TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

One word describes Swedish boating weather the last few days:- WINDY.With the obvious implication:- Bumpy seas.

From Helsingør early Sunday, (up at 5), to try and get some distance in before the wind blew even harder and the rain set in. Not really successful. We’d only just got as far as making sure the ferries couldn’t get us and then unrolling the genua, more than enough sail really, when the rain started. So, a wet and bumpy ride north-westward until the headland at Kullen, beyond which the waves should be less confused. Not so. So we headed round the corner for shelter, into the tiny little harbour at Arild. Very intimate, with two guest spots, either side of a fishing boat, whose skipper was helpfully friendly and intimated that he could get out alright next morning. He must have done, I didn’t hear him!

A very sad sight on the hard. Two sailing boats on stands, damaged. One seriously, and very probably the one reported wrecked the week before. The other, probably the one which was saved in the nick of time. Cordoned off to keep the inquisitive away, but I had to take a closer look. And a pic or two. A very sobering sight, and one to make me go through all my safety equipment and routines.

Swans and ducks:

You know how they appear at breakfast time? First the ducks. No bread for them from me, I’d run out. But as I’d cut my hair the evening before, in the cockpit, there were tufts of hair everywhere, and a gust of wind blew them overboard.  A rush of ducks. You ever seen a duck spit?

Then the swans, (by this time the ducks, and hair, had gone). Majestic. Insistent. Miffed to hissing point at no snacks from Josin. Too few guest boats perhaps. 

The weather cleared up during the morning and we set off in bright sunshine and 20+ knots of wind, from the west. This had of course blown up a new set of waves, at an angle to yesterday’s, so again a bumpy ride. However, the going was so good that we passed plan A harbour, then plan B harbour, then plan C harbour, and ended up in Träslövläge, over 50 nm. Weary but happy. Slept late the next morning, and after a wander round the ‘town’, and careful studies of both the Swedish and Danish weather forecasts, decided to move on and traverse the next bit of open sea. 

A natural harbour tucked into the islands south of Mønster, with a Swedish Cruising Club buoy to moor to, provided admirable shelter from the strong, by now, SE’ly wind, and we felt comfortable. During the night it rained, no problem, but the wind went round to the SW again, which was a problem, as it funnelled through the gap between two islands and bounced us around. OK, a quick dip in the sea to freshen up, (17 degrees), then onward again, another bumpy ride in a 25 to 30 knot wind, with only half the genua unrolled.

We were alone on the seas. Three hours took us into the shelter of the islands south of Gothenberg, where the waves subsided, but the wind didn’t. On the way across the shipping fairway I saw 35 knots on the wind instrument several times, between two thunderstorm clouds with spectacular lightning and thunder, even less sail out still giving max speed, and it was a relief to get into calmer conditions in Ökerö harbour. Weather tonight:  strong gales and winds. We’ll stay tied up until things calm down a bit! 

Josin has behaved beautifully, carrying me in style from wavecrest to wavecrest. (She wanders something dreadful under those conditions though!). Nothing broken, stretched, bent or bruised. Someone asked me if I’d had a fishing line out. Hah! Even mackerel can’t swim that fast. Saw several small dolphins playing in the waves, obviously having a great time, though they didn’t come close to investigate or play with me and Josin.