul Roskilde Lynaes Box berth on jetty 0800 1250 4.83 25 4.33 W 3-4, cloudy + showers Moored most of the way with help from genoa for a while. Waited for 1030 bridge at Frederikssund. Wind got up after we docked.

4 Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 89 1 Aug Lynaes Aarhus, Lystebadhavn Box berth on jetty 0710 1915 12 63 5.33 S/SSW 1-2, overcast, Not a bad sail for most of the way. Mod vis made approach to harbour Best showers for a while, large cubicles. Wifi iffy. Excellent fish shops showers, mod vis interesting with high speed ferries and container ships. nearby plus supermarket across the railway track. Short walk to town centre. Excellent chandlery nearby. 90 2 Aug Arhus lay day Sunny and hot Shopped in the morning, excellent fish shops nearby plus OK supermarket. Jorgen and Tove came to lunch, fun time to catch up with them.

91 3 Aug Arhus lay day Warm and sometime Visited the Old Town Museum, cathedral, D to art gallery, caught train to overcast Silkeborg, had wonderful lunch and supper with Jorgen and Tove. Back to SG late.

92 4 Aug Aarhus, Lystebadhavn Tuno Rafted alongside jetty 0850 1330 4.66 27 0.75 SSW 2-4, warm and Champagne sailing. Decided to go Tuno instead of Ballen, Samso. Lovely Fairly basic showers shared with campsite full of kids on a sailing sunny lively little harbour. camp. Free wifi near harbour office.

93 5 Aug Tuno Ballen, Samso Rafted alongside jetty 0820 1320 5 25 1.5 SSE 3-4, sunny Good sail beating down sound. Got in as the harbour was filling up. More OK shower needs card. Free wifi came in during the afternoon as the wind increased. Pretty crammed. Found Samso cheese and ice cream :-)

94 6 Aug Ballen, Samso Bogense, Fyn Box berth on jetty 0900 1530 6.5 36 0.5 SE 4 - SW 6 sunny with Good sail at first then the wind veered sharply and increased. Long beat in Good showers by card. Free wifi near the harbour office. Washing overcast at times sometime choppy seas. Not easy to get into the box berth with a cross machines 30/10 DKr wind. Big new marina with good facilities and chandleries.

95 7 Aug Bogense, Fyn Middelfart, Tekla Marina Box berth on quay 0910 1235 3.83 17 1.25 WSW 2-3, sunny and Nice sailing into the Lille Belt until the wind died near the narrows. Good showers in new building incl Tourist Info and library which had smooth seas Somewhat surprised to find a space in the Tekla Marina which is very free wifi. Walked across to see some of the match racing from the convenient for the town. Lystbad Marina. Pleasant old town and old harbour. Shops conveniently near 96 8 Aug Middelfart, Tekla Marina Arosund Box berth on jetty 0945 1315 3.5 19 1 NNW 2-4 drizzle and Good sail despite the drizzle and mist. Decided to go into Arosund instead OK showers. 5 DKr for a token. No wifi. mist of Aro due to more space and not being a lee shore on arrival. Caught ferry across to Aro and walked.

97 9 Aug Arosund Sonderborg Alongside quay 0830 1414 5.75 28 2 WSW 2-3 sunny with Another good sail beating the Danish First 36 into Als Fjord. Just missed Very basic showers in cabin. No hot water in one set. Managed to get clouds 1330 bridge, only waited 30 mins for the next one. Tied alongside the quay data SIM card working (7days) rather than the marina. Lots of jellyfish in the water everywhere.

98 10 Aug Sonderborg Faaborg, Old Harbour Alongside quay 0840 1410 5.5 28 4.25 S 1-2 becoming W 3, Gentle to begin with then looming dark cloud spread from the West Good showers on card. Another good fish smokery nearby. Pleasant initially sunny then rain, bringing, rain plus thunder etc and strong gusts of wind. Cleared sufficiently pizza ashore in a friendly restaurant not far into town. thunder and lightning to make entering harbour OK. with gusts to 25 kts

99 11 Aug Faaborg, Old Harbour Svendborg, Nordre Havn Alongside pontoon 1015 1315 3 16 0.17 W 4-5, cloudy with Good downwind sail under genoa alone. Traded gybes at the end with a Very good shower facilities on card. Nice big individual rooms with loo sunny spells German boat. Eventually found an alongside berth once we had persuaded and shower etc. no wifi. another larger German yacht to move forward. And are we glad we arrived when we did, just after lunch there was torrential rain and very strong gusts.

100 12 Aug Svendborg lay day

101 13 Aug Svendborg, Nordre Havn Nyborg Lystbadhavn Alongside jetty 0830 1240 4.17 24 0.92 W 5 gusts to 6 cloudy, Quick sail,once clear of the Sound. Had to take in two reefs eventually also Good showers etc in the back of the Kayak Club building. rain showers two rolls as we approached Nyborg. Lucky together alongside just before a sharp shower.

102 14 Aug Nyborg Lystbadhavn Korsor Lystbadhavn Box berth, bow to 0905 1150 2.75 15 0.67 WNW 6 gusts to 8, Quick sail across the Store Belt alongside the bridge. Genoa only with OK showers, a bit small. Quite crowded with BB10 sailors in for their jetty cloudy sunny patches. several rolls. Gusty wind made finding a berth and coming alongside tricky, regatta. Brisk!! eventually found one with some help. Keith and Cathie joined us at 2300 by train/plane.

103 15 Aug Korsor Lystbadhavn Lundeborg Stern buoy, bow to 0905 1345 4.67 24 0.58 SW 4-5, sunny with Longish beat down the sound, 1 reef and 1 roll needed. Saw the BB10s Good showers for 5 DKr close by quay. clouds going out for their start. Nice little harbour but not much else.

104 16 Aug Lundeborg Troense Alongside jetty 0900 1145 2.75 14 0.25 S 3-4, smooth seas, Pleasant beat down the sound before turning in to Svendborg Sund. Lovely Quite one of the nicest places we have visited anywhere. Good misty then clearing little harbour on the side of the sound, very pretty houses around. showers and access to a kitchen for cooking and washing up etc. very Wonderful walk to Valdemars Slot. Very interesting also a good museum of friendly people around. sailing boats. 105 17 Aug Troense Aeroskobing, Aero Alongside quay 0910 1250 2.92 14 2.92 SW 2-3, overcast at Motored all the way against a head wind. 1.5 knots of current with us in the Best showers and washing machines for some time, possibly ever start sunny spells later narrows. Aeroskobing still just as pretty as I remembered from long ago. Walked around the town. Saw a small freighter turn round in the harbour to come alongside, very neat.

106 18 Aug Aeroskobing, Aero Maasholm, Germany Box berth to jetty 0830 1630 8 41 0.92 SW 5-6 gusts to 7, Robust beat in strong gusty winds until right at the end. Two reefs and two overcast drizzle at times plus rolls in genoa needed. Lumpy seas. Nice approach up the Schlei R to a big marina not easy to find a berth. Showers good but quite a way away. Pleasant village.

5 Snow Goose Baltic Cruise 2013 - Log Summary

Day Date From To Type of berth Departed Arrived Hours Miles Engine Weather Notes Facilities hours 107 19 Aug Maasholm, Germany Dusternbrook, Kiel Alongside in box 0930 1415 4.75 25 4.75 SE 1-2 at end, sunny Motored all the way in very light winds. No fuel at Dusternbrook. Good berth berth near showers. Walked in to town to shop and see the church. Very good meal at the KYC overlooking the marina. Good showers etc with tokens. 108 20 Aug Dusternbrook, Kiel Brunsbuttel, NOK Rafted alongside 0745 1830 10.25 53 10.25 W/SW 1-2 mostly sunny Keith left us to fly home. Left early and were lucky to go into the lock with Strange arrangement for showers but good once you were in. No shore pontoon only a short wait. Motored to just short of Rendsburg to pick up fuel. Then power on the outer pontoon. The 'other' marina (1.5km from the lock on the Brunsbuttel. Quite a few ships in the canal and had to tip toe past does not seem to exist anymore. some jams. Found a berth right next to the lock rather than the marina we thought to go in. 109 21 Aug Brunsbuttel Cuxhaven Finger berth 1440 1740 3 15 3 W/WNW 1-2, sunny Explored the locks and the Canal Museum before shopping. Lucky to go straight into the lock and out quickly. Tide turned with us after. One hour. Running fast past the entrance to the marina at Cuxhaven.

110 22 Aug Cuxhaven Norderney Bow to pontoon, 0545 1710 11.5 64 10 WMW - S 1-2, hazy and Motored nearly all the way in light winds. In company with several other Good showers and facilities. Out of reach of shore power. Paid Wifi alongside MB sunny yachts returning home. Not too easy getting in against the tide and finding only in clubhouse. a berth. Found ourselves aground at low tide.

111 23/24 Aug Norderney Den Helder Alongside pontoon 0940 0810 22.5 130 3.17 SE/E 2-5, hazy but A long haul but worth the effort. Met a fleet coming out as we entered. On Good showers and facilities. free wifi, diesel by asking harbour sunny. Good moonlight their way to Oost Vlieland? Had two reefs and a two rolls in overnight. assistant. Good meal in clubhouse. all night. 112 25 Aug Den Helder Scheveningen Alongside pontoon 0800 1845 10.75 59 10.75 E/ESE 1-3 hazy and Cathie left us to fly home. Fought the flood initially going out of the Good showers and facilities included in berthing price. sunny estuary. Cruising chute up for 4 hrs 40 mins. Against the flood for the last couple of miles. 113 26 Aug Scheveningen lay day Caught trams and trains to Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. Amazing place, quite overwhelming and confusing to navigate around. Pleasant journeys both ways. 114 27 Aug Scheveningen Zeebrugge Alongside pontoon 0720 1920 12 68 7.5 ENE - NNE 2-3, sunny Light winds but managed to sail goose winged and with the cruising chute Didn't have a chance to try the facilities as the HM wasn't available with clouds for a while. Busy across the Europoort entrance and at Zeebrugge. when we came in.

115 28 Aug Zeebrugge Dunkerque, YCMN marina Finger berth 0930 1620 6.83 37 1.17 N 3-4, sunny Good sail through the offshore passages between sand bars. Had to avoid Friendly HM who directed us to a very convenient berth. Good facilities two Belgian minesweepers playing outside their mining area. and wifi. Sort walk into town for the supermarket, lots of interesting things to see 116 29 Aug Dunkerque, YCMN marina Boulogne Finger berth 0945 1950 10.08 55 3.58 SW 2-5, cloudy and Lumpy beat through the Dover Straights then hard against the tide. Longer Friendly harbour staff, good facilities, easy walk into town to good misty at times than it should have been. restaurants. Free wifi 117 30 Aug Boulogne Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne Finger berth 0910 2125 12.15 65 1 WSW 4-6, lumpy seas Long fetch across the shipping lanes fortunately did no have to alert course Very good showers etc. overcast with sunny significantly in either lane. Tiresome wet beat along the coast from spells Dungeness, glad to get into the lock to a very friendly welcome. Back to England with a bump.

118 31 Aug Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne Brighton Marina Alongside pontoon 0905 1235 3.5 20 0.5 N 3-4 gusty under the Pleasant sail past Beachy Head with the tide. Bleak looking marina with garish shops and restaurants shoreside. OK cliffs, sunny showers and a convenient place to stop but wouldn't come here by choice again. 119 1 Sep Brighton Marina Shepherds Wharf Marina, Cowes Alongside pontoon 0715 1740 10.42 56 5.08 N - W 1 - 3 sunny Had to motor at times in light winds. Long beat into the Solent against the OK facilities, free wifi tide. Amazing aerobatic display as we tied up. 120 2 Sep Shepherds Wharf Marina, Cowes Weymouth Home berth 0800 1710 9.17 50 1.83 WNW-WSW 3-5 sunny Started off motoring to beat the tide. Good sail out of Channel. Off Anvil wind increased and veered. Long stretch out to avoid St Albans Ledge, long fetch back to Weymouth. Lovely to be met by Richard and Tess in the harbour with chilled bubbly.

Totals 578.23 3098 306.16 Motored 53% of time Fuel used = 490 litres (1.6 ltr/hr) underway

6 Baltic Cruise – Key Stats

No. of days away: 121 No. of passages: 97 Nights at sea: 1 Ports stayed in for more than one night: • 3 nights: 7 (Gedser, Visby, Nynashamn, Stockholm, Kalmar, Copenhagen, & Aarhus) • 2 nights: 11 • Returns: 6: Scheveningen, Den Helder, Norderney, Cuxhaven, Loftahammar, Oxelosund

Total mileage: 3098 Hours at sea: 580 (579.23) Engine hours: 306 ie 52.7% Diesel fuel used: 455 litres

Shortest passage: 5 miles (Gryts Varv – Boko) Longest passage: 130 miles (Norderney to Den Helder Average passage: 32 miles Average passage time: 6 hours We left at 1430 twice, to meet tide and after sorting phone We left mostly between 8 and 10 am We arrived mostly between noon and 6 pm We left before 6 am 5 times (tide or long journey) We arrived between 8 and 9.30 pm 5 times We arrived in the dark once (Nieuport) and nearly (Eastbourne)

No wind: 8 days Poor wind: 21 days Light wind (1-3): 29 days Fresh (2-4): 23 Strongish (4-5): 9 5+: 7

Points of sailing and use of motor (generalised) Beats 24 Reaches 14 Runs 18 (4 Goosewinged) Motor (no wind) 20 Motor (Nav needs – Kiel Canal & narrow, twisty routes) 13 Assortment 6

Mooring types Quay 12 Jetty 11 Pontoon 9 Anchor 7 Rafted 5

Boom 1 Box 15 Stern buoy 17 Marina 9 Fingers 11 (1 home) Total: 97

Red/Blue Ensigns seen: 30 (excluding Jersey flag of convenience) 1 - Hobicat enroute to Stockholm from UK 2 - Not kept in Baltic 9 - Seen outside the Baltic (North Sea/non UK Channel ports)

Visitors:

Alex Bowerman. Joined at Weymouth 5 May. Left at Cuxhaven 16 May.

Michael Whistler. Joined at Nynshamn on 13 June. Left on 19 June from Stockholm.

Roly Gill. Joined at Ystad on 22 July. Left on 28 July from Helsingor.

Cathie Williams. Joined at Korsor on 14 August. Left on 25 August from Den Helder.

Keith Stevens. Joined at Korsor on 14 August. Left on 20 August from Kiel.