Some Log Notes
Some days ago, we arrived safely back in Turku, having spent about six weeks’ worth of summer vacation aboard our Hanse sailboat. Here are some reflections (mostly) about the sailing stuff along the way.
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The Good Night Watch
After having enjoyed beautiful Kalmar for a few days, it was once again time to head forward. This time we had our sights set on lovely Copenhagen.
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Great/Terrible Sailing
After more than a week in Visby (yes, we loved the place!) the weather had settled enough for us to bid farewell and head out to seek new adventures. “To Kalmar!” the children were willing us, the night before our early departure, and that did sound like a great idea.
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Sailing to Visby
After a few days of fixing our boat in Mariehamn, it was time to head out towards vaster oceans (a slight exaggeration, I admit!) in the form of an overnight sail to Visby.
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Pitstop in Mariehamn
Just four days after our delivery trip from Sweden we had already loaded the boat with our stuff and the rest of the sailors (dog included), and were heading out for our one-month vacation sailing.
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The Delivery From Sweden
“Did the money arrive in your bank account yet?” I texted the seller of our soon-to-be Hanse 531 sailboat. “No, not yet,” he answered.
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Industrial Light & Darkness
French fries! Ice cream! Clean clothes! — A Jedi cares not for these things. Not until said Jedi has spent enough nights without them, however, anchored far from urban civilization, and is forced to re-evaluate.
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Moovin’ to the Groovin’
After two nights and one whole day of jolly swimming at our Kråkelund anchorage, we pulled the anchor to continue onward. Or actually, backward, since the wind had decided to turn.
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Kråkelund
After a week in the bustling city of Visby, and a nice sail over towards the mainland, it was time to enjoy the peaceful and rather secluded archipelago on the southeast coast of Sweden. And time to do what we all had been waiting to do since we left the Sand Island — jump into... Continue reading Kråkelund
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From Fog to Unclear Destinations
After a bit less than one (very enjoyable!) week in Visby, we were all ready to head onwards and in the general direction of our next destination. We didn’t really know what that destination would be, though. “Maybe Kalmar?” we had loosely discussed the day before.
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Ahoy, Gotland!
After an evening on the beach and a whole day walking around and exploring (a small part of) the beautiful island (a big thank you to the nice caretaker for the surprise private showing of the lighthouse!), we felt ready to sail onward.
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The Sand Island
We had loaded ourselves and our stuff aboard— with surprisingly little drama, I might add!— and we were ready to go. Ready to start the (hopefully mostly enjoyable) process of replacing brave expectations with actual experiences, and memories to be.
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Good Morning, Season Three!
With no more snow and ice in our country (hooray!), it was time to jump on the first bus to the winter storage place in Dalsbruk and get our dear boat home!
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There and Back Again
We had just a few miles left until we’d reach the final destination of our summer vacation sail, our home harbor in Turku. The children were all out on the deck, looking quite happy, but also a bit anxious. It had been a long journey (well by our standards at least), and while getting home... Continue reading There and Back Again
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From Klaipėda to Kuressaare
Geographically, when we left Poland and headed for Klaipėda, we had already gone from sailing farther away, to getting closer to home. Our hearts and minds joined in on this turnaround one step later, though. Only now, when we were sailing north from Lithuania towards Estonia, it started to feel like return trips do. Less... Continue reading From Klaipėda to Kuressaare
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Jūros Šventė!
After our exciting sail from Poland to Lithuania, we were dearly appreciating the feeling of some firm Lithuanian ground under our feet. And the urge to walk some with these feet, as well!
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Three Meter Waves
After a few days in Hel, we were now out on the sea again, and heading in the general direction of Lithuania and its seaport city Klaipeda. Not too directly, though, to avoid all encounters with potentially unfriendly Russian warships and submarines.
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A Weekend in Hel
Arriving in Hel on a Saturday was a bit like jumping into a tourist beehive. It was sunny and warm, and the small weekend beach resort town was absolutely brimmed with people, all there to spend fun summertime together with their friends and family. For us, though, coming from the delicately anxious, and carefully social... Continue reading A Weekend in Hel
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Sailing to Hel
After our wonderful stay on the island of Bornholm, we were now set to sail towards a country and a place none of us had ever visited before.
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Charlotte Meets Cameo
“So, when will Christian come?” O asked for maybe the fifth time in twenty minutes. “I think they are an hour or so away, so soon, very soon!” I replied, knowing that I’d probably have to answer the same question a few more times before they’d actually arrive. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
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To Rønne
Up and away! We had been in Kårehamn for what seemed like ages, but now, finally, the weather had changed for the better, allowing us to scoot off towards our next destination: happy Denmark and the island of Bornholm.
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Five Days in Kårehamn
Having spent a beautiful day on our sunny paradise beach, it was time to sail onwards. The weather forecasts were quite threatening, showing gale-force winds arriving the following day, so we set sail for shelter in the nearby fishing harbor of Kårehamn.
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Paradise Beach
After quite a few happy and days on Gotland, it was time to once again take to the seas and sail onward. But where to?
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The Adventure Starts Here
It was the first evening of our summer vacation. After having spent a long day getting ourselves and our belongings onto the boat, after casting off from our own harbor and waving farewell to Charlotte’s mother standing on the dock, and then, after just a few hours of relaxed sailing, we were at our first... Continue reading The Adventure Starts Here
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Happy Wappu!
In Finland, among quite a few places, 1 May and the eve before are celebrated loudly and merrily, in big crowds, and with a neverending amount of sparkling wine. Not so this year, obviously, but I had another good idea.
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While There Is Wind
So, what do you do with your sailing blog when the whole world— I and our family included, obviously— is in the middle of a pandemic outbreak of a virus?
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That Heeling Feeling
One slightly frustrating part of sailing– at least with monohulls!– is when the boat is deeply tilted over to one side or the other. It looks cool in pictures (“oh wow, look at them going, wind in the hair, smiles on their faces!”), but real life aboard a heeling boat isn’t always very heavenly.
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First Draft of Season Two
Winter is a good time to plan for next summer. It is great fun to make big and daring plans, but the recipe for success, I believe, is to be very relaxed about actually sticking to the plans. So, we might end up boldly going where we intend to, but— and maybe even more likely—... Continue reading First Draft of Season Two
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Winter Storage
Where do Finnish sailing yachts go for winter? I’d love to say they (and we, the people on them!) migrate to warmer climates, but no. We all stay here, try to protect ourselves from oncoming winter as well as we can afford, and then put an optimistic spin on it: quite soon it will be... Continue reading Winter Storage
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Will We Sail Again?
So, we got our lovely new Hanse yacht, and we did spend a good part of last summer family sailing together. But how did it go? Was this to be our first and last summer of sailing, or will the story continue?
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The Last Day of Summer
After our July summer vacation, unfortunately we didn’t use our yacht that much. We had a big (and exhausting) moving project in August. September was filled with work. And after that, the weather started turning a bit against us. Cold to freezing temperatures, high winds and too much rain.
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Back Home
Tallinn and Estonia had been wonderful, but it was time to head back to Finland. We were about one hundred forty nautical miles from our home, and we gathered it would take us about four daysails to get there. Hi-yo, Silver! Away! (or should it be “Golden“?)
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Wonderful Estonia!
Two days and two nights of sailing, and we were finally at our destination: Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Our boat safely parked in the Pirita neighbourhood, it was now time to enjoy land to the fullest.
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Night Sailing to Tallinn
It was a bit before eight in the morning. We were blessed with clear skies and beautiful sunshine. I woke Charlotte up to help me get us politely reversed away from the Kyrkogårdsön pier, and then we were off. Next destination: the open seas and our biggest adventure yet.
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Fortress Island
After a nice evening of water activities (in quite warm water!) we set off in the morning, once again. This time, though, I was the only one who knew our destination. (I love to surprise people! Whenever I can, I try!)
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Dancing in the Rain
The Söderarm lighthouse island was a cool touchdown in Sweden. We were all eager to continue toward Stockholm, though, so early next morning, we unhooked ourselves from the pier, set the engine to about 2200 rpm (since no wind), and sailed onwards.
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Sea of Åland, Island of Birds
It was a Sunday morning, the last day of our first week of sailing, and we were all ready and set to sail from Mariehamn to Sweden. Ahead of us, our second offshore passage, crossing the Sea of Åland.
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Should We Sail to Sweden?
After a couple of nights in Mariehamn, we were ready to move on. But where to?
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To Mariehamn
Jellyfish! Lots and lots of small jellyfish next to our boat. I didn’t even know we had those in Finland but we were all very excited to see them. A good sign and a good send off for our next leg to the capital of Åland, Mariehamn.
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From Turku to Åland — And Uh-Oh Crap
Our sailing vacation finally started! It was a cold and cloudy Monday. We left quite late and had only one objective: to get just a bit away from Turku so that it wouldn’t feel like being home anymore. The next day, though, was to be both exciting and— for a few— quite terrible.
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Don't Reef the FCL Jib
Last week we found out that 20+ knots of upwind with one reef in the main and a fully rolled out jib equaled too much sail for our newbie family sailing. Previous experience suggested that reducing sail area by partly furling away the jib wasn’t a good option. But what would have been? I asked... Continue reading Don't Reef the FCL Jib
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Sailing Is the Most Terrible Thing Ever!!!
Charlotte and I woke up at about four in the morning to the sunrise and the wind changing. We both looked out the window and gasped. Out on the sky, there was this beautiful rainbow painted onto an equally beautiful archipelago background, all colored with redish morning sunrise.
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Sleepover in a Sailboat
Midsummer is the holiday in June when people flock away from their workplaces and city apartments towards their summer cottages and boats. The weather looked nice so we thought this would be the perfect time to go out sailing, all of us, and see what it would feel like, to spend a few days, as... Continue reading Sleepover in a Sailboat
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With Charlotte, Children and a Dog
It looked like the perfect day to try it for the very first time: to go out on a short boat trip with the whole family (including our newly arrived rescue dog from Romania), and see whether it would turn out ok or a disaster. I was pretty exhausted after our delivery from Germany, but... Continue reading With Charlotte, Children and a Dog
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