Tuesday June 20, 2017

Photo: Do you think this navigation aid provides an adequate warning of the underwater rock?

We had a short 13-mile trip to Gullholmen with the route passing thru multiple narrow channels. We did the whole trip under power following the historic Norwegian 38-meter sailing vessel the Loyal that has been chartered for 12 cruise participants. Another 5 cruise boats followed behind her ahead of us. The Loyal was built in 1877 for transportation of split-cod and herring with its last such cargo in 1976. She has made trips around the Horn. In addition to the narrow channels, the wind was one the nose.

Gullholmen is a very fascinating island. Paul took a guided tour to the Hallberg-Rassy manufacturing site in Kungshamn where they had about 50 boats in production, with one per week being completed. Dale, Doug and I took a walking tour of Gullholmen. Our guide was a 68-year old man who was born on the island but has also traveled worldwide. He is the curator of the island’s museums and official historian. The island’s winter population is 68 and it swells to about 3,000 in the summer. It has been a fishing village of great fame since the 8th century. There have been cycles of no fishing – a disappearance of fish for many seasons and then a return. The most recent decline was due to Prohibition in the US. It seems that mackerel was a favorite snack in taverns so with alcohol being illegal the demand for mackerel died as did the fishing industry at Gullholmen. The houses used to be either white or red. The white were owned by the wealthy shipping captains and the red by the poor fisherman. Our guide told us that people are encouraged to keep to these two colors but there are some houses that “violate” the tradition with green and pink! Prices for property on Gullholmen are very high.

We toured the Skipper’s Museum as the last part of our tour. It is packed with artifacts and decorated with the original curtains and English wallpaper of the late 1800’s.

The pastor of Gullholmen’s Lutheran church opened the door for people to see the interior. He serves three other churches on other islands or the mainland fairly nearby. Services are weekly in the summer.

We had a very delicious dinner at the Hamncafet—Swedish meatballs and potatoes—ending a wonderful day.