Fram's Voyages
29 June
Visby - Håskö anchorage
Distance to Destination: 64.1 NM
Time to Destination: 13 hrs 15 minutes
Wind: SW-W 6 m/s
Weather: Overcast which burned off by 10.00, then sunny, 25C
Gotland has been a wonderful experience for us. Such a beautiful well-kept town. The county seems to do a very good
job. We rented bikes on Friday and biked south to the cliffs. Nice bike paths all the way. The cliffs were about 30 meters
high and there were no guardrails, so one felt a bit of vertigo standing up there. I kept Varga on a leash afraid that
she might see a rabbit and take off over the cliff's edge. The view was most dramatic. On the way back we stopped
at a sheep farm and bought lamb chops for dinner. Had Dan not been with me, I would have bought a sheepskin as well.
They were lovely and so very soft. We saw the sheep in the fields resting in the shade of an oak tree looking very
happy and content.
When we got back to Visby, we biked along the city wall from the south port to the north port on a tiny stoney path
that wound up and down over the hills and imagined it in the 1400's, the walls are several meters thick and about 7
meters high. Inside you can see the domes of the cathedral. Visby is very hilly, but the rest of Gotland is not. We
returned to Roam and had lunch.
Dan went for a run n the afternoon and I went into Visby on my own to look at the shops selling Gotland wool products, some art galleries of local artists and then to a small grocery store that sells Gotland unpasteurised fresh milk and
a special Gotland beer, just for fun. At Stora Torget there lots of small stands selling all kinds of goods. One was selling ceramic goods made on Gotland. I bought a beautiful salad bowl and small sauce bowl. Stored the salad bowl deep
down to keep it safe until we return home.
On Friday evening we met up with Fredrik Dölling, our nephew. He is working at a resort just north of Visby as well as
at a restaurant/nightclub as DJ. We went to a restaurant on Stora Torget and spent an very enjoyable couple hours
chatting and getting all caught up on each other's lives. He had to work at 21.00 so we said good-bye and went our
separate ways. We went back to O'Learys to watch the USA-France soccer match. Very exciting with a US victory.
This morning, we got an early start, up at 05.00 and on our way by 05.30. We left the harbor right after one of the
Gotland ferries came in and docked. Only one other sailboat was on the move; a German boat. The wind was at SW
so we hoisted our sails and set a course due West with Nelson doing the steering. Our destination was actually NW
but we knew that the wind was going to go over to W in the afternoon so needed to factor that in. We ate a light
breakfast underway of coffee and toast. Varga was not hungry and didn’t eat anything until later. At 13.00 the wind died
completely and we had to motor the rest of the way. The weather was nice and sunny though and once the wind
died, it was warm enough to warrant a swim off the back of the boat, but looking over the side of the boat we could
see lots of green scum in the water; algae. It can get really bad up here in the Baltic during the summer when the algae blooms. Guessing this is the start so swim will have to wait. The wind came up with a vengeance at 15.00 but it was
NW, not W, so motored the last 3 NM through it. Once we got into the islands, the waters were flat and there was
no algae. We went to an island called Gubbö (Old man’s isle) which had 3 little bays for anchoring, but when we got
there we saw that they were very small bays and already had a bunch of boats moored against the rocks, so looked
into our charts and found Håskö-Lillholmen so we moved on. The islands here are very beautiful with lots of green
foliage. As we entered the island system we could smell the pine in the air. We made our way through a maze of
rocks and small islands until we got to Håskö which has a teeny tiny entrance then opens into a big fat bay. There
were several boats lying at anchor and another bunch at a dock farthest in. We chose a quiet place by the southwest
end and anchor held fine. As soon as we got settled, we went for a swim in beautifully clear water, temp feels like 18C, extremely refreshing on a hot day.
Enjoyed a very well deserved bourbon/beer hour before dinner. Made lamb chops that we bought at a farm on
Gotland during our bike trip, with fresh potatoes and a green salad. The lamb chops were in honour of
Viva Tatiana Dushmanitch Dölling, Dan’s mother, who died yesterday at the ripe age of 94.
26 June
Kaggebo - Visby, Gotland
Distance to Destination: 62.7 NM
Time to Destination: 12 hrs 30 minutes
Wind: NW-N 3-5 m/s
Weather: Started out sunny but during the night overcast and rain the last hour in to Visby
We arrived here at 05.30 after a very uneventful sail across. Both of us have noticed the lack of boats
since we started our voyage. We saw one sailboat motoring south and one tanker motoring north
along Gotland’s coast. Marinas have been half-empty and the sailboats we see in our anchorages and marinas are mostly Dutch and German. Not so many Swedish boats. A few years ago it was the exact opposite; one had to get to a place early in order to get a spot.
Nelson did a good job steering so we only had boats and course to keep track of. When we do night watches, we usually have a hot mug of chicken broth around 23.00 along with a crisp bread with
Swedish tube cheese. That keeps the rest of the night until morning. Sometimes Dan drinks red bull
during his watch and sometimes I make myself a cup of coffee. Up here in the north it doesn’t
actually get totally dark at night, more like twilight so you can see objects out there if they are there.
It’s very nice sitting watch during the night. One can listen to podcasts or just let one’s thoughts
roam free. For chilly nights we have thermo survival suits with lots of pockets for our phones, airpods,
and flashlight.
We docked at the north wall where there were no boats but plenty of seagulls, terns and avosets,
with lots of babies running around. Felt we were in the middle of a bird sanctuary. I quickly grabbed
Varga who I had lifted onto land to have a run around as we normally do, before she could shame
us by chasing a baby. As soon as Roam was secure we hit our bunk and slept until 10.30. We woke to
the sound of trucks driving back and forth somewhere close by. On closer inspection when Varga and
I went for our morning walk, we saw that indeed, forklifts and trucks were racing back and forth from
a big parking lot to a small village of white tents. It’s June and it’s Gotland so it must be Almadalen. Almadalen
is a political shin-dig that is held here every summer. All the party leaders come here to
hold speeches and all the news crews attend with tents for interviews, etc. It starts on Sunday and
we will be long gone. All the birds were gone, even the furry little babies, must be up on the breakwall.
Visby is a most wonderful little village and with ruins everywhere, it reminds one of Rome. Right
between 2 semi-new buildings will be part of an old stone wall from some other building of long ago.
The Visby Cathedral, St. Maria, towers above the city, built in 1225 on a hill. It’s a beautiful setting
with the sea as its backdrop. The old city is built inside a very thick stone wall. The winding streets are
filled with tourists going to boutiques, restaurants, cafés and historical sights. On a side street we
found a wooden pole standing amongst some planted flowers with a plaque telling that the pole
was the original whipping post from the middle ages. I thought all parents should take their kids to
that sight to show them what happened when people were naughty in the middle ages:) But we
watched 2 parents with their 3 kids ages roughly 8-13 just glance at it and walk on. Go figure.
I took the opportunity to do some much-needed laundry in the afternoon while Dan puttered on
Roam. After dinner we went to O’Learys to watch the women’s soccer quarter final between England
and Norway. It was basically a walk over. English girls played a really good game. Tomorrow is the
'USA vs France quarter final. That should be exciting. France is host to the World championship games.
25 June
Jungfruskär SXK buoy - Keggebo
Distance to Destination: 8.7 NM
Time to Destination: 2 hours
Wind: Shifting S-SE-SW 0-3 m/s
Weather: Sunny and 25C
Dan Varga and I spent a very lazy morning lolling about reading, puttering and rowing in to shore for short
excursions (Varga…) Our dinghy has a hole somewhere in the outer section and in the floor section. It is very
dear to us because we were given it from our children, though you would never call it a dinghy if you saw it. It
looks like an inflatable boat for a swimming pool, not a sea worthy type vessel. But it works for us for what
we need it for. I generally don’t need to row more than 200 m to shore and it’s light and easy to pull up on l
and while we take our walks.
We left our buoy at about 12.00 and set out for Kaggebo which is where our very dear friends, Lars and Lotta
Rydvall have a summer house. We met Lars and Lotta when we lived in Finspång between 1985-1994. They very quickly became our favourite couple in Finspång and we have spent many an enjoyable evening together.
They came sailing with us in France in 2010 as well as on the Swedish west coast a few years later. We don’t
meet often enough, but when we do, it’s as if we were never apart. We both feel very lucky to count them as
our close friends. The voyage to their house was long and winding, with shifting winds. We flew just the
Genoa to make it easier. Sometimes we motored but mostly we sailed lazily along. The passage in to their
guest dock was very tricky with rocks just under water and shallower and shallower waters. By the time we
got to the dock our depth meter said 1,5m. We draw 1.6m which led us to understand that our depth reader
counts from where it is situated, not from the bottom of the hull, so think the real depth was 1.8m. Anyway,
we were relieved to make it without going aground. Lars came with his car and picked us up and drove us to
their cottage. It’s a lovely wood cottage with big fire places and large social spaces. They have 2 little side
cottages with extra beds, and we stayed in one of those. Wood porches surround the house so you have shade
or sun whenever you like.
We spent a wonderful evening catching up and eating fantastic food (salmon x 3, kalix caviar, wild boar,
moose and venison steaks from the BBQ and fresh forest fruit for dessert) that Lotta and Lars enjoy doing.
Sat up late chatting and didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning.
Next day we drove with Lotta to Valdemarsvik. It’s up an extremely long fjord so we were happy to see it by
car instead of spending 4 hours getting up there by boat and then 4 hours back out again. The drive was
beautiful, lots of forests, meadows and beautiful houses. Valdemarksvik is a cute little town with very
unique shops and restaurants. Lots of second-hand stores which we find so interesting. The bakery where
we sat and had Swedish fika was absolutely lovely. It was right on the water by the marina and owned by a
very amusing gentleman and his wife and they were very proud of their establishment. Instead of the usual
tables and chairsm, they had antique tables and chairs; not always matching, with chandeliers over the tables
and old antique but very lovely coffee cups and saucers. We all got coffee and a pastry. Lotta bought fresh strawberries from the owner’s garden and I bought homemade Kavring bread which if you haven’t had it, you
are really missing out. It’s a dark bread; keeps for weeks, and is made with different grains and molasses. He
offered a slice of kavring before we bought it so we would know what we were getting and it was fab. We sat
outside and enjoyed our fika before walking round the town.
Back at the house we had lunch of smoked salmon, potatoes, and green salad. Felt very fortified after this visit
for our all-night sail to Gotland. We said good bye to Lotta, and Lars drove us back to Roam. Left the dock at
17.00. Winds were still shifty but once we got out of the fjord and passed all the rocks, islands, underwater
rocks, etc, we raised our sails with a steady NW wind and set our course to Visby in Gotland.
24 June
Kungshamn anchorage - Jungfruskär SXK buoy
Distance to Destination: 4 NM
Time to Destination: 1 hour
Wind: NNE 0-1 m/s
Weather: Sunny with high clouds, 24C
We took our time leaving our lovely anchorage at Kårö. I rowed Varga to land and we took a little walk; this time to the other side of the Anchorage where there were big rocks, similar to west coast rock islands. She was happy with that and did her business whereafter we rowed back to Roam. Dan read the newspaper and when he was finished we got ready to depart. Left at about 11.00. We followed the red/green markers through very pretty seascape. We were just inside the outer islands and there wasn’t a breath of wind, making it difficult to distinguish the horizon. Truly magical. We were on our way to Trässö where the charts showed an SXK buoy. We enjoy picking these up because they require so little work and they are 100% reliable. But on the way as we were passing through a narrow passageway, we looked to the right and saw the unmistakable blue buoy that can only be an SXK buoy. We didn’t think, we just reacted and swung right and grabbed it. Then we looked around at our surroundings and found that we were in a very special place. We had small rock islands all around us, the water was beautifully clear and we were all alone. Bliss! We decided to fika, then take the dinghy to the the southward island to explore, and take the northward island after lunch. Both islands are just rocks but rather large, maybe 400 m by 250 m. About 10-15 meters high. Varga was in her element, she loves running and climbing on rock islands, and she raced and jumped everywhere, little ears flopping in the slipstream of her ground speed. During our afternoon hike, we stopped and took a swim off the rocks and drip dried in the sun. The water was very refreshing but not quite as cold as at Kårö. Varga was made to take a swim back at the boat and got soaped up and squeaky clean. We’re going visiting tomorrow so she has to be presentable. She didn’t like it much, but she put up with it.
Towards evening a sailboat came in and tied up to the rocks on the southward island with an anchor off their stern. We watched them come in and gingerly look about for a good spot. It took them awhile but they finally seemed satisfied and turned off their engine. We are not delighted with this type of mooring. We prefer to swing free at anchor. The downside of the island docking is that the wind can change during the night and send your bow bumping against the rocks. The upside is that you can just jump off the boat and be on land. A lot of families like this. The downside to anchoring free is that you have to get your dinghy out every time you want to go on land. The upside is that no one is near you and you feel more freedom. If the wind changes during the night, your boat just swings with it.
We finished the night listening to the Women’s World Championship Sweden vs Canada on the radio.
22 June
Västervik Slottsholmen - Kungshamn anchorage, Kårö
Distance to Destination: 15.7 NM
Time to Destination: 4 hours
Wind: SW 0-5 m/s with strong gusts up to 11 m/s
Weather: Sunny, 22C
We took our time getting ready to sail as we were only going a short distance northwards.
Living in a marina has its advantages, but we tend to get tired of them quite quickly. We
prefer the peaceful anchorages where we can swim off the boat in the morning before
breakfast, and row to shore to take hikes or run in the woods without all the noise from
a city or town. Our American neighbours were very friendly and we ended up exchanging
email and phone info. They are doing the same route we are for the same amount of
time so we will most likely see them again on our travels.
Midsommar was a very different celebration for us this year, We are used to celebrating
in Fiskebäckskil on the west coast of Sweden, with all the children and grandchildren,
dancing round the midsummer pole and eating masses of food. This year it was just
Dan and me with no frills. I liked not having to do all the cooking and preparing for once
and I liked not making a big deal of it too. Which is not to say I don’t like Midsommar, just
that this year was an appreciated break. Next year you will see that I will be All In on
Midsommar!
Roam left the dock at 12.00 noon. There was a nice breeze accompanied by very strong
gusts so we waited until there was a lull before backing out of our slip and departing the
marina. Sailboats tend to be tricky to manoeuvre in strong wind. The bow gets caught by
the wind and swings downwind very quickly so you have to have lines ready and hands
out to stave off any downwind obstacles. Our American friends were ready to help but it
was not necessary as we were able to back out and leave with no hands and extra lines.
We rolled out the Genoa as soon as we were out of the marina and shut off the engine,
sailing out of the bay following the maize of red-green markers until we were past all the
small islands and rocks and underwater obstacles. The sail north was beautiful, more
boats were out today than we have seen since we started this trip.
We had yoghurt and fresh strawberries for lunch and at tea time, we had a cup of tea
and our favourite cookie onboard; Digestives with peanut butter spread on top. One of
us likes the peanut butter on the top of the cookie, one of us likes it on the bottom.
Olivia and James know which is which, right kids? While we drank our tea I practiced a
new way to do a bowline knot that Captain Dan is teaching me. I have to be able to
complete it in 3 seconds. Right now I’m at about 8 seconds.
When we got to where we wanted to be, there were 4 anchorages to choose from but we
ended up taking the first one as it looked the best on the chart and when we looked inside,
it looked perfect. It’s a very round little bay surrounded by forest. No sound anywhere except
from boats. We came in and anchored on the right side going in with 4 meters of water under us.
The bottom seemed good as anchor caught right away.
Dan blew up the dinghy and I rowed Miss Varga to shore. She was not terribly pleased
with the walk I took her on. She kept stopping and looking at me like “you’ve got to be
kidding, I’m supposed to walk through this??” It was rather deep grass and there was
cow plop all over the place, but it was dry. Maybe it was the animal skull we walked
past in the beginning, Who knows. But being the scaredy cat she is, she eventually
came after me. The ground is extremely dry here, no blueberries on the bushes and
everything crackles. We followed 2 different paths until we got tired then turned back
to the dinghy and came home. Bangers and Mash for dinner.
Next day: sunny with high light clouds overhead. The wind is about 4 m/s with gusts
again. We have spent the day reading our books, swimming in freezing water;
it’s 12C here, morning fika, lunch, afternoon tea, Varga and I went for a very long walk.
She tried to get out of it by refusing to leave the dinghy. I caught her, lifted her out
and she protested by wading into the water and started to swim back to Roam.
I demanded that she come back, which she did, bless her, and then I carried her through
the field out on to a dirt road that I had espied yesterday. Once there she was happy to
walk. So spoiled. Dan went for a run when we got back, we had cocktails and then dinner of “Hoosh”
which is our term for taking whatever one can find in the cupboards and fridge frying
it together and adding rice. The wind died in the evening and the sky had a pink hue
to it looking very beautiful and peaceful.
20 June
Solberganäset anchorage - Västervik Slottsholmen Marina
Distance to Destination: 49.7 NM
Time to Destination: 8 hrs 15 min
Wind: Southwest 0-2 m/s, during thunderstorm 10-15 m/s
Weather: sunny until the thunderstorm then rain over in 45 min
We left our anchorage at 05.30 this morning, anxious to get out of that little hell hole. We carefully picked our
way out of the morass of rocks and shallow waters until we were out in open water again. Set sail for a little
while but when we hit the 2NM limit we turned on the engine and motored the rest of the way to Västervik.
The approach to Västervik is quite long and required figuring out all the different markers mapping out various
routes into Västervik. Add to that the thunder storm and rain/wind squall that washed over us just as we
neared the city minimising visibility and you have a rather stressful situation. Dan stood down in the cabin r
eading the GPS and shouting up instructions to me to steer one way or another. We made it in and had about 4 marinas to choose from. We decided on Benny Ulveuss’s (ABBA) Slottholmen Marina, about a 15 minute walk
from the town center. It’s a big marina with plenty of spaces to choose from on the guest dock with stern
buoys to grab onto. It felt good to be docked and safe. Typically the storm ended just as we tied up and it was
once again sunny and warm. We had a light lunch of sandwich wraps, then got our walking shoes on and went
into town. Dan*s walking shoes were flipflops. I know, bad choice right? Well, he found that out.
The city of Västervik is very pretty with lots of water everywhere, pretty buildings and plenty of restaurants.
I say this because Dan invited me out to dinner for this evening. Once we got the lay of the land we went back
to the boat and got our swimsuits on. It was so hot and Dan’s feet were killing him. Especially between his big
toe and second toe. The icy water felt good. Varga swam too. We all sat on the dock and drip-dried. Varga was
left behind while we went out to dinner in town. She had her dinner, had plenty of water and took up her
position when we left where she stays watching until we return; up on the bow of the boat. We went to a
tapas restaurant that has a rather interesting concept. Once you’re seated, you download an app from which
you order your dishes and drinks. You receive an SMS telling you the dish/drinks are ready for pick up at the bar inside. The waitress must have felt a little sorry for us as we looked at her in complete confusion and doubt.
She helped with the app and showed us how to do it. We tried it out by ordering 2 ice cold beers. Within
moments the bartender came out with our beers. We asked why we didn’t get an SMS and he told us that they decided to initiate us slowly into the system;) Dan took to it like a fish to water and started ordering all kinds
of little dishes, each one a little taste delight. We had serrano with melon, fried halloumi sticks, Korean
spareribs, a mini plank, which is a wooden plank with a piece of steak, some Duchess potatoes and chili
bearnaise sauce. We also had French Fries, and dumplings. And a few more beers. I had a hard time convincing
Dan that we had had enough, he so enjoyed the ordering on the app. From there we went to the seaside and
bought ice cream, then to a bar that was showing the World Championship in women’s soccer. Tonight was
Sweden vs USA. We only stayed for the first half of the game as the Swedes were totally outclassed by the
Americans. When we approached Roam we could see Varga sitting up watching us approach, her little tail
wagging excitedly.
After Varga’s night walk we all settled down to sleep or read our books.
Midsommar Friday: Sunny day, wind from west. We honoured the day with a big fat American breakfast after
our morning swim. Steak, fried eggs, hash browns and proper Italian pressure cooked coffee latte with hot
rolls. It was delish. We spent some time chatting with the boat next door; 2 Americans from Oregon. He went to
uni at Lund so comes to Sweden every year with his wife to go sailing and brush up on his Swedish. Very nice
couple. They picked up friends that will sail with them for a week. They are going pretty much the same way as
we are; up to Åland. So we will be seeing more of them, no doubt.
Our mission for today besides finding out where we can go to see the midsummer celebrations. Right now our information is telling us to go to Båtstuga grändarna near the church. But the big mission was to hoist me up
the mast to thread a string through a loop under the spreader for our courtesy flags. Dan hauled me up in the
bosun’s chair and the job was done in just a few minutes.
Went into town looking for some midsummer celebrating, but found just a quiet dead town. Båtmans stuga
gränd was very cute, "Botswains cottages" from the 1700's, tiny little huts but no celebrating was going
on over there either. Later in the afternoon Dan went for a run while I went for a walk with Varga. Dan found the celebrating about 3 km from the harbor on Slottholmen. We had a very nice dinner of herring potatoes and
aquavit. For dessert I took out my little manual food processor and whipped cream to go with fresh Swedish strawberries. Sooo good:) Happy Midsommar!
19 June
Borgholm - Själevik (mainland Sweden)
Distance to Destination: 25 NM
Time to Destination: 5:30 hrs
Wind: SSW 3-6 m/s
Weather: overcast in the morning, sunny all afternoon and evening
We woke up early this morning and wished each other happy anniversary. We've been married for 38 wonderful
years. We started the day with a hike up to Borgholm fortress ruins and Solliden on Öland. (present Royal family’s summer residence) It was a beautiful hike through forest on paths called “Estelle’s Walk”, “Alexander’s Walk”,
"Eleonora’s Walk” all royal grandchildren. There was not a breath of wind and one could hear the birds singing,
the insects buzzing and all around were grand Oak trees and wild flowers. Varga was in her element although
she was supposed to be on a leash by Royal Decree. But it was early and no one was about so we bent the rules.
She chased flies and stood on her hind legs to get a better view of the cows and sheep but otherwise stayed
close by us. Until she spotted a rabbit. To her it was just a rabbit that she loves to chase, to us it was a
Royal Rabbit and strictly off limits. To Varga’s credit, she heard the urgency in my voice and she broke off her
chase to look at me in wonderment; “WHAT?? But it’s right there, I’m sure I can catch it!!??” I put my finger up in
the air and she knew the game was over, I was so relieved she obeyed and we wouldn’t have an incident on
our hands. We passed by Solliden but it was closed until 11.00 and it was only 08.30 so we continued on to
Borgholm fortress which was also closed due to the early hour but we didn’t mind, we could walk all around it
and on the sea side as we walked along (Varga on leash) we detected the soft strains of an organ playing
classical music from somewhere on the castle walls. It was magical. We walked back to the boat and made ready
to leave. A southwest wind had picked up making it a little tricky to leave our spot but Dan had a plan and we
carried it out. I stood at the tiller and detached us from the stern buoy while Dan pulled Roam forward to the
dock, the stern swung in, avoiding with our help, touching the boat beside us and then Dan jumped on pushing
our bow mightily so I could steer us out away from the dock and on our way. We rolled out the Genoa almost
as soon as we got out of the harbor and sailed off to the northwest towards the mainland and our destination
of a cozy little anchorage in Själevik south of Oskarshamn. These things look so nice in the harbor guide books,
but when we got there, it was hideously difficult to find our way, we had to navigate around rocks just under
the surface, small rocks above the surface and little islands, taking sharp turns to avoid rocks awash and our
last turn was through a very narrow passage with a rock 80 cm under water that we absolutely could not hit.
We had a margin of 10 meters which isn’t a lot when you’re on the water. I stood at the bow watching and
saw the rock as we passed by it. It was a big one! When we got into the anchorage, there was one other boat
there tied up to the rocks with an anchor in the back holding it in place. We decided to anchor free in the
middle of the little bay and placed ourselves in what our Garmin said was 1.9 meters. We draw 1.6 meters,
so fine. But it wasn’t fine, we went aground. It took a few minutes to get free and then moved to another
spot where we dropped our anchor. We looked down into the water and were not impressed by what we saw.
Murky green water with lots of seaweed and teeny tiny little jelly fish everywhere. It was hot out so we all
took a swim despite our misgivings; Varga too. And I could feel the seaweed on my feet. Ugh. Reminded me of
my childhood summers at Cuba Lake. There was always seaweed on the bottom and you could feel it clinging to
your legs.
Totally freaked us kids out and still does. We sat on deck and drip dried and soaked up the atmosphere which
was starting to feel a bit odd. The closeness of the forest, the dark water, the strange grey-haired man on
the boat over by the edge of the water. Was the initial grounding a sign that we should get out of there?
Was the audience of our movie screaming at us “Don’t try to anchor again! Get out of there!!” We watched
him as he moved about half afraid he was going to get into his dinghy and come over to chat. He never did, but
we started talking about a book we had read years ago called “And the Sea Will Tell” by Vincent Bugliosi,
about a couple that left their jobs and home in California and sailed to an atoll in the Pacific called Palmyra
hoping to spend a year in solitude there, but upon arriving finding another couple with a leaky boat and no food.
Eventually, the nice couple’s sailboat ends up in Hawaii repainted and renamed and occupied by the couple
with the leaky boat. After a long trial, turns out the guy on the leaky boat killed and chopped up the good
couple and hid their bodies on the atoll. As we talked about the story, we kept looking over at the other boat….
Scary!! “Don’t be silly” Dan said. So we talked of other things. Like how early we plan on leaving here tomorrow.
18 June
Kalmar - Borgholm, Öland
Distance to Destination: 27 NM
Time to Destination: 5 hrs 29 min
Wind: South 4-8 m/s
Weather: Sunny and warm
It was a fine sunny day so we rented 2 bikes; one with a basket so Varga could ride along. She normally runs alongside,
but we were planning on going a long way so she had to option. We biked through the Kalmar Castle botanical garden,
It was really beautiful, all different kinds of trees and flowers very beautifully laid out. We parked our bikes outside the
castle and went over the drawbridge and through the tunnel. It has been renovated to its former glory, though I have a feeling it looks much nicer now than it actually did back in 1300’s when it was first built and subsequently added on
to and fortified and glorified in the 1500’s. Even in the 1500’s Sweden was a very poor country. Both French and English aristocrats thought Sweden and its people were positively backwards. In the main courtyard they had a mini jousting
station for kids with horses on rails. Looked like a blast, I would like to have done it myself:) We walked around the
ramparts and looked out to sea at the passing ships and sailboats. Back on our bikes we biked all the way to the end of Stensön which is a wildlife reservation. Varga went into my bike basket. It was a beautiful ride of about 6 km to the
end where there was a monument commemorating Gustav Vasa’s landing back in 1520. Gustav Vasa was the first
official King of Sweden. He had 2 sons, Erik IV who was insane and Johan III who overthrew Erik after being imprisoned
by him for 4 years. Johan ruled for 50 years and worked to align the catholic and Lutheran churches. He also forbade
the cutting down of oak trees on pain of death because he wanted them for building ships. Many a farmer starved to
death because his crops did not get the sunlight they needed due to all the oak trees. And believe me, there are a lot
of oak trees in the part of Sweden.
We biked back to town, handed back our bikes and went to the ship’s chandlers for some string for our courtesy flags
under the spreaders and then to the grocery store. We had lunch on Roam before taking off to the fuel dock, which is
very handily placed right outside the marina, and then we were on our way. We had another beautiful sail to Borgholm sailing on just the Genoa. The wind picked up again in the afternoon just like yesterday and the day before so we made
good time. As we sailed along the Öland coast, we saw the sillehuette of Borgholm fortress towering up on a hill and surrounding by Oak trees. Even as a ruin it is very impressive. We found a slip, there were plenty, very few boats out
and about right now. I went to pay our harbor fee and the dock master told me we as guests got to have the full use
of the hotel spa, so I hotfooted it back to Dan to tell him the good news and we grabbed our stuff and had a lovely
hour in the jacuzzi, then the swimming pool where we raced each other in breast stroke the full length of the pool,
did some water ballet (Dan was humouring me) and then finished off in the sauna before hitting the showers. It was thoroughly unexpected and enjoyable. We had a long cocktail hour followed by a nice dinner on board Roam.
17 June
Kristianopel - Kalmar
Distance to Destination: 28.8 NM
Time to Destination: 5:30 hrs
Wind: W 4-10 m/s
Weather: Sunny and clear, 26C
Harbor Fee: 260 SEK including water and electricity
This morning was a beautiful morning, bright and clear. We had breakfast in the cockpit. No milk for our coffee
as everything was closed last night at 19.00 when we got in. And the only store didn’t open until 09.00 this
morning. We made do, then got things ready to sail. Dan announced that he wanted to go to Kalmar today so
that is what we did. I took Varga for a morning walk and paid the harbor fee (also closed at 19:00 last night). We nipped over to the store for milk and then threw off the lines and left the marina. As soon as we were out in
the channel we put up the sails, turned off the engine and sailed out and to the left northwards to Kalmar
25 NM away. It was a very fast sail with good strong winds and no big waves as wind was coming off the sea.
This makes for the best sailing.
Almost before we knew it, we were approaching Kalmar. Öland was visible to our right and ahead of us we
could see Öland’s bridge. We entered Kalmar harbor and passed through a very impressive entrance. To one side
was a lumber yard with hundreds of thousands of longs waiting for transport by ship and by truck. We took the
first guest harbor we came to as it looked almost empty except for a huge American Yacht called Atlantis. I
grabbed the aft buoy and handed the rope to Dan then went forward to throw my lines to a very nice man
walking by on the dock. But just as I readied myself to throw a line, Dan called out that he needed more rope.
He quickly attached another long line to the stern line he already had and we started to move towards the dock,
only to hear him call out yet again that he didn’t enough rope. I started thinking that we must be in the wrong
place, these slips seemed to be dimensioned for huge boats! No worries; Dan got another rope and attached
that to the second one and at last I could get close enough to the dock to throw my line. In moments we were
all docked and secure.
A short walk with Varga showed me that Kalmar is a very pretty city. It boasts a renaissance castle from 1500’s
that has been restored to its former glory and is magnificent. We all went to the harbor office to pay our fee,
get a map and find out where the grocery stores are, ships chandlers and running routes. Dan took off for a
run while Varga and I took a brisk walk to the castle and it’s gardens
16 June
Tjärö SXK buoy - Kristianopel
Distance to destination: 37.1 NM
Time to destination: 10 hours
Winds: W 3-8 m/s
Weather: Overcast until 16.00 then sunny
Harbor Fee: 205 SEK including el and water
We were sorry to leave Tjärö, such a lovely place, must go back. We more or less sailed out, putting out the
Genoa as soon as we were away from the island. The winds were very light but it was a nice way to spend a
Sunday morning. We had a cup of coffee as we sailed out away from all the islands, rocks, and rocks awash.
The Karlskrona archipelago is not as friendly to negotiate as the Gothenburg archipelago; it’s very messy with
stones and rocks and small islands. Once we got away from it all we set the main sail as well and made about
4 knots most of the way along the Karlskrona coast. However, once we passed Karlskrona the wind picked up
to about 8 m/s with stronger gusts. We took down the main and sailed on the Genoa alone as we now had a following wind and using 2 sails becomes very noisy as either the Genoa or the main start flapping when the
other sail takes their wind. We had a brilliant sail up into Kalmar Sound with the sun shining and making
fantastic speed. Our top speed was 7.9 knots which is pretty impressive for a Hallberg Rassy 29. Our normal
happy speed is 5 knots with some reaches into 6 knots during gusts.
We took down our sails when we reached the channel that leads to Kristianopel. It’s a narrow channel and
there is no room for error, no straying outside. Once in, there were plenty of slips available as the season
hasn’t really started yet. Next weekend is Midsommar and that is the beginning of the Swedish sailing season. Kristianopel is a very sweet little place surrounded by an old wall built by the Danish King Kristian IV when
Denmark ruled over southern Sweden. The wall is still in pretty good shape and it surrounds the entire town,
which is minute by the way. Can*t be more than 500 meters by 200 meters. The present day population is 81
and looks to be mostly summer homes, very tidy and extremely cute and well-kept. The wall only had one port
in the north and the fortress was used to fend off the Swedes trying to take their country back. They finally
succeeded in 1658. After that Kristianopel was no longer needed as a fortress and since most of the people
there were executed by the Swedes, the place fell into disrepair. Now it has been fixed up and is part of what
is called Kristianopel Resort; camping place and marina.
We got in around 19.00 so got settled, made dinner and then took a walk around the town.
13 June 2019
Skanörshamn - Tjärö
N5610.561 E 15 02.890
Distance to Destination: 123 NM
Time to Destination: 27 hours
Wind: SE 0-6 m/s
Weather: Sunny and warm 25C
Our scheduled departure of 12.00 was delayed by 30 minutes due to too much to do in too short a time. But we
were pleased to be on our way. Hugged Kimmie (our anchor to home) and the boys good-bye and left the dock.
Our plan: Travel by motor westwards and round Måkläppen, then sail on a 90 degree course (due east) once
around the corner with westerly winds which were forecast.
What really happened: The winds stayed stubbornly from the SE at about 3 m/s. We set sail as planned when
we came around Måkläppen and kept the best course we could. But the best course was about 70 degrees which
got us to Trelleborg at a very sedate speed of 3 knots. It was brilliantly sunny and the winds were warm so
we weren’t complaining. This is what sailing is all about; you take what comes and make the best of it. When we reached Trelleborg we could either tack to the south or put the engine on and putt-putt along the south coast.
We chose to tack and sailed southwards on a 160 degree tack for about 2 hours or until we came to the shipping
lane that runs from East to West in the middle of the passage between Sweden and Germany. Dan had the AIS (automatic identification system) on but was very displeased that we could only see ships within one NM from
us. So while Nelson (wind pilot) handled the steering, Dan started moving the AIS antenna from just inside the
cabin out over the cockpit to the stern railing. This took some work because the cables (2 of them) had to be
detached from their place, inside the boat, unwound and then led out to the cockpit with the antenna for the
testing. Once hooked back up, we suddenly got ships all over from about 10 NM. Dan was thrilled. The next hour
we spent getting all the wiring and cables down an impossibly small hole into the boat and then fed along the
inside of the boat to the tracker device just inside the cockpit. I untangled wires/cables and and started to feed
first one wire and then the thicker cable down the hole, but it didn’t work, the hole was too small for the bigger
cable due to the tiny amount of space the wire too up. What to do? McGyver Dan took some dish soap and
smoothed it on the wire and cable and tried again. No good. He scratched his head, did some thinking and
then got out his toolkit and found a piece of sand paper which he rolled into the a small enough column to start sanding away the inside of the hole. After about 15 minutes of diligent sanding he tried again and this time both
the wire and the cable fit. Eureka! Dan fed them down the hole and through the stern locker into the back bunk
area, then went below and started pulling them through that hole and along the bunk (about 2 meters) while I
fed and kept said cable/wire straight from my end in the cockpit, and into the AIS device. By the time we came
to the shipping lane, all he had to do was figure a way to attach the antenna to the railing. Dan doesn’t like to
add holes unnecessarily so this took some ingenuity and he has plenty of that. He took a plastic cup holder,
cut a slit vertically and then horizontally so the round base of the antenna could be lowered into the cup holder
and the wires down the vertical slit and out. Some duck tape to hold it all together and presto! we had good AIS coverage. A more professional job will have to wait until he has the tools and equipment to do it permanently.
We came about again and managed about 80 degrees which was actually enough to take us along the coast.
The wind was about 6 m/s and we were doing about 5.5 knots.We had a dinner of homemade lasagne warmed
in the oven. When we’re under way like this, we don’t mess about with tables and plates and such. We just
take 2 spoons and eat from opposite sides till we reach the middle. It was delish. We also reef the main sail
to make for an easier ride and more pleasant dinner. I went down at 23.00 to sleep 3 hours, Dan sat up until
02.00 when I came back up.
While I was sleeping Dan watched a most amazing display of lightning flashing across the sky behind us. Clouds covered the almost full moon but it still was not pitch dark, you can see the red glow from the sun moving
across the horizon from west to north and finally to east where it went up again for another day. The wind got
us to Kåseberga lighthouse which is just on the eastern corner of southern Sweden. Our new course would be 26 degrees and nicer as we would not be on such a tight tack, we could fall off somewhat and the boat would tip l
less and flow better. Unfortunately, the wind died completely, and we had to motor. We took down the sails and started motoring. Dan went to take his 3 hours of sleep. Varga stays with whoever is down below in cozy
comfort. I listened to podcasts and watched as the sun rose. It was cloudy so could only see the glow. Checking
the GPS to make sure we stayed on course. Our electric autopilot is not working so Dan rigged up something
with some rope tied to the tiller which kept a good course with only minor adjustment now and then.
Dan woke up at 05.00 and we had breakfast; I heated up some pain riche rolls in the oven and made coffee. The weather cleared during the morning and it shaped up to a fine day. Slowly we shed layers of clothing until we
were down to t-shirts and shorts. Sunscreen for me and olive oil for Dan. Even Varga came up and took a turn
around the deck before settling back on in the cockpit.
The wind came up as we neared the islands between Karlshamn and Karlskrona so we hoisted the sails and
could turn off the engine. What bliss! The switch from noisy engine to the quiet lapping of the waves against
the boat and the rustling of the sails.
We arrived at Tjärö, our destination at about 15.30 and were very pleased to find that there was an SXK (Swedish Cruising Club) buoy available in the bay on the north side of the island. We nabbed it. Only members of SXK can
use the buoys for this service we pay 500 SEK per year. It is well worth it as they have these buoys placed out
all over the archipelagos of Sweden. Reason for this? If you prefer anchoring out to sitting at a dock with a
bunch of other motor boats and sailboats, it’s a much easier solution to dropping your own anchor, testing to
make sure it sticks and then hauling it up again when you’re ready to leave. All we had to do was grab the buoy,
feed a line through it and fasten the line to the boat. Done.
´We went for a swim, water is about 17C so it was bracing. Then drip-dried in the sun on deck. Lolled about, had teatime, then took the dinghy to shore for a hike and look-see.
Back on Roam we had our traditional dram of rum with a beer chaser before a dinner of beef tenderloin, mash potatoes and cabbage salad. It was a quiet night and we were tired so went to bed early.
We woke up 12 hours later to wind whistling through our rigging. We both looked up. “Where did that come
from? There was no wind the forecast last night?” Checking some weather sights Dan saw that the forecast
had changed during the night and we were now to expect high winds, from the East, increasing through out
the day to gale force tonight. Massive rain along with thunder and lightning. We’re in a safe place and these
buoys are rock solid. Whenever we are at anchor in high winds, Dan turns the boat so we lay stern-to. Roam
lies still and doesn’t swing around like she would if she were lying bow-to-the-wind. As a precaution he had
moved the anchor line from the bow to the stern last night so we are in position to weather a storm. We put
the tent up over the cockpit and had a very nice breakfast. Varga looked anxious to go to shore. I looked at the
waves and wind and though it’s not far to shore, I have doubts in my rowing skills. Getting to shore would be no problem, we’d have the wind in our backs, but getting back would be into the wind which was already gusting
pretty strong. Dan insisted I should try it. I got into the dinghy, he tied a long line onto it and pushed me off.
I was able to row back into the wind without too much trouble, so he dropped Varga into my lap, handed down
my sneakers and pushed us off with a “Bon Voyage!” Varga did not seem to have much confidence in my
rowing skills as she stared at ´Dan with an intensity that was saying “Get me off this thing!” Well, I did a
pretty good job getting to shore, though Dan kept calling to me to take it easy, slow even strokes. I guess I
looked a bit panicky as was terrified of being swept down wind to God-knows-where. We got to shore and
took a walk around. I knew the walk was down when Varga went back to the dinghy looking from me to the
dinghy. When I didn’t move, she walked off down to the shore, walked into the water and started swimming. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I called her to come back which she did satisfied that I got the message. I took off my sneakers and pushed out the dinghy, she got in and off we went. The trip back was a bit more difficult but we
made it. However, it’s a good thing it wasn’t very far because I couldn’t have rowed much longer.
The rest of today will be spent eating, puttering and reading. What better way to spend a day?
12 June
Weather has been very unstable the last few days, lots of thunder storms, rain and
high winds. We've been fine with it as have had so many other things to arrange
before we can leave. Right now as I write at 21.50 lightening is flashing and thunder
is booming out over the sound and Falsterbo. We took advantage of a lull in the
winds and rain and sent our youngest daughter Kimberly up the mast to fix the
windex that was smashed when Dan stepped the mast. She did an amazing job
and it went quite quickly in most respects. For me in the cockpit and down
below with the little boys who were everywhere and into everything, it seemed to
take an eternity! Arvid managed to throw our water thermometer off the boat twice,
having been thwarted once. So twice Dan had to get out the net and fish it back up
on deck. Down below, he managed to find the only little hole in our sofa cushions and
quick as a wink, stuck his finger through it and made it even bigger. Another sewing
job for me. Sigh. Respite came when I realised I had cookies in a locker and brought
them out. Calmed the beast in them:)
Kimberly did a great job; the broken windex was replaced by a new windex and all is
well again.
The winds look to be changing from Easterlies for the last 10 days to westerlies and
southerlies so we're nearly ready to go. Tomorrow we will load the last items on
board and hopefully, if nothing unexpected happens, we'll be on our way by
by Thursday afternoon.