Josin’s 2022 cruise, #22

Sun. SUN! Summer the whole time.

We left Varberg

after lunch (monday) as the weather cleared and left a gentle breeze which carried us the 20 nm over an almost calm sea to Skallahamn (57 21.7N 011 59.6E) as planned. The SXK blue buoys were taken, so we anchored in quite clear water, clear enough to be able to see the bottom and avoid the sea grass, which the anchor only harvests and provides no holding

Next morning I took it easy after a poor night’s sleep, (dunno why), and after a leisurely breakfast, was entertained by a seal:

very close to the boat, poking his nose vertically out of the water and snuffling a few times before sliding bak under water. I thought to don the snorkel mask and try and see him from underwater, but decided against it as the water temp was only 17 degrees. The afternoon breeze filled the genaker nicely and we were wafted the 19 nm to Långedrag, (57 40.0N 011 50.8E):

another enormous marina, (with a few difficult-to-find guest slots), the home of Gothenberg’s Kongelig Seil Selskap, on the southwesterly outskirts of Gothenberg, paying attention over the last few miles to the countless ferries and other boats rushing to and fro in the restricted channel.

GKSS has a very active sailing milieu, with much activity most evenings during the week, and at weekends. There was a regatta for Lazer dingies when I arrived. This marina is the only one with guest spots in the area, except for “Lille Bommen” in the town centre, v expensive.

Next morning, did a large clothes wash, again after a discussion as to whose turn it was, (not mine it turned out, the harbourmaster had logged me in for next week by mistake, oops!), then a trip on the tram, just 10 mins walk from the boat. (Two tram routes, both going all the way into G’borg centre, ca half an hour). Busy with my nose in my phone trying to buy a ticket, I overshot the intended stop, scrambled out at the next and had a leisurely wait to retrace my steps. Boat-things shop, large, but without what I needed, then supermarket next door, and tram back.

A very pleasant evening with Ballad-owner Andy Christiansson and family, for dinner in the GKSS clubhouse restaurant, fish soup, yum. Then an inspection of each other’s boats, very different interiors, for family and solo. Lena was very interested in all the drawers I have made to fill in vacant spaces. Very much better that diverse plastic bags, stuffed in there earlier. Maybe a winter task for Andy?

I’m trying to write this while genaker-sailing very slowly, a bit out to sea where signal is very weak, and I keep on losing what I have written. Frustrating. So I’ll stop here and try again later.

Alls well.