Start 10:10. Finish 15:30.
Daily distance: 13.0NM
Crew: Nevil, Robert & Luke

Rachel had a day of teacher training / team building and the school was shut for the pupils so I had arranged to have a day off. It was a lovely sunny day, warm by Norwegian standards, so after attending to various domestic jobs we packed up a picnic lunch and set off for the boat. The boys had learned the ropes of casting off and so we were soon on our way and again the intended destination was Hummersåk. The sea was glassy smooth however with barely a breath of wind so we motored took the long route out, back and forth between shoals of fish visible from the surface but steadfastly ignoring our fishing lures. After a while we set off in earnest, motoring along at a couple of knots with the fishing gear trolling behind us. One unfortunate mackerel eventually took the lure but it wasn't exactly a seafood bonanza!





Both the boys had a go at helming and we got both of the autohelms out. The older one didn't work at all and the Raymarine one flashed lights but didn't move. After open heart surgery to unstick the internals I got it going but it makes quite a noise so elected to hand-helm further. By lunchtime we were moored up alongside a large Bavaria in Hummersåk harbour and we devoured our sandwiches with relish. A walk across to the little newsagent shop and the agony of choice; what ice cream for dessert?

Outside the harbour we found that the wind had gotten up a little to make it worth putting the sails up. We were swishing along and the boys decided they wanted to dangle their legs in the water so, with harnesses on and clipped on, I allowed them to sit on the bathing platform. Sitting alone in the cockpit with the sun on my face and squeals of laughter from the cold water coming up from behind me, I was in heaven!



Knowing that the weather was unlikely to be kind from now on, when we got back to the marina the boys helped me take the sails off Marita so that we could take them to the sailmaker for some much needed attention. [The main now has a second reefing point and the genoa has a new UV strip. The dodger also has two new windows.]