Almost two years ago I left Queenie at Falmouth after the return crossing from Pompano Beach. And there she was lying in Turku! A quick look learned some new devices have been installed, some paintwork has been done. Ready to set sail to Gothenburg when skipper Ulric and Peter arrive. These two weeks the crew consists of four persons: Ulric and Peter, Geertruida, and I.

First leg will be to Gottska Sandon with a short stopover at Uto. Uto is a small rocky island with 40 people living. The former military base is in use as a hotel and restaurant to date. Not much effort has been taken to refit the buildings to their new task.

The night we sail towards Gottska Sandon where we arrive in the fog in the early afternoon. We have a look at the local seal colony before we move to the north western tip of the island. Gottska Sandon is mainly sand: once at land it looks a lot like the dunes and woods of the dutch Waddenisland Texel. We cross the island and walk over the beach via the western tip back to where Queenie has anchored. A short visit to the lighthouse completes the tour. Uncanny is the fog that seems to be only at the north of the island: while walking along the beach we walk back into the fog again! The wind predicted for the night makes us decide to move Queenie and anchor her at the south beach, out of the fog and with expected calm sea.

The next moring we set sail for Gotland, particularly Visby. Figuratively, because the lack of wind forces us to use the engine. Not all sailors are so lucky: it seems a regatta has started from Stockholm aiming to round Gotland and return to Stockholm. The poor sailors have to sail with no wind!
Visby is a beautiful medieval town with walls, ruins, churges. And a summerfestival with politicians speeching and advertising. The vessel HMS Karlskrona of the Swedish navy has open days. We have not been able to visit her tough. In the evening we had Swedish style food at a local restaurant: beef and fish with excellent wine, Peter's choice!

The next morning there was little wind: we decided to hoist the spinnaker and sail to Stora Karlso, a nature reservation. At lunchtime we took down the spinnaker: wind dropped and prediction is that it will veer to the south and work against us. Engine on again. Stora Karlso is worthwhile visiting: lots of birds, sheep, nice flowers, and even wild strawberries. We walked to the lighthouse at the north western tip of the island where we met a man volunteering in bird counting: with his telescope on a tripod he shows us the details of a bird colony (in dutch the birds are alken, I don't know the English). Over ten thousand of these "alken" will be leaving in the next few weeks and swim to Poland: distance is too much for them to fly there. It is very warm and sunny: Peter invites us for a freshly pressed applejuice at the local bar-restaurant. We sit and eat some sweets chocolate and cinnamon cakes. Then move back to Queenie using Princess Ransom, tender to QRIII. Boldly Peter and I take a swim in the 16 centigrade water of the Baltic Sea!

Dinner aboard is lemon flavoured pasta with chicken made of lemonpeel, lemonsalt, butter and a little milk. Melon with Serrano ham as starter. Chocolate with caramel chunks as dessert. Some tomatosalad and antipasti (olives, grilled bell-pepper, chili garlic) finish off the meal.

Night falls: we aim at Bornholm within 24 hours. Currently I took over watch from Peter at 04h. Before going to sleep Peter and I watched a very nice sunrise over the Baltic Sea.