5-7 June take-off


Here we go,at last. All this planning and longing for the adventure to come true.A high pressure system has literary parked just west of

Norway. This provides us with fantastic summer weather at the moment.


However it also results in very light winds, if any at all. I am eager to be able to take part in a meeting at Runmaroe, an Island in the

Stockholm Archipelago this upcoming Saturday. 260 miles in 2-3 days would be manageable provided some fair winds.


Sadly, this was not meant to be. The meeting, for the owners of Laurin kosterboats, was very entertaining last year in the end of August

when Rode Orm attended for the first time under my ownership.


The wind was very light, and furthermore NE, which meant beating the wind all the way. After 36 hours, I realized that I had to let go of

that meeting. Instead I had gone into the Kalmar Strait.If proceeding to Stockholm, I would have chosen the route between Oland and

Gotland which are the two largest swedish islands of the baltic Sea.

In the Kalmar Strait (between the mainland and Oland) I was completely becalmed for a few hours, then the headwind returned for my

prolonged amusement. I had no wishes of going social this evening, and so decided to take a nights rest at a tiny island called

�Stora Hatten�, where the Sailing Society of Kalmar, Vikingarna (the Vikings)possess a club house.


At 10.30 PM it had gotten quite dark, which gave me an opportunity to practise my night navigation skills among this shallow and rocky

part of the water. Guess what! To step up the challenge a bit, the temp. alarm on the engine started, and I was quite fast in turning

the engine off to avoid serious damage on it, caused by overheating. The situation suddenly had became a bit tricky. On my BB side a

couple of really nasty reefs. Ahead, a few rocks and some more of the same just showing above the surface. As an extra spice , the

shipping lane was right at my SB side.


Depth, 12 meters on the spot. In no time, my good old CQR went down, and was closely followed by the major part of my 40 meters of chain.

Now the good news. The anchor dug in nicely at first attempt, which was handy, since taking it up, setting sail and then going all over

again was not high on my list for Santa Claus...


Anyway, now, with the boat parked in a safe spot, and an alarm set on the GPS in case of a dragging anchor,I could have a look at the

engine. Needless to say, the engine room was hot like a good sauna. I have no idea of your preferences, but for me, sauna is great. In

the winter, when feeling cold. Not when I am already sweating. Some things in life comes without choice, and the examination of the

mechanical parts of the vessel had to be undertaken, regardless of such irrelevant circumstances as my sauna preferences. What strikes

me as most weird in all this, was my good mood. Normally, I should be screaming and cursing by now, but after 36 hours of solosailing, I

was in the best of moods. Didn�t know that euphoria was some sort of bug that could hit you without notice.


The problem with the water pump was as simple as a nut come loose, and thus making the drive belt slip. This was an easy fix, and since my

hands were greasy and dirty by now, I thought I could aswell take the opportunity to check up on the engine oil, and tension of the

generator belt while I was at it. Still surprised over my good mood, I kept tinkering with the machine, even though I perfrmed a complete

maintenance n it a couple of weeks ago. When this manouver was luckily ended, the engine run for a few minutes to cool off, and my hands

thoroughly washed, it came to my knowledge that it was 1.30 AM. A bit late to start manouvering the boat, tongue-in-cheek, among the rocks

and reefs. Furthermore I felt that the Chief Mechanic was worthy of a bear and I good single malt whisky as a reward. Apparently the anchor

had set really good and so I lit an anchor light and got to sleep. An unusual passage, and 140 miles in 36 or so hours.


After a goo d night�s sleep I wake up to a wind of 14-16 knots. The boat was hobby-horsing quite a bit in the typically short and steep seas of

Kalmar strait. After breakfast, I had a real work-out winching those 40 meters of anchor chain back on board. Did I mention that the wind came

from NNE now too?! A short trip with the iron genny working lead me to a bouy at St Hatten.

The rest of the day I spent here, taking a swim, and polishing the topsides of my little ship.



8 June


The weather forecast is just as good, but also just as dissapointing in terms of winds. Very light northerly winds... I must admit to getting

a bit restless at noon and decided to take a little step further north, despite the headwind. Needless to say, the wind died out completely

30 minutes after my setting sail. Iron genny touring is not much fun, but sometimes does come in handy. Exactly like last summer, I motored by the town of Kalmar and under the Oland Bridge. The photo is of Kalmar Castle. During all those wars between Sweden and Denmark, Kalmar

was a proud part of the swedish line of defence, and strongly armoured. According to the history books of the schools here, that is. According

to a danish admiral of the time; the swedish mariners was nothing but farmer boys, dipped in sea water. Who knows... the same admiral was then

punished badly by the british admiral lord Nelson and the British Navy just in front of Copenhagen. History is always written by the winners, right?


As for myself, I seek no battles at sea, except those against heat and calms. Well, the adventorous little trip of the day, ended in a sheltered little

�lagoon� among a series of islets, where I have decided to endure tomorrow�s calm, warm summer weather with a good book in my newly installed hammock

on foredeck, interrupted only by regular meals, and an occassional swim to freshen up.


Vacation? you bet!


There�s more to come...



9-11 June


The �Doldrums in the Kalmar Strait� seems like the concept of the day. Completely becalmed and with temperatures well over 30 degrees Celsius, it's not too hard for me to get an idea of how it must feel to be in the tropical doldrums. Sadly to say, I spent a couple of days, in my hammock, taking swims to freshen up and doing smaller jobs on the boat. The largest of these small ones, was to battle the barnacles on the propeller and shaft. All through-hulls had their fair share of them too. This was a task performed with a cyclope and an old dull knife to scrape those little buggars off with. Kind of refreshed my over-heated brain as a fringe benefit.


Anyway, at noon the 10:th, a sweet breeze came from SE. Just 2-5 knots, but who�s going to make a complaint? Up went the drifter and the mizzen staysail and away we were at 2-5 knots boat speed. Yeehaaa! How sweet to be underway again.


Soon the island of �Blaa Jungfrun� ( Blue Virgin) was sighted. She lays there in the northern Kalmar Strait, always appearing to be blue at a distance, and always as mystical. It�s not adviceable to anchor there albeit in very calm weather, and the rocky bottom has kept many a good anchor for good. According to the legend, All witches gather on this island the Thursday of the Holy Week, and who really knows.


I decided to keep sailing through the night, it was so energizing to get some wind at last, so on it went.


As soon as it got dark at 10.30 pm, the wind faded ut, and then came back from the north. First with a real gust for 15-30 minutes, that made me change to the jib and then it blew with a steady 3-6 knots all night. Dead ahead again, and pretty week to. Kept beating and tacking all through the night and in the late morning hours I got my reward. The wind changed direction clockwise, enough to let me stear a straight course. Went from the sea and back into the world of islands at Idoe Stangskaer where I took the shipping route towards the town of Vaestervik. In the evening I anchored at Torroe, an old pilot outlook from King Valdemars Sailing Route (13:th century) and til 1882.


12 June


Was spent sleeping and resting mostly. Winds still weak and from NE so no big deal...


This morning wasn�t the best f them all.. first I found out that the water in my steel vacuum thermos was cold! Had to wait some five extra minutes here for my morning coffee. That�s bad, especially when waking up with a �hang-over� from all those hours awaken. What can go wrong with a steel thermos? I just don�t get it... It looks OK, but it�s warm on the outside, indicating that the warmth creeps out of it somehow. That�s life I guess, it has served me willingly for a few years, so, I�ll have to buy a new one at next town I �ll enter.

This was one of those days when �Capn Clumsy� was at command. Last time he had a watch, he sailed three hours with the anchor hanging a couple of feet down in the wet. This time, guess what? Don�t know how he managed to di this, but he somehow clogged the head, (sailor talk for toilet) and so I had to spend the better part of the late morning closely examining the reminiscense of yesterdays main menu from inside the pump and hoses. Great way of entertaining one�s vacation, right? Problem solved: over and out.


The evening was a lt more entertaining. Had a long nice walk around the island and it�s historical places, dating back to the days of King Valdemar. Needless to say, I enjoyed the fresh air after the �clogged head problem shooting� earlier today.


13 June


Had a quite nice sail today, got me some 25 miles north. To an island called Harstena,where I enjoyed a meal of really fresh fish. The evening saw heavy clouds and a short shower. Temperature nw is down to 20 degrees and gone are the tropics... for the time being.


14 June


Gale warning towards the afternoon and the night. I took north, out on the open sea and had a marvelous six hour/ 35 mile trip. Running wing and wing in winds from 12-30 knots. The wind speed increasing through the day. Roller-coaster sailing... At 5 pm I had the boat riding at her anchor in a sweet spot in a labyrinth of islets that gave real good protection from the seas and the wind. The trees on the island were waving to me in the gusts while I enjoyed tuna salad and a glass of red for dinner. Refreshing day. After a week and a half without going shopping (provisioning)I am beginning to feel like going to town tomorrow, or the day after... except for the fact that my fresh fruit and grocerys are running out, and I am suffering from a slight miss the web-itis, civilization is not that tempting right now. We�ll see...