This was my quip to Lars-Göran as we passed through a canal on Hamburgö (literally "Hamburger Island" and funnily enough pronounced Hamburg-err) Yeah, I know it's a pathetic pun, but I couldn't resist. Of course, fellow Aussies will know what Maccas refers to, but those of you from less enlightened lands can read what it means here. You know, I never realised that was a strictly Australian term until I used it here with a group of Americans who looked at me with a puzzled expression. Apparently they call the good old "Golden Arches" Mickey D's.

Today's sailing took us along a protected route, out into open water, through a beautiful archipelago (the most picturesque so far) and past several smaller communities. And in the brisk winds, it was a full day of sailing with almost no motoring, which made a nice change.

As we passed by Heestrand on our way out, I saw several small homes dotted on the cliffs. There is not a scrap of wood in the area, so one wonders how they acquired the materials for their homes.




Apparently some of this area was heavily wooded back in the mists of time. Most of the forests were mighty oak, elm, linden and hazel which were highly prized for ship building. Gradually all of the trees were stripped to provide ships for the powerful navies and by the late medieval times the forests had already disappeared. The undergrowth, robbed of the canopy cover quickly followed suit, leaving bare soil that was eroded away to the bedrock. So I guess the wood came in from elsewhere.

Not all of the homes are made of timber. There are also some lovely, quite substantial stone homes which sell these days for incredible prices. I read the other day of a house on Hamburgsund that sold for a massive 19,000,000kr ($AU3,800,000). Not bad for a holiday cottage.




Again there were a lot of boats out enjoying the winds and sunshine, though we noticed that many were heading along the main routes and into the marinas dotted along the coastline. We chose to take a more outer route through the rocky coves and it was worthwhile for the peace and the lovely scenery. This part of the coastline is less exploited and more scenic. The granite rocks on the shore were dotted with boatloads of families out enjoying a picnic, bbq or just sunning themselves.




But the scenery was not all just nature. There were towns in surprising places. This area had been settled in the Viking times, with even one of the early Norwegian kings being crowned here. As we approached the narrow sound separating Hamburgö from the mainland, we caught a glimpse of this pretty wooden church perched high on the hill.




The actual sound is very heavily trafficked even today, though probably not as intensively as it was in the seventeenth and eighteenth century when this was an important trade route. It was an ideal spot to set up a custom station and charge tax for goods passing through here. These days, the big ships pass well outside the coastline, so it is yachts and motor boats that use the canal.




There are guest harbours on both sides of the sound, which I think would be a nightmare as the lively, constant passing traffic stirs up a lot of wash, as does the ferry that traverses the middle section every few minutes both day and night. I saw that one guest harbour was situated in front of a striking replica of a viking village (Honbore) which looked really interesting with its longhouse, stables and chicken runs. Unfortunately, the picturesque and historic nature of the place had been marred by the decision to site the caravan park next door! It was a rather glaring and stupid contrast - hmm... local government decisions, eh?

There were signs forbidding sailing in the sound, but they were only in Swedish, so we saw several foreign boats with sails up making their way along. I hoped they timed it well with the car ferry crossing as there was no room to manoeuvre there. We had taken down our sails, which was just as well as the cliffs on either side are quite high and completely blocked the gusty west wind.




Once we were through the sound, we raised sails again and set off across the waters headed to the Fjällbacka archipelago, which was absolutely beautiful - stark, peaceful, open and magnificent, with smooth granite landscapes in the middle of the ocean. The sun came out as we passed Dannholmen, which is fondly remembered as the summer residence of the much loved Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman.




The two-time Academy Award-winning actress started visiting Dannholmen in 1958 and thereafter spent all of her summer holidays there, with her husband and her children. Is it any wonder, when you look at the beautiful location. The contrast between this and the hustle and stresses of Hollywood must have been amazing and I can see that this was a perfect way to relax. Surrounded by her family and with the sea and these beautiful red cliffs for company, a short boat ride away from the small community of Fjällbacka - it would have been heaven for her.




After around twenty nautical miles, with afternoon thunderstorms threatening, it appeared time to look for a night harbour. We haven't experienced this type of daily summer rain before and it takes a little getting used to. I find that we begin the day dressed lightly, with sun hat and sun glasses then gradually add layers as it clouds over, finishing the day wearing full oilskins and a sou'wester! The sheer amount and variety of clothing we accumulate over the day is amazing. It reminds me of living in Malaysia, where it rained every afternoon without fail - though of course it was much warmer there. And the food was better.....

We need a sheltered bay as the winds will pick up to near gale force tomorrow. We joked earlier in the day about having to moor at Testholmarna, (just east of Havstensund) which looks on the map exactly like a pair of testicles, but it was really too open. And anyway, after the awful puns about hamburgers today, can you imagine what fun I'd have with this name. Poor Lars-Göran must wonder what he has married at times! Anyway, a quick look at our literature leads us to Kalvö-Lindö where we are fortunate enough to grab a free SXK buoy before settling down to the serious business of gin and tonic.




Again, this is an old area and we saw many people walking around the islands. The old sailing route out into Skagerrak is filled with dangerous rocks and shallows. In earlier times, especially in heavy snow, fog or driving rain sailors sometimes lost their way among the islands here and ran aground on the reefs. The nameplates of the many wrecks are listed on the island.

During World War II, the Norwegian resistance used the bad weather for smuggling weapons into the country. There was less risk of being seen by the Germans and this island (Lindö) as a hiding place. Today, it is all peaceful and calm again and we are safe from the wind, so life feels great.

I think we will sit out the gale tomorrow and catch up on some reading and a bit of housework. But only a little of that - my current book (John Berendt's brilliant The City of Falling Angels) is just too good to put down!

The Bohuslän coast stretches from Göteborg in the south to the Svinesund Bridge just north of Strömstad and we intend to cover all of it while we are here. It is one of Sweden’s most popular summertime destinations and there is a wealth of information available about it.

The west coast tourist industry presents us with what it considers “typical of Bohuslän” in an effort to attract visitors. The features they always emphasise are the smooth, sculptured red granite rocks, the sunshine, the joys of sailing in the region, the excellent seafood and the small picturesque fishing villages along the coastline, each with its own character. There does seem to be a virtually endless number of small coastal towns that may be worth visiting, except that there are a few things the tourist bureaus neglect to tell you and as we discover the “other side” of being here in summer, the idea of this as some kind of paradise seems less and less realistic. But more about that later...

The morning dawned sunny, though the weather bureau has predicted unstable conditions and some afternoon summer thunderstorms. We do enjoy the lovely view around us in this bay. We have anchored furthest in and through a gap in the cliffs we have a view of the surrounding islets and some of the main route. It is unusual for us to see that we are the only boat laying by anchor. All of the other boats are tied to the cliffs – and in a most unusual way. On the east coast, one drops a rear anchor, then drives forward to the cliff, where someone jumps off and attaches the front to the rocks. We have noticed over on the west coast that boats prefer to lie alongside the cliff-face, using large ball type of fenders to protect the boat from the uneven rocks. I’m not sure why there is a regional difference but we decide that we may give it a try if we get a chance and see what it is like. Anyway, from our cockpit, the view is of a peaceful, quiet natural world.




The early birds are out already, so it’s time to get cracking and head north. There are a large number of boats around here, because we are close to Smögen, which is close to the mainland. This is something else that surprised me somewhat about the west coast archipelago – it is so accessible. In Stockholm, the archipelago stretches out many, many kilometers to sea with a band of wooded islands (the inner archipelago) and a little further out a band of rocks and islands with less trees, but still a lot of bushy growth, perhaps farms and fishing villages (the middle archipelago), then far out in the sea lie the bare, barren rocks and islands of the outer archipelago. To get to these outer islands, you need your own boat, or to take one of the few smaller taxi boats and travel for an hour or more. Here, the bare rocks are a stone’s throw from the mainland and therefore many, many more people visit them via boat, ferry and even bridges. Islands that I imagined were a long way from land, out in the sea, all alone are actually a ten minute boat trip from the mainland!

We set sail and head north. I have to say that the traffic in the outer skerries of Smögen is massive. The boats line up one after the other on this “skerry motorway”. I’ve never seen so many boats criss crossing here and there. We found ourselves in the middle of manoeuvering motor boats, cabin cruisers, yachts, small fishing boats, taxis, ferries and ships. Basic rules of seamanship were sadly lacking and the only rule seemed to be “every man for himself”. It was like an enormous traffic jam and quite stressful. This is something that you have to be aware of if you contemplate being here in July. It is massively overcrowded – far more so than in popular places on the east coast. places like Vaxholm and Sandhamn are quiet little backwaters compared to the noise and boat traffic here.

Lars-Göran was keen to show me Smögen, but I found the whole chaos in the harbour utterly repelling and told him that I’d rather give the place a miss. Smögen, calls itself the "metropolis of pleasure" with its many discos, bars and restaurants. The real “party centre” is in the old harbour, where the yachts lie jammed in like sardines in Smögensbryggan. It is so overcrowded here that boats lie one outside of the other and people have to scramble over several boats in order to get to the pier. It looked like something from Dante’s Inferno and I was glad to leave it behind and weave through the narrow channels and up to the pretty entrance Sote Canal.




This canal was constructed under a public works program by out of work stone masons in the 1930’s. There are some beautiful pictures here which shows the canal separating the area from sea outside.

Before the canal was built, ships were forced to pass one of the most dreaded sections of the coast – the very rocky, stormy Soten. From very early times, the powerful waves of the North Sea came crashing into the area, churning up vicious seas around the many sunken rocks. It was a stretch of coastline that was much feared by mariners. So this 7 km long canal was built, slicing through the granite rock of the Ramviks peninsula on Sotenäs and opened with due pomp and ceremony by the then crown prince Gustav Adolf in 1935. Ironically, the canal was never the commercial success that they had hoped for. Almost immediately, road and rail transport became much more profitable than shipping freight and today it is only pleasure craft that use the short cut.

We enjoyed our trip along the canal, which was still not so busy just yet. I gather that in mid July, it is unbelievable here. However, we had a calm, easy trip enjoying the pretty country scenery and enjoying the protection from both wind and waves.




Coming out of the canal, we could feel the wind again, so we raised sail and prepared to sail through more of the granite islands. The weather had clouded over and rain threatened all afternoon. We chose to take the inner route, past some of the towns like Hunnebostrand and Bovallstrand. I was disappointed both in the towns and the scenery around this area. The tourist brochures had promised much, but the towns were almost indistinguishable from each other, the marinas were crowded and full of “party boats” – ie large yachts chartered by up to a dozen young men, determined to drink and vomit their way up the west coast. This activity seems to be condoned by the people around here, who set up the marinas with discos etc to attract them. We passed boat after boat of these young men, all drinking beer, urinating over the rail into the water, screaming out obsceneties and generally behaving like animals. It did not encourage one to linger long in port. Can you imagine being moored next to them all night? We had that dubious “honour” in Visby a couple of years back and never want to repeat that sleepless night.

The red granite cliffs that everyone waxes lyrical about were also a disappointment. What the brochures forget to tell you is that the pictures they show you are heavily selective. Much of the area has been quarried quite recklessly. We came across miles and miles of coastline where every island showed signs of the stone industry in the form of cliffs that had been blasted away and just left, with large blocks of stone strewn around like a scrapyard. It was very ugly and I don’t buy the tourist brochures’ claims that it is “a reminder of a long lost age”. What it is, is environmental vandalism on an enormous scale and I was horrified by the destruction. I don’t know how they can be so blind to it all.

In all, it was a dispiriting sort of day, so I was pleasantly surprised when we rounded a bend and came across the tiny settlement of Heestrand - at last, a genuine, small archipelago community.




This was more the sort of place that we like to see and visit, rather than the hyped up, café-filled, crowded towns. Sadly, many of the other towns we have seen are now just a fancy facade, prettied up and sanitised with no life or spirit in them anymore. The very rich from all over Europe buy up the old cottages to live in over the summer. They are renovated and look picture perfect, but you know that increasing numbers of summer-only guests have strangled these coastal communities.




Along with the rich comes the plethora of summer cafés, gourmet restaurants and shops selling fancy knick knacks. Sadly for the year round residents, with the appearance of each new summer-only café or shop, there seems to be one fewer bakery, fish shop, hardware shop, small corner shop. The locals find they have to go twice as far to get a lettuce or a loaf of bread and the lifeblood of the towns drains away. Local people cannot hope to pay the inflated costs of houses in the town, so they sell out and move to a less desirable location. Perhaps I sound bitter, but these fancy towns the brochures crow about seem to me to be symbols of capitulation to tourism at the expense of a town's liveability. I thought it was refreshing to see that this hasn't extended as far as Heestrand - yet.....

We decided to stop here for the night in a small horsehoe shaped bay opposite the town. According to the chart, this is Dannemark and Ulön, both nature reserves, though the scenery on Ulön suggests that at one time it was inhabited.




SXK has three mooring buoys in this bay (all of course were already taken!) and there were also around a dozen boats lying by anchor. We anchored close to the shallow beach area just as the cloudy sky began to clear up. Both islands are easy to walk around and many of the boats anchored in the bay took their dinghies in to shore and walked around, checking out the interesting rocks as well as the plants and best of all, the magnificent views from the high cliffs on the west of the island, overlooking the North Sea. I believe there is an island group (Väderöarna) far out to the west that we hope to visit on the way back.




In the evening, we could look at the houses clinging to the rocks at Heestrand. It might not be Bohuslän’s oldest fishing village, but the atmosphere and the unique building style has been well maintained and things look "lived in" and I wondered who had first decided to settle here in this spot and build homes in such a difficult and relatively isolated setting.




Finding this genuine Bohuslän community so late in the day has picked up my spirits that were starting to flag a little after the crush and stress that began the day. Tonight I've made a big pot of onion soup which I'll serve with cheesy toast rounds - yum! This is an ideal food to cook on a boat - simple but delicious. I like to make enough for two or three meals as it keeps really well. My recipe uses 12 large onions, water to cover, a couple of vegetable stock cubes (a spoon of Vegemite is also great!), a large spoon of worcestershire sauce, a large glass of white wine, 125g butter and lots of black pepper all cooked to perfection in my trusty pressure cooker. The aroma is divine.......

Today, with milder winds and glittering sunshine, our feet are itchy again and we want to set off early and enjoy as much of the fair weather as we possibly can. Like true wanderers, our goals are not fixed. We will simply cruise up the main route north, weaving through the islands and seeing how far the wind will take us. There are dozens of tiny towns along the shore to admire, lots of little uninhabited islands and the promise of the famous stark, red, smooth, sunwarmed granite slabs that characterise Bohuslän awaiting us.

We slip the rope from the buoy and sail out into Stigfjorden and follow a narrow, rock strewn passage past moored boats anchored along the picturesque Smögholmarna area and out into the open waters of Skaggerak. After a few days of solitude, it is a welcome sight to see that we are not alone in the world.




Midsummer marks an important boundary in Swedish summer. Many people choose to take their annual five week vacation from now onwards, so we can expect the normal busy peak season crowds fighting for a nightly mooring place. It will be interesting to observe how this all operates over here. We have been warned that popular spots are taken very early in the day, but hopefully we will still be able to find a spot, particularly as we like to lie by anchor and to search out the more unusual places to moor.

Today there are many more boats out on the water and we know that the holiday season is about to heat up. There is a sense of high expectation mixed with apprehension as we gradually nose our way out past the last few rocks in the fjord and at the edge of Lyr we swing northwards and prepare to tackle the dreaded "E6" of the west coast. The route apparently resembles a crowded motorway come July, so we will need to approach it with care. We could of course avoid the crowds by sailing offshore and avoiding the popular harbours, fishing villages and bays but then that this the whole reason we are here. We'll search for the balance we need between peace and seeing what the coastline has to offer.





It is very beautiful here today, with wind and sunshine contributing to our feeling of goodwill and happiness. These red granite rocks are only found on the west coast, having been smoothly shaped by the ice thousands of years ago. I am still amazed at the lack of vegetation on the cliffs, but have to admit that they look stunning as they reflect the morning sun.

In no time at all, we come to a picturesque fishing village nestled on the rocks under the watchful eye of a windmill. A look at the charts confirms that we are at Mollösund, a tiny settlement off the west coast of Orust.




This village, which dates back to the fifteenth century, is possibly the oldest fishing harbour in Sweden still operating today. The brightly-painted wooden houses sprawl in tight formation around a small harbour, framed by the ever present granite hills. The shoals of herring which brought boom years to this area in the 18th and 19th centuries are long gone, as are the elegant, wooden cutter rigged fishing boats that pursued them into the North Sea, but echoes of those days remain.

On a hill overlooking the harbour, there is a life-size wooden statue of a woman gazing out to sea, with her hand shading her eyes from the setting sun, in a poignant reminder of the many men who went out into the North Sea and never returned. In a tiny cemetery at the foot of that hill, there is a memorial bearing the image of a sailing ship and the names of 50 seamen lost at sea. In one year alone, a single family lost three men. But today, everything look peaceful, if a little crowded.




Life used to be very hard out here on the exposed coast, governed by the whim of the sea which had the power to both sustain life as well as to take it away. Now the sea brings in the summer tourists to help supplement income from the small scale fishing that still goes on in Mollösund today. When you look at the houses, it is easy to step back in time. As we pass by the harbour, looking at the lonely maypole and the fine wooden boat moored nearby, I think about what it may have been like a couple of hundred years ago with the men setting off in stormy weather to follow the elusive herring while the women and children waited anxiously back at the village.




And to think that they had to sail in these treacherous waters in all weathers, without the luxury of an engine, with no electronic navigation devices, very few lighthouses and almost no hope of rescue if something went badly wrong. It sends shivers down my spine to think about it. As we sail out of the narrow sund and into open water again, I catch sight of Måseskär lighthouse, standing proudly out in the distance, facing west with its back to Sweden. I immediately thought of the coastal weather reports we get twice daily on the VHF. The Swedish coast is broken up into sections for the forecast and Måseskär marks one of the boundaries. It made us smile to see a place that we hear about every day during the summer.




It looks peaceful and calm today and it is hard to believe that this is one of the stormiest places in Sweden. Low pressure systems regularly play over the North Sea and the nearest land to the west is actually Scotland, so you don't need much imagination to guess the sort of waves that can pound this coastline. Storms of near hurricane strength lash the area, sending giant waves splashing right over the island. I'm certain that I don't want to be caught in this area in any kind of strong westerly winds. But it hopefully won't be a problem, because the beauty of sailing in Bohuslän is that it can be as thrilling or as tranquil as you want it, depending if you choose a route over the open sea or opt for the sheltered channels. At this stage, the inner route seems the most appealing, even if it is busy. And our choice is immediately rewarded when I spot my first seal for the summer.




What a little cutie it was, sunning itself on a rocky ledge and watching the passing parade of boats out on the fairway. This is is the Swedish knubbsäl (known as a "harbour seal" I believe) and used to be very common in these waters. In the 1970's and 1980's around 60% of the animals died out here as a result of toxic pollution in the water, but happily that trend has been reversed as environmental awareness increased and their numbers are on the rise again.

The seal was not the only creature in the archipelago having a lazy day. Just a few hundred metres north, we entered another tight, ground filled passage next to the island nature reserve at Härmanö and saw a group of cows casually draped over a rocky headland sunning themselves. You really have to admire their laid back attitude.




See what we would miss if we sailed offshore? It really has been an outstanding day's sailing and just when we wonder if it can possibly get any better, we round a tight corner and are confronted with yet another gorgeous town, this time it is Gullholmen. This community, which dates back to the thirteenth century is one of the largest in the area and certainly the most densely packed.





I was very impressed by this charming place. The waters are quiet and very protected in the sound, though the sheer number of boats jostling for a spot in the cramped guest harbour was staggering. Ignoring that circus, however, you can concentrate on this hamlet of traditional cottages and boat sheds around the inlet. They look like fantastic gingerbread cottages with their soft pastel colours shining like icing. I expected Hansel and Gretel to pop out at any minute. The town is made up of narrow lanes bordered by white fences, with every window being a work of art with their displays of model boats, lighthouses and wooden seagulls framed by lace curtains. Many of the houses are built right over the water.




These ones pictured above are boat sheds and are particularly picturesque lined up along the shore, with their tiny rooms and private piers in front. These would have originally been storage sheds for local fishermen where spare nets and tools were kept. In winter, the fishing boat would have also been stored here. Nowadays they have been converted into minature summerhouses. Don't be fooled by the size of the house. Despite them being not much bigger than a shoebox, the enviable waterfront location guarantees that these places sell for millions of crowns - as much as it costs for a decent sized villa in the better areas of Stockholm! So you'd better have deepnpockets if you are thinking of buying anything here.





The sea is still glittering, the sky is clear and blue with the sun shining brightly, so we continue along the coast and past some more of these colourful little villages in the distance, with the houses clinging on to the rocks in front of the steep cliffs. One such place is Grundsund, which was made famous here in Sweden a couple of years ago when the popular mini-series Saltön (which was about the interaction between a group of people living on a small idyllic island), was filmed here.




Again the sheer number of boats fighting for room in the narrow harbour area is reason enough to avoid going in, but I hope it will be less hectic when we return this way as I think the town looks really interesting. Of course, as Lars-Göran points out, the name Grundsund means "shallow sound", so that may make for interesting navigation. Maybe a boat this size is the way to go.




The towns are coming thick and fast now. From the waters just outside of Grundsund, I can see the unmistakable church tower of Lysekil. There are a lot of boats out today and I see that the coastguard are out in full force patrolling the area. There are a few idiots out in motor boats today, but most people seem to be sensible. We both commented on the large number of motor boats here on the west coast. They create a lot of swell and a lot of noise which somewhat distracts from the enjoyment of the day. A sailing boat must always make adjustments in course because of them and we sometimes invent games that involve motor boats and torpedoes....




As we approach Lysekil, you can see that the church really dominates the town, almost as though it is a cathederal up on the hill. The Gothic style church was designed by the well known church architect Adrian Peterson and completed in 1901. At that time it was felt that Lysekil would expand to be a major town, with fine homes built in local stone, so a sufficiently impressive cathederal was needed. Alas, Lysekil did not grow into a huge city, so today it looks a little out of scale with the rest of the town. The local granite with which it was built was hewn by hand and winched up into place. The imposing tower stands 63 metres high and the spire rises up to 95 metres above sea level, which means that the strategically placed church also functions as a fantastic navigation mark. We use the church in Nynäshamn for the same purpose.





The town itself is an old fishing, trade and shipping harbour. At one time in the nineteenth century it was also a rather posh spa resort and the older part of town contains many fine homes from that era.

Just around the corner we came across Stångehuvud nature reserve, a place of immesurable beauty with it's smooth, reg granite rocks reflecting the warmth of the sun's rays. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy this today and in a large part this was due to the foresight of one of the doctor's at the spa, Carl Curman. He and his wife Calla realised that this granite was highly sought after by stone cutters and that there was a real possibility that they would blast these cliffs for the stone, as had happened in other nearby areas. Over a period of time they purchased a great deal of this land and in 1925 it was gifted to the people of Sweden and protected for all time.




I think we can all be thankful for that! How sad to think that this stone, formed over 920 million years ago and sculptured into these fabulous slabs by the retreating glaciers of the last ice age could have ended up as street gutters! How much more beautiful to have it here so that everyone can enjoy it. As you can guess, this is a popular place for those seeking a place to work on their tans




Bohuslän is said to be described best by the three s'es of "sill, sten och solsken", meaning herring, stone and sunshine. These beaches along Skagerrak, fashioned of large granite slabs really seem to be made just for sunbathing after a refreshing dive in the sea. Which is exactly what thousands of tourists from Sweden and abroad do every summer.

Well, it has been a full day for us, but ever so satisfying. We have covered nearly thirty nautical miles in our journey and seen a great deal. Now it is time to look for a night harbour and we slip into a deep crack in Långö, just south of the main route into Kungshamn/Smögen.




One is hardly aware of the nearby towns as the views across the water to the many islands around here are stunning. We sit outside, warmed by the sun, overlooking the horizon in the distance, reading a book and taking a moment to close our eyes, listening to the singing of the sea gulls. This is living.

Instead of mooring like the other boats who have a bow-line in to the shore and a stern anchor aft, we choose to lay anchored in the bay, swinging freely all by ourselves. The strange thing is that this type of anchoring, common in the rest of the world, is very seldom used in Sweden. Most people seem to want to be tied to land and be able to climb down and then walk ashore with a barbecue, for the inevitable evening grillning på klippan.

Not our cup of tea at all!

The lesson we learned from yesterday's leg was that the major challenge facing us sailing in the North Sea is going to be the strong wind. When it blows here, it blows hard. I now recall the nightly wind reports on radio P1. This western coastline often has gale force winds. Why didn't I think of that earlier? In the protected waters of the Stockholm archipelago, it is very rare that you get the change of wind speeds and directions like you do here, where you are forced to make drastic sail adjustments like we had to yesterday.

The second challenge is the waves. We'll be sailing a lot in long open areas. In those places, you get big swells but you also have waves coming at you in different directions because of the wind. All this is new for us and it will take us some time to adjust. One thing for sure is that it is time to attach the cutter stay and make sure the storm sail is always ready to hoist! This area of the North Sea, known as Skaggerak, is a rock-strewn maze with a fearsome reputation for shipwrecks and should not be underestimated. We will have to be more on our toes in future.

Now we are headed to the mainland to get some necessary shopping done. I still have a lot of provisions onboard, but we need some fresh fruit and vegetables, something for midsummer dinner in a couple of days and to restock the wine cellar that seems to get rapidly depleted. Must be evaporation, don't you think? I also need to fill a prescription and it is just as well to do this in a large town with a well stocked chemist, rather than muck around in some tiny out of the way place that may have to order in the tablets. With this in mind, I consulted the guide books I had for the area and declared Stenungsund to be the best town for our purpose. I also warned Lars-Göran that we had to stop there, no matter how much he might hate the place. We could leave later in the afternoon and drop anchor somewhere else, but he had to overcome his distaste for commercial marinas and just do it! He has a habit of forming an instant dislike for any place with more than one boat in it and making any excuse to sail on by rather than go there. Sheesh.....men!

After a sunny breakfast, we hoisted sails and had a very peaceful, if uneventful trip up Hakefjord, the deep straight separating the island of Tjörn from the mainland and soon we were passing under the large spans of Tjörn bridge and heading past a monumentally ugly chemical plant and into the town of Stenungsund.




Yes, Lars-Göran was right to want to avoid the place, which was wavy, noisy and a veritable windhole. There was a ghastly looking hotel on the water and a large, modern, soulless mall adjacent to the guest harbour. As I pointed out to my sourfaced husband, we were not there for the ambience, it was strictly practical and I promised to be as fast as I could. Fortunately there were very few boats there and we chose a spot on the outside in strong side winds. This involved a lot of cursing and sweating, but eventually we tied up and I prepared to attack the task of shopping, while Lars-Göran amused himself watching a passing parade of foreign novice sailors in enormous charter boats trying to catch a buoy in order to moor here. It was a relief to be able to cast off three hours later with a fully stocked boat.

We were now near the route of the famous race, Tjörn Runt (literally, Around Tjörn), held every year in the third week of August.




We were in the position marked on the map as "Tävlings expedition" and were weaving our way through the islands to the northwest, headed for the bit marked "Skåpesund", a narrow passage between two high cliffs. We were hoping to find an anchoring spot for the night somewhere here. It looks promising on the chart, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the area is very shallow and it was very hard to find anything suitable.




The urgency we felt was not because of the hour, but because of the weather, which again was rapidly changing. We had begun the day with beautiful sunshine, eating breakfast in the cockpit and wearing short sleeves (well, maybe not me, but I only had one jumper on *grin*). By the time we were approaching the Tjörn bridge, it had begun to cloud over and the wind picked up. After I finished shopping, the sky looked positively threatening, so we were hurrying through the area frantically looking for shelter before the heavens opened.




As you can see, we were too late! It just bucketed down, as though someone up there was emptying container after container of freezing water over us. Mist swept in and visibility was reduced to just a few metres, so we had to carefully ease our way into a rather open, shallow bay on Norra Björnholmen, which appeared to offer some shelter from the increasing winds. Poor Lars-Göran looked like the proverbial drowned rat and it was probably not the best time to discover that his wet weather gear was leaking at the seams! I guess we'll have to buy a new rain jacket when we find a chandler, but in the meantime he can console himself with a glass or two of Australian red wine, newly purchased today. See, every rainy day does have it's rainbow.




The following morning was overcast and very windy. It was okay in the bay we were staying in because a tall, wooded hill protected us from the strong westerlies. The forecast spoke of increasing gale force winds for at least the next few days which is not welcome news as we had hoped to spend midsummer at the exposed outer island of Käringön. If these winds continue, we will have to rethink that option. You have to be prepared to be flexible when you sail, so we'll go with the flow, I think.

We decided to head a little closer to the outer islands and make for the eastern shore of the large island of Lyr. However, when we round the edge of the island we were on, the wind and waves were strong and it was impossible to battle against them. After a fruitless half an hour of fighting the conditions, we resolved to return to the bay we were moored in last night, only to find that the waves were rolling in there as well. We had to backtrack quite a way and luckily managed to squeeze into a small, sheltered pool just off the main route. It was not ideal, but we have to wait out the wind.

Towards the evening, it seems to moderate slightly and in view of the weather report that predicts even stronger winds overnight and tomorrow, we are determined to get to the shelter of a large island and so we bite the bullet and take Fiona out into the open waters and press on the rather bumpy, windy eight nautical miles to a sheltered bay on the east of Lyr, where we are able to hook onto another free SXK buoy. What a relief to be here.




When I took a looked at the surroundings, I had to smile. It felt strange that here in the middle of Sweden I was curiously reminded of Scotland and areas of Cornwall, for in both those places little farms lie close beneath small hills in just the same way. It is all very pretty and inviting, so I hope we will be able to take the dinghy to land tomorrow and see what is there.

In keeping with the fast pace of change over here in the west, the sky has been putting on the most amazing theatrical display this evening. The clouds are arranged in different layers and are racing across the sky at a phenomenal speed, while the setting sun looks like a ball of fire above the bare cliffs. Who needs tv when you can watch this all evening?




Looking out of the bay onto the open fairway behind us, everything is so quiet and the clouds continue their racing across the sky, reflected in the bare rocks that make up this part of the coast. I still haven't quite gotten used to the absence of plants on many of the islands - it is eerily quiet and while beautiful, it feels a little threatening as well.




In the morning we note that the wind has increased overnight to around 21m/s. It started off sunny and we did the washing, thinking that it would dry well in the sun and brisk wind. It was perhaps not one of our smartest moves as the wind was so strong, it threatened to rip the sheets off the line and fling them into the sea. It is a constant battle to keep an eye on the clothes and to repeg everything. Eventually, as has become a familiar pattern in the west, the clouds sweep in dramatically and seconds later, it is dark and forbidding as the winds howl and the rain pelts down. This necessitates us taking in the partially dry laundry and draping it inside the boat on emergency lines we string up in the main salon. Thank goodness we have a wonderful, roomy cockpit tent and thick, cosy matresses so we can be outside reading, listening to music and watching the world around us. Imagine being cramped inside the boat with all of this:




Midsummer is also a very windy day with strong squalls moving through at intervals. We stay here in the bay and enjoy our traditional meal of four different kinds of herring, tiny new potatoes with a buttery chive sauce and hardbread. Simple but delicious, especially when you can share it with someone you love and care for. We were slightly disappointed that we could not go to Käringön, or even go to land here to see a midsummer pole and join in the communal fun. It was really NOT the sort of midsummer that we had planned for this trip - we imagined being part of a traditional west coast celebration. However, Mother Nature cannot be argued with and we are very content with each other's company.

We puzzled a little over the place we are staying in and how very different the wind behaves here than it does at the east coast. I know that if we were in a similar bay in the Stockholm archipelago (say, Östermarsfladen), then we would be lying in a lake like stillness, protected from the wind and waves by the high cliffs and trees. We could go for a walk to the top of the cliffs and see how the wind was furiously whipping up the water on the other side of the bay and watch the Baltic come crashing in to the side of the island. But in our boat, lying in lee, we would be in calm, gentle water and it is that contrast between the windward and lee side of the islands that is exhilarating.

But here, while we have protection from the ocean swell, the high cliffs do not appear to provide shelter from the wind. If anything, the wind comes over the top of the bare hills then accelerates unencumbered down the side and slams across the bay lathering up the water and creating rather startling waves. All this on the so called lee of the island! Just see how the other boat in our bay is struggling with the conditions. And if it is this wavy on the protected side of the island, imagine what it looks like on the windward side.





Lars-Göran is disappointed in himself for choosing the bay. He prides himself of being able to pick out ideal places from the charts and I agree that his knowledge is excellent and I trust his choices. His confidence has taken a bit of a knock over the last couple of days, but I encourage him to just chalk it up to experience and learn something from it for next time.

We have to keep in mind that this is not so much a vacation but more of a trip and as such it does involve a lot of work. It is a challenge to travel from place to place, searching out new bays to stay in each night, getting lost, misreading maps and experiencing the unknown. Some couples find that they fight a lot more because of the tension that accompanies the newness that both confronts and confounds you each day. We both need to work hard to avoid that build up of tension. And there is also the strangeness of each new place and each new day. While there are days when you want to go out and embrace these places and to just follow where it leads you, equally there are other days when you are tired and dispirited and simply crave the familiar.

It's time to accept that we are human, we make mistakes, but we can learn from them and look forward to a new day. As luck would have it, tomorrow is being touted as a warm, sunny day with perfectly lagom winds (SW 8-10m/s) to take us further north. Someone up there must like us!

Here we are on our first morning on the west coast and it is time to decide just how we are going to proceed. There is just so much to see and explore that we are like little kids in a lolly shop - so many great choices that we want it all. In the end, we inject a little common sense into the proceedings and armed with charts and our "wish-list" of places we want to see, we study the possibilities.

The dominating winds in this part of Sweden are from the south west, which means (in theory, anyway) that we could make a lot of distance each day travelling northwards with the wind and waves behind us. The most sensible idea therefore, is to go as far north as we can as quickly as possible, then slowly come back down the coast, dropping in here and there along the way. On our return trip, the wind ought to be against us, so we will travel shorter distances, but have the luxury of stopping at any place that takes our fancy or when the winds are too contrary. Our route north will be along this part of Sweden (see map on left).

We are around Göteborg now and want to head up the coast via Marstrand to Åstol, then sail around the island of Tjörn (there is a large shopping centre at Stenungsund where I can stock up) and continue up the coast past Smögen and Strömstad on to Norway. Well, that's the vague plan, anyway. When sailing, all plans have to be vague, as you are at the mercy of the elements. There's a wonderful freedom in looking at a sea chart. You sit there poring over the squiggles that mark the places where one can go. Shall we go here, or perhaps here; Hmm... this way or that. Or will we simply turn left and just end up in Denmark? I love the endless possibilites.

So off we go! The scattering of rocky outcrops and tiny islands really tests your charting skills, though we are well used to this type of sailing from being in the east coast archipelagoes. Obviously, not everyone is as au fait with navigation as I saw a marker just as we were leaving our night harbour and set to cross over to the main route north. This marks a ground and what makes it unusual for us is that it was erected by an insurance company. I've not seen that before in Sweden. I wonder if the payouts for damage in this area were getting a little high?





Large parts of these waters were closed to foreigners by the military until a few years ago, so everything is a new experience for most people. The coastline is a scattering of hundreds of islands, some a couple of kilometres across, some no more than a few metres, with most of them empty, some with a handful of tiny fishermen’s cottages and a few with larger villages.

The early morning mist seems to be clearing and we are set for a sunny day, though the brisk south west winds are cold. Almost immediately we come across the first of those distinctive Swedish settlements, this one on the island of Björkö. I love these small wooden houses, painted in a confection of pretty colours.




I can't tell you how good it feels to be travelling under the power of sail again - it is so free and quiet. Surprisingly there are a reasonable number of boats out, considering that this is a working day. Maybe the season starts earlier over here.

Next port of call will be Marstrand, a small island around 45kms northwest from Göteborg. This is the sort of place that we normally avoid like the plague during the tourist season. Like Sandhamn on the east coast, Marstrand is considered the mecca for sailing and THE place to be, abounding with boutiques, restaurants, bakeries, souvenir stalls and other assorted frivolities. The harbour is often jammed with yachts, many of them large charter boats full of young (often drunk) Swedish males, who are there to Party! Party! Party! Today, it is still busy as we make our way in through the islands, but much calmer than it will be next week when summer holidays begin.




Marstrand was considered suitable for settlement from early times due to the deep, calm harbour with two entrances, a high ridge which provides protection from the prevailing southwest and west winds and the nearby islands with fertile farm and forest land. Archaeological excavations show that people have apparently lived on the island since the Stone Age.

Marstrand itself is a very old town. According to folklore, the Norwegian king Harald Gille is said to have built the church on Marstrand as early as 1139, but the actual town itself was first established in the 13th century by another Norwegian king. Later it fell under Danish rule and only became Swedish after the peace agreement between Sweden and Denmark in Roskilde 1658. All of this history was running through my mind as we sailed through the narrow channels and into the entrance of the town.




The most famous building on Marstrand and the trademark of the town itself, is the large stone fortification, Carlsten Fort, you can see situated on the highest point of the island. The fortress took two hundred years to build and today functions as a major tourist attraction.




Marstrand is also well known for its well preserved wooden houses and picturesque streets and alleys. Outside of the town there are wonderful views of the surrounding archipelago. The island is generally regarded as Sweden’s foremost sailing capital. Every year both national and international sailing competitions are arranged during the summer, attracting a great number of sailing enthusiasts from all over the world. In July and Agust, thousands of tourists arrive to the island from both land and sea.




We had no intention of stating the night here, only looking around and then moving on. The place I really wanted to go to was the tiny nearby island of Åstol. This place has fascinaed me since I first saw it from the shore five years ago when we came to Göteborg to buy our boat. You can see some fabulous pictures of Åstol here and you'll understand why I really wanted to go there. From the mainland it looks like a postcard - a tiny island, packed tightly with over 200 houses lying between the sky and the sea. The old wooden houses are crammed so tightly that the Swedes now call it the place with “no industry, no fishing and no soil”.





I had been so looking forward to looking at this small community. The island used to be an important fishing town as well as somewhat of a closed, conservative, fundamentalist christian community. That changed in the 1960's as fishing gradually lessened and these days the island is sustained by tourism. I know, I know, but I still wanted to go there!

However, it seems that such a christian place is not ready for someone as immoral as me. As we rounded the island, we were slammed by a sudden burst of very strong wind gusts and increasing waves. Caught with far too much sail up, we had to fight to reef in enough sail, but still had to start the motor to maintain a course that would take us free of the rocks around the entrance to the harbour.




It was far too strong a wind to attempt mooring, so we had to turn towards Marstrand again and hope that we can visit here on the way back, if the wind will co-operate. We look at the charts and see a couple of suitable anchorages on the island of Instön, just around the corner from Marstrand. As luck would have it, we are able to attach to a Swedish Cruising Club buoy in the bay and settle down in the calm, protected waters while the wind and waves play out on the open water. It's hard to believe we are in the same place.




It's been an interesting baptism by wind and waves today. It is amazing just how rapidly the conditions change here and how fast the water can whip up into a frenzy. That is something new for us and one thing we will have to watch out for. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not our beloved Baltic but the mean, nasty North Sea. Still we were lucky to find peace for the night and everyone onboard is happy and looking forward to what tomorrow will bring us.

After a refreshing night's sleep we are ready for the last bit of the river that leads us into Sweden's second largest city of Göteborg (Gothenburg for those outside of Sweden). We are finally on the west coast and looking forward to sailing here and seeing all that it offers.

The final ten nautical miles down the river from Bohus was frankly boring. We have really been spoiled with beautiful, natural scenery since we left home a month ago and the sight of river banks lined with the trappings of "civilisation" was quite a shock. There was mile after mile of derelict docks, unsightly factories and warehouses, sludgy looking brown water and that unmistakable smell of chemicals in the air. The only slightly amusing sight was this boat we saw, painted by someone with a sense of humour.




The weather today is quite changeable, so it is hard to predict what will happen. The sun is shining in patches, but a lot of clouds race across the sky at an incredible speed, so we are alternating between hot, sunny spells and overcast, cool ones. Although the sun is warming, the air temperature still remains cold and the second the sun dives behind a cloud you get a sharp reminder of that. There is a strong westerly wind (right on the nose, yet again!) so we have to go by engine, though I am not totally unhappy about that as we are not sure what to expect in the main harbour. I've looked at the charts and it looks big and scary! Anyway, I am steering so that Lars-Göran can look around and I've told him that we can swap places as soon as I feel I can't handle the traffic.

Very soon we are passing under the historic Älvsborgbron and are in the main commercial harbour of Göteborg. This impressive steel span bridge is known as Göetborg's Golden Gate and links the town with nearby Hisingen, Sweden's fourth largest island. The bridge is about 900 m long, and its height is 45 metres. It was opened in 1966.




We first pass under Göta Älvbron, the older bridge linking these two areas. This is a lower bridge (only 18m high), so it is opened at regular intervals, to allow ships to pass on the river below. The bridge was famously opened during one of Gothenburg's city marathons, much to the consternation of the runners! You have to love the Swedes and their rigid adherence to time schedules. Right under the bridge was a floating restaurant, Something tells me that it is a Chinese restaurant......




Next we passed by Gullbergskajen and the beautiful four masted Barque Viking, now used as a hotel. Lilla Bommen, right next door, used to be an inlet for many of the canals in Gothenburg. Both large and small freighters arrived here. The larger ships couldn't reach Lilla Bommen, because the canal was too shallow, so their cargo was reloaded onto smaller ships called hemförarbåtar. The area was closed at night and a boom extended across the canal to prevent unauthorised visits. Hence the name, Lilla Bommen (The Small Boom). Today, it is a guest harbour and a docking point for sightseeing boats. And it was doing a roaring trade, with boats coming and going at a great rate.




It was at this point that I queried Lars-Göran's blithe remark last night that it would be quiet here today as it was still pre-season! The place was really busy and there was no way I was going to attempt to dock in the guest harbour as the swell from passing ferries was unbelievable. There were also a steady stream of helicopters buzzing around, which was a little distracting. I thought it wiser to head further on and find a less hectic night harbour. Looking back at the ship, the view is dominated by the red-and-white Skanska Skyscraper rising 86 metres above sea level. It is colloquially known as Läppstiftet (the Lipstick) by the locals. I bet the view from the top is wonderful. I hope we get to visit and get a bird's eyes view of this vast harbour.




You can easily see that the harbour is a vital artery for both Göteborg and for Sweden. The entire inlet has been dredged and cleared so that shipping can navigate here safely. It is littered with lighthouses, light buoys, markers and fixed route markers for shipping, so really it is a bit like driving on a major city highway - just choose your course and follow the markers. Hey, even I can do that.




In contrast to the area around Lilla Bommen where the older wharf area has been transformed into hotels and housing, the western side of the harbour still beaqrs the signs of the large scale wharfs that bear witness to the time when Göteborg was one of the world's biggest ship building towns. That is all history now, but some of the enormous dry docks remain in use today.




Göteborg remains the biggest harbour in the Nordic region, handling almost a third of Sweden’s international trade. There is a lot of rivalry between Stockholm and Göteborg, much the same as the inter-city rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Each city has its own charm and each of them is very different. While Stockholm is built on a series of islands connected by bridges, Göteborg is constructed around a series of canals. While some of the canals have now been filled in to become streets, those remaining are a reminder that it was the Dutch who built the city, at the request of Gustav II Adolf, in 1621. From the view we have in the harbour, it remains a city that blends the old with the new.




I was still happily steering the boat while Lars-Göran snapped away with the camera and looked at all of the boats around us. I thought I would feel stressed by the busy harbour, but that wasn't the case and I remained happy to drive the boat and look around. In front of me, I saw a large sailing boat surrounded by smaller craft.




There was something oddly familiar about the boat and I was trying to keep a look out while at the same time wracking my brains to try and remember where I had seen the boat before. Then it hit me - The Volvo Ocean Race! This race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, is a yacht race around the world, held every four years. And now I recall that it was going to end here in Göteborg sometime this summer. Obviously, today is that "sometime this summer"!




Passing the piers near Eriksberg, I saw the rest of the teams arranged at their pontoons, surrounded by masses of spectators.

"Hmm...nice timing, Lars-Göran" I said. "You said it would be quiet and look, we've arrived along with the entire circus surrounding the boats in the biggest ocean race in the world!" At least it partly explained the large number of small boats out in the harbour, the frantic backwards and forwards of ferries, paddan canal boats and the buzzing helicopters.

This is not the first time that his uncanny sense of arriving somewhere at the WRONG time has been in evidence. I swear that on his gravestone, I'm going to write as an epitaph "But I thought...." However, I was prepared to be forgiving when I spotted a familiar flag on one of the boats and almost burst into a rendition of Advance Australia Fair.




Why is it that the sight of one's national flag causes a welling of patriotic feeling when you are overseas? I know I never gave it a glance when I lived in Australia, but now I always react a little emationally at the sight of the southern cross. I watched the team raise sails and go past us back towards the high spans of Älvsborgsbron.




I didn't have time to wax lyrical about Australia as at the same time I looked back, I spotted one of the large ferries pulling out of the harbour and heading out to sea. These enormous catamarans are unbelievably big. Ii looks as though we could sail under them, mast and all and it makes that lovely old sailing ship next to it look like a child's toy. I asked Lars-Göran if I should steer closer to the shore, but he assured me that we were not in it's path.




Hmm.... I'm not so sure about that! When I looked behind again, I saw that it was rapidly bearing down directly on us. Why do I continue to believe him?




Yes, I quickly moved more to the side of the route. By now there was a great deal of small boat traffic around us. This consisted of both small passenger craft as well as motor boats and yachts. I thought it would be best to remain on the far edge of the route where I would not be in the way. The main ferry routes seemed to be behind us and a quick scan of the shore showed me that there was unlikely to be any traffic going to these places. Famous last words! Just as I was finally feeling safe, I noticed a big helicopter come and land in an industrial area to our right. There seemed to be a lot of police around, with two smaller helicopters hovering overhead. Lars-Göran was looking at it all through the binoculars, wondering out loud what it was all about. Was there an accident? Terrorists?

While this was happening, I noticed a ferry behind me, edging over to where I was. I kept glancing back and trying to move further out of its way, but it kept advancing closer and closer. I looked at the shore to see if I could see the ferry stop, but there was none and I wondered where it was going and if I was in the way. I asked Lars-Göran who glanced back and advised me to head more to the centre of the route and let it pass on our right. This I did and it sped past, followed closely by two police launches with armed officers on board. The ferry headed and its escorts headed over to where the helicopter was parked and who should step off the ferry but Crown Princess Victoria.




We later learned on the evening news that she had been in the city that day to open the new Göta Tunnel road project. Lars-Göran and his faultless timing strike again. What a day to choose to quietly slip into Göteborg.

At least the area is less hectic as we head out past Långedrag and he even glimpses the yellow house where the OE club had their AGM earlier this year.




It is now time to try and find a peaceful harbour for the night and we are fortunate to discover the perfect spot off the coast at Hisingen, a little way northwest of the main harbour. There is not a soul around, the bay is still and we can have time to think about how we will proceed from here. I need to get some shopping done before midsummer in a few days time, so I'll have to look at the literature and see where it's most appropriate to go. Everything is an unknown over here, which is both exciting and a little worrying. But I'm happy to be here and anxious to head up to Norway and experience this new environment.

Tonight however, I need a long, alcholic drink.

The less said about the rest of sailing In Vänern, the better. We had another day of fickle winds that promised much but failed to deliver, though we managed somehow to cross over from our night bay to Sikhallsviken, leaving us only a few nautical miles to Vänersborg and the start of the next canal.

This was Trollhätte Canal, something we had been quietly dreading. People had complained to us about how scary it was as it was primarily designed for commercial shipping rather than leisure boats. We were worried about getting through it without any damage to the boat. Fortunately I had read some tips from the crew of Kissen and their experiences were invaluable, especially the advice to head straight for the ladders! (Thanks for that, Ivan). Though of course we didn't know how helpful it all was until we'd done it - it was the approach and the wondering that was the most nerve wracking.

After successfully negotiating the bridges, we came up to the first of an impressive flight of four locks covering a 32 metre difference in water level at Trollhättan. And we headed straight for the ladders, ignoring the advice on the official brochure to grab one of the hooks. Even Blind Freddy could see that the hooks were spaced too far apart for a leisure boat. Just to be safe we had plenty of fenders out as well as a sturdy plank tied to them to prevent us scratching the boat on the uneven walls of the lock.




I think the thing that daunts most people about these locks are the sheer size of them. In Göta Canal, the locks are small and cosy looking. Here at Trollhätten, the locks are enormous. They are capable of taking large ships, so we were rather dwarfed by them as we locked down around 9 metres. There was no turbulence at all and we found it far easier to hold the boat steady than we had in Göta Canal. In summer the locks are jammed packed with leisure boats, but today we were all on our lonesome, keenly watched by passers by.




After the third lock, we were asked to wait while a large commercial vessel was locked up from the canal. We pulled to one side close by the two old sets of locks that have been replaced by the ones built in 1916 and still in use. The latest set are much bigger than the earlier ones and allow quite large commercial shipping (up to 4,000 tons) access to Lake Vänern. I'm glad we didn't have to share the lock with them!




By the time we came to the final lock for the day, we were feeling surpremely confident and could laugh at our previous nervousness. I got Lars-Göran to pose for a picture where he was meant to look tough and confident. Instead he resembles Dirty Harry!




As you can see in the next aerial shot, the old locks have been stripped of all their gates and mechanical equipment, leaving only the bare excavated channel, which winds its way down a series of steps totalling 32 metres, that were excavated through solid rock. This was an amazing engineering feat for the time (1844). At the bottom of the old channel is a large pond, Åkersvass, which nature has reclaimed and it was here that we moored for the evening.




Several people had told us that this was a beautiful spot to stay. The main guest harbour at the top of the locks was far too close to roads and pedestrian traffic and not appealing to us at all. This small nature harbour on the other hand was remote and quiet, surrounded by water, rocks and trees. And of course, the best thing of all was that we could stay there for free.




The water had a strong current as a result of lying close to where water is expelled from the locks through tunnels and it was quite a challenge to moor the boat. A couple of people having a picnic in the park by the mooring places lent a helping hand and soon we were able to relax and enjoy where we were. I was excited by the sight of a beaver swimming in the pool just past our boat and a local fisherman catching his dinner nearby. In the trees surrounding the boat, we saw squirrels scurrying around - it was all so lovely.




The next day after enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the sunshine, we set off for the next part of our journey. SMHI had promised northerly winds which means we can SAIL. Äntligen! We are in no real hurry, so we are hoping to find anchorage somewhere around the area where the channel splits into two at Bohus. Immediately, we saw a pair of ospreys majestically rising from a small, wooded islet as the the boat nosed its way downstream through a tiny channel between skerries. One of them casually swooped down to the water and deftly flew off with its breakfast firmly grasped in its claws. It was a scene of the utmost beauty and tranquillity.




I really enjoyed the scenery in this early part of the journey. Trollhätte canal is 82km long, but only about 10km of it is man-made. The rest of it is a natural waterway, the river Göta Älv, which drains from Vänern to the sea. The land was different on each side of the river. To our right was farmland, with hills in the distance. This rather surprised Lars-Göran as he had never thought of the Göteborg area as being hilly. To me, it very much resembled the sort of country you get east of Horsham as you drive from Adelaide heading towards the Grampians. Those of you who have travelled this route will no doubt recall the countryside I mean - rich farming land, with the mysterious blue hills in the distance.




To our left, the land was high, sheer, heavily wooded cliffs which I guessed had been formed by the river over millions of years. Along the route, here and there we saw small clusters of homes clinging on to the side of the cliffs. They made a pretty picture and did a lot to break the intensity of the dark pine forests.




We were able to glide along quite happily and I did the steering today so that Lars-Göran could enjoy the scenery in peace and check out the charts for the west coast as we hope to be heading into Göteborg either today or tomorrow. The promised northerly winds did not materialise (surprise, surprise) but the water had quite a strong current and fortunately we were going with the current, which I guessed was running at just over three knots. With some sail up we could coast along for quite a while, only turning on the motor occasionally when we needed a bit more power or the river curved away. But mostly we had to content ourselves with motoring along, with the mainsail raised for a bit of help. I tell you, I can't wait to get to the sea where we can sail in peace.

Not far downstream from Åkersvass, we came across this group of crazy swans. I know they look just like ordinary swans, but believe me they were certifiable.




As we came close to them the first time, they all took off. I guess there were about a dozen individuals, which was unusual to see as they mostly hang out in pairs or family groups. Maybe this was a gang of teenagers, who knows? Watching swans take off is always amusing. It takes quite a bit of power to lift their weight, so they kind of run across the water, beating their wings which make a huge whooping noise and then they become airborne, flying off with slow, powerful strokes. I suppose they were startled by the boat and wanted to move away to somewhere quieter. This is all well and good, but why fly in the same direction in which we were headed?

Time after time this happened. They would take off, fly away a kilometre or so downstream and then when we arrived there, they'd take off again. A couple of times we thought they had gone away, only to round a bend in the water and see them just ahead. They followed us (or were we following them?) all the way from Trollhätten to Bohus, a distance of 30NM!




We were happy floating along Göta Älv (älv is the Swedish word for river) admiring the pretty countryside. It was so quiet here, with barely another boat out on the water, even though it was a Saturday and the weather was warm and mostly sunny. Some of the farmhouses were quite old, as you can see in the above photo. The whole area has been inhabited for centuries and ships have been using this river for just as long. A Norwegian king brought a fleet of 60 warships up here as early as 1064, though he didn't have the luxury of locks. There were waterfalls at the points where the locks are located these days and so the ships had to be hauled overland just to bypass the falls.

Soon we passed through one last lock at Lilla Edet and prepared to make our way down towards the start of Göteborg.




Not far along the river was the historic town of Lödöse which was a trading centre as early as the middle of the 11th century. Today, it is a tiny place, a mere blink of an eye and you'd miss it, but it was strategically very important in the middle ages, located right on the borders with what was then Denmark and Norway. In fact, this was Sweden's main western port at the time and you can visit Lödöse Museum and see how history shaped this whole area. It is quite a fascinating story.

The piers are largely deserted and forlorn looking these days as the main port has moved westwards to Göteborg when Sweden expanded her territory. Still there are many old signs of how big a port this used to be. One of the waterfront sheds though had us wondering. Did some large ship crash into it? How on earth did it manage to cave in like this?




We hadn't seen any particular place that looked good to moor for the evening, but around now we started to keep an eye out for something suitable. We could of course head all the way to Göteborg, but I would prefer to arrive there earlier in the day rather than right at the end when I am tired. Lars-Göran checked the charts and thought that a short distance away we could veer off into one of the shallow tributaries near Älvängen. However when we arrived there, it was not a good place to anchor. It was very open, which really shouldn't have surprised us given the name of the place which means "river meadow".

One could not stay on the actual canal, even at the side of it as very large ships use this route and the waves they create would risk crashing us into the shore if we anchored on the canal. Just to give you an idea of the size of these ships, here is one fully laden timber vessel that we passed. I chose to stay well out of the way!




Every now and then the countryside became hilly and we watched some people out hang gliding from the top of the cliffs, getting a bird's eye view of the surroundings. By now, evening was approaching and it did not look as though we could find anywhere suitable to moor. We discussed whether we should continue on Göta Älv, or perhaps turn off towards Kungälv and follow the other river (Nodre Älv) which would take us out into the North Sea just north of Göteborg. But when I read the chart more carefully, I saw that along Nodre Älv, there were two fixed bridges that at 12.5m high were too low to allow our mast clearance!

But there was simply nowhere to moor on Göta Älv and we contemplated turning back towards Lödöse and taking our chances at the pier there. This was not ideal as around 10 ships a day pass by and we would be open to the waves they create. We did turn up towards Kungälv, trying to moor in the open reeds just below a castle, but the current was too strong and the anchor would not grip in the fine silt. The wind was also howling across the open plains, driving the boat further into the shallows. We thought of heading to the guest harbour at Kungälv, but we needed to pass a bridge and had missed the last opening time for Saturdays! Grrrr......




As it turns out, we later learned that the guest harbour was too small and shallow for a yacht our size, so it would have all been in vain anyway! By this stage, it was getting late and we were both hungry, tired and worried about what to do. It certainly looked as though we would have to push on to Göteborg, which neither of us wanted to do. So we made our way reluctantly back to Göta Älv and prepared to wait for the bridge at Jordfallsbron to be opened. Just as we were about to contact them via VHF, Lars-Göran spotted a barge which was tucked away in a little pocket of water behind a small breakwater. We decided to try and tie up to the barge just for the night and we were able to just squeeze in. Only afterwards did we see that it was an area owned by the Swedish Maritime Authority, so we wondered if we were going to get into trouble. There was no-one around, so we decided to stay until someone chucked us out.

Soon after a person who was guarding the area arrived and he was really understanding about the fact that there were so few places to moor on the river, so he said we could stay the night and even left us his telephone number in case we needed anything. What a nice man! And it was just what we needed at the end of this long day. I can assure you that we slept like logs the whole night and woke up to a cloudy day, but a lovely view.




This is Bohus Fortress, built in 1308 by King Håkan V of Norway. It was used by the Norwegians (who then ruled this part of the country) to regulate traffic on the Göta Älv by extracting dues for goods transported on the river. Hmm... some things never change!

You have to remember that during the 13th and 14th centuries, Norway, Sweden and Denmark were often at war with each other, and it was during this turbulent time that the fortress was constructed. It was built as a central defence point on what was then Norway’s southern border. By 1330 Bohus had become the governing centre and residence of the Swedish-Norwegian king Magnus Eriksson and his fairy tale queen, Blanch from Namur. It was important right up till the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, which resulted in Bohus and its domains falling under Swedish rule. The Danish troops left after ransacking the stores and burning most of the records and after this Bohus lost its importance as a border fortress.

It's hard to believe it's long, violent history when you look at the pastoral scene these days. Well, now we'll be travelling further downstream where the river broadens and we will make our way into the industrial and commercial centre of Götenborg, Sweden’s second largest city. I'm sure that the rush and roar of the modern city will be quite a contrast to the gentle pace and peacefulness of the canal journey.

A few quick facts about Lake Vänern:

Area: 5 648 km²
Max. depth: 106 meters
Shoreline: 2 000 kilometres
Islands, islets and rocks: 22 000
Altitude above sea level: 44 meters
It is approx. 420 km to drive around Lake Vänern

Did you know....
• that there are 10,000 wrecks on the bottom of Lake Vänern.
• that Vänern's water constitutes one third of all fresh water in Sweden.
• that there is room for the population of the entire earth on Vänern's surface.




I don't really think of Vänern as a lake, but as more of an inland sea. It is Sweden's largest lake and is the third largest lake in Europe and as such, there are literally dozens of places to choose from to visit. As we would like to be out on the west coast by midsummer, we are going to narrow our exploration down to the lower part of the lake, visiting the town of Mariestad and then through the Ekens archipelago in the south east and across the lake to Vänersborg, where we will take a canal and a river journey through the west of Sweden to Göteborg.

The winds were very contrary on the lake. The forecast direction and strength bore not a shred of resemblance to reality, so we ended up having to motor almost the entire way down to Mariestad, with strong winds directly on the nose. The area around the town is extremely shallow, so you must take the buoyed route. We had rather looked forward to raising the sails and cruising along, but could see that this was not going to be the day for it. After around three hours, we moored the boat at the guest harbour and set off to take a look at this lovely town, dominated as it is by the tower of a magnificent sixteenth century cathederal. Of course as it is called "Marie's town", then it would have to be good. Eller hur?




The older part of town (Gamla Stan) is located around the harbour area and contains steep, narrow cobblestoned streets, lined on either side with beautiful old wooden homes painted in warm, vibrant colours. Many of them also had rambling rose bushes climbing over the walls and several had the most adorable wooden letterboxes. My favourite one was this one styled as a henhouse, complete with chickens. I SO coveted it, but Lars-Göran refused to steal it for me!




High on a hill, overlooking both the town and the shores of the lake is the cathederal. I was rather surprised that such a small town could boast of having its own cathederal. It was built between 1593 and 1625 as a result of a religious rivalry between the royal brothers Duke Karl (who named the town after his wife, Maria of Pfalz) och King Johan III. In 1580 Karl detached Värmland and the northern part of Västergötland from the diocese of Skara and had the new cathedral built. It is a copy of the Santa Klara church in Stockholm, which was deliberate as this building was considered his brother's crowning glory. Aren't family feuds wonderful?




Whatever the motivation, the town still has this lovely church and its green, leafy surrounding streets to enjoy.




It was so restful to walk along the medieval streets and see some of the old buildings; the most interesting of these lie along Kyrkogatan, right by the church itself. Sadly the centrum area of the town has been infected by the "Sweden in the 1960's" disease, whereby everything was covered in tons of ugly, utilitarian concrete structures, which tend to make these areas cold and soulless. Fortunately Mariestad retained some of the pretty trees to soften the view and this old area still gives you a feel for what a town would have been like in earlier times.




Another of its saving graces is the proximity to the water and the views it offers. In all, I found Mariestad to be small, welcoming and very pretty. We have been able to stock up on fresh vegetables and fruit and are now ready to set out and look at the surrounding archipelago, which comes highly recommended.




Today's sailing was memorable because we were able to hoist the sails for the first time since we were in Vättern. The one big disadvantage of canal travel is that you have to motor the whole way, which is a tad annoying when you really want to sail. But today we had wind and we were able to set off for the 20NM trip across to the headland of Kållandsö where the fairytale castle of Läckö is situated. I had particularly wanted to visit the castle, so I was happy that we were able to do so. We had to follow a marked channel for part of the way, never daring to go outside of the route as the area was so shallow. We did see a couple of local boats out cutting corners, but decided to play it safe and so we did a spot of motor sailing first, then we were able to head over towards the headland. It was a beautiful, sunny day though we heard on the afternoon weather report that rain is expected overnight.

We could see the castle from a long way off which gave us a perfect landmark to aim for. It is situated in a group of islands, so of course as we neared the area, we had to watch out for the marked channel as the lake has many reefs and shoals as you approach the shore. Just to test us out, the wind chose that moment to increase to around 12 m/s, which seems to be a pattern as we approach tight, shallow areas. How does it know?

With our speed rapidly increasing and land approaching at an alarming rate, we both frantically searched for the marked route, which remained stubbornly hidden. At this stage we thought it would be reckless to just continue hurtling towards the shore and hoping for the best, though that had worked for us at Linköping and Vadstena. We turned and rolled in the sails, opting to carefully motor along until we found the markers and made our way towards the guest harbour at the foot of the castle.




The entrance to the piers was marked with buoys and looked extremely tight and shallow, wedged as it was between several rocks. We initially doubted that a boat our size could squeeze in, but we saw a large German yacht moored there and decided that if they could get in, so could we. It was a little hairy, but we managed in the end and hopped out to explore the castle further. It looked really beautiful in the late afternoon light.





Läckö Castle was built in 1298, though not in its present form. At that time, a fortified castle was built here by the Bishop of Skara as it was strategically located right in the middle of his diocese. After the Reformation, the crown siezed the castle. Despite today's appearance of peace and calm, you have to remember that this is the Swedish hinterland, the scene of centuries of struggle for power, which culminated in the ascendancy of the Vasa dynasty. The castle had a chequered history after that, passing from hand to hand depending on the whim of the ruler at the time. It was Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie who went on an extensive building spree in the mid seventeenth century and created the castle we see today. So you find that it is a blend of medieval and baroque.




Inside the gates, we entered a magnificent courtyard where they were busy setting up for a season of Rossini's opera La Pietra del Paragone. Inside the castle, there was an exhibition inside to celebrate the eighteeth anniversary of Louise Adelborg, a designer at the renowned Swedish Rörstrand porcelin factory. I really love her simple, elegant, neoclassical designs, which are so distinctively Swedish. Other exhibitions showcased treasure from the time Sweden was a great power, the life and extravagant foods that were eaten here and a garden exhibit.




One of the more amusing features of the castle was this little black box I noticed hanging off the outer wall of the castle. I've highlighted it with an arrow in the next picture so you can see it more clearly. Believe it or not, this is a high class medieval toilet! Apparently there is a door inside and you step out onto this box, like room. The box is suspended directly over the moat, so all of the waste products dropped straight down into the water. I imagine that it could be a bit chilly and breezy in the middle of winter, but I guess it was one way of dealing with the problem. Thank goodness I live in an age with modern plumbing and sanitation!




When we returned to the boat, we saw that Bruce and Sheila had found a new friend to chat to. This is the first time I've seen gulls since we left the east coast and it was a welcome sight and a reminder that we are nearing the sea again. The bird was quite unconcerned by being so close to us and happily sat on the pier checking out our birds who were busy sunning themselves in the cockpit. I know that gulls are basically scavengers, but they are so beautiful. I said to Lars-Göran that I was reminded of the seventies book Jonathan Livingston Seagull and would you believe he had never heard of it. I tried to tell him that it was also a movie with a famous soundtrack composed by Neil Diamond, but he thought I was making it up. How could you have lived in the seventies and NOT heard of it, I wonder?




The following day, it was cloudy and drizzly. We haven't had much luck with the wind in Vänern and today was no different. We set sail through the archipelago, but several times the wind shifted direction, died off and generally misbehaved. We found ourselves a little underwhelmed by the archipelago itself. Maybe our expectations were high after locals raved about its beauty or maybe we are totally spoiled by living on the doorstep of the east coast archipelagoes or maybe it was just the overcast conditions. Whatever the reason we thought it was okay but nothing really that special.

Ekens archipelago consists of around 120 islands and skerries. The most dominating feature were the vast areas of sea reeds. Within them you could see hidden rowboats and fishing nets. There were also many small, smooth, stony islets covered with pine trees and early summer flowers. Certainly it is very tricky to navigate here as the place abounds with rocks so you are forced to stay on the marked routes. We like to sail outside of the main routes, so it was a little frustrating to be forced to stick to the only available passage through the shoals. However, it does make a nice break from the open waters. Sailing across the open lake can be a bit dull if you are far from land. At least this way there was something to look at while we sailed.

Poor Lambi was not well today, the result of a tick bite. We removed the little bugger last night, but she was really ill today, shivering and unable to keep warm. We had her well wrapped in blankets and she slept most of the day, so that was an added worry. In the early afternoon we passed out of the archipelago and past the lighthouse at Naven.




I was happy to see this lighthouse as I have always wondered where it was. For those who listen to the late night weather forecast on Radio P1, you will recall that at the end they give the actual wind observations from various lighthouses around Sweden. I remember the name Naven, but never knew it was here until I looked at the chart today.

The afternoon was frustrating, though at least the sun came out again. We thought we would try and cross over to Vänersborg, but the wind was not in the right direction. "No problems", we thought, "we'll tack". But the wind kept turning and weakening and we seemed to actually be heading in the opposite direction. We looked at the log and saw we had travelled 15NM but were only 6NM closer to our goal when we measured the position on the chart. Rather than motor, we decided it was better to quit for the day and try again tomorrow. We found a pretty little bay with the amusing name Klittkäringen and dropped anchor, determined to enjoy the sunshine and worry about sailing another day.




The bay was located near a marked route and the buoys made us laugh out loud. I mean have a look at them positioned so close to one another? Are people stupid or what? Is this the test course for "Navigation for Dummies"?

Today's leg will see us passing through nineteen locks and four bridges to complete this final section of the Göta Canal. The afternoon will be the most intense because within a short distance we will negotiate a set of four locks and then immediately a set of eight locks, descending fairly rapidly to arrive at the shores of Lake Vänern (44 metres above sea level) early in the evening.

Today will also mark the first time we were locking downwards, rather than upwards. I am not feeling nervous as I have read about the recommended technique and it actually sounds much easier than locking up. I have also watched boats locking down and as there are no strong currents to contend with and we come into the locks at ground level, I'm hoping it will be a more restful day. Well, in theory, anyway....

After studying the charts last night, I saw that our first stop was at a bridge, located about 10 or 15 minutes along the canal from the night harbour. My guess was that an 8a.m. start meant 8a.m. at the first bridge, so at 7.40a.m. we fired up the engine and cast off, motoring along the pretty rural scene in brilliant sunshine.




We were the first boat to leave and as we passed Mr Knob, he called out something sarcastic about us suffering from resfeber, meaning that we were so restless, nervous and jittery before our journey that we took off extra early. We ignored him, but the boat immediately behind us, who also left at the same time, told him that the brige was opening at 8a.m. Then the penny dropped and Mr Knob (and the others) realised that they needed to get cracking to be there in time. When we glanced back, there was a flurry of activity as people rushed about to cast off. The bridge connects the main road, so the opening wait times are set and cannot be altered for latecomers.




By leaving a little earlier, we found that we were able to simply motor down at a slow pace and enjoy the early morning landscape. We are on vacation, after all! The farmers were also up early, out ploughing the fields and all around us were signs that summer, that time of new growth, was on its way.




And of course, we can't possibly have a blog entry without the early morning cow shot. They were ambling along the pathway, grazing on the grass, drinking water from the canal and calling out a greeting as we passed by. I like cows - there is a kind of friendly, unhurried gentleness to them.




This stretch of the canal is a little more populated with many homes and tiny settlements lining the shore. Several of the old lock keeper's cottages are now cafés, handcraft shops or able to be rented out to stay in over the summer and already there was some life about the place. At Hajstorp, there were people taking an early season coffee at the café, sitting a few metres away from the action taking place on the canal.




I can't say that I liked being observed so closely, but I do understand the attraction for those looking at the locking process. Fortunately, by this stage we had ironed out the few hiccups we had encountered in the first double lock and as the lock keepers were friendly and efficient, I had recovered my composure and had no problems working while people were watching. As in other places along the route, the Australian flag on our boat was a talking point, but fortunately nobody asked any dumb questions today.

The locking went very smoothly for us and I had time to chat to the young man who was our lock keeper today. He was cheerful and a really calm young man and like the other keepers, he was a university student who was doing this in his vacation. He had also studied overseas and had lived for a time in the beautiful Margaret River region of Western Australia, so he was most enthusiastic about Australia and very keen to hear what I thought of Sweden. I also noticed that he conversed fluently to the people on a German boat in the convoy, so I guessed that a requirement for this work would be the ability to speak English and/or German.

Around lunch time, we stopped for an hour at Lyrestad while we waited for a passenger boat to pass up the canal.




This gave us time to stretch our legs, grab a bite to eat and drink and to talk to the other boat owners. We discovered that the three other boats in our group locking together were new purchases. We had noticed that people seemed a little slow and uncertain in the locks - is it any wonder when they are still trying to learn how the boats behave? The German boat had a father/son crew. They had bought the boat in Stockholm and were taking her home to Germany. The son spoke outstanding English and told us that he had taught at a university in Sydney for a couple of years. Like us, he was looking forward to the end of the canal part of his trip and was anxious to hoist the sails and really test her out.

When we came to Norrkvarn, the place was packed with school classes on an outingAfter lunch, we continued on to Norrkvarn, which is a place that is touted as the perfect place for a family to stop on the canal journey. They certainly had a lot there, with several pubs, restaurants, a hotel and youth hostel and enormous playing areas for the kids. I bet it is a busy place in summer.




THe houses are coming thick and fast now and you can feel that we are coming closer and closer to the end of the canal. It must be great to look out of your window during the summer and see the parade of passing boats from the comfort of your own home.




As well as people and homes (and cows!) we also saw several churches along the foreshore. They all looked very old and I was sorry that we were not able to stop and take a look at them more closely. Today they look wonderful in the sunshine, with white walls contrasting with the deep blue sky and the lush, green trees and plants around them.




There has been a lot more hopping on and off the boat than I had anticipated today and by the early evening I am feeling quite tired and was absolutely delighted when we came to the outskirts of the small town of Sjötorp - the end of Göta Canal for us! We made it! And without getting a divorce. So much for it's reputation as Sweden's "divorce ditch", though I can see that if a relationship was already a little fragile, the pressures and physical work of a canal trip and the degree of co-operation needed for it all to go smoothly could cause added strains.




It was with a big smile on our faces that we came down the final step of locks and tied up Fiona at the guest pier. The sun is shining, it is 32C and we are here on the shores of Sweden's largest lake, ready to set sail again - well, after a day or so to look around here, prepare the boat and REST!




As we approach mid summer, they daylight hours stretch long into the evening. At around 10p.m., another of the lovely old steamers comes down the lock on her way to Göteborg. It's amazing to watch the locking from the shore and not to have to do it yourself. And it's hard to believe it is still so light so late in the evening. With the cloudy weather we have had lately, it's been hard to judge it accurately.




The morning dawns bright and sunny with gentle breezes. We spent the morning packing up the boat properly, doing a couple of loads of laundry that we left out in the glorious sunshine to dry and walked around the little town of Sjötorp. It was so sunny today that we even set up the bimini for some added shelter, especially for Lambi, who is finding the heat a little much in her old age. Even the birds have been out all day, sitting in the cockpit and twittering at the many passersby. The children seem particularly enchanted by them and several people have asked us about how they manage on a boat. The answer is - brilliantly. They are so very versatile and curious about everything that it's been fun to have them onboard.




We also spent the day mulling over all of the information we have been told about Lake Vänern. From here at Sjötorp directly to Vänersborg where Trollhätte Canal begins is around 64 NM. Any distance we travel north of here must be added to that total. And make no mistake this is an enormous lake, covering an area of 5,655 km². The other consideration is the wind. This high pressure system means we will have poor winds for the next few days, which restricts distances if we want to sail. We can't do it all and we discuss what area we would like to concentrate on.

In the end, we decide to check out the town of Mariestad (literally Marie's town - with a name like that, I just have to go there) and decide after that where else we can go. Hmm.... time for a gin and tonic, I think.




From all of us, Sluss och Kram!

We were up bright and early this morning and when the lock keeper arrived just before 8am, Lars-Göran went up to speak with her and see how many boats would be in today's convoy. The keeper was another of the young, bright enthusiastic girls we have had on the previous sections. She said that there were six boats today and asked if the two of us already waiting would like to lock up now. She operates the Karlsborg bridge by remote control from here at Forsvik, so she was more than happy to put us through while she waited for the other boats to come. She said that we could then continue at our leisure to the next bridge at Brosundet, where we would all catch up and continue the rest of the section together. The owners of the other sailing boat agreed, so at 8am we were happily locking at Göta Canal's highest point - nearly 92m above sea level.





I walked up to the lock to wait for Lars-Göran and saw that the other boat used a different technique, similar to that used by Dennis and Beenie. The boat drove up to the lock, let one crew member off just before the walls began to slope up and that crewmember led the boat into the lock using the ropes. I stepped back to let the woman on the other boat pass in front of me, only to have the ropes shoved into my hands and being ordered to help her out. I was a little taken aback as I needed to be in position for my own boat and anyway I resented being told to help her instead of being asked to help. It soon became obvious why - the poor woman had no clue what she was doing, her partner on the boat was getting rather annoyed with her (already!) and she suffered from vertigo, so getting close to the four metre drop to attach the ropes to the bollards was terrifying for her.

I was much more sympathetic at that point and hoped Lars-Göran would understand when I told him why I helped out (he did). I also managed to attach our own ropes and waited for the boats to come up so I could loosen the ropes of both boats and get back onboard. While I was busy with that, I heard raised voices and looked up to see a man, who we came over the next few days to refer to as Mr Knob, deep in a dispute with the lock keeper.




As you can see, he's giving Lars-Göran and Lambi the hairy eyeball, while at the same time he is berating the lock keeper about the fact that we are being locked up so early. He was arguing that an 8am start meant 8am in Karlsborg, not in Forsvik and it was not fair that we were getting an early start unless she agreed to lock up his boat as well. They had arrived as we were already underway, so he couldn't lock up with us and the lock keeper said that the other three boats would be along from Karlsborg in about 20 minutes and they could then use the lock.

He was being quite loud and aggressive which I thought was ridiculous in the circumstances. We were not getting any advantage, in fact we were helping out the other boats who would not have to wait to use the lock - with six boats, there would need to be two locking sessions anyway. As we were all meeting at the next bridge, where was this "advantage" he was so worried about? To her credit, the young lock keeper kept her cool and proceeded to be very polite but firm about him having to wait for the other boats to join him. They were still arguing when we finished, but I was by now concentrating on my own boat and the crew onboard.




Moving on from Forsvik, we passed through two narrow, wood lined passages. The long stone towing piers were built along the channel to haul the old sailing barges when they were unable to use their sails. We came out into a small lake before passing a bridge and steering out into the beautiful Lake Viken at 91.8 metres above sea level. This lake, which serves as a water reservoir for the towns in the western section of the canal, abounds with small islets, shallows and reefs.




Just before Viken, we had a scare with Lambi. We had to wait at Brosundet for around half an hour for the other boats to arrive as they only open the bridge once. We tied up at the waiting pier just as Mr Knob arrived at full speed in his boat to tell us that we couldn't go through the bridge until the others came. Hmmm.... we already knew that, but he was determined to make a point that we could expect to have no benefits from our early start. He spent the next couple of days trying to make points the whole time. What a knob!

Anyway, to get away from him we decided to take Lambi out for a walk along a narrow spit of land next to the pier. Against my objections, L-G removed her life jacket as it was a warm morning and we set off. It is spring and the birch trees are bursting with pollen so the little body of water between the spit and the shore was thick with pollen. I was just thinking that it looked like solid ground when I heard a splash and saw Lambi sink below the surface like a stone! Obviously she thought the same thing. L-G lay down and reached into the water, dragging out a limp, bright yellow rather bedraggled looking dog. We rushed her back to the boat, washed her thoroughly in fresh water and shampoo and I busily towelled her dry while we motored the 10NM to the next lock at Tåtorp.




Having successfully negotiated the lake we re-entered the canal and soon arrived at at the second of the hand operated locks. I had to laugh at Mr Knob again. We were told that it would take us a couple of hours to negotiate Viken if we kept to the canal speed of 5 knots. Five of us managed that, but Mr Knob sped off the microsecond the bridge was open and roared along at full speed, arriving at the lock before even the lock keepers, where he then faced a long wait. This continued all afternoon. He would dash away at seven or eight knots from the locks and bridges as though he was somehow the leader of this expedition and be impatiently waiting at the next place for everyone to catch up. What can I say?

The next section up to our night harbour at Töreboda is lovely. The countryside is open and very pretty, with many farms lining the shore. I have never seen the countryside looking so green and beautiful. All of that rain in May must have done it some good.




At one place, we came across a herd of cows lazing in the shade under some trees. A small calf was both curious and a little worried by the procession of half a dozen sailing boats passing his home. My guess is that he had never seen a boat in his short life. While the other cows barely bothered to turn a hair, he marched up and down the shore stamping his feet at us. Must be related to Mr Knob.




I really like this Västra Götaland section of the canal. It is relaxing and very picturesque. We were passed by cyclists who were travelling along the pathway by the canal and all of them waved and called out hello as they rode by. It is a great time of the year to be here as the trees are just beginning to blossom and in some sections, we were surrounded by the heady scent of spring. Of course, it would be awful if you suffered from hayfever!




In the late afternoon we made our way to the guest piers at Töreboda for a welcome shower and to stretch our legs on land and plan out tomorrow's route. I like to look at the section ahead and see what is coming up. We also struck a little luck with our fellow travellers. The owners of the boat I had helped early this morning chatted for a while and told us they had just bought the boat on the east coast and were sailing her home to Mariestad (a town on Lake Vänern). We got a few tips about places to stay on Vänern as well as an idea of the towns in the southern part of the lake.

We also spoke at length to another pair who were also taking their newly purchased boat from Stockholm to Karlstad (a town in northern Vänern) and they spoke about that northern part of the lake. I also learned that their son was currently "studying" in Australia. The inverted commas are on purpose as it was his father's opinion that he was hitting the beach rather more than the books. Apparently he went there for a three month course eleven months ago and shows no sign of wanting to come home. Each time the parents speak to him he extols the beauty of the country and the wonderful surfing he is doing. Mum and dad were a little worried about the fatal shark attacks in Australia that make the news over here, but he assured them that there was no cause for concern, after all "there are only five or six a year". Funny that this news didn't exactly reassure them....




It is warm and sunny again, with hot weather forecast for the next few days. They are even predicting temperatures up to 30C (86F) - a veritable heatwave for Sweden! It will make a welcome change from the grey, wet weather we have been having lately. The only worrying aspect is that when we get a stable high pressure system like this one, it is usually accompanied by very weak winds. This does not look promising for our trip around the lake. But we can deal with that when we get there. Tomorrow it is another bright, early start for the final section of the canal to Sjötorp. And this will be a section with a difference - for a change we will be locking downhill on our journey towards the North Sea. Wish us luck.

We sailed the almost 30NM from Askersund to Karlsborg in one hit, hoping to spend a couple of days exploring the town. I was especially keen to visit Karlsborg Fortress, which was built in 1819 to serve as an alternative national capital in the event of a war. The brochures we had seen of the fortress were very impressive. In addition, we had been having a running joke about the name for several days. I had accidentally mispronounced the word fästning (fortress) as fästing (tick), so after Lars-Göran picked himself up from the floor and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, he had been on the lookout for this giant insect, warning me that we had better keep a close eye on Lambi as she is prone to pick up ticks. Will I ever learn to pronounce Swedish flawlessly, I wonder?

The outer guest harbour was again full of local boats taking the opportunity of free mooring in the quiet pre-season, so we tied up as best we could and walked along the canal to see if things were better in the other guest harbour beyond the bridge. That was also full of freeloaders and by now we were rather irritated. It is all very well for the canal company to wax lyrical about the number of guest harbours they have and the fact that we can stay there for free if we pay the canal fee, when in fact there is never any room anywhere for us to stay. We noticed a Danish boat moored there and he told us that he was heading out at the 8am bridge opening, so we made up our mind to come in and moor in his spot the next morning, which we did.




The guest harbour was actually quite a long walk from the fortress - a good 3 or 4 kilometers. We took a walk around the town on the following day and were both frankly appalled at the place. I can honestly say that this is the worst town I have ever been in. The car is king in this town and it does not cater well for pedestrians. A major highway passed straight through the town and day and night, heavily laden timber trucks and semitrailers roared through the town at top speed. It was noisy and quite scary. In addition, being a country town, there were the usual gangs of young men in hotted up cars cruising everywhere with their stereo systems turned up to full volume.

We had thought to stick to the walkways and footpaths, but that was also a joke. As there was so much heavy traffic on the road, the cyclists and those with mopeds used the footpaths as well. I was constantly weaving out of the way of kamikaze cyclists riding at breakneck speed and gangs of teenagers on mopeds using the walkways as a racetracks. I found it very stressful - so much so that we decided to skip the whole town and early the next morning we made our way upstream to wait the night at the first lock at Forsvik, which was a quiet, peaceful and very pretty little town.




We knew by now that the stretch from Karlsborg to Toreboda would begin at 8am in Karlsborg, so we would not have to be ready for locking until the other boats in the convoy arrived here at 9am. We walked up to the lock to take a look at what we will face in the morning. It all looks so peaceful and calm in the early evening light.




I was rather amused to see the bridge in the middle of the lock. This is the oldest lock in the whole canal, having been built in 1810. The bridge, which was part of the main road is also the oldest iron bridge in Sweden. It is permanently open these days, having been replaced by another bridge on the other side of the lock. I did wonder whose not so bright idea it was to construct a bridge in the middle of the lock. When boats were negotiating the lock, the bridge would need to be kept open for the 15 or so minutes it took to lock up or down - what an inconvenience to the road and pedestrian traffic!

The old lock keeper's cottage is now a pretty, leafy café (sadly closed this early in the season). It must be lovely to sit here in the garden on a summer's day watching the passing traffic up and down stream.




Another boat has joined us this evening, so we will try and see if we can lock up together early so we can get underway and motor along at a slower pace to the next bridge at Brosundet. I'd like to enjoy it all at a slower pace, especially as I have heard that this section of the canal is really pretty.

Does anyone else remember that cute little lullaby that begins "There's a lake in South Australia, Little lake with lovely name..." made famous by Rolf Harris? I found myself humming that as I drifted off to sleep, ready for our own journey across Lake Vättern. Though unlike Carra Barra Wirra Canna, this is no little lake as you can see.




Lake Vättern is Sweden’s second largest and Europe’s fifth largest lake. With a surface area of 1912 square kilometres, a length of 135 kms, a width of 31 kms and a maximum depth of 128 meters, it is quite a large body of water and this presents us with something of a quandry. We have studied the chart of the lake and saw that it remains quite deep almost all the way to the shore. Should the wind turn when we are heading in a particular direction, we would have trouble finding any sheltered place to moor, except at the very few scattered harbours here and there. The lake is also well known for its high waves and strong current in adverse winds. If winds come from the south, there is 135 kms with nothing in the way to break the motion of the water and strong winds can produce sharp, high waves that cannot be underestimated. Also, this is a freshwater lake and so the water behaves in a different way to the salt water we are used to sailing in. Fresh water is lighter and this produces much higher waves than in the same winds in a salt water environment. We are not afraid of waves and we have every confidence in the sailing abilities of our boat, but I know the pets do not like it when conditions are rough.

The other problem is time. You can see from the map, Motala is in the northern part of the lake, as is the town of Karlsborg, where Göta Canal continues. If we travel 100kms to the south, we must also allow for the same time to get back and as we prefer to sail rather than motor, we need very favourable winds in order to do that in a reasonable time. So in view of that, we have decided to concentrate on the northern area of the lake, with its well known archipelago.




North of Vadstena we passed by stately homes on the shore and admired the fabulous vista they must have from their windows. In the sunshine, everything looked fresh and beautiful and I again admired the passing kaleidoscope of golden canola fields with the dark background of pines, beautiful traditional red wooden farmhouses with their white edges and the glittering, deep blue water.




We sailed for a couple of hours then lost the wind totally. The water around us was flat and mirror-like so we started the engine and motored along for a quarter of an hour until the wind returned and we were able to sail at around 5 knots up towards the archipelago. As we approached the islands, the wind increased and we reefed in sail as we were not keen to head into unknown waters at a bracing 7 knots. I wonder why it is that when you are out in open water with no obstacles, you often get little or no wind, but come to a tight, shallow place the wind invariably picks up?

We managed to find a lovely secluded bay on Lilla Aspön and we settled down to enjoy the sunshine among the islands, with forest birds twittering around us and peace and quiet to sit and think. What a lovely place!




The northern Vättern archipelago is both very beautiful and quite unique. It consists of roughly hewn rocks, polished granite slabs and windswept pine woods. In addition, the entire archipelago is largely uninhabited, so it has the feel of a real wilderness. The surrounding coastline is just as varied, with dramatic rocky beaches and shallow bays with sandbanks.

The next morning, we sailed along the shore past the bridge at Hammar there were cottages peeping out from among the reeds.




At this point, there is a narrow, buoyed opening past the tiny village and you can choose several ways to continue. We decided to follow the wind that seemed to be taking us in a north west direction, leading to Askersund, the most northern town on the lake. As we passed by the tiny hamlet of Hammar, I noted that although it was a very small place, they still had a beautiful, nineteenth century neo-classical church, whose tower high on a hill could be seen from far away.




We had no real preconceived notions of what to expect around here as this is a part of Sweden that neither of us has visited before. It was quiet on the water and we drifted along happily admiring the farmlands on either side of the narrow channel. To our right on a small headland, we saw a farm with a yellow house framed by the passing clouds and with a view across the waters.




Turning to our left, we saw a large dairy farm, with many barns and outbuildings. It was painted in the traditional falun-red and was also framed by the majestic display of gathering clouds. I sensed that they heralded rain, but they were really a sight to behold. The weather over the last few days has been somewhat sultry, with morning sunshine, followed by gathering clouds, a quick, often violent thunderstorm, then sunshine again. I feel a little like I am in the tropics rather than in Sweden.




Just as I thought, the rain pelted down for about ten or fifteen minutes and then the sky cleared and we continued on our way. The chart showed us that in order to get to Askersund, we had to follow a narrow waterway, pass through a tight, shallow opening and cross a small lake. I checked that the depths were okay along the proposed route and we decided to roll in the sails and motor along the narrow channel as we had no idea of what sort of traffic we'd meet on the way. We did meet a few motor boats, but nothing major. As we rounded a bend towards the narrow opening to the lake (Alsen), we were rather surprised to see this magnificent manor house.




I am often taken by surprise when we come to a place that I think of as being "in the middle of nowhere" and we are confronted by a palace, a manor house or a magnificent church. According to the chart, this is Stjärnsund Manor (also called Sternsund). It is perfectly situated at the point where Alsen joins Lake Vättern. The present building dates from the early 19th century. Unfortunately there was nowhere we could moor in order to get a closer look, so we continued through the narrow opening, past the cottages that form part of the estate and along to the town of Askersund.




One of the most striking sights as you approach the town is the church bell tower high on the hill. Again, it dominates the surrounding areas and the warm, soft colours invite you to come and make a closer inspection, which we intend to do as soon as we figure out where the harbour is!




We did find the harbour and left the boat there for a couple of hours while we walked around this charming town and admired some of the very old homes. There is a lot of history here, I suspect and we intend to spend a couple of days here looking around, especially as the weather is beautiful at the moment.




The guest harbour is "centrally located" and what that means is that it is noisy. You have camping grounds to the left, a main road to the right and behind you is the main entertainment stip of pubs, cafés and commercial boat traffic. Directly where you moor is a small park along the shore, with icecram stand, pathways and a swimming area. All in all, I feel like a goldfish in a bowl, so I thought it was better for us if we did not stay there overnight, but instead take Fiona around to a quiet bay on the other side and lay by anchor instead. We can take the dinghy into town tomorrow, but at least we can have peace and privacy tonight.




The next day we went to visit the church. It was built in the mid seventeenth century by Count Johan Oxensterna (the owner of Stjärnsund manor) after the old, medieval church burned down after being struck by lightning. The most striking pieces in the church were the wood carvings on the pulpit and altar pieces. These pieces, crowned with the coat of arms of the count are painted in gold and white, which is somewhat unusual in Swedish churches. The altarpiece pictured here shows the Last Supper in the lower section, the Crucifixion in the centre and the Resurrection at the top.





We then wandered around the whole town. While there is a certain attraction to the sights and sounds in a big city, there is something really special about small towns like Askersund. I like the slower pace that gives you ample time to look at the lovely old wooden houses, painted in their rich, warm colours. The town's opldest part dates from 1776 (a fire had destroyed the town earlier) though the street layout dates from over a century earlier.




The centre of town was full of small, varied shops with unusual and fascinating window displays. Along the narrow, cobblestoned streets, there were tiny, cosy cafés catering to all tastes and you could spend a lot of time soaking up the scents of newly baked bread and the relaxed atmosphere here while you sit drinking coffee for hours. And everywhere you go, the roads offer a glimpse of the water, no matter where you are in town.




This has been a restful couple of days in this pleasant town and I feel sure that it is not going to be the last time we are here. Now we have booked a time three days hence to do the next stretch of the canal, so we must make our way southwards to Karlsborg on Vättern's western shore. Warm and sunny weather is forecast for the foreseeable future, so I hope we can have an easier crossing than we had in the rain soaked eastern sections. Wish us luck!

In sunny conditions but with stiff winds, we left Motala and ventured out for our first taste of sailing in Lake Vättern. We hadn't anticipated any real hassles as we'd studied the charts and knew that it was only about three hours sailing along to the town of Vadstena, a place that Lars-Göran has been keen to visit after he read somewhere that the guest harbour lies in the castle moat.

The winds out on the lake were considerably stronger than the forecast had led us to believe they'd be, so it was just as well that we'd reefed the mainsail as a precaution early in the piece. We had been warned by several people to be careful when coming out of Motala harbour and heading west - there are shoals on either side of the marked route and we were advised to stay well within the markers until we were safely out onto the lake. It was a little nervewracking in the windy conditions, but everything went smoothly and soon we were sailing along a lovely mosaic-like field of golden rapeseed, framed by the glittering, clear waters of the lake. The presence of wind generators is a clue to the power of the wind in this relatively flat landscape.




We were not able to sail to Vadstena directly as of course the wind was blowing from the wrong direction - as usual! So we headed a few nautical miles north west first, then tacked ninety degrees and headed in increasing wind and waves (and decreasing sunshine) towards the castle we could see in the distance. As we came closer to Vadstena, the wind was blowing at gale strength, our speed was increasing and we had difficulty finding the markers that led to the buoyed route into the harbour. At almost the last possible minute we found the first marker and soon we were able to glide in past the lighthouse, head up the narrow causeway and sail directly into the moat of the castle where we tied up for the evening. Vadstena Castle was built in Renaissance style by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century as a defence against raids by the Danes. It felt really strange to look out of the boat and see the castle walls rising above us - certainly it's something very different.





One of the pleasures of taking this journey is the ability to drop into these wonderful inland, historical places. When you sail along the coastline you can visit some of the coastal towns, but by taking the Göta Canal through Sweden, you get to sail past many more castles, monasteries, medieval churches and to visit picturesque towns. Is it any wonder that the route is often called Sweden's Blue Ribbon?

The afternoon saw us out walking around admiring this lovely town. We were awed by the impressive monastery church, inspired and built by 14th-century Saint Birgitta, Sweden's first female saint. It is full of medieval carvings and early religious icons.




The church is built of local limestone with large windows and simple, unadorned walls with strong pillars. There is a wonderful sense of peace in this church and we both felt that this was possibly the best church we had visited in Sweden. There was something very special about the atmosphere. I was very taken with the wonderful carved altar piece featuring the passion and resurrection in minute detail.




The following morning we awoke to glorious sunshine under the walls of the castle. You can see Lambi's regal bearing in the next photo - she and castles are natural partners I think. Now where is that tiara, I wonder?





Across the water from Vadstena was a little headland with a typical rural scene - cultivated fields and charming, red wooden homes which provided a striking contrast to the medieval, stone buildings that make up the main township here.




This is an ideal town to wander around in as all of the main places of interest are really close to each other. The whole medieval section of the town has been preserved and there are surprises around every corner. It is narrow, winding but also very cosy. In many ways it reminded me of Visby, especially as everywhere you looked you could see an impressive tower in the distance.




In the northern part of town we found Mårten Skinnares house - an unusually well-preserved late medieval house constructed of brick. The builder of this house was a rich tradesman who dealt in furs, copper and skins.




We also visited the convent founded by Saint Birgitta, a dominant and remarkable figure in medieval Sweden who, after marrying at 13 and serving as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, became prone to religious visions and under royal patronage founded an order of nuns. In Vadstena, her presence can still be felt in a cluster of 14th-century religious buildings.




We thoroughly enjoyed walking along all of Vadstena's twisting cobblestoned streets, past quaint antique shops and tiny cottages covered with climbing roses. The main shopping strip still has the old buildings intact, all being used as modern shops. I came across the old Apotek (chemist) and was surprised to see that it was still in use. I love to see a town that embraces their roots like this and encourages both the preservation of their heritage as well as making it a living town, not just a museum piece.




We had fika in the main town square where a flock of cheeky sparrows jostled at the tables and around the benches for crumbs. They were so sweet that many people were entranced by them and happily crumbled up cake or biscuits to feed these tiny birds. They showed no sign of fear and were bold enough to come up very close for their tidbits.




The sunny conditions continued and we spent an enjoyable but tiring day looking at the town, criss-crossing here and there and wandering along any street that looked promising. The patterns of light and shade were very inviting and everything was so well looked after that it was a pleasure to be there.




Everywhere you looked was a wealth of narrow, twisting streets and beautifully preserved houses, with the tower of the abbey church visible in the skyline from almost any vantage point.




We had not known what to expect from the town, so we were very pleasantly surprised at its beauty and very impressed with the care that was shown in its preservation. It is really like stepping back in time and the view of the skyline with the abbey tower and castle demonstrate that here was a focal point for ecclesiastical as well as secular power over the centuries.




After studying the charts and noting the wind forecast for the next few days, we have decided to head northwards towards the archipelago region of the lake. As beautiful as the townships have been, we are missing the freedom of laying by anchor in a nature harbour and waking up to the gentle sound of lapping water and birdsong. So it is farewell to the towns and sailing northwards towards the belt of islands we can make out in the far distance.

After yesterday's busy day, it felt good to have a lazy morning. I thought about poor Dennis and Beenie who had to leave at 4am in order to cross over Lake Vättern and be ready for the 8am start on the other side! It was bright and sunny as well and that always cheers us up. We had breakfast out in the cockpit, savouring the warmth and watching the charming little water birds (I think they were some kind of dwarf grebe) bobbing in the water for their own breakfast. Doesn't the sunshine make a huge difference?




The tourist bureau is located in the harbour area, so I went there and collected my usual armful of brochures and maps and we had a look to see what we could do for the next couple of days. Lars-Göran spent his time trying yet again to get the wireless internet connection to work on the boat. This is one of the harbours that advertises that their wireless netwok can be used by guest boats, but after many frustrating hours, he could still not get it to work. I am not keen that he spends too much more time on it. While the idea of being able to check up on email and update our blogs from the boat is great, it is not essential and certainly not worth getting all hot and bothered about. A couple of years ago we had the same problem when we tried out internet via our mobile phone - it rarely worked and caused a lot of tearing out of hair and gnashing of teeth. So I advised him to put it all away, forget about it and instead come along with me and look at the motor museum located just down the pier.




Like South Australia's very own National Motor Museum at Birdwood, the Motala Motor Museum is a veritable eldorado for anyone who has the slightest interest in cars as well as nostalgia. You can see cars and motorbikes as well as radios, camera and office equipment in their own historical environment. One fascinating display contained a complete model of an auto repair shop from the 1930´s. The car that really caught my eye was an amusing car-boat from the 1940's.




We spent an enjoyable afternoon wandering around the well laid out exhibits. For Lars-Göran, it was a trip down Sweden's memory lane, with so many sights and sounds that he recalled from his childhood and youth. It was all so well preserved and beautifully laid out, complete with articles from the same era to give the exhibits some sense of authenticity and historical perspective.




It had rained while we were in the museum, but I was happy to see that it was a passing summer thunderstorm only and that when we emerged the town was bathed in sunshine once again. We set off for a walk along the canal banks, admiring the buildings along the way. We went as far as the grave of Baltzar von Platen, the man who largely deserves the credit for the construction of the Göta Kanal. Following completion in 1800 of Trollhätte Canal (which links the North Sea and Lake Vänern), it was von Platen who revived the old idea of linking Lake Vänern with the Baltic Sea, giving Sweden a complete waterway from west to east.

Under his supervision, work began in 1810 and was carried out by 58,000 soldiers using only pickaxes, spades and wheelbarrows. Unfortunately, von Platen died three years before the project was completed, but as a mark of respect, vessels sound their sirens twice when passing his grave which is in a grove of trees beside the canal.

The yellow building you see here is the head office of the Götal Kanal company which houses a museum of the history of the canal.




The canal continued to be used commercially for about 100 years and resulted in economic benefits for the nearby communities but, as road and rail transport blossomed and captured an increasing share of goods transport, the canal became more a focus for leisure boats.

We crossed over one of the bridges and looked at the old lock keeper's cottages. From here you can easily see the guest harbour across the canal, with "Fiona" moored in the right of the picture.




As in several other towns along the canal route, the old lock keeper's cottage here in Motala is now a café. The very popular Två Små Hus (Two Small Houses) is a café specialising in ice cream and therefor a "must see" as far as Lars-Göran is concerned. During the season the place is packed, but today it was fairly quiet and we could study the menu at our leisure. This was just as well as they had a whole book of various ice cream creations and we were so spoiled for choice and the combinations were so interesting and creative that it took ages before we decided which ones we would order.





It was delicious and a nice way to round off the afternoon. We later went up to the main town to shop for fresh vegetables and to buy some more wine as well as to wander around the older area near the church and harbour. We are off in the morning towards the town of Vadstena, which lies on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern and around 12 nautical miles from here.

As we were leaving the harbour area, I spotted a sailing boat that caused me to stop in my tracks - check it out and you will see why.




Aussies will of course recognise both the boat's green and gold colours and the very distinctive Australian name. For others, the reason I was surprised is that "Kirribilli" is a North Shore harbourside suburb of Sydney. The name comes from an aboriginal word Kiarabilli which means "good fishing spot" and the suburb is one of Australia's oldest and most established, containing places like Kirribilli House (the Sydney residence of the Prime Minister), Admiralty House (the Sydney residence of the Governor General) and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. To say that I was rather surprised to see a yacht with this name moored in the middle of Sweden is something of an understatement. Unfortunately there was nobody around, so I never found out the story behind the boat, but I was quite intrigued.




And so it is farewell to Motala and the eastern section of Göta Canal. For the next few days we are taking a break from canals and spending some time on Sweden's second largest lake - hopefully sailing rather than motoring along and that will make a welcome change.

After a couple of days rest I am feeling much better physically and ready to press on. No other boats have arrived, so today's journey to Motala will just be the two boats. We are all really happy about this as it makes the pace so much more relaxed. The morning is overcast and a little cool, but still very beautiful, with a great sense of tranquility which is highlighted by the amazing grey-blue morning light. By eight o'clock, we are all ready to cast off on the next stage.




I notice that Dennis and Beenie have a different technique to us. As I consider myself to be a complete klutz with no sense of balance or co-ordination, I prefer to be put ashore at a nice, flat, safe place (like a pier), then to walk up to the lock along a path while Lars-Göran drives the boat into the lock, then I catch the ropes that he throws up to me. Ideally, Lars-Göran, who has the surefootedness of a mountain goat really ought to jump off. But that would mean leaving his precious boat in the hands of a woman driver, so we all know that is never going to happen - even if hell freezes over. So I get to play Russian roulette with the locks instead. Beenie obviously is far more confident and co-ordinated than I am, so she hops off at the lock (brave lady!) and leads the boat up with the ropes.




Whichever way we choose, both boats end up in the lock together and we lock up steadily. This lock system was one that I was dreading, but today it is calm and peaceful and actually no problem at all. I decided to stay off the boat and simply walk between the various levels, so I get time to look around, take Lambi for a stroll as well as minimise the risk of me landing flat on my face as I hop off. This picture was taken about two thirds the way up Carl Johan's lock which will raise us twenty metres above the lake below.




On the previous sections of the canal, I left Lambi onboard in her basket. This was partly because I was nervous and didn't want her under my feet while I was still feeling my way but also because it rained so much and I felt she would be better off onboard, safe and dry in her basket. But naturally she had other ideas. She was not happy that I was on land without her, suspecting that I was somehow having a lot of fun and she was missing out. So she spent a lot of the time getting in Lars-Göran's way instead, whining to be let off and be with me. This time I decided to take her with me, keeping her life jacket on just in case she wandered too close to the water. There was nobody around to distract her and she was happy to walk along with me, sniff around and watch quietly. Even Lars-Göran looks happier now that he can work in peace. Is that a smile I see?




Just above this lock, across a small section of water is the four step Oscar's lock. And here to watch every step of the process was a couple of primary school classes out on a field trip. The teachers were delighted as they had not expected to see anyone going up so early in the season. They explained that it was so much better for the children to see the locks in action, rather than simply have the theory of it all explained to them.





The biggest hit for the kids, though, was the small, white, fluffy crew member decked out in her life jacket! Lambi of course charmed them all and lapped up the attention. I laughed as a dozen mobile phones were whipped out of pockets (since when did 8 year olds have mobile phones?) and the cameras aimed at Princess Lambi, who knows how to pose for that ultimate Kodak moment. Con artist!




The children asked a lot of questions about locking that I answered for them. They also asked which flag was on Dennis's boat and were surprised to hear that it was Irish. They also pointed to the Australian flag and asked me what it was and why was it in that spot on the boat. I explained that I was an Australian and that a flag in that position shows that there is a crew member from that particular country is onboard. Then the teacher had to go and spoil her copybook by exclaiming "Australian? You sound more like you come from Stockholm. Do they speak Swedish in Australia?" No comment!

We had to wait at the next lock as one of the lovely old passenger ferries was going in the other direction. We tied up at a small waiting pier about 500m downstream and I thought I'd hop off there and take Lambi for a walk up to the lock where she proceeded to charm all of the old ladies who were on the passenger boat. As the boat, Juno, continued downstream, she dwarfed our boat as they passed each other.




The weather is still overcast, but there hasn't been any rain so far and every now and then the sun peeps out and lights up the pretty, green shore. I am finding this section to be much more relaxing than the one from Söderköping to Norsholm. Perhaps it is the better weather, or perhaps I am feeling more confident now we have worked out a system that functions well. There was a lot of work early on today for the big locks at Berg, with thirteen locks placed close together, but there are also long stretches where you can simply motor along, await a bridge opening and enjoy the passing scene. I was especially charmed by the small yellow wooden homes at the locks. These used to house the canal's lockkeepers when it was first built and they are a lovely reminder of that era. It must have been wonderful to have had such a tranquil view to see out of your window each morning, especially on a day like today when the water is like a mirror.




Just around another leafy bend we saw a group of long horned, shaggy coated highland cows resting on the shore. I commented to Lars-Göran that we could smell them long before we saw them and he told me how much that smell of cattle and manure reminded him of childhood holidays spent on his paternal grandfather's dairy farm in Malax. I had expected the smell to dissipate as we passed them, but it persisted and became stronger. So strong in fact that I nearly gagged. Around the next bend we could see why. A farmer was spraying liquid manure over his fields and the wind was blowing the smell towards us. For the next hour we tried hard not to breathe, though we managed to make some appalling jokes based on the smell.




A little way past Ljungsbro, we passed over a road. Yes, that's right - the canal passed OVER the road via an aqueduct. It felt really funny to be sitting in a boat floating above the traffic. I guess it looked pretty funny from the road as well having a sailing boat overhead. We had talked earlier about stopping off at the guest harbour here for a day or so and checking out the Cloetta chocolate factory. But after talking to a couple of people who have stayed at Ljungsbro before we decided against it. Apparently there is a problem at the guest harbour with a local youth gang, who have been known to board boats, damage property and generally make a nuisance of themselves. That is something we don't really want to experience, so after we heard that, we decided to skip stopping there and continue on to Motala.




This has been somewhat of a revision of our plans. When we read the brochure from the canal company, they waxed lyrical about stopping off at all of their guest harbours along the route, enjoying the atmosphere there with cafés, small communities and lots of activities. But the reality is very different, especially as they force you to travel in convoys and to book the locks at least three working days in advance. The cafés are only open for about six to eight weeks (July to mid-August), everything looks deserted at this time of the year and most of the smaller guest harbours are full of local boats waiting to mast on, so there is no room for visitors anyway. Mind you, they still charge us full price - this is Sweden after all. Still, there are advantages to being out so early as I gather that during the season there are long delays at the locks and crowded, noisy harbours which get wearing after a while. I'm still enjoying the peaceful countryside and the chance to see so much more of my new country.




There really is a strong sensation of gliding silently through the heart of the Swedish countryside. For mile after mile, the canal is only just wide enough for the boat and the water seems to disappear, leaving you floating alternately through dense, leafy woods (where you can reach out and almost touch the tree branches) and wide expanses of open fields laid out like a giant patchwork quilt, punctuated by grazing cattle, sheep, horses and of course the typical red or yellow wooden farmhouses. It is real picture postcard country. There are also some very impressive homes along the canal banks.




In mid afternoon, we reach one of the two manual locks in the canal system. Most of the locks have been electrified, so the lock keeper can easily operate the gates and the water from a simple control panel. At this lock, our keeper, Sara, demonstrates just how all of the locks used to function. It certainly looked like a lot of work and both Lars-Göran and Dennis took over and had a go as well.

I can't speak highly enough of the lock keepers we have had. They are all young people, cheerful, helpful and a pleasure to be with. Sara herself has been studying in Melbourne for the past year and is home in Sweden for the summer holidays. We were able to chat happily at each lock about Australia and Sweden and to swap impressions of each other's countries. It's always interesting to hear what an outsider thinks of your homeland - and I can report that Sara LOVES Australia and can't wait to return, so you all must have been doing something right. As an Adelaidian, I felt honour bound duty to completely rubbish Melbourne and try and convince her that almost anywhere else was better, but she would have none of it, though she did promise that she's visit Adelaide when she went back.




Before we edged out on to the lake at Boren, we passed several homes that were built very close to the canal. This one in particular certainly had a front row seat and I was rather surprised that the owners had received planning approval for it. Or maybe they didn't? I imagine that it is rather pleasant to sit out on the deck on a summer evening and watch the passing boats.




We had an hour and a half motor across Lake Boren to the five step lock at Borenshult. I looked behind us and saw some very dark clouds on the horizon. I wasn't sure where they might be heading, but decided not to take a chance and so I donned my full rain gear. I was praying that we would make it to Motala before the clouds, but that was not to be. Just as we got to the first of the five locks, the heavens opened and it literally bucketed down for about fifteen minutes. I couldn't use an umbrella as I needed both hands for the ropes, so I had to just stand there and get rained on - AGAIN! You can see that we have come up about fifteen metres from the lake surface and that there is a passenger boat a couple of locks behind us, also locking up. It doesn't look that wet, but believe me, everything was drenched. Even the grass was squelchy underfoot. I kept dreaming of a hot shower and bed!




It must have been school outing day as we acquired another class of slightly older school children at the Borenshult locks. See, see! They have umbrellas! It really was raining! I was surprised that the kids came so close as the stone edge is very slippery when wet, but fortunately there were no accidents and we could safely continue on through the last lock towards Motala, where we arrived tired but happy just after 5pm.




Motala is a town on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern and is the half way point between Stockholm and Göteborg, so you could say that we are now half way to the west coast. It's been a long day and we spent the evening aboard Dennis and Beenie's charming boat drinking wine and swapping ideas and recommendations for places to visit.




They are continuing on in the morning, but we have decided to stop here for a few days and look around before we venture out into Sweden's second largest lake. I saw an interesting ice-cream shop that I know Lars-Göran will enjoy and the area around the harbour looks like it may house a surprise or two.