Josin’s 2023 cruise, #7

One has a choice, navigating this stretch of Swedish coast, called Bohuslén, either inside the islands, very beautiful, busy with boats, much chart-watching and weaving and adjusting of sails, or, outside the islands, none of the former, but very much more relaxed, usually more and steady wind and very little navigating. As we have done this stretch before, I decided to go outside, and was rewarded with two days of gentle sailing. Time slips by, and before you know it, you are nearly there. Detailed navigating again required when approaching harbour, and other activities like starting the engine, (yes, it does now, every time), taking in the sails, putting out fenders and mooring lines and paying attention. Approaching Gothenberg, we were assailed by an armada of fishing boats, all carrying a large blue flag protesting against windmills on their fishing grounds. Must have had a rally somewhere. My sympathy. But they could of given a rolling and bobbing Josin a bit more space as they surged past.
I had remembered that the marina at Långedrag, (57 40.0 / 011 50.8), had those berths with two thick tree-trunk piles on the way in, onto which stern-lines have to be hooked as you are going past, at the same time as other things are demanding one’s attention. So, I had made up two more “lasso”s, with line inside a hoop of hose, and hoped for the best.

And with the aid of the boathook, dropped them neatly over the poles first time and fumble-free. Relief! The other ends of the lines were already wrapped around a winch each, at the rightly estimated length to stop the boat before the bow bumps the quay. Relief! Then with the engine just turning, one can let out just enough to inch forward until one can hop ashore with the bow-lines. Relief! I was lucky this time because there was not a crosswind or current to confuse the operation. Not so worried about the next time now.

The facilities at the Goteborg Kongelig Seil Selskap’s marina are first class, and quite reasonable really, so we stayed for a couple of days. Booked the shower and the washing machines, and apart from the problem that the code for the door lock didn’t open the door until help arrived, I, my clothes and Josin’s linen are now clean.
Also a “five minute” walk takes one to the tram in to town. Three stops and a large supermarket, and a chandlery. What more could one want?. A trip in to the town center, and the vast Nordstad shopping mall, produced everything on the non-food shopping list. That was saturday, and it was very hot outside.
Spent a convivial sunday afternoon with friend Andy on his Ballad sister boat, admiring his latest projects and sharing stories. He is in a neighbouring marina, not on the tram line, and I pedalled my way there and back. There were hills, oh dear, and too much taking of wrong turnings, but the exercise was worth it.

Today, its monday, we sailed, and motor-sailed, and sailed, south-along again, to a blue mooring buoy in a bay called Skallehamn, (51 21.7 / 011 59.6). Very quiet, amongst another, (much smaller), gaggle of geese.
Tomorrow to Varberg. Need diesel soon. There wasn’t a pump at Långedrag. The forecast is promising for after lunch.

Alls well.

JosinJohn