Rain, rain, more rain.

Fog.

Visibility nearly zero.

Is this summer?

Check out this view:



This is where we stayed in June. No, not on that tiny island you can see. Behind the wall of white is the island of Ängsön, but in June it looked like this.

We sailed under trying conditions through the archipelago and through the narrow channel north of Utö and out onto Mysingen where the wind did a 180 degree shift and we powered along until we were about 5 nautical miles from home when the rain stopped, the sun came out (after all, it's always sunny in Nynäshamn!) and the wind died. Kaput. The water was still and so we started the engine and motored the last bit to our home pier.

Home.

Wonderful to be here in this miserable weather.

We are spending a few days here, then when the weather improves, heading out again. The birds are happy to be home flying around the apartment. The dog is happily leaving pee-mail on every post announcing her return and Lars-Göran rushed to the shop to buy ice-cream!

We have travelled over 550 nautical miles already this summer, so we are very happy with that and we have visited some beautiful places, so despite the recent weather woes, it has been a successful and enjoyable holiday break.

It is a mild, sunny morning with good winds and we see that a lot of boats are sailing today - always a lovely sight in summer.



Our route today takes us south of Sandhamn, past Bullerö where we stayed in June and then slightly south east of there to the outside islands of the archipelago at Långviksskär. This is meant to be a striking island group, but I am a little concerned that our charts for the area are 1:50,000 which don't give enough fine detail in such an area filled with shoals. I wish we had a specialised 1:10,000 scale chart from Hydrographica. I hope Santa is reading this blog!

Anyway, we use the paper chart we have plus the computer navigation and manage to make our way carefully in through the stones to the north of the main island. We try to anchor twice in a bay, but it is too rocky and the anchor doesn't grip. So, with me standing at the fore looking for shoals and yelling instructions, we weave our way into a tiny rock filled lagoon and drop anchor there. It doesn't grip too well, either, but we are protected from wind as long as it doesn't shift too dramatically, so we decide to leave her there for the night.

Our dinghy engine also refuses to start after being so reliable, so we can't explore very far which is a little disappointing as the islands look very inviting. But Lars-Göran does go out for a row, while the patient little puppy watches anxiously at the fore for his return.



As a reward for looking so cute on his return, he loads her basket in the dinghy and takes her out for an evening row. Romantic or what? God only knows what the other boat owners thought when they rowed by. And he accuses ME of spoiling the dog and turning her into a lap dog! Hmmm. I can think of three words. Pot. Kettle. Black. That is one very indulged little poodle I can tell you and most of that comes from her pappa!



During the night the wind does shift and I feel the boat go aground. It's not serious in these winds but the early morning forecast is for increasing winds today, up to gale force with rain. Oh joy! Another rainy day. So we really have to move the boat to a safer place. We study the charts and see that there is a large pond like anchorage on the southern island of Söderö, so after a quick breakfast we spend some time getting Fiona off ground and make our way southwards in the deteriorating weather.

We took a look first at the southern part of the main island but it is hopelessly full of shoals so we really have no choice but to hope that the anchor grips in Söderö. There are a few boats tied up to cliffs, but we choose to anchor in a channel with the huge islet called The Cathederal (Domkyrkan) to give us lee from the increasing north east winds. We put up the cockpit tent and look out as the rain begins.

This wet weather is getting trying. Normally we don't mind too much as we can settle down with a good book and enjoy warm tea and toast while staying warm and dry under shelter. But we have run out of good books, having read the few we brought with us. That was not very organised of us. I am also dying to wash our sheets and quilt covers but have been unable to in this weather, so we feel that really it is time to think about heading home to get more books, enjoy the comforts of home, do the laundry and wait for better weather.

The rain does clear briefly for Lars-Göran to go up to the top of the island and look around. It is very pretty here, even on this wet, dreary day, so imagine how wonderful it looks in the sunshine.



Fiona looks like a little tiny toy boat down there and it is really unusual to see how few boats there are moored here even though it is July. I guess in the wet weather people don't go to nature bays but head to the guest harbours in towns where they can leave the boat and do something different.



Perhaps we are restless because we haven't got good books to read. We are both keen bookworms and feel that reading is such a pleasure that it feels like a punishment when we can't read. I'm sure that is what is making us feel a little down. We are around 32 nautical miles from home, so we can make that in a day or two if we get good conditions. The winds are great for that journey at the moment, but once this low pressure system passes us, the wind will shift south west and that is NOT good. We decide that we have to start early tomorrow and try and get as much mileage under our belt before the wind shift.

That decision made has lifted our spirits somewhat, so we can sleep a little easier tonight.

Overcast and drizzling today, but at least there is some wind and the clouds look like they are breaking up (albeit temporarily). I am stunned at the sheer number of low pressure systems queued up outside of Sweden from all directions just waiting to mosey on over and stay for a while. All of Sweden seems to be experiencing bad weather at the moment, with really heavy rain and flooding in the Småland region. What depressing weather for a "summer holiday".

Today we are going to pass by the island of Möja and take a look at the pretty archipelago group to the east of the island.

It is fairly uncomplicated sailing across to Möja and we got a chance to take a look at the western side of the island for a change, sailing into Hamnviken for a sticky beak.



It is amazing that the water just outside of this bay is 106m deep and still, close in to land it is 40m deep. But it is a very pretty bay and quiet even in July - a stark contrast to the frantic pace of harbour life on the east of the island (best avoided in July).

The Möja archipelago has no settlements on it and there are dozens of anchoring places along the beautiful waterways, but of course it begins to rain the microsecond we enter the archipelago. At first it is only a light shower, so we by pass the first couple of bays, looking for something nicer. Big mistake! Now it begins to pour - hard, cold and constant rain with mist that reduces visibility to next to zero in the tight canal we were travelling along Ramsmoraön. Somehow Lars-Göran managed to squeeze Fiona into a small bay, between a floating sauna "houseboat" and several underwater stones. After a tense time, the second the anchor was in place, the rain stopped! While I hung up all of our wet weather gear to dry outside, the two tired little teddy bears had a cat nap on the sofa.



Later on it was fine enough for Lars-Göran and his faithful companion to go out for an evening row. It's hard to believe that this was the same foggy, rain drenched bay that we entered a few hours before.




They also went over to check out the floating sauna anchored in the middle of the bay. It looks quite swish, with the sauna and shower area, a bathing platform and a bar and balcony to enjoy a drink and food. It looks like it can be hired out by groups and is open all year. Can you imagine it in winter? But then, Scandinavians will take a sauna anytime. I can't really see the attraction myself and this is one Swedish custom that I'm never likely to embrace.



After resting the next morning, we decide to head southwards again as the winds look favourable and the rain seems to be holding off. Our goal is to reach the archipelagoes south of Sandhamn. The sailing is good for the first few hours and we have no real trouble. As we approach the Sandhamn outer area, the winds pick up and get much colder. There are also strong waves outside the islands and Lambi starts to quiver again. As we'd have at least three hours of this if we head outside the protection of the islands, we opt to spend the night near Sandhamn. But not actually AT Sandhamn, which today looks like this:



It is loud, crowded and full of competition boats, announcements over loudspeakers and general chaos. We seem to have run into the regatta to celebrate the 175th anniversary of KSSS and the place is as packed as it was a few weeks ago. Just around the corner in the old township, life is at a more leisurely pace.



It is always a pleasure to leave the Sandhamn harbour in July behind us and head to a saner place.



I remembered a little protected bay that we stayed in just west of Sandhamn, around the corner of Getholmen. While we can't moor as close to the rocks as we did with our old boat, Olivia, which had a shallower draft, we do find a peaceful place to lay for the night.



The forecast winds tomorrow should allow us to go south east, so it will be back to the outer archipelago and hopefully better weather.

I've experienced my first real torrential summer storm in Sweden. I am amazed at both its suddenness and ferocity as well as the total calm once the downpour passed.

Lars-Göran was about to pull up the anchor when he noticed a particularly black cloud approaching and he dashed inside, telling me that it was really going to bucket down. Which it did.



The heavens opened and it rained, rained and rained solidly for 40 minutes. When it finished, a gentle warm breeze came to dry off everything and the sun peeped out from behind the clouds as though nothing amiss had happened. When Lars-Göran went down to empty the water that had collected in the dinghy, he measured out 45 litres of rainwater! Now that's a downpour.

After that, we did pull up the anchor and head south towards the middle archipelago. Our goal tonight is Själbottna and to get there we need to cross the busy Furusundleden again, sharing the space with the big Finland ferries.




Fortunately we only had to dodge a couple of them before heading into our chosen bay for the evening. In the morning we went to join up with the Husaröleden which is an old route between the rocks and islands. I've read that it is beautiful, but very busy in the summer, so we will have to see if the wind allows us to go that way. Lars-Göran is keen to take a look at a large bay called Paradiset on Stora Jolpan which lies along that route.

And wouldn't you know it - strong, tacking winds of course, sailing against heavy sail traffic coming at us downwind. All in a narrow route, with the busiest sections naturally at the narrowest and shallowest points. Ain't life grand? In the end, Lars-Göran chose to tack only with the mainsail up (we still made over 3 knots!) and in mid afternoon we laid by anchor at our chosen place - Paradiset.



It is rather pretty, but as usual most boats choose to tie up to cliffs, rubbing fenders with each other. As you can see, we like a little privacy and peace and quiet, so we are lying by anchor well away from the madding crowd. One of the main reasons we avoid being closer is that Swedish parents thoroughly indulge their children's every whim and this includes allowing them to take out pappa's powerful, motorised dinghy and drive around and around and around annoying everybody in the harbour. Before long, every other kid is also allowed to do the same and it is awful. In some popular bays this starts at 8am and is still going at 10pm. Whenever we look to anchor, we scan the horizon for boats containing kids and motorised dinghies - a bad combination.

There are other bays in this island group, but every available crack is filled with boats moored to cliffs. I felt a little sorry for these boats as they had to contend with continual swell from passing boats all day. But in July in a popular place, you have to take the place you can get if you are so desperate to tie up to a cliff. I can't understand why it is so important to be at land, when many of these boats also have dinghies if they need to go ashore. What do they use the dinghy for (well apart from an expensive plaything for the kids)?




The weather pattern established the other day continues. There are a few sunny periods, but it is mostly overcast every day and today it rained heavily on and off for several hours. It is hard to get things dry when it is damp everywhere, so I hope it stops sometime soon. This afternoon we motored around to Ingmarsö to shop. There is the best ICA supermarket on this island that carries an amazing range of goods for a small island shop. The prices are decent, too, so we were happy to pick up what we needed and then cross over the waterway to Träskö-Storö where we dropped anchor across from this tiny cottage.



On the other side of us is the high cliffs and trees that are so typical of the islands of the middle archipelago. And through the gap in the cliffs (which we can't sail through as there are stones just under the water) you can see into the fjärd outside.




We are not so fond of these islands, so we are moving on tomorrow towards the outer archipelago again. It depends very much on the weather, with the forecast not looking the best for the next few days. I hope it brightens up again soon.

We were reading about people's favourite places in the archipelago in the latest issue of Praktiskt Båtägande and saw a brief mention of Ängsö National Park, which is not so far from here. The small write-up painted a wonderful picture, so we wanted to see it for ourselves and set off mid-morning for the 15NM journey down Furusundleden to the island. This route is the one taken by the main ferry traffic from Stockholm to both Finland and Åland and is easily the most heavily trafficked area on the east coast. Along the way, we passed the beautiful town of Furusund itself, with the old wooden villas dating back to the eighteenth century.



Some of it also dates from modern times and in all honesty I can't say that it helps improve the town. What WERE they thinking?



It was relatively easy sailing off the route to Ängsö, though we were warily watching both the sky with its heavy, dark clouds heading our way as well as the dramatically plunging barometer (a sure sign that bad weather is on the way). This meant there would be both wind and rain, so we wanted to have a safe, sheltered sopt before it all began.

There were several free places at the complimentary guest pier, but we prefer to lie by anchor so we chose a spot next to the small island south of the pier and very soon after we moored, the heavens opened and it rained torrentially for a short time. By early evening, the guest pier was crammed full.



And the peculiar lighting of the sky that you see in that picture heralded an intense thunderstorm with strong winds, lots of lightning, loud thunderclaps and heavy hail which we enjoyed from the comfort of our cosy bed. One latecomer didn't find a place at the pier, so he dropped anchor as well, but chose a rather unfortunate place.



For those who can't read the sign, it says: Electrical Cableline. Anchoring Forbidden. Later on, we saw him row his dinghy to land and tie up to the sign itself! What a clueless person. And we are NOT surprised that he is a motorboat owner.

The weather was dark and overcast in the morning, but it cleared enough for us to go to land and take a look at this unique and special island. The name Ängsö means "meadow island" and it lives up to its name really well. It was originally two islands but due to rising land levels, the narrow strait separating them silted up and is now filled with marsh and reeds.



Ängsö became a national park in 1909 with the express purpose of protecting a typical agrarian landscape from the turn of the century. This landscape consists of large flower strewn meadows, reed filled marshland, forests of birch, aspen, linden, maple, ash oak and wild apple trees. There is one large forest area on the eastern part of the island (Österskogen) that has been left untouched and inside it is cool, dark, musty and a little eerie. One could well imagine that John Bauer's trolls inhabit a place like this.



One strange tree we found was in Svartviken bay, near the ruins of an old cottage. This was a small farm holding belonging to Adam Michaelsson, who built a simple home for himself and his new wife in the mid 1800s. He sadly died after only seven years and the widow lived here with her daughter, then later alone with her dog and a cow for the next fifty years, apparently in extreme poverty. She trimmed these two pine trees when they were saplings, then tied the two central branches together and they grew in a strange fork-like pattern.



She used to drag her child through this in order to help her avoid getting engelska sjukan (rickets) which was a common ailment in those days in this country with its long, dark winters. She was considered to be something of a healer and others came to her for similar treatment.

On some areas of the island, grazing animals are used to trim the undergrowth and while we were walking around we saw a flock of Roslagens sheep (very cute)



and a wandering herd of cattle doing their bit for the island.



In Hemudden Bay, the park ranger and his family live and work the farm areas as well as taking organised tour groups around and safeguarding the national park. Some areas are bird protection zones from February to September, so that area is out of bounds to park visitors.



It is also a working farm and in the farmyard we saw Gotland chickens and roosters fossicking around. They also come out to the picnic areas to muscle-in on the food and greet the visitors. We saw a little black hen snaffle a piece of bread from a child then hot foot it to the henhouse, hotly pursued by the rooster and a couple of other hens keen to share the booty.



It is a beautiful environment here and one that was very nearly destroyed by well-meaning but misguided "experts". When the park was first established, learned academic botanists were called in to advise on how best to care for the landscape. They had a lot of theoretical knowledge and could name all of the plant species in Latin, but lacked any real practical field experience.

They were appalled that the farmers said that they cut the meadow growth every year, then grazed their animals on the fields and even thinned out the forests, using the wood for fencing. In the eyes of these experts, the flower strewn meadows and shady woods were God's work and should be left untouched. Despite loud protests from the people who worked the land, these scientific experts prevailed and all cultivation was banned.

With surprising speed the meadows filled up with almost impenetrable willow thickets. The big spruce trees began to dominate in the forests, shutting out the light and killing off many other plant species. Not until the end of the 1930s did they admit their error and acknowledge that the beauty of Ängsö had been as a result of a long heritage of cultivation and that farming would have to be resumed. It took them thirty years to clear the land again and undo some of that damage and today the island is again a living reminder of Sweden's pastoral heritage.

As well as flowers, berries also abound here - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and a lovely tiny wild strawberry called smultron. Lars-Göran relived his childhood summers by taking a stiff stalk of meadow grass and threading it with smultron, creating a sweet fruit kebab to enjoy. It was delicious!



This has been a great couple of days of wandering around the island and we've made a mental note to visit again and wander along the country paths.

Our sailing with Madde went really well. We picked her up at the busy summer holiday harbour of Gräddö. The marina was packed solid and we squeezed into one of the last remaining spots in the early afternoon to wait for her to arrive. I can't believe that people actually choose to be in a place like this for a night and pay a lot of money for the privilege. I can't think of anything worse than being tied up to a rocking pier, rubbing fenders with neighbours on both sides, hearing everything they say and being constantly tossed around by waves and swell sweeping in from the nearby ferry terminal and passing motor boats. Why do this when you can drop anchor in a peaceful bay for free almost anywhere in the archipelago?

Anyway, for us it was just a stop to collect Madde and fill up with diesel and we were out of there as soon as we could!

The day was sunny and bright which surprised Madde as it had been raining back in Stockholm when she had left home earlier in the day. The weather is often much nicer out on the islands and in the coastal regions than further inland and I was glad for her sake that it was good. As she came late in the day, we only sailed a short distance away to an island group called Lönnskär and dropped anchor in a pretty bay for the night, eating dinner outside in the warm evening sun.

The next day it was up with the anchor and heading off again. Madde wanted to help, so Lars-Göran got her to pull up all 20 metres of anchor chain while he "supervised".



It is not an easy or fun job, but she was keen to do it and managed really well. As she likes sunbathing on cliffs and swimming, we went to the small bay we had discovered at Tjockö, so she could walk around on the island and work on her sun tan in the afternoon. After dinner, she and her faithful companion retired to the rocks again to soak up the remainder of the evening's rays while enjoying a good book.



The winds were good for heading south east, so we sailed down the coast to the northern end of Blidö and dropped anchor. It was another warm, sunny afternoon and she spent the day diving off the boat and swimming around.

Overnight the weather turned and we woke to grey skies and heavy rain. We decided to motor the 5 or 6 nautical miles to the small mainland community of Spillersboda where Madde could get a bus back to Stockholm. Poor Lambi had been unwell all night and Lars-Göran was up with her at least five times as she was sick. In the morning I discovered a tick embedded just above her left eye and this may explain her sudden and violent illness. It was tightly dug in, so Lars-Göran used a special tool to literally screw it out of her head. Poor puppy was still feeling under the weather and stayed well rugged up while we motored along.



The town itself was rather cute with some lovely old turn of the century homes and when the weather cleared in the afternoon we walked around a little and had pizza at the tiny pizzeria housed in a converted barn right at the water's edge.

Madde took her bus back to Stockholm and we dropped anchor just down the bay a little, hoping that the weather holds for our southward journey in the morning. We have been spoiled with sunny conditions so far, but a pattern of rainy days seems to be developing. Every weather report starts off "Fine and dry BUT...." and after the "but" it is always bad news. But we can live in hope for good weather.

The promised forecast was right for a change and I woke early Saturday morning to grey skies, rain and fog. How unfortunate that this has happened on the one day that John and Emily are free to come out sailing. For us, it usually doesn't matter too much as you tend to accept and deal with whatever weather conditions you get. But when you only come out for the one day, it is so much better if it is sunny and bright.

By 8.30am it does look much better, with the clouds beginning to break up and the sun peeping through. I've prepared food for the day and we have discussed a route and plan to sail around and have dinner at Lidö. However, I leave it to Lars-Göran to arrange with them if they still want to come, given the cooler weather. As it turns out they want a bright, hot summer's day of sailing and so we take a raincheck for now and will plan another day when the weather is forecast to be hot.

We still have to be around here tomorrow afternoon to pick up Madde and as the weather is clearing up we decide to sail to Lidö anyway and have a look around. This island is around two kilometers long and is run by the Archipelago Foundation. It was settled in medieval times and used to have a thriving farming community. In 1630, a stately baroque-style castle was built on the island, but in 1719 when the Russians came through, every building on the island was burned to the ground, the animals slaughtered for food for the invaders and the castle was demolished. Fifty years later, the stones from the castle were used to build the beacon at nearby Arholma.

Matt Holmes (a retired captain from the East India Company) built a manor house on the foundations of the old castle. This manor house has been restored and today houses a well known restaurant and conference centre (Lidö Krog) where diners can look out across the water at the passing traffic.



To the right of the manor house you can see the old post mill next to the ferry pier. We sailed around to the nature harbour on the eastern side of the island and came across a beautiful bay with many, many boats tied up to the rocky cliffs and several lying by anchor. We dropped anchor inside the bay and as it had warmed up considerably and the sun was shining again, we set off to walk around the island.



The pine trees here are over 200 years old and the undergrowth is rich and varied with rose hips (nypon), snowball trees (olvon), alpine currants (måbär) growing along with many types of flowers like bear's garlic (ramslök), Solomon's Seal (storrams) and Coral Root (tandrot). I even saw lots of thistles with their pretty purple flowers.



Between 1920 and 1945, Lidö had Sweden's biggest mink farm, but these days there is no farming of this tiny animal, though I imagine the descendants of the farm's escapees are still around the place. Today there is an effort made to keep the old archipelago agricultural practices alive, so that the open meadows survive. To that end, grazing animals are used as natural lawn mowers. On Lidö we saw some sheep in the distance as well as a healthy herd of cows.



The sheep were in a far meadow, but closer to the guest harbour there were horses in a paddock. And across the small bay were several fields full of summer flowers with the occasional small crofter cottage still standing.



Along the pathway towards the manor house we saw other small cottages that used to house workers on the estate, but are now hired out as summer houses, set deep in a flowery world on one side and flanked by views across the water on the other.



The forests and fields were alive with birdsong, dancing, colourful dragonflies, busy bees flitting from blossom to blossom and small flocks of butterflies feeding on the blooms.



It has been a lovely, peaceful visit to the island and we are now looking forward to a few days out and about with Madde.

I know one small, white, fluffy dog that is going to go crazy when she arrives....

Grisslehamn is a thriving and historic fishing port where picturesque wooden houses blend with lovely gardens, small craft shops, tiny harbourside sheds selling smoked fish and a busy tourist centre as well as the ferry to Eckerö in Åland.

The town is named after the grissla (guillemot), a bird that used to be very common in this area, though we saw no sign of them at all on our visit. We docked in town in the early morning and set off immediately for a look around while the weather was still pleasantly warm. The small canal next to the marina was a peaceful little place, with beautiful red wooden houses and wooden boats moored in the waterway.



While it is an old fishing town, there are some lovely large homes set in botanic grounds on the main road, pointing to a degree of prosperity at the turn of the century.



The harbour is the natural centre of life in a coastal town and Grisslehamn is no exception. While the fishing activity is not as hectic as it used to be, there are still shops selling smoked fish (and doing a brisk trade) and many old boat sheds that give you an idea of what this was like in its hey day.



One thing that Grisslehamn is well known for in Sweden is as the place where Albert Engström lived and worked. He is a well known Swedish artist and writer who is particularly remembered for his pen and ink satirical cartoons. His studio and museum in Grisslehamn is dedicated him. Despite his background in Småland, Albert Engström became one of the greatest interpreters of Roslagen's beautiful surroundings and its inhabitants. His studio can be reached by a two kilometer stroll through lush, lovely wooded countryside. One little nook that took my fancy was a small bridge over a gurgling brook, which was reminiscent of the bridge in Claude Monet's garden in Giverny that I visited several years ago.



Lars-Göran was very keen to show me Albert Engström's studio and when we arrived at the location, I could see why. It is a really unique structure, built literally on the edge of a cliff and it looked really unusual.



The view around the bay is spectacular, with a tiny, sandy bay to the south.



There are then sandy stretches sweeping around to the granite cliffs where the studio stands. It really is an amazing place to have as a studio - what a panoramic view he must have had in any season and what inspiration for his work.



We are going to head southwards again, partly because Lars-Göran hates the landscape around here (too many pine trees and dark, dark forests) but also because two of the kids have rung and want to go sailing with us. So we have arranged to pick up Lars-Göran's youngest son and his girlfriend at Gräddö on Saturday for a day's sailing, then pick up his oldest daughter at the same place on Sunday for a few days sailing in the outer archipelago. That means a mammoth shopping trip to stock up on the food and drink that they like to have, fill up our water tanks and start our southward journey.

We have had time to look at the electronic charts more carefully and we see that there is an inner route between the mainland and the islands along the Väddö Canal. It looks as though we can sail a large portion of it and will only need to motor a couple of nautical miles along a narrow channel with opening bridges at both ends. No locks, thank goodness! The canal area is really pretty with houses lining both shores.



At one point we saw the world's tiniest lighthouse. Someone has placed it as a marker on some rocks near the shore and it looked really cute when we sailed by.



Sometimes, particularly on the island side of the route, the landscape opened up into meadows, with trees used as windbreaks and we saw sheep, cows and horses out grazing in the afternoon sunshine. We even caught a glimpse of the tower of a church through the trees.



It was a pleasant way to sail and the only wait we had was for the two bridges to open, but that was fine and there were not many boats out and about. At the second bridge (a swing bridge) we went through all alone.



The weather forecast for the weekend is somewhat depressing and I'm hoping that it will be better than they are saying. After three weeks of hot, dry, summery conditions, a cool change came today. This was welcome for us and made walking around Grisslehamn and sailing along Väddö Canal much more pleasant than if it had been baking hot with no wind. However, on Saturday they are forecasting rain, rain and more rain which would be a real pity for the kids if they came out sailing.

Anyway, we have dropped anchor in a small bay opposite Barnens Ö and will see what the weather gods bring over the next couple of days.

Fingers crossed.

After nearly three weeks out, we really needed to fill up our water tanks, so we looked through some information booklets for Arholma and saw that there was fresh water at the western harbour near the shop where were visited yesterday. I wanted Lars-Göran to ring them before we went there and ask if it was connected to a hose. This was because we discovered at Nämdö just before Midsummer that their water had to be carried to the boat by bucket. Our tanks hold 260 litres of water so that would take a long time and a lot of effort – something that neither of us are keen to do in this heat. But being a man and therefore infallible, Lars-Göran decided that “Of course the petrol station has water in hoses!” and we set off for the two and a half hour trip around the island.

I guess I don’t have to tell you that there were no hoses. Actually the petrol station had no petrol, no diesel, no propane. Kind of makes you wonder what they DO have to sell. Lars-Göran was angry with himself for making the unnecessary trip for no result, so I suggested tying up to the spare SXK buoy for fika and a chance to stop and look at our options. Given the prevailing winds today, it made sense to head northwards to the nearest harbour of Grisslehamn. There is a large marina there where we can fill up the boat with water and the town itself is a lovely little harbour town which is worth checking out. So we headed northwards, past the 60 degrees north latitude for the first time in Fiona. This puts us at the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska.

The first part of the trip just outside of Arholma showed some of the summer houses built on bare rocks with great views of the sea that we have come to love.



It was very hot and we sailed with umbrellas up again. As it turned out, it was a really smart idea, as a single, large dark cloud appeared ahead of us and we sailed through a 10-15 minute downpour, so the “sun umbrellas” ended up serving a dual purpose. As it had been so hot, Lars-Göran was doing his usual nude sailing at the time the rain hit. You can imagine the look on the face of the boat owner who motored past us in the rain, staring at Lars-Göran who was sailing nude (except for a scarf and hat) and standing under an umbrella!

We have no large scale paper charts for this area, so we were reliant on computer navigation, which proved good but limited in that it lacked the extra information contained on the Swedish charts. We approached Grisslehamn and saw that the eastern harbour was fully exposed to the sea and would not provide any direct shelter from wind or waves from the east. It is also a busy ferry terminal between Sweden and Ekerö in Åland, so there would be swell from passing boats as well. It seemed a better idea to go around the island to the north (Fogdö) and slip into the more sheltered western harbour by the marina.

Simple? Well, it should be in theory. What the electronic chart failed to tell us was the bridge details between Grisslehamn and the island of Fogdö just to the north. Looking through the binoculars we saw that it was a low, fixed stone bridge. Okay, then we would go to the next opening between Fogdö and the next island of Singö a few kilometres to the north. That also had a low bridge and a call via VHF to Stockholm Radio told us that it was a fixed bridge as well, with a free height of only 8.5m. Nothing for a sailing boat at all. In the end, we had to follow the main commercial shipping route to the north of Singö and weave our way back southwards – a detour of nearly 20NM. It really was not our day.

In the early evening we passed a charming island community near the lighthouse of Svartklubben. It looked so pretty in the late sunlight, but imagine how exposed they are in stormy weather. There were quite a large number of houses clustered on the island and a working pilot station nearby, so it is a living community rather than just a summer town which is nice to see.



We have never sailed in this area before so I saw it as a chance to look at the landscape of Uppland. The word that springs to mind is peace. It is so quiet here as you glide along the pine and fir clad islands, past tiny communities, abandoned boat houses and you are keenly aware that you are the only boat around for miles and miles. Quite a contrast to the Stockholm archipelago.



We sailed late into the evening, soaking up the solitude and eventually dropping anchor in a small, secluded bay on the western side of Singö with only five local cows for company.



Unfortunately we were so entranced with the cows that we forgot to tie up the dinghy on a shorter rope before reversing to dig in the anchor. The result was that the rope got caught around the propellor axle. Several unprintable words were muttered as we quickly shut off the motor and decided to wait until morning before investigating it further.

Luckily the morning was bright and sunny, so Lars-Göran donned his snorkel, diving mask, grabbed a large knife and looking rather like Lloyd Bridges in the old TV series Sea Hunt, he dived under the boat in the not-so-very-warm water and freed the rope, noting that there was no damage to either the propellor or the axle.



There was a collective sigh of relief and after a warm, lazy morning in the hot sun, the wind changed direction and picked up to a brisk breeze so we could sail the remaining 15 nautical miles to Grisslehamn, dropping anchor in a wide bay just outside of the western harbour and enjoying a heavenly sunset.



Tomorrow we will go into town, check out the sights, do a spot of shopping and fill up our water tanks at last!

Yesterday we left Grännesviken heading north again. As we pulled out, I looked back into the next small bay (Vadviken) and saw this house.



While you can see that it is being renovated and expanded, it is quite an old house built on the seafront. What makes it interesting is that this is where the Swedish artist Jenny Nyström lived during the 1890’s. She is best remembered as the person who painted the lovely Swedish Christmas elves (jultomte) that adorn most Swedish Christmas cards.

Again this hot spell continues and it is bright and sunny with light, constantly changing winds. Another short hop northwards will take us to Arholma, which is the northern gateway to the Stockholm Archipelago. This is a well known island to seafarers and the Arholma beacon, sitting high on a hill is as well loved a symbol as our very own Landsort lighthouse, which graces the southern gateway.

Again, it was very hot out in the light winds, so we sailed with umbrellas up to shade the cockpit (and the very delicate dog), causing several passing boat owners to stare at us as though we were Martians. I don’t know how they can bear being out in the sun for hours without dying of heatstroke. While it is not hot by Australian standards, the direct sun beating down on you gives you a mammoth headache after a short time. So I always wear a brimmed hat, sunnies, a shirt and sit in the shade. What I’d really love to have for both of us is one of those great wide brimmed Aussie cricket hats, sadly unavailable in Sweden, land of crazy sun worshippers).

After several hours of crawling along, we arrived at Arholma’s Österhamn (eastern harbour), which was busy with tiny kids out sailing their small boats. These jolle schools are popular in the summer months and I was amazed that these kids (aged only about 6 or 7) could handle the boats with such skill.



We looked at the harbour area and decided that it was too hectic, with small motor boats arriving constantly, water skiers, the jolle school and sailing boats anchored everywhere. So we nipped around the corner to our own private little cul-de-sac cove, set up the bimini and sat out under our sun shelter, enjoying the passing parade from a short distance away. We had a view of the main route out to Ålands Hav (the sea of Åland) as well and saw that many boats were travelling in both directions.

This morning Lars-Göran took his morning skinny dip but today he had accidentally left on his glasses, so he looked a bit odd swimming around with his head held high like a doppingar (grebe). The more sensible people had a shower onboard instead.



After brekkie, we loaded up the dinghy with two bikes, backpack, dog and us and headed to a small pier so that we could take the chance to ride around on this beautiful island on a beautiful summer’s day. It is incredible that all of this fits into our small inflatable boat, but Lars-Göran is a master packer.

Arholma is 5km long and about 2 kms wide and has a network of good roads to get around on. It is a very old settlement and even appears in the early sailing charts drawn up by the Danish king Valdemar who was here in 1240. As it is the gateway to Stockholm from the north, it was an obvious place for a pilot station and the seamen here became sought after to guide ships safely through the hidden shoals that characterise the waterways around here. So, shipping has been a very big part of the way of life on Arholma, along with hunting, fishing and farming. The farms are still being worked today and we saw people out harvesting on several farms we passed.



Many old timber houses survive and have been restored and looked after by the owners and look great. Pity about the satellite dish, though.



The roads were well levelled and very easy to ride on and the view around us was fabulous with open fields stretching out on one side and leafy glades and beautiful old timber homes on the other side. The shade was particularly welcome.



About a kilometer from the harbour we came across an old windmill set up high on a hill (Kvarnberget). This is more of a Swedish style windmill rather than the Dutch style one we saw at Utö. There used to be literally thousands of these dotted along the length of the country, but most of them fell into disrepair and were dismantled with very few examples now remaining. This one is not in working order, but is still a reminder of former times as well as providing a meeting place for the local seagull population.



Just near the windmill was the charming little church, built on the same high hill. The church is a timber structure, painted stark white and really stands out against the brilliant blue sky.



According to the sign outside, it dates from the 1920´s. The actual building is much older, though. It was originally a chapel in Kungsholmen in Stockholm and was dismantled, transported here and rebuilt. Inside the church, it was cool with a welcome sea breeze wafting in through the open windows. It was decorated with sea themes, as befitting a coastal community and the altar and paintings on the walls are the work of Harald Lindberg (1901-1976), who was a well-known local artist.



Another kilometer or so down the road was the pathway up to Arholma beacon. We left our bikes at the foot of the hill and climbed up the steep track to the top. The surroundings here are a real contrast to where we had just been. It was like being in a leafy rainforest, with a canopy of established trees shading a glade filled with bright green, cool ferns.



At the top, standing out on the bare rocks is Arholma Båken, which was built between 1764 and 1768. It stands 16m high, is 8m wide and is made of solid stone, said to come from the ruins of nearby Lidö Castle which was burned down by the Russians in 1719 (a familiar theme in these parts).



The light can be seen 15NM out to sea and is the first glimpse of the Swedish coast for those travelling to Stockholm from the Åland islands. The view north eastwards shows the open sea



and southwards, the inner and more protected route between the islands towards the Stockholm Archipelago.



Down at the base, you can still see the remains of the old fishing huts that used to line the shores. This one is now overgrown and looks abandoned.



We then rode on to the western harbour and saw their amazing midsummer pole. I have no idea why it is so ornately constructed or the significance of the design, but it is truly unique.



The western harbour is charming, with a ferry pier, a small guest pier, shop and café. People here are very friendly and relaxed which is reflected in the casual pace of island life, even in the “busy” part of the island.



Riding back along the roads towards the east harbour we saw many old style barns and earth cellars out in the fields.



And in the harbour, there were a lot of old, unpainted boat houses that used to be at water level, containing rowing boats when they were built a few centuries ago, but because of rising land levels (50cm or so a century), they are now left high and dry.



This is the northern limit of our paper charts and we are wondering whether to head south again towards the Söderarm Archipelago or to solely use our electronic charts combined with a small scale paper overview to continue a little way northwards. I guess tomorrow’s forecast will answer that for us.

While studying the charts, we noticed that just a short distance across Kudoxafjärden was the island of Norröra, a place that we had been hoping to visit as it was here that the 1960’s TV series “Vi på Saltkråkan” was filmed. Lars-Göran had always wondered where this mythical “Saltkråkan” was and he wanted to see it. I guess it is the Swedish equivalent of the Skippy series. It was based on a book by the well loved Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren and was basically a story revolving around this small summer community. There was the precocious child (Tjorven) and her faithful companion, Båtsman (a huge St Bernard) whose family owned the local shop and there were other families and visitors, as well as the obligatory clumsy adult (Melker) who fell off the pier in nearly every episode.

I’ve seen a couple of the shows and while it is by no means an acting masterpiece, it still has charm as a picture of Sweden in a more innocent, simple time as well as providing a lovely picture of summer in the archipelago.

But there is no wind!



Yes, it is very pretty, but not if you are actually trying to get anywhere. It was so light that it was barely enough to fill the gennaker (our nylon lightwind sail) and it took us three and a half hours to travel the 4 NM to Norröra. That’s really lazy sailing! But it was very sunny and at 30C, very hot for Sweden. The weather forecaster breathlessly told us the this has been the hottest start to July since........ 2001! I laughed at that as it was only a couple of years ago and hardly worth mentioning.



Norröra means “north ear” (though öra also means a leafy, green isle) and of course there is a Söderöra (south ear), separated by a very narrow, shallow channel so we dropped anchor in the large eastern bay near the channel and took the dinghy around to the main harbour on the south west. I had expected a signpost or at the very leat a map of the area at the ferry pier, especially as there are regular and apparently popular “Saltkråkan” excursions from Stockholm, Furusund and Spillersboda. But I was greeted with the usual Swedish nothing. No signs, no information, no map and nobody to ask. Just the usual fork in the road!

It is very pretty here and Lars-Göran is sure that this is Tjorven’s house from the TV series.



The houses here are much more posh than those on Rödlöga, so I presume that this area was wealthier. The island was settled in the sixteenth century as a farming and forestry community, though even fishing and seal hunting helped build up the area, which had a thriving township until both the local school and shop closed in the 1960’s.

The island is not that far from the mainland, so people go by boat for shopping and there is a regular ferry service to keep them in touch. Quite a few of the houses are permanent ones with cool, lush gardens overflowing with flowering plants and a view of the pretty bay.



Others are simpler summer residences and nearly all are built to take advantage of a sea view across the fields. There are no motorised vehicles at all here – not even the dreaded mopeds that plague most Swedish towns, so people get around by walking or by bicycle. Dotted here and there are older homes, barns and piers – a reminder of former times.



Today it is hot again – 30C with little or no wind, so we have set our sights on more lazy sailing, perhaps to Tjockö, as much for the name of the place as anything else. When you see the suffix “ö” on a place name, it means island. Thus Utö is “outer island”, Björkö is “birch island”, Ängsö is “meadow island” and so on. Well, Tjockö means “Fat Island” and I made a few jokes about it a day or so ago and now it looks like the best place to moor tonight, so off to fat island we go. I wonder if there is a health farm there?

Nope, no health farm. We had moored in a small bay (Grännesviken), a little way off the main traffic route and tied up to a rocky cliff for a change. We were initially quite alone, but by late evening three other sailing boats had tied up to the same cliff and one other lay by anchor out in the bay, then two kyakers came in and set up camp on the small island in the bay. But everyone is quiet, so it is not painful to be here at all, even though we rarely choose to moor close to others.

The island has a beautifully preserved archipelago community and on a warm summer afternoon, it is lovely to tramp along the country road for a kilometer or so into town.



We knew we were close to the settlement when the letterboxes came into view.



This set of letterboxes (112 in all - no I didn't count them, they were already numbered) is located near the charming little shop (Ö Butiken) where we stopped for a welcome sit under the shady verandah and an ice cream. This shop also functions as the local post office, so when the mail arrives by boat, they walk across and post them in the correct letterbox and you can collect it when you pass by. There are some lovely homes on the island and I was especially taken with this yellow house.



The garden area was extensive and well cared for and just inside the side fence I spotted a pretty patch of daisies.



The home must belong to one of the 50 permanent residents here as this is far too big to be a summer house. There are several summer houses and about 400 people spend their July holidays on Tjockö. It must be great to be totally surrounded by water and the sun glinting off the surface adds a special dimension to the scene.



Back on the boat we settle for our evening G&T and now Bruce and Sheila are demanding their share of chips. I can’t believe how excited they get when they hear the rustle of the chip bag and they squawk incessantly and rattle the cage until they get their share. Bloody pushy Australians!



Not to be outdone, a family of swans arrives for their share of handouts.



But I remember from home that one should not feed them things like bread etc as it is not good for them, filling them up without providing any nutrition for them. It also encourages them to rely on handouts and not collect their own food, so I didn’t feed them and soon they moved on and grazed on the water grass nearby.



In the morning, I heard barking and looked up to see the local farmer (whose fields border the place where we are moored) pop down to the water’s edge with his two cute doggies for an early morning dip. They frolicked around and had a lovely time. My dog slept through it all. She HATES water with a passion, despite being a poodle and thus originally bred as a water dog! She is much more a couch dog and does everything she can to avoid water at all costs. However, the farm dogs looked like they were having a ball.



I’ve decided that Swedish summer is really and truly here as my viking took his first skinny dip for the season. He tried to tell me the water was lovely, but I heard the muttered curses as he gingerly lowered himself into the sea, so I sensibly stayed on board.



Time for more slacking off I think. We’ve brought out the comfy cockpit mattresses and cushions, set up the umbrellas and are intending to stay like this for the foreseeable future!

After another lazy row around here, we think about heading northwards again. The sun is shining and it is 28C (quite warm by Swedish standards) and we want to visit the small community at Rödlöga, which lies around 10NM north of Stora Nassa.



We took up the anchor at around lunchtime and set off. The wind is not strong, but the direction is better than it has been and we are soon approaching the island group of Kallskär, a beautiful group of 200 islands composed of larger marshy and wooded islands, rocky skerries and sunken rocks – the latter being bare and windswept with one or two small fishing cottages left.



I can’t imagine what it was like to live in such a remote location and I wonder how they could survive in the harsh, icy winters with no real shelter from the elements. There is only one harbour in the island group and it has quite a few boats moored there so we think that we’ll come back and check it out after the holiday season is over and we can look around in peace and quiet. For now we press on in light winds towards Rödlöga, reaching it in the early evening. Most people moor to cliffs in a small pond like place between two islands but as the wind is forecast to be almost non-existent we drop anchor on the outside of the islands in a small private bay with a few seabirds for companions.



Again the evening is warm and balmy, the water crystal clear to the bottom and we enjoy a peaceful sunset with our nightly G&T.

The morning is sunny and bright and you can see that it is another stressful day for the pets.



Rödlöga sits on the outer edge of the Stockholm Archipelago and got its name from the colour of the bedrock here. The word röd means red in Swedish and the rocks here are mostly made up of red granite, interspersed with a lighter red feldspar. This area was settled quite early, despite the very remote location and it was already a thriving community around the reign of Gustav Vasa (1496-1560) The main town used to be divided by a waterway, so you could sail right up to the centre of town, but because of rising land levels it is now joined together.



During the nineteenth century, the island transported timber, sand and fish to the mainland. The twentieth century saw small scale farming added to the economy and at one time there were 50 farms here, though only one summer sheep farm remains today. By far the biggest activity in this region was fishing and that industry continued until the 1970’s when the last of the old fishermen died. Today there are no permanent residents here, only around 150 people who come here for the summer months. The island has a regular ferry service to the mainland in summer and is a very popular destination for day trippers. And you can see why as the place is quite charming.



The village itself dates from the 1770’s and is very well and lovingly preserved. We took the dinghy from our mooring place past the area where the other boats were tied to cliffs and into the settlement itself.



There is a real summer feeling today and everything is fresh, green and fragrant in the early morning sunshine. The island is well sign-posted, which is unusual in Sweden. I’m never quite sure how they expect people to find anything here as it usually involves a lot of coin tossing and guesswork when you come to a crossroad – “Hmmm.... do we go left or right?” is a common question with no clue as to the likely answer. But here there were gorgeous handpainted decorative wooden signs. This one points to the bathing area (bad) in one direction and the shop (affär) in the other.



The houses dotted along the pathways and meadows create a beautiful picture. Everything is so green and alive that I had trouble trying to picture this place on a dark, bleak winter’s day. In the end, I found it impossible so I gave up and followed Lars-Göran and his faithful friend along the country path.



The pathway led directly to the main “town” which consists of a pretty and well stocked grocery shop and a small museum in an old house with a photographic exhibition of Rödlöga in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. A tiny café was situated on the waterfront, which also housed a small second-hand book stall which Lars-Göran zeroed in on immediately and for a few crowns he picked up a book about Magellan’s voyages around the world, so he was very pleased.



The fruit and vegetable section of the shop was set up under a marquee beneath a superb old elm tree out the front. Everything was temptingly displayed, with a chalkboard out displaying the prices. You simply selected what you wanted and paid for it inside.



This shop, Rödlögaboden is the most easterly shop in Sweden, being right on the outer edge of the archipelago. The fruit and vegetables were top quality, very fresh and the shop itself was very well stocked with everything you would need for summer. Surprisingly, they have no electricity on the island, so the fridges and freezer in the shop are run on propane and others on the island use wind generators or solar panels for their summer power needs. You can see a solar panel on the pier near this home. With the long daylight hours at this time of year, you don’t need lights anyway!



Everywhere we looked, we saw SUMMER! There were flowers blooming in every space with peonies and rhododendrons providing a slash of cool colour in gardens and the fields carpeted with daisies.



The little bays around the island were dotted with summer houses and people were out in the garden sunning themselves on this warm morning while old wooden boats gently rocked on the shoreline.



In several places we saw fishing nets hanging out on frames drying in the breeze.



What a pretty, idyllic place to spend your summers.

The weather gods must be in an exceptionally good mood as the glorious warm stable and sunny conditions are still with us and are forecast to linger for at least the rest of the week. Of course there is very little wind and it is consistently coming from the north east just to annoy us, so we are forced to tack to get anywhere, but somehow that doesn’t seem to matter so much as long as the skies are blue and the sun is shining.

Mid-morning we pack away everything and set off under full sail northwards with no particular destination in mind, just a desire to enjoy being out on the water.

There is something very special about being on a sailing boat. Time seems to stand still and take on a different character as you have no schedules to keep. Life becomes less stressed and we feel more free. It is obvious that we enjoy being out together and we complement each other really well when it comes to sharing the everyday tasks while aboard, so being out on a longer sailing trip is actually very relaxing for us all.

We decided to by-pass Lilla Nassa as we had been there once before and went instead towards Stora Nassa, thinking that we’d sail through the group of islands for a look and keep on northwards as this is only 5NM away from Björkskär, so that will only take a couple of hours of sailing in these winds.

There are many boats out today, so that means that summer holidays have already started for many people. It is great to see the horizon full of billowing white sails and despite the indifferent winds, people are actually sailing rather than simply motoring around. The southern entrance to Stora Nassa is tight and not easy to find, but eventually we spot the marker we need and follow another boat in through the narrow channel.



What greets us is another paradise and we instantly fall in love and decide that we can’t just sail past but rather we want to stay and explore this fantastic place. After all, it is not distance travelled in a day that is important, but the experience of discovery of new places which makes a holiday memorable. So we peruse our charts and choose another private little bay to anchor in. We can be quite close to land as the water is around 3m deep right up to land.



It is crystal clear as well, so we get a good view right down to the sandy bottom, the sea grass and small plants and the hundreds and hundreds of tiny fish.

This is one of the most beautiful island groups that I’ve visited in Sweden – a real family holiday destination. It has everything – smooth rocks for sunbathing, small shallow sandy beaches for paddling, private little bays, small channels and lagoons, high granite boulders and lots of places where boats can tie up to land. Really, it is a complete destination with something to please everybody. And as you would expect in Sweden, it is completely unspoiled and free from mindless exploitation, which is something that I love about living here. There is a strong sense of preserving the natural environment so that future generations will also get the same opportunity to enjoy it.



Stora Nassa has 365 islands and skerries – one for every day of the year. The biggest island (Stora Bonden) was settled in the Middle Ages and there is still a small settlement there today that was established in the 1770’s and had around 30 people who lived here permanently until around 1915. These days it has a few summer guests only and is the one island in the whole group with any kind of building on it. The entire group is a nature reserve and the eastern half is a bird sanctuary (which we could tell simply from the twittering emanating from the area) and is out of bounds from February to August.



We rowed our dinghy to shore and drifted around the islands, marvelling at the beauty around us and surprised that the birds are so unafraid of humans.



We were just a couple of feet away from rocks with terns and gulls who simply sat there wand looked at us.



Each little bay seemed to contain a boat tied up to a cliff, but even so the place was quiet and unspoiled and did not feel crowded at all. I’m sure that if you came here with the kids, they would have a ball exploring the rockpools and playing in the water.



A lot of the landscape is smooth, bare and low-lying. Only the biggest island has any sort of height (25m) so we tied up the dinghy to the rocks there and climbed up to a high spot to see the group from here and it is a lovely sight.



The island is covered by birch forest and leafy growth with deep ravines and a couple of small meadows near the houses. A ranger lives here during the bird breeding season and we saw him out patrolling the whole archipelago a few times a day in his small boat.



This has been a real find for us and I’m sure that this is a place that we will return to again and again. We have only managed to explore the north west section, so that still leaves a lot to discover in future trips.



The landscape is stunning and I am constantly amazed at each new place. Just when you think that you’ve seen an island that is paradise and cannot be bettered, you round the corner and say “wow!” at a new paradise. I told Lars-Göran that when I used to think of Sweden I only thought of cold, ice, snow and not much else. I had no idea that places like these could be found here and in fact I’d never even heard of the Stockholm Archipelago and had no idea that one could sail in Sweden