The conference cruise

I just returned from a somewhat unusal cruise. Normally I don't sail longer distances this early in the season (in fact I normally would have launched the boat this week-end). However these last few days good weather co-incided with a work meeting at one of my collegues summer places on the island of Ljusterö, about 18 nautical miles out into the archipelago. We were four people attending the meeting and as it was to take place Monday-Tuesday I thought I might try to sail there instead of taking the car or ferry. I then would take a day off on Wednesday to sail back home.

Of course this scheme would need some co-operation from the weather gods, but as it turned out it worked perfectly altogether. In fact I did not have to tack once either on my way there or back.

Sunday came with unusually warm weather and a brisk south-westerly wind that propelled me nicely towards my destination. There was not much traffic on the water, first when I had passed Vaxholm castle and crossed the main shipping channel there were some ships and ferries.

These bastards normally are a swell-inducing nuisance, but this early in the season they are almost welcome. Some life on the water at last.

Another one. Note the sail to the left, some kind of high tech dinghy making very good speed. Myself I was making more than five knots on average, quite good for my little tub.

Here I am entering unfamiliar waters. I have not been to Ljusterö before, but the navigation was straighforward. The very entrance to the cove where I was to moor was unmarked though, so I was grateful seeing a small motorboat leaving it just as I arrived, giving me a bearing.

My collegues had just arrived and were waiting at the dock, beer in hand.

I was allowed to use a guest berth at the dock which was very nice and secure.

Now followed two days of budget meetings and strategy talks in this beautiful place...not bad!

After finishing work on Tuesday we climbed the highest hill on the island to get a view.

Up here was an old coastal artillery gun mounting. From here the gun could cover the main shipping route towards Stockholm from the North. All the ferries towards Finland pass here.

However, the gun is gone and the place seems to be used for barbecues now.
That same evening my collegues left by car. I had the house for myself during the last night, which was very nice considering it was getting colder as the wind veered towards the North. On the other hand, that wind was exactly what I needed to get home without a hassle.

I started at ten and encountered light winds from the Northeast which gave me about three knots on average. Thus the journey home took about six hours instead of four and a half on my way out.

However there was even less traffic and the trip was nice and calm. I did use the engine to get past some windless spots but did not use more than two litres of petrol during the whole trip. No idea trying to get a refund from work!
Finally the short video clip trying to imitate Dylan Winter-like commenting and not succeeding very well...

And here is the trip on Google Earth:

Original engine mount

I have been asked to post some pictures of the engine mount which, on my boat, is the original one (at least I believe so). It seems to be designed to be able to slide up and down, but mine is definitely stuck in the down-position. Here are the pics:

The floating bridge - a land expedition

Now this post is slightly off topic but when I encountered that floating bridge mentioned in the last post, I got just a little obsessed by it. I sailed there again (see not really off topic!) yesterday and shot a picture from the other side. 



But I still hadn't got enough. So today I ventured on a land expedition to get a closer look. I even got the admiral with me. We volvoed out to the land side of the bridge.

As soon as we were on it I realised that it in fact is the floating docks from the island's marina. They still have the berth numbers on them...

There is a handrail added and real lightposts. Still it must be interesting to walk over it in a winter gale. Now it was a dead calm (no sailing today....).

We walked around the island for a while. There were some nice boats.

A few dogs, five cats. Lots of houses in different shapes and states.


trees...


some outboards in a bucket...


And a great view all around.


Would be nice to sail here a little later in the season when everything is green. However, there are no good sheltered docks or anchorages, all the boats are bobbing around frightfully in the swell of passing motorboats and ferries...

Oh and we were just in time...the bridge will be taken down this week...

First Sail of 2009

Now, after having launched in record time I just had to use the first day of Easter week-end for a short test sail. The weather was actually sunny and warm enough so I did not freeze once.

It being a test sail, please don't comment on the fenders or the bad jib tension...the rigging wasn't really tuned in yet.

And I wasn't alone either! This sailboat did make an early start as well. When we met the sailor shouted "where are all the others?"

I tried to sail around the nearest island, as I often do, but this time i couldn't. During the winter the little sound is blocked by a floating bridge and it had not been removed yet. So I am really early!

Finally I shot a little video just to catch the atmosphere...

Launched!

Today I got the boat into the water. Earliest ever! You can still see some ice on the left side of the canal. But there is good weather in the forecast so I am sure it will all be gone in a few days.