Despite the less than auspicious start to our homeward journey, the thirty five nautical mile trip to the first stage at Mem was not only easily achieved but was also enjoyable. The day was warm and balmy, it was quiet out on the water, the scenery was gorgeous and I think that now we have made the decision to go, it feels easier.




We chose a slightly meandering route through both the Gryt and St Anna archipelagos, finally deciding to chance getting under the bridge at Lagnöströmmen, west of Norra Finnö/Yxlö. We have done it once before, about three years ago, but we were unsure just how high the water level was given the wet summer we have been experiencing. Our mast is 15.5 metres high, so we have to be really careful when we approach fixed bridges.




As it turned out, we had a small margin to spare and we even had time to stop and fill up with more diesel (and of course eat ice cream - no prizes for guessing whose idea this was!) In early afternoon, we turned up into the area known as Slätbaken, a 15 kilometer long inlet of the Baltic Sea. We passed V. Gärdesholmen island and its distinctive Capella Ecumenica Chapel built in 1965.




And not long after, we sailed past the tower of the ruined castle of Stegeborg. This castle was originally built to defend the town of Söderköping. In a natural setting on Slätbaken bay with its oldest sections built in the 1300s, the castle was at its height during the 1600s when Kings Gustav Vasa and Johan III held court here. In 1590 the latter transformed it into one of Sweden´s loveliest Renaissance palaces. During the 1800s it fell into disrepair but was restored until its current condition in the 1930s. It's still a powerful sight.




By early evening, we were in the tiny hamlet of Mem, overlooking Slätbacken to the east and the beginning point of The Göta Canal to the west. Yes, I know, I know, this time last year I declared that I would absolutely, never, ever travel along the Göta Canal again. But one ought never say that fateful phrase "Never Again" because just look where I am today - and this looks like being an annual event as our new home town is on the shores of Lake Vättern. And the only way to get there with a boat is to take the canal.




The reason we were going to wait until at least next week before taking the canal is that it is still officially peak season until August 21st and they charge a whopping fee for the service. We only need to go half way, but if we had waited, we could have saved 700kr. As we are forced to begin our journey now, we have to pay the full 4,000kr (just over $AU700) to get to Vättern. Highway robbery or a two day trip, if you ask me, especially when you know that many of Europe's canals are free.




But we need to get home, so we smiled plesantly like good little Swedes and paid up, preparing the boat carefully with ropes, fenders etc for the hard work ahead. We managed to find some more cotton gloves at Mem, so hopefully we can keep Lars-Göran's hands protected while he works. I'm quite concerned as I know he has to winch in the ropes in all of 37 the locks through which we have to pass in the next two or three days. It's my job to stay on land, to attach the ropes to the mooring rings and loosen them when we have locked up, so I can't help him onboard. I just hope and pray that he'll be okay. We began the day quietly and after the third lock, in Söderköping, we picked up a Danish boat which became our travelling companion over the next days.




Generally speaking, the weather was a little better than it was when we travelled this stretch last year. As I was the one leaping on and off board, it was a relief to be wearing light clothes and shoes rather than trying my hand at gymnastics in the multiple layers, rain gear and rubber boots that I was encumbered with previously. I've always hated any kind of sport, so this is not my natural milieu at all. I also tried to take some of the strain from Lars-Göran by driving the boat through the stretches between the locks, giving him a chance to rest as it was hot, sweaty work for him.




The canal weaved its way through the countryside, around twisting bends, over roads and beside fields and dales. It was quite green and lush in the sunshine and we did get a chance to enjoy the vista. Last year we were mostly huddled under umbrellas trying to keep warm and dry.




The farmlands in this region are very rich and productive and we remembered last year when we spent the day along this part of the water literally holding our noses and gagging as a farmer was spreading liquid manure on his fields. It was the worst smell imaginable. Today there was no sign of farmer or his dreaded tractor, but the manure producers were out in full force enjoying the sun as much as we were.




As usual, the sight of a herd of highly contented cows cheers me up considerably. I feel such a bond with them that Lars-Göran has taking to jokingly calling them my sisters whenever we see them. Quite what my real life sisters would make of that, I'm not at all sure.

This part of the canal, which stretches from Mem to Norsholm (on the eastern shore of Lake Roxen) is around 28 kilometres long and has 15 locks, raising us up a total of 33 metres above sea level. In addition, there are three bridges that need to be opened to allow us to pass through. While it doesn't sound far to go, it takes quite a while. We began to lock up at Mem at 9.00am and it was almost 5pm when we arrived at the bridge which carries the European Highway 4 over the canal. This one is a fixed bridge as it would be too disruptive to stop the traffic on a road like that.




Once we locked out of Norsholm, we had a choice. We could stay at the guest harbour there and continue our journey tomorrow, or we could cross the 15 nautical miles of Lake Roxen and moor at Berg instead. That would allow us to be the first to lock up in the morning and as we need to press on while Lars-Göran's hands are still okay, we decided to cross Roxen tonight. The Danes agreed, so we both set off immediately for the three hour trip. The weather was warm and clear, so I cooked dinner while we motored along and we sat out in the cockpit and ate it, enjoying the evening and letting the autopilot steer the boat. It's the first time this year that we have eaten a hot meal while underway. We usually have lunch while sailing, but that is generally a salad sandwich. Tonight we enjoyed spinach tortellini with a nice spicy Arrabiata sauce topped with parmesan shavings. A simple tossed salad, crusty bread and a glass of Aussie shiraz completed the meal.




Out in the middle of the lake we came across this man out in his kayak, complete with his faithful companion. They made a charming sight and the dog looked as though it was enjoying the ride and quite familiar with the boat. I was a little concerned that the dog was not wearing a life jacket, but then maybe it is an accomplished swimmer. Unlike a certain toy poodle I could mention, who despite being bred as a water dog, positively loathes water. And last year, not that far from here she proved that not all dogs can float.

We arrived at the Berg lock soon after 8pm, tired and almost ready for bed. The thought of starting the day with the enormous seven part Karl Johan Lock, followed by another four double locks in just a couple of kilometres will be enough to keep me awake with nightmares for the night.




As far as Lars-Göran's hands are concerned, it's so far so good. We have decided to hit it hard with the steroid cream, keep his hands warm and dry in cotton gloves and try and stop it spreading. So far it is confined to two fingers only, which is promising. I certainly hope we can avert a full blown attack this time as it is extremely painful.

In the morning, we discovered that there will be three other boats locking up with us today. That is okay, though the gale force side winds are a cause for concern. The boat which will be next to us in the locks is from Germany. It's a husband and wife team, who come to Sweden most years sailing. They requested to be in the back of the lock as the wife is still recovering from a serious illness and finds climbing the steep walls in the lock very tiring.

They told us that they had been sailing in Sweden two years before and while in Stockholm, they had hired bicycles to ride around Djurgården. The woman had fallen from her bike and badly bruised herself. They had expected the bruising to subside after a few days, but instead it seemed to get worse and to be spreading. She didn't want a fuss, but her husband insisted that she get it looked at, which was just as well, because the doctors at Karolinska diagnosed advanced breast cancer and she found herself admitted immediately for a radical mastectomy and radiation treatment. Not quite how she had envisaged spending her summer vacation in Sweden. They could not speak highly enough of the care and attention they received from the hospital and this year they felt that she had recovered enough to come northwards again.

What a lovely, positive and inspiring couple they were. They had determined that from now onwards they were going to live for the day and experience everything that life offered. While she tired easily, she helped out with the boat as much as she could and he proved to be an exuberant and cheeky companion to Lars-Göran as they chatted together while locking up through this difficult set of locks.




If you peek carefully at that picture, you will also see that the birds are out in the cockpit as well. They just love the attention and excitement of being out and seeing people. There were a large number of bystanders watching proceedings and several people ohhed and ahhed over the birds. I think Bruce in particular knew he was the centre of a lot of admiring looks and so he showed off shamelessly, climbing around the cage, hanging upside down and making eyes at the crowd. What a little con artist!

I also met a couple of Australians at these locks. They were from Perth and driving around Europe for their holidays. They had stopped to watch the boats and spotted the Australian flag on our boat (and the cockatiels in the cockpit - who could miss them hamming it up). I had finished with the final lock and walked up to the next set of double locks to wait for the boat. They had asked Lars-Göran about the flag and when he told them where I was, they walked up to say hello. It was quite a surprise for all of us to find a fellow countryman out in the middle of nowhere and we had a lovely chat while we waited for the lock keeper to arrive and open the gates.




The weather became quite patchy after these locks and several of the next ones were done in pouring rain - yuk! It wasn't wholly awful, though as the sun chased away the clouds and the strong winds kept the weather moving along at a fast pace. In many ways it was a little like an antipodean early spring day, with blazing sunshine, a quick, violent shower and then blazing sunshine again. Lars-Göran kept rubber gloves over his cotton gloves as all of the ropes were sopping wet and we tried to air his hands between the showers and keep new, fresh cotton gloves on him when needed. I also drove some of the stretches and we did get a chance to enjoy the scenery.




This part of the canal goes from Berg to Motala, which is where we will stop. We aren't living in Motala, but it will be Fiona's temporary home until there is a vacancy at our town. It is quite a long and demanding section today and I know that I am going to be bushed tonight. We will travel around 38 kilometres of canals and lakes, pass through 22 locks which will raise us to 88.5 metres above sea level and pass through nine bridges that need to be opened. This section also has two aqueducts - the Ljungsbro aqueduct, built in 1970:




And the Kungs Norrby aqueduct, which was built in 1993 in order to carry the canal over Highway 36. It feels really strange to sail OVER the road. You just can't get the idea out of your head that something is fundamentally wrong with the whole picture. It only makes me keen to visit the famous Håverud aqueduct on the Dalsland Canal. One day. Maybe...




We had spent a long time hanging around and waiting for bridge openings, for boats to lock down in the other direction and for a motor boat that dawdled all day long behind us. When we arrived at Borensberg, it seemed as though we would not make Motala today as we still had to cross Lake Boren (an hour's trip), negotiate the five step locks at Borenshult, then get the railway bridge opened into Motala harbour. We felt so close to our goal that we didn't want to give in. The Danish family were also keen to keep moving towards home, so we decided to take a chance and set off at full speed across Lake Boren. It was hazy and with the extensive blue fields of flowering flax (lin), it was hard to tell where the land ended and the water started. It's just as well that the non-floating dog was firmly asleep in her basket and not tempted to test the boundaries.




The wind picked up to near gale force as we crossed the lake and as the forecast was for more unsettled weather tomorrow, so we really wanted to be in Motala today if we could manage it. As we arrived at the Borenshult locks, torrential rain began to fall, just as it did last year. Thankyou for that, Mother Nature, just what I needed at the end of a long, tiring day!

But we were on a mission, so while I tied up the boat, Lars-Göran and the Danish captain went to land and talked the lock keepers into letting us lock up today. They had been a bit reluctant as it was close to the end of the day, it had just started to teem and they were huddled under shelter eating plates of hot waffles, jam and cream. I don't blame them for hoping that we'd just go away, but eventually Lars-Göran convinced them that we'd go fast and so they relented and let us go as far as Motala Verkstad. Thankyou, girls!




It poured and poured all night, but we didn't care. We were but a couple of kilometres from Fiona's new home, a few more kilometres from our own new home and we had managed to get here from out in the archipelago in just a few days. We're feeling quite relieved and pretty pleased with ourselves. And to welcome us properly, in the morning it was a glorious sunny day and we awoke to the bleating of sheep, who were grazing happily in the field next to the boat.




So our summer trip has come to an end. There may be more sailing this season, if Lars-Göran's hands can manage it and if the weather improves and if we don't get too stuck in unpacking, renovating and settling into the new town. As with so much in life, the journey is the goal.