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| Stockholm and the archipelago |
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| -- 4th to 12th of August 2018 -- |
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From the densest of the capital city
to the wildest of the archipelago, from urban life to the silence of a
desert island, this is the full experience of Stockholm and its
archipelago.
More pictures of many diverse landscapes in our page "Pictures".
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147 nautical miles
2599 miles sailed since the start
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| 4th August : Mariehamn – Aspöfladen (51NM) |
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| Leaving
again at dawn, we continue our way in the Stockholm archipelago. There
is no hint of wind this morning and Junior is hard at work. In the
morning light and the relative quietness before most traffic resume, we
have time to enjoy the pretty islands, much greener than their Finnish
counterparts. Suddenly in the middle of all the green, one island is
covered with dead woods. Only the trunks remain and became the favorite
dwelling place for cormorants, seagulls or eagles! |
Like in the finnish archipelagos, some islands are devastated and become the property of various birds
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Arrival at Vaxholm | The
closer you get to Stockholm, the bigger the houses along the channel,
the more traffic there is. Big storms are forecast and we decide to
stop at Vaxholm, a small town self-proclaimed “the capital of the
archipelago”.
It is a cute village indeed, with a fishing past
and some military history still visible in the fortress. We knew it has
been a popular seaside resort for centuries. And yet, we had not
expected to be surrounded by so many humans... Ferries, tourist boats,
holiday-makers buzzing around and making us almost long for Vasa’s
deserted archipelago… |
Entering into the harbor
is a funny game between all the traffic. It is a bit bumpy along the
outer pontoon with all the waves… mooring is on mooring lines
(unusual!), we pay 260 SEK for the night. Quite a coincidence: we meet
in this harbor with 3 other fully female crews, a first on this trip!
Our neighbor, the skipper of a beautifully maintained old Hallberg
Rassy, explains that she belongs to the Finnish Female Scout
Association. Female crews are not uncommon in Finland… and they always
come to sail around the Stockholm and Åland archipelago for the summer.
Very knowledgeable about the area, she gives us plenty of good tips.
In
the afternoon, we dedicate two hours to maintenance work on the
starboard genoa winch, which makes a suspicious sound. After taking it apart,
changing a couple of broken springs and a few ratchets and generously
sprinkling with grease, we hope to be good for another couple of years.
Unfortunately a few days later the problem appears again and it turns
out one of the gears is simply worn out – it will have to work with one
ratchet instead of two until we can change the part… |
| Going for a
swim always makes things better. Here the beach offers a nice view at
the bottom of the battery park, but it is hard to swim far and long due
to the traffic. Laure is a bit frustrated. But Camille has it worse,
she sees a nice little creature crawling on her ankle coming out of the
water: a leech! It’s a tiny one and doesn’t hurt at all, but still, we
meet all kinds of friendly animals on this trip... |
Laure confirms you should not shunt the green buoy !
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| 6th August : Vaxholm – Stockholm (10NM) |
Arriving in Stockholm, it's hidden behind the cruise ships, ferrys and cranes !
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Leaving
Vaxholm with a nice little breeze, we can sail between the islands,
sailboats and ferries en route to Stockholm! As we approach the
"capital of Scandinavia" (or so say the Swedes...), the traffic turns
to a nightmare. We are beating against the increasingly strong wind,
bumping into the nasty swell amplified by the steep banks. |
| Arriving
to Wasahamn harbor is a relief, even if maneuvering 20 knots of wind in
this tiny space is not easy. The harbor is narrow but it pays off to
venture into the inner basin (less swell!). We moor on surprisingly
short fingerberths! In the capital city, fees are always higher: 350
SEK/ night, without electricity. Laundry is included though – and we
make good use of it, after booking a timeslot on the long list
displayed in the laundry room. | 
Saltimbanque
in Wasahamn, many foreign boats in this harbour, mostly German and
Dutch, also some Brits for once ! But no French...
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| 6th-7th August : visiting Stockholm |
| The last
time we were in Stockholm was early December and it was cold! We had
rushed through the city before going back inside cafes and museums.
It's funny to see the same city under the sun and invaded by tourists! |
Welcome to Stockholm! says the bard. Note the sun glasses, necessary with the warm weather these past few weeks
| We
take a tour of the historic district, trying as usual to connect all
the dots “to see” on the map and stopping to read the historical
descriptions and information signs. The only museum we want to visit
this time is the Vasa museum (as for the others ... well we'll be back,
it’s so close to home!) |
| The
Vasa is a magnificent warship launched in 1627 (built at the expense of
3% of the country’s GDP at the time) ... and sunk 100 meters further,
after a glorious 10-minute career. Too high, too narrow, not enough
ballast ... she leant over at the first gust even before she had time
to fire the guns in salute. Buried in the mud of the harbor and
preserved during 333 years in the fresh water of the bay, the wreck’s
location was forgotten until the 1950s. The Vasa is a magnificent and
(almost) floating work of art. It is also a major tourist attraction
(more than 35 millions visitors so far ...). We make sure to be there
at the opening and we enjoy the splendid views and the sheer scale of
the boat without too much crowd around. | 
The
magnificent stern of the Vasa, the more than 500 sculptures and art
work were to impress the enemy. The fishes must have loved it...
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Stockholm-beach, quite nice for an agglomeration of 1,5 - 2 millions inhabitants !
| After
the visit, we meet with a friend who lives in Stockholm. She guides us
for a great biking tour around the city by bike. It's nice to discover
another side of this capital made of islands along which people bathe,
paddle… |
| Finally,
we make full use of our rental bikes, pedaling up to the supermarket to
stock up on food before heading out to the wild archipelago... |
8th August : Stockholm – Saltsjöbaden (12 NM) |
There can be current in the narrow Skurusund
| It
is still very hot, but the high pressures are on their way out, leaving
us with more and more frequent windy episodes. We leave Stockholm by
the South, through the Skurusund. This small channel is as shallow as
it is wide, but it is perfect for sailboats no deeper than 2m50 and
(strictly!) no higher than 30m! |
| Soon
enough though the wind increases and we shelter at Saltsjöbaden’s
nautical club. This small harbor is located a little off the city on
the North side and has only 5 guest buoys. It is quite nice and well
equipped with the basic showers, electricity – and even wifi onboard –
for 200 SEK (to be paid online on their website). Locals are very
friendly, and frankly surprised that a visitor found their
harbor! | 
Typical houses from the archipelago close to Stockholm: a small quay, stairs up the rock, reaching a huge house.
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| From the nearby beach Laure can swim all she wants. The strong winds turn into a violent storm when the night comes. |
| 9th August : Saltsjöbaden – Utö (32 NM) |
This
should be a whole day without gales or thunderstorms! In order to enjoy
it as much as possible, we stop at Härsö to have lunch at a small
Scandinavian anchorage. Stern anchor, moored on the rock –
strategically equipped with a small pontoon to ease the maneuver.
The
island is known to offer a beautiful view from the top of its summit.
No sooner said than done, we climb up the path following the signs
“Cathedral” … and indeed, the view is majestic enough and a suitable
spot for prayers. Unfortunately, the island offers now only spiritual
sustenance: the blueberry season is definitely over and all the shrubs
are empty and dry. | 
Saltimbanque at Härsö, from the top of the island
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We keep on picking up the waste we encounter
however (that season does not appear to be over soon...). These last
weeks on sparsely populated islands left us with only 2-3 pieces every
day. This is a convincing and empirical evidence that human pollution
is a function of population density. Today Laure is taking it to
the next level, waste picking from the sea bottom while snorkeling!
Here along this frequented mooring place, a new world of pollution
reveals itself: some objects (pegs, clothes, fenders) did
probably fall overboard by mistake. But what about the countless
bottles, cans and food wrapping…?
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Laure, well protected from the violent Swedish sun, tacks between the rocks of Stockholm archipelago
| Walking:
check; Swimming: check. OK, we can sail on then. Heading South, facing
the wind and tacking again between the islands under a warm sun. With
the good weather, all the sailboats of the archipelago decided to go on
the water as well… In the late afternoon we arrive at Utö, a fairly
popular island: a strong gale is expected for the coming days and we
want to weather it in a safe harbor, with plenty of activities. |
Regarding
the safe harbor: it is not well protected from the southwest actually,
but we hope that there will be some strong jetties and buoys maybe to
hold the boats in the gusts. Mmm, not quite: there is a mooring pontoon
indeed, but boats are held by their own stern anchor. We make sure to
pick a shallow, but well sheltered spot in the corner close to the
buildings… In the end, there will be so many boats that Saltimbanque
will be stuck in a compact row of hulls and well sheltered indeed!
Fees are 250 SEK at night, without electricity, but with shower and sauna!
As
for the activities… we will see tomorrow. By the sound of it, there
must be at least a nightclub not far ... One of the most popular
get-aways in the Stockholm archipelago they said… |
10th August : visiting Utö |
| Utö
is known for its specific geology and we start on the hiking trail
towards the North of the island, hoping to see some nice rocks (yes,
yes, we like rocks :o) ). First stop, the old iron mines.
Exploited since the 12th century, they were very damaged during the
Russian occupation of the early 18th century and were abandoned in the
19th. Nearby stand a couple of rows of low, wooden barracks, former
housing to the mine workers. | 
The former iron mines of Utö, now filled with water
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| Back
on the shore, the path crosses small white sand beaches and atypical
rock formations. No granite here, but volcanic rocks, sandstone,
boulders – all smoothened by erosion. The island is beautiful and
different again from the ones we have seen so far. |
The shore north of Utö, looks like lava streams
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Quite windy on the windwards shore !
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| Back
in the "popular harbor", we feel oppressed by the noisy crowd. It's
Friday night and many motorboats arrived at full speed from the city,
loud music blaring shamelessly from the cockpit. Their firm intention
is to party and get drunk – no matter what the neighbors prefer... We
escape quickly to the sauna and the restaurant. From the terrace here
we can see Saltimbanque – just behind the mini-golf. |
11th August: Utö – Lille Marskär (17NM) |
A
few hours of calm between two gales: time to resume our route to the
South. Always upwind, but this time with a current of more than 1 knot
against us. This is hopeless.
Thanks to
the information from our neighbor in Vaxholm, we know of a couple of
islands where we will be well sheltered, just East of Nynäshamn. We
choose for today a small bay North of Lille Marskär, sheltered from all
winds from South to West. We know that the rock is suitable for
mooring, but it is not equipped with bolts and we have to get by with
whatever mooring point nature provides: it is the ultimate skjærgård
experience.
The stern anchor falls, splash, we know how to do
it. Laure skilfully jumps on the rock with a front line and looks for a
suitable mooring point. Three options: 1) around a tree, easy and
efficient when there are strong enough trees, 2) around a big rock, not
bad either, unless it's sharp, 3) use one of our own
bolts-to-hammer-into-the-rock , which just require a suitable crack in
the rock! We test all three options with our three lines. We are well
moored, the storms can come and blow! What’s more: our neighbor in the
bay is a Bavaria 38 which will make an effective lightning rod for
little Saltimbanque in case of thunder :o) | 
Our first anchorage on a rock without any infrastructure onshore
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All these islands offer very good shelter !
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take a short walk on the island, very pretty and inhabited by countless
red ants. Many herons are also flying around the boat. The water is
beautiful too, very clear and ... heaving with jellyfish..!??? We had
not seen a single jellyfish in 3 months… in Scandinavia they tend to
prefer colder waters … what does the "thermo-sounder" say? Ouch: 15.7 °
C !!! The sea temperature dropped by 7 degrees in 3 days! And the water
became very salty too... Maybe this is the gale, blowing up a lot of
cold salty water (and its inhabitants) from the North Sea. At any rate:
a wetsuit comes in handy now...
The following night is very quiet in our great shelter, despite gusts and thunderstorms. It's the end of summer...
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12th August : Lille Marskär – Stora Rammklöv (2NM) |
| Very
strong west-northwesterly wind forecast today, more than 30 knots. We
decide to stay in the islands, which are high and protect from the
wind. With a stern anchor and moored to the rock, we’re as safe as in
any official harbor actually! | 
Short sailing in the morning light
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Saltimbanque sheltered in its desert island | Just
a small hop early in the morning, to the neighboring island of Stora
Rammklöv (it will protect us better from west-northwest winds). We are
alone, no other human or boat anywhere around the island. We take the
time to choose the spot, drop the stern anchor well away from the rock
to get a better angle when pulling on it, and to fix the two front
mooring lines - one on tree, one on a bolt hammered in a crack. We add
two more lines attached at the stern to reduce the boat’s rotations in gusts from
varying directions. One on a tree, one on a bolt. The boat is
attached by an anchor and 4 lines, like a big spider in the middle of
its web. They use similar mooring techniques in Patagonia (yes, this is
training for a next trip ;o) )
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| The
wind increases and blows in gusts, shaking the trees. Dark clouds racing
through the sky, waves crashing in the distance… and Saltimbanque is
floating on a lake, not a breeze in the cockpit. Our only neighbors are
two otters crossing the bay and a sea eagle circling in the sky. The
sea is at 14 °C today, we heat up some water to wash - for the first
time of the trip. The ultimate Baltic anchorage experience we
said! | 
Goodbye, Sockholm archipelago!
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| These
two last days at the anchorage fulfilled our desire for wild islands
and we leave the archipelago without regret – heading for the bigger
sister Gotland. |
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