And the sun shines…..
We left Kalmar after a leasurely morning waiting for the promised wind, and having had to wait a while at the fuel dock while two large vessels, hardly pleasure size, filled up with fuel. The first one done swallowed 2500 liters. Never seen so many digits in the pump’s display! We sipped 40 liters, and an icecream for the wait.
Then up with the mainsail in hope, and motored out into the channel and head north. Gentle north east wind, gradually veering to east, so the sails helped the engine all the way to Sandvik (57 4.3N 016 51.3E). 31 nm under high cirrus, and the promise of a front. Calm night.
Next morning, a breakfast visit from Bengt, who runs an ecological farm with various animals, including camels. Had to be breakfast, as the ride-on-a-camel session started mid morning. Good to see him again, slightly older, more white hair and a longer pigtail in his beard. Matched the glorious resonant laugh.
Spent the rest of the day installing the new bow navlight, having obtained helpful advice from Lopolight-help. It finally worked. Celebrated with a delicious fish soup in the harbour restaurant. Intended to travel further north next day, but couldn’t find my sunglasses. Must have taken a swim, but the water was too dark to see the bottom. Sandvik’s various emporiums are strong on icecream, but weak on sunglasses. No busses, or taxis. So had to retrace steps a bit to Borgholm, Øland’s capital, 13 nm south, which promised three optical shops.
The sun shone and the wind blew gently in the right direction, so we had a pleasant sail to Borgholm. Big event there, exhibited on the quayside, a gathering of American cars, I think they are called “street”, the ones with squashed, 30’s style bodywork, large rear tyres, small fronts, and a throatfull V8 engine, everything brightly painted. But I was on a sunglasses mission, striking out with walking poles in fine tempo amid the hoards, and dived into the first optical shop I came to, bought two pairs of the right sort of Polaroids, and headed back to the boat. Away again, all in thirty five minutes, Didn’t even stop for an icecream.
Out to sea again, and what-do-you-know, the wind had backed to southwest, and we had a lovely gentle sail back to Sandvik,, it being too late to go any further. Yes, that cirrus had thickened and was moving fast, so there was a front a-coming. Sandvik was as good a place as any to hide from the winds and rain, so, tie up in a spot sheltered from the predicted wind direction. The rain and wind came, plenty of both, in the late evening. Wrong wind direction. We were now in direct line of the wind-driven rollers surging through the harbour entrance. We bounced. We rocked. Josin tugged and snatched on her mooring ropes so jerkily that I added more ropes. Didn’t stop the jerks, but maybe three ropes all tied to different parts of the boat, would survive. A very disturbed night followed, in worry and anxiousness. Couldn’t possibly move the boat as the wind would have blown Josin ashore as soon as ropes were released. So, wait. Mid morning, the clouds suddenly cleared, the wind abated and changed direction, and things died down enough to get in some much-needed sleep.
By mid afternoon, all was benign and sunny and peaceful, with a fine sailing southwester, so we set off again, northward.
Enough for this installment.
Alls well!
Josin's 2025 cruise 