Fram's Voyages

Sailing 2014

 

We have had an amazing sailing season with warm temperatures, following winds and an abundance of lovely anchorages.

 

Our log follows below

 

26 April

Roam went back to her natural habitat; the water, on this beautifully warm calm spring day

 

28 April

Dan got the mast up by himself this time, of course, with the help of some of the other sailors also busily getting their boats ready for the season. Solidarity reigns at Skanörshamn.

 

16-18 May

Friday and Saturday were lovely sunny and warm days. Temps around 20C. Water temp is about 16C. We took day sails all weekend to initiate Varga into the world of sailing in a gentle way. The first day, we got her good and tired before we went to the boat and left the dock for her first sail. Thinking that she would sleep through it and not notice the motion too much was ridiculously naive. She got seasick and threw up all over Dan's sweater that he very kindly put around her in her little bed. Once up on deck she quickly recovered and by the time we got back to the harbor she was ready for dinner.

On Sunday, the rain came at 12.00 and carried on all through the afternoon and evening, so we stayed in the harbor where we were warm and cozy on Roam. We did some much needed brass polishing of oil lamps, lamp fixtures and barometer/clock. Listened to music and ate good food.

 

23-24 May

We sailed to Copenhagen to go to a party. It was a beautiful sunny day with light winds; we had to motor for 2 hours, but sailed for 3 hours. We didn't take Varga with us this time as she is too young to leave alone on the boat. Our first choice of harbor was Hellerup but it turned out to be very small and very crowded. So we motored 1 NM up the coast and went in to Skovshoved which is big and modern and very nice. Many Danish harbors are more Bohemian than modern but this one had poles for stern tie up and roomy slips. 160DKK for one night. It's a very active marina with lots of racing sailboats. Sunday morning was a hive of activity as people got ready for regattas. It was another glorious sunny day, though not quite as warm when the wind came up. We did have a good sail though. We left right after breakfast and were able to sail mostly on a reach back to Skanör. Our new favorite route is along the Copenhagen coastline, then across the sound south of the wind park with a straight shot to Skanör.

 

29 May - 1 June

Skanör - Rødvig - Præstø - Skanör

20 NM to Rødvig

14 NM including channel in to Præstø

35 NM home again

 

This was Dan's birthday weekend, and a long weekend due to the Ascension. We took off on Thursday and sailed to Rødvig, only took about 4 hours. Very nice sailing. Varga slept most of the way. We were expecting to see the familiar run-down Rødvig with half-sinking fishing boats and alot of beer drinking around the wharf, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that Rødvig has become a very nice harbor with shops, restaurants and nice places to walk. It's a very active fishing harbor so lots of fish markets and smokeries. We walked by the shops and Dan spotted a second-hand brass kerosene trawler lamp in the window. It's exactly the one I have wanted to buy for years but was too expensive. Now we got it second hand for 600 DKK compared to 1800-3000 SEK. Dan polished it up and we have hung it over the salon dining table. Looks lovely. Harbor fee 160DKK per night. Next day we sailed in very fresh westerly winds to Præstø. Only 14 NM but took a while as had to tack all the way in to the channel leading into Præstø. The winds increased from 4m/s to 16m/s. We motored the 3NM channel in to Præstø as it is very shallow and the channel markers mark out a narrow passage that did not allow tacking. Our first try into a slip put us aground, our second try worked better. They say that the westerly winds push the water out of the bay and make the harbor much shallower than normal. We were tied up next to a 42 foot motor cruiser owned by Sven and Elspeth from DK. They very kindly welcomed us to Præstø with a shot of vodka mixed with Licorice liquour. Delish. We invited them over for a drink in the evening and offered all the goodies we found at the Spring Festival that was going on this particular weekend. The weather was amazing; 25C and once the wind died in the late afternoon, very comfortable. Varga had great fun meeting other dogs and as she is so small and cute, everyone wanted to stop and look at her. We took a long walk around the town which is lovely. We had a nice Birthday dinner for Dan, all the girls called as well as his parents.

On Saturday we got up early and started back to Skanör. There was no wind to start but by the time we came out of the Præstø bay, there was enough wind to sail all the way home with one hour's motoring in the middle of the day when the wind shifted. Amazing that Præstø has been so close for so many years and we have never ventured in there until now. It will become a regular destination for us in future.

On the downside, we have discovered that our fridge is not keeping food cold. It has run out of freon and of course, we can't get freon anymore, unless we go to Turkey, so it will have to be replaced. Ugh. Until then we will buy bags of ice to keep things cold.

 

5-7 June

Skanör - Ystad - Skanör

 

Beautifully sunny warm weather. Winds were from the northwest, about 4m/s so we had a very comfortable sail to Ystad. Ystad has totally revamped its harbour as of last year. They have really nice roomy slips with pontoons making docking very easy. 3 restaurants line the harbor and it is close to the center of town for shopping and sight-seeing. Cost for one night was 200DKK, plus extra for electricity and showers. Kind of steep but you do get a very nice place to be. Varga was perfect on this trip; found places to sleep that were protected from the wind and stable, and she finally used the green mat that we have on the floor of the cockpit under the tiller. There was plenty of room at the harbor when we got there around 19.00. We had a delicious dinner in the cockpit enjoying the warm weather. Next day was equally lovely. We started the day with a morning walk in the sunshine with Varga. Also looking for a bakery to buy breakfast bread, but unfortunately, we learned that there's no bakery open on Sunday mornings, they don't open till later so no breakfast rolls.... We had pain riche on the boat accompanied by coffee, so we did not suffer much. We departed Ystad harbour at about 09.00 for our sail home, winds from the northeast this time, about 4m/s. 

 

 

4-5 July

Skanör - Rävholmen, Gothenburg archepelago

141 NM

Sunny 25C

Winds between 1 and 6 m/s from SE

141NM

 

We have planned for this next 3 weeks with lists and sail bags and canvas bags of food, drink, etc packed and ready to go. The weather and wind forecasts were perfect for departure a day earlier than I had planned, so we were caught off guard and ended up leaving Skanör in a bit of a rush due to the wonderful weather and following winds we wanted to catch for our long sail up the coast to Gothenburg. Dan called me at work and we agreed that the time was right today, so I raced home from work and threw a bunch of stuff together, grabbed Varga and Dan grabbed the rest of our stuff and Madeleine dropped us off at Roam. Left our slip at 14.30. It was a beautiful day, gentle south-easterly winds on our stern quarter and no waves. As soon as we were out of the harbor we hoisted the sails and then heaved a big sigh of relief. Finally! Vacay!!

We sailed up Öresund, under the Bridge, past Ven and Helsingborg-Helsingör and entered Kattegat around 21.00; I had packed some frozen meals at home that just needed heating up in the galley oven. Tonight's dinner was meatballs and pasta in tomato sauce. We are very lazy when at sea; we take a spoon each and eat out of the hot container directly from the oven. Dan eats from one end and I eat from the other. It got a bit chilly out when the sun went down so we were in our survival suits. The sunset was lovely, there were very few boats out, but plenty of stars to watch.

We had the best night sail ever due to the wind 5-6 m/s being from the Southeast so no waves, just wind. Dan took the 22.00-02.00 watch and I took 02.00-06.00. Varga stuck with me on my watch and sleep time. Dan kept one eye on the World Championship Soccer game in Brazil using his iPhone. We had 3G coverage, thanks to 3 DK and 3SE, all through Öresund and even into Kattegatt. Saturday dawned mostly cloudy but warm; 23C. We passed Varberg Fortress at about 08.00. Winds were still light so we stayed outside the first islands of the Gothenburg archipelago; Styrsö, Vrangö, Donsö. By cocktail time, we arrived at Rävholmen which is one of the outermost islands on the south side of the Gothenburg entrance to Göta Älven, and anchored. It's a bit of a pickle coming in as there is a big rock just under the water surface basically in the middle of the entrance so you have to steer first to port, go close to land and then steer to starboard to miss the rock awash and then go into the bay. Good anchor holding, mud/clay. Rävholmen is very protected from all wind directions except West. Several boats were already in there but most were tied up to the rocks. Took a swim (discovered I had forgotten my bathing suits....) and had dinner and a long night's rest. Varga was very good about using her mat for her toilet visits. She doesn't like it though.

 

6 July

Rävholmen - Klåvholmen

23.2 NM

Overcast in the morning, sunny by lunch time

Winds S 2-5 m/s

 

We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning, lifted anchor at 11.00 after a very leisurely swim and breakfast. To get out of the bay, we reversed the passage of coming in, and it went very smoothly. We sailed on the Genoa alone, across the Gothenburg River entrance past countless nautical markers for several shipping lanes and into the protected waters between the outer islands and the mainland. We decided this vacation that we would try to moor with bowline to land and anchor off the stern, partly because it's a challenge but also so Varga can get off the boat and run around. Klåvholmen was a perfect 1st time-mooring. It has rings to tie up to rocks high enough for me to just step off the bow, and is a very deep mooring right up to the rock-island so easy peasy. As soon as we were moored with 2 bowlines and the anchor off the stern, I lifted Varga onto land. She was so happy to be on land again, she raced up and down and everywhere and even fell into the water a couple times but managed to pull herself out again. We took several swims in the afternoon. No red jellyfish, just clear beautiful water. This is Swedish summer at it's best:) There was only one other boat tied up at this little isle.

 

 

7 July

Klåvholmen - Gullmarstrand hotel at Fiskebäckskil (Firre)

27.1 NM

Sun in the morning - rain all afternoon

Winds S-SE 5-6 m/s

 

The wind changed during the night and nudged us over and away from our rock holding so Dan had to get up and help me pull Roam's bow over to our jump-off spot to get Varga off so she could do her business. Not popular with the Captain...

The wind was pushing us into the rock face in a sideways motion so rather than re-do our mooring, we decided to just let go and get moving before breakfast. Once we were away and rolled out the Genoa I made breakfast of coffee and pain riche warmed in the oven. The skies were clear and the winds light. We sailed "inside" meaning inside the outer islands that protect the inner waterways from the open sea. It's a very beautiful route, and constantly keeps you on your toes, checking the charts to avoid unmarked rocks awash. We sailed past Hönö, Öckerö, Marstrand, Tjörn, Möllesund, Gullholmen. The rain came just as we approached Island's Berg on Skaftö. There was plenty of traffic, most boats motoring although there was a nice wind from our beam. We can never understand why sailboats motor when there's a perfectly good wind to sail on. Maybe people really want to charter a motorboat, but they are so expensive that charterers decide to charter a sailboat and use it like a motorboat...

As we approached Gullmarstrand moorings, our Genoa furlex reeling line got stuck as Dan furled it in. The line was all tangled inside the furling box so we had to lower the sail completely before going in. As it was still raining, we decided to tie up to our bouy in the inlet and stay there till the rain stopped. We made a pot of tea and ate peanut butter on digestives. We moved to Gullmarstrand's moorings at about 17.00. Went for a walk around the village and stopped by the house at 11 Bruces väg to say Hello to Caroline/Peter and their guests.

 

7-9 July

Fiskebäckskil

 

Stayed put for 3 days, enjoying grandchildren and being in Firre again. I bought a bathingsuit. The weather was fabulous, Hot hot hot; 30C and winds were 7-12m/s. We went running almost every day. Skaftö has the most beautiful running paths, through woods, over golf courses, across fields, along the water and over cliffs. Love it.

Caroline and the kids came for breakfast one morning, carrying fresh bread from the bakery. The little ones had great fun being lowered into the forward cabin through the hatch and then climbing back up. Tried out Joel's Brygga at the marina one night. Very nice and cheaper than Bryggan. Went up to the house on Wednesday evening to watch the Soccer Championships. Lots of swimming every day:)

 

10 July

Fiskebäckskil - Gluppö anchorage

N58 35.046 E11 12.737

Sunny, 28C

Winds NE6-8 m/s

26.3 NM

 

Left Gullmarstrand slip at 12.00 after much visitiing with Caro Peter and kids at the house and a last load of ice purchased at the hotel for our fridge. Had a lovely sail to Gluppö. We checked out a few other anchorages on the way but they were full. We disenchanted with land moorings and are going back to swinging free at anchor. Feels too much like being in a marina; especially when there are alot of boats squeezing in. This is a big well -protected anchorage that can take a lot of boats, although most of the anchorages are quite deep; 9-12 m. We were looking for under 7 meters which we found near the west entrance behind the first little island. Very good anchor holding in mud. But lots and lots of boats, mostly Norwegian

 

11 July

Gluppö - Alevikkil anchorage

N58 44.475 E 11 12.023

Sunny 30C

Winds E 4-6 m/s

14.8NM

Good anchor holding

 

Lazy summer day. Sunshine, light winds. Sailed between islands after a late start. Had to motor 30 minutes in beginning as no wind. Then sailed very slowly and gently through Havstenssund. It's a very narrow channel between 2 islands that are high on each side and barely wide enough for 2 boats to go abreast. Only one other boat was actually sailing, the rest motored. Once we came through the passage and sailed around Havstensund, we found this deep inlet with shallow water, only a few boats. Blew up the dinghy and went to shore, walked/hiked with Varga then swam. Varga came swimming after us, all on her own initiative! That's pretty much a first.

 

12 July

Alevikkil - Nykkelbyvik anchorage

N58 53.336 E 11 09.883

Sunny, Gusty, 26C in the morning

Winds E 2-6m/s

23.6NM

 

Gusty but sunny this morning, cooler than we've had for a while, but warmed up nicely during the afternoon. Morning swim as per usual, then lifted anchor and sailed on Genoa to Strömstad for provisions and ice. As we approached Strömstad the genoa luff line ripped out on a tack, catching on the port shroud. So had to motor the rest of the way which was not far as we were in the channel that leads into Strömstad. Harbor ghastly crowded as usual. Almost entirely Norwegian boats, only a few Swedish boats. Got ice, dropped garbage, Varga did her business and then we got out of there as fast as we could. Motored to Nyckelbyvik and dropped anchor with a sigh of relief. Lots of mussel pots around making their strange smacking sound as waves hit them. We changed genoa for the jib sail. Blew up dingh and went ashore for a walk. Varga was like a little moutain goat racing all over the rocks, some nearly vertical. She got traction on the lichen:) All three of us swam when we got back to the boat.

 

13 July

Nyckelbyvik - Strömstad marina (270SEK)

58 56.571 E 11 09.893

Overcast, a few sprinkles of rain, 27C

Winds NE 4-9m/s

7NM

 

Bad weather coming in so decided to hole up in a marina for once. Also Sunday and date for World Championship Final in Soccer in Brazil...

This marina is not as close to Strömstad city so less noisy and crowded. But we were one of only a handful of Swedish boats; the rest were Norwegian. Felt more like we were in Norway than Sweden. We had headwinds so motored the whole 7 NM. Strömstad Marina is huge but only a small part of it is for guest boats which seems very impractical as there were lots of empty slips in the other part and they could easily run it like all the rest of the swedish marinas; with green/red signs. We went exploring and found a great running track that skirted the golf course and then went along the beach for about 7-8 km. We saw the match in the evening at the marina hotel surrounded by Norwegian sailors. Argentina - Germany. Very exciting, Germany won. Varga could not behave at the hotel so after 30 minutes of trying to keep her in hand, I had to take her back to the boat. Rain poured down in the evening just as we were walking back to the boat. Varga very happy to see us.

 

14 July

Strömstad marina - cove behind Havstenssund

N58 45.194 E 11 11.938

Sunny, 28C

Winds W 3m/s

14NM

 

Sunny most of the day till 17.00 then a few drops of rain. Took free bus into Strömstad. The little ferry wasn't working this summer. Loaded up on provisions and ice. Dan got his hair cut. We motored out of the marina then set sails. Only made 2.3 knots but very pleasant. Tried Testholmarna, but too crowded. This anchorage is really nice, lots of space and good protection. We blew up the dinghy and rowed Miss Varga in to land. Walked, played, and rowed back. Swam, all of us, then sprinkles of rain came. Wind has changed to south. Should be SW tomorrow. We decided to stay an extra day here to go running and read our books. I'm reading The Third Horseman and climate change in athe 14th century. A super interesting book. Dan is reading Justice by Michael Sandel

 

16 July

Havstenssund cove - Gluppö anchorage

N58 14.937 E 11 26.931

Sunny and 25C

Winds SW-S 5-6 m/s

19.8 NM

 

Sunny beautiful day. Made Varga pee on the mat; she missed and peed on deck but got lots of praise anyway. Breakfast of eggs bacon sausage toast and coffee. Dan deflated the dinghy, we lifted anchor, and sailed off. Stopped at Havstensund for re-fueling and ice. Very rough seas until we got back inside islands. Super sailing. Had to so some very tight tacks between rocks and islands. Great fun. Found a place to drop our anchor close to where we were last time, but there were even more boats this time. Our first try blew us too close to one boat on our port side so had to pull up the anchor and try again. This time it was perfect. I took Varga to shore for a walk and swim while Dan stayed on board to putter.

Chicken and rice for dinner

 

17 July

Gluppö - Kristineberg anchorage

N58 14.937 E 11 26.931

Overcast and chilly 20C

Winds SW 5-9 m/s

27.8 NM

 

Had a tough day tacking through narrow rocky passages. After 2 hours of tacking out towards the outer islands, we went towards the mainland and the Sota Canal entrance on the north side to get a rest from the wind and waves. Sota Canal is a very pretty passage to Kungshamn/Smögen that is very popular with both sailboats and motorboats.  It takes about 2 hours to motor through. Sailing is not allowed, though sometimes if one has a following wind, one uses one's jib. There's a bridge in the middle that is mostly open for boat traffic but closes every hour for cars to go over. If you have to stop for this, there are pilings and places to tie up for the 15-20 minutes it takes till the bridge opens again. We had soup and sandwiches while we motored through and looked at all the cute cottages. Once we came out at Kungshamn, we hoisted the sails and sailed the last few hours on a reach, past the Eye of the Needle, ending in Firre.and glided comfortably along to one of our favorite anchorages outside Kristineberg's research station. It's a sand bottom and provides good protection from every direction except East. Jessica and Anders motored out in their motorboat for a drink. Nice surprise. Just after they left, Dan's childhood friend Ulf Hjelmgren and his wife Annica came by on their way home from a fishing trip.

 

20 July

Firre Bouy - Stavsundsholmen

N 58 00.436 E 11 30.304

Sunny 28C

Winds N NE 5-9 m/s

18.9NM

 

Spent 2 nice days in Firre. Dan fixed the stair railing in the house for Tatiana and Iwo. Sydney the Gripper's dog, got sick, Nicolai got confirmed. Good sail though some tough narrow passages again. If you look at any of the chart pictures I've put up above, you'll see that the whole West Coast Archipelago is a mass of islands, rocks, and rocks awash. So it's not uncommon to have to do alot of tacking to get through the labyrinth. There are only a few places to sail through if you want to go from the outside to the inside passages. We had to use the motor once as there were too many boats to tack. We were mostly inside the outer islands so some protection but always makes for some pretty dicey sailing with so many boats . As we came around Stavsundsholmen we took a sharp right turn and went up into one of the protected inlets to anchor. We checked several places along the rock faces before we decided to just anchor out in the middle. Really don't like tying up to rocks. Nice harbour but north wind breezing through and a bit chilly. As we lay at anchor in the afternoon relaxing and reading, we were entertained by a German family trying to tie up to island/anchor. Took 1½ hrs and lots of bickering and fisticuffs amongst their kids. We took the dinghy with Varga to land and hiked around the island, all rock, with some goats. Varga loved it. She came upon some goats grazing and stood up on her hind legs to observe them. Happily, she did not chase them.

 

21 July

Stavsundsholmen - Anholt

N56 42.785 E11 30.632

Sunny 30 C

Winds N NW 1-3 then SE 5 m/s

78.4 NM

23 hours

 

Another early start on a gorgeously sunny day. Dan took Varga to shore to do her morning toilette. She ran off and didn't respond to his calling her. I saw them and gave a whistle from the boat about 50 m away and immediately her head perked up and she came running to the shore and then they jumped in the dinghy and rowed back to the boat:) Dan lifted the anchor silently and I pulled out the jib silently and out we sailed not disturbing anyone. Winds very light, swam a couple times behind the boat in gorgeous clear blue water. Saw lots of seals near Pater Noster and a tumbler(dolfin) as well. It was such a nice day and though the wind was really too light to get us far, we didn't care, just basked in the sun and enjoyed being on a sailboat as we made our way to Anholt out in the middle of Kattegat. The harbour is on the northwest corner of the island and it's extremely shallow once you get to within a couple NM from the coast so coming from Gothenburg we had to give the island a wide berth as we sailed along the north coast.  The wind finally died in the afternoon so had to motor until it came up again from the SE. Dan raised sails at midnight. During my night watch, I saw some strange blinking red lights, looked at the charts but didn't see anything on them. As we got closer there were more and more of them and I considered changing course, but eventually realised that it was a wind park that is a good way southwest of Anholt. Strange what the eyes perceive sometimes. In our approach to Anholt early-early next morning, we saw dozens of boats anchored off the beach south of the harbour entrance, so we did the same. Looks very Caribbean or Les Profilteroles-ish. We have never seen boats anchored outside before which may be due to the prevailing winds of SW. Now however, we had northereasterly winds so the harbour side was completely protected and the marina is always hidiously chock-a-block, so many boats were taking advantage of this and anchoring outside. We did a lot of running, hiking and swimming and reading in the shade on board Roam over the next 2 days as the winds and weather remained unchanged. The northwest side of Anholt, which is where the village is, is very high with lots of trees and bushes while the rest of the island is flat and sandy. The dunes and beaches are similar to Skagen and Skanör however. There is a large seal preserve covering much of the north and east coast. The island is very popular, doesn't seem to matter what time of year it is, there is never a slip to be found and you have to slowly nudge and squeeze yourself in somehow if you want to be in the harbour. Everyone is understanding so it normally works out but doesn't give you much privacy. Being on shore makes it worth it though as it's a lovely place to be, there are restaurants and a big picnic area with grills that are lit every afternoon for barbecuing. The harbour has showers but horrible mobile coverage. None of the mobile operators in Denmark find it financially feasible to put up a network there.

 

23 July

Anholt - Helsingborg

Sunny and hot 30C

Winds NE E 4 m/s

58.4 NM

16 hrs and 6 minutes

 

After 2 wonderful days anchored outside the harbor in Anholt we lifted anchor and left while there was still wind. Forecast was for complete calm next day, so we had a swim and walk on the beach, then left. Ate dinner while Roam floated along at 4 knots. Had a beautiful night sail. Dan took the first watch at 22.00-02.00 then I took over. Varga slept like the dead down below. Wind died in the early morning so had to motor the last 2 hours.

Arrived at Helsingborg marina on 24/7 mid morning. There was a surge in the marina that we haven't noticed before, but plenty of slips available. As we were tying up Varga fell over board. She was leaning over the bow of the boat while I was standing on the pontoon holding Roam steady while Dan tied the stern lines. I didn't see how she fell but she seemed to tip over and fell on the bow line which flipped her over so she landed in the water on her back. I had to lie down on the pontoon and fish her up. She had a very serious and concerned look on her face when she surfaced from the fall:) Helsingborg is a lovely marina in that it's right in the middle of town and they have renovated the area in the last few  years with new modern apartment buildings and lots of restaurants and shops. The marina has great facilities and you pay on what looks like a parking machine right outside the harbourmaster's office. We have never had a problem finding a slip, even in high summer. There's a beach close by for swimming. Varga is not allowed there, being a dog, but she is allowed to swim from the rocks on the outside breakwall, and there was a tiny beach just big enough to stand on so we went there for our swims. There's a ship's chandler and a fuel station and ferries run 24/7 between Helsingborg Sweden and Helsingör Denmark.

 

25 July

Helsiingborg - Skanör

Sunny and hot 30C

Winds NE 2-8 m/s

40.8 NM

7 hrs 58 minutes

 

Left Helsingborg marina at 05.00 this morning as saw on weather reports that high winds over 10 m/s were expected around 14.00. Had good gentle sail till we got to the Öresund Bridge. Then wind kicked in. Made it to Skanör in record time. Just under 8 hours. Caro and kids here to greet us. Our slip was not availabe although we had given our return info to the Harbour master the day before. While we waited for the guest boat to leave we took C and kids out and anchored off the beach for swimming. It was so fun. Kids sat in life jackets on swimming platform and Caroline and I were in the water playing with them. Livie was absolutely delighted when Caro and I jumped off the side of the boat and swam to them on the platform. Lunch was onboard at the harbor back in our slip. Kids love playing in fwd bunk, dropping down through the hatch

 

10 August

Skanör Beach

Sunny 25C

Winds barely perceptible

 

Took the Gruner-Hegge's out for a sail and swim on Roam. Just out to anchor off the Skanör-north beach. Had lunch and swam several times before making our way back to our slip. Stephie Rolf and dogs were on the beach swimming and playing. A gorgeous summer day

 

23-24 August

Skanör - Rungstedt, Denmark

Sunny 15-18C

Winds SW 8-10 m/s with gusts up to 14m/s

61.5 NM total

 

Although mainly sunny, a long line of rain squalls dotted the sky and we managed to dodge all but 3 of them. Temperature about 15C

We left the dock in Skanör at 09.30, hoisted a reefed main and a full jib just outside the harbor and then sailed our favorite route; below the windpark, over to the Danish coast where we were soon in the protection of land. The waves were about 1 meter out in the middle of the Sound, but once in protected waters, there were no waves, just wind so we had a beautiful sail. Half way across Dan received a phone call from a person who said he had a dog named Vilda in his possession and he was at the LV4 Camping grounds in Falsterbo. Several phone calls later to Fredrik who was watching her, saw her returned safely. She's in heat, so needs to be very closely guarded. 2 rain squalls hit us as we neared Rungstedt but only lasted a few minutes. Varga was tucked up on a cushion with a blanket under the sprayhood. Arrived in Rungstedt at 16.00 and just managed to get the tent up before the last squall of the day passed through. Had tea with our favorite peanut butter on digestive cookies, then went for a walk around the harbor. It's a beautiful harbor, very big so always room for us. Lots of stores and restaurants line the pier and then of course, there's Karin Blixt's house (Out of Africa author). Had a very nice dinner in the cockpit protected from the wind by our tent.

The weather report said stronger winds on Sunday from the West so Dan woke up at 05.00 and took us quietly out of the marina on sail alone while Varga and I slept peacefully. We surfaced around 06.00, in time to see the sun rise on a sunny day. I made breakfast and then took the second phone call regarding Vilda; she ran away again to the Camping grounds and needed to be picked up. Thankfully, she was picked up yet again.

We sailed with the same sail constellation as yesterday; reefed main and full jib. Arrived at Skanör just as the wind was freshening to 12 m/s.

 

6 September

Skanör - Langelinie (Copenhagen)

Sunny, 24C

Winds SE-E 4 m/s

19.9 NM

 

Left the dock at 12.00 and set sails for Copenhagen where I have to attend a company party at Tivoli. The sun was shining, the winds were gentle behind us and we had a fabulous sail. Sailed south of the windpark avoiding the shallows of Lillegrund and then up the Danish coast. Varga basked in the sun and took a turn out on deck. This makes me rather nervous as always afraid she's going to see something and jump off the boat or lose her balance and fall off. I'm the one that will have to go in after her, hence my over-cautious guarding of her....

Got the last slip at Langelinie. Danish ports aren't very organised and this one was no different; no harbour master around, though the office was wide open. Other sailors were milling around outside the office waiting for someone to show up. Red slips that should be on green were not and there were plenty of old timers with inside information as to what spots were free and which ones weren't. Good to know for future reference; when in doubt find an old Dane sitting drinking beer in his cockpit:) Anyway, got settled in, took Varga for a walk and then got all dressed up and went off in a taxi to the party. Dan spent the evening on Roam with a very sick little Varga who threw up several times; my guess is too much grass-eating...The harbour master finally showed up around 19.00 and agreed with our neighbor that we were fine where we were. We paid the fee; 200DKK which we thought was a bit steep, but then again, we are right in Copenhagen.

 

7 September

Langelinie - Skanör

Overcast, 18C

Winds SE-E 0-6m/s

25.7 NM

 

The weather forecast called for gale winds late in the afternoon so we got up early, took Varga for a quick walk and left our slip at 08.30. Varga was feeling much restored and her normal happy self. Dan hoisted the main and jib as soon as we were out of the marina. Once we were headed south along the Copenhagen coast, I made breakfast (coffee and doughnuts) which we ate up in the cockpit. It was a bit hazy and chillier than yesterday as we were traveling with the wind off our bow and within the hour there were lots of sailboats out and on the move. We took the same route home but had to tack a bit so added a few more NM onto our log than yesterday. The wind died completely around 11.00 so had to motor for an hour until it came back up again then sailed with 2 more tacks the rest of the way home. There was quite a bit of Commercial traffic traveling down the Danish coast so had to keep on our toes as we crossed the shipping lane. Other than that, it was a very uneventful trip. Once safely back at Skanör, we cleaned up, packed up the little we had with us and went home. Wind didn't pick up until the late evening.

 

That's the end of our season. Seems ridiculously short. Time went so quickly we feel that we've barely started before we have to close up and put Roam back in her land cradle.

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Total Distance for 2014: 834 NM