Monthly Archives: August 2019

Sun. 07/21/19

Dep. 9.33am Arr. 4.44pm. 42.3nm 7 hr. 11mins

For a pdf of this route, click HERE

Blido is a compact and charming small gasthamn which I have mentioned in these pages before, but the real tale of this passage was the passage itself.

Crossing the Baltic can, in theory be quite daunting given the unpredictability of the conditions, but Sunday July 21 dawned bright and clear and the wind was forecast for 12 knots on the beam. It promised to be a gorgeous day’s sail and so it proved. We hoisted sail barely a quarter of a mile outside Rodhman harbor in Finland and didn’t put them away again until we were 400m from our destination in Sweden. Under cornflower blue skies, with temperatures in the high 60s and a moderate swell, we enjoyed a dream of a passage, averaging just over six knots all day long. The 42 mile passage was eaten up in just over seven hours with Mark mainly at the helm, grinning like a demented fellow at how good the conditions were.

                  There was not much other traffic out there, just a few cargo ships and the odd ferry on the horizon. It was not until we were well within Swedish waters that we saw any other leisure vessels, and we came into Blido without fuss, tying up on the stern buoy and securing our lines, ravenous for a good meal at the excellent restaurant, Blidohamnkrog https://blidohamnkrog.se/

 just up the hill which doubles as a harbor control. After the more Spartan options in Finland it was clear we were back in a more luxurious part of the world from the exotic cocktails on offer. I don’t remember exactly what we started with but we soon moved on to some ice-cold rosé and pizza while Richard opted for his usual choice of minute steak with béarnaise sauce and fries. Finland is great. But so is Sweden!

Sat. July 20, 2019: When I visited these waters in 2018 I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with Christian Juslin, a leading Finnish operatic tenor, through a chance meeting at the harbormaster’s office in Rodhamn, a charming little island just a few hours sail from Mariehamn.

Christian was a very friendly fellow and fascinated at the notion of an Englishman sailing an American boat in Finnish waters, and had come aboard Arcturus and shared some invaluable locations for off-the-grid bows-to anchorages nearby.

         We had stayed in contact on social media and he invited me to meet for a drink when I had visited two weeks previously. I couldn’t make it work then, which worked out gloriously to my favor this time around. Turns out Christian was celebrating his 50th birthday on Saturday out on Rodhamn with friends and family and would I like to attend?

Is the Pope a Catholic?

On Friday we decamped to Björkör which was as wonderful as usual, but given its many mentions in these pages I will move on. Suffice it to say Mark and Richard were blown away by its charms. On Saturday we cast off around 10am for the easy 5nm journey to Rodhamn and tied up in its capacious but well sheltered harbor. The harbor master took our payment and directed us to walk ‘just up and over the hill’ where we’d find the party, which started at 2pm.

         Donning our best summer party clothes the three of us headed up there and were charmed by what we found. A marquee in jaunty red with two long tables, covered in white linen with fine silverware and china. Plenty of wine and Brannvin, the local aquavit, and some excellent food to follow. But most impressive were the people; warm, welcoming Finns of all ages who spoke perfect English and made us feel most at home. Christian even seated me at the head of the table next to his mother and a leading Finnish soprano. What followed was one of the most amazing days of my life. Imagine a perfect summer day with blue skies and a sky dotted with fluffy clouds. The most gorgeous alfresco setting among the granite outcroppings, covered with lichen and heather, with wildflowers dancing in the gentle summer breeze. First came some toasts and drinking songs. Now I’ve heard those songs before, sung at the summer home of a very dear Swedish friend, but when they are sung, at length, with alternating choruses and harmonies from a chorus of full-throated Finnish opera singers, it is a very different beast.

         Then came the speeches. Heartfelt, deeply personal reflections from Christian’s friends and family before the birthday boy himself rose, speaking of the love and support from his family and his early mentors and teachers. All of these words were interspersed with music, arias from operas both classic and obscure, while an electric organ, harnessed to a small gas-powered generator, played along. It was simply sublime. Every now and then Richard and Mark would catch my eye with their jaws agape as if to say: can you believe what we are experiencing?

Yes, it was that kind of day.

         I’m an emotional fellow at the best of times and I’m also an opera lover. A couple of the arias I heard that day brought tears to my eyes. And as this glorious afternoon reached its conclusion, one of Christian’s boyhood music teachers, a huge bear of a man probably in his mid-70s but with a glint in his eye of a man half his age, gave an unforgettable rendition (in English) of “What A Wonderful World”.

         At that moment, it most certainly it was.

         As the party broke up around 9pm Mark, Richard and I wandered back to the boat, processing and retelling what we had just experienced. We had an 11pm sauna date so after a couple of drinks Mark and I changed and wandered back to the waterfront hut that is probably my favorite sauna in this part of the world. For perhaps half an hour we roasted in there, neither of us saying much, just absorbing how wonderful life can be if you open yourself up to new experiences. Once we went outside to dive into the chilly water and savor the sun setting over the fir trees on the far shore, we got a little more voluble. We were both ready to hit our bunks by then, secure in the knowledge that this was a day neither of us would ever forget.

Wed. 07/17/19

Dep. 9.10am Arr: 2.29pm. 22nm. 5 hours, 19mins

For a pdf of this route, click HERE

The sun was shining as we left Degerby en route to Mariehamn, where we were scheduled to rendezvous with my friend Mark W from Los Angeles. He’s a fine sailor and an even better companion, and I knew he and Richard would hit it off just fine. We hoisted sail soon after leaving port and I was eager to run under jib and jigger in about 14kts of wind, mainly because it requires less maintenance, allowing me to experiment with the Cap Horn windvane. We actually got her working pretty well for about three hours, but then a series of windshifts plus  the wind dropping suddenly to about 4 knots meant we abandoned our efforts and fired up the genny to meet Mark shortly after his ferry arrived from Stockholm at 2.30pm.

         Mark is well known in my sailing circle for his fondness for florescent green sailing gear. Whether this is because he likes the color or just wants to be seen if he goes overboard I don’t know, but I remarked to Richard that I’d bet him $20 that we’d see on the dock easily because of his garb. And I was right. Mariehamn was hosting a power boat convention and in keeping with their busy schedule, they now had a RIB come out to greet us and guide us to our berth. As we approached there was Mark, – or dear old Wilson as I love to call him after the volleyball that keeps Tom Hanks company in Castaway.

After an embrace  we immediately cracked open a few beers and I told him of my adventures so far while he did the same about his recent trip to France, from where he had joined us. We later decamped to the sauna to introduce him to the finer things in life in this part of the world, before Richard made us a stupendous dinner of smoked salmon, potato salad and fresh greens. With beer, wine and good company, it felt like another wonderful beginning.

                  I was also surprised to see another American flagged boat in residence, a large Hanse named Maverick from Rhode Island. I skulked around the dock until the owners came back and was intrigued to learn that the Newport YC had partnered with the Royal Swedish Sailing Association and brought about a dozen boats over from the States the previous winter for a serious season of sailing on both the east and west coasts of Sweden, including a jaunt over to the Aland islands. I guess word of this magical place is spreading….

Tues. 07/16/19.

Dep. 12.31pm. Arr: 7.03pm. 36nm 6 h 32 min

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If the previous day’s passage had given us intermittent bad weather, the following day was more of the same. It was cold, wet and miserable, with the wind on The nose for the first three hours, followed by late afternoon sunshine with a fresh breeze which made for a glorious final two hours of sailing, the wind dying just as we approached the harbor.

     Richard was feeling under the weather, which left me helming alone in my waterproofs while he hunkered down below in the forepeak. But at least the scenery was beautiful and there was no swell to deal with. The waters here have so many islands that it’s almost like sailing in an inland delta where a thousand rivers converge. En route we didn’t see much traffic – I think most folks stayed in harbor – but there were a couple of local passenger ferries, plus we did get to see the sweet anchorage at Banö On where we spent an idyllic night last year.

     By late afternoon the weather finally lifted and as we approached Lotsudden gasthamn on Degerby’s west end the sun had appeared and cast the landscape in that glorious golden glow that can last for hours in these parts. We tied up without incident on an end tie and settled down for dinner. I did walk a little way around the island to capture the scene on the drone, but I quickly abandoned the effort, realizing I had been more than virtuous for the day. Sometimes sailing is like that. The only way out, is through. And when you get there, it’s easier than you feared.

Monday 7/15/19

Dep. 11.44 Arr. 7.34pm 36nm. 7 hours 49 mins

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Richard arrived from Spain on Sunday afternoon and after a pleasant few hours of catching up and dinner on the terrace of the nearby Nood restaurant, I was more than ready to cast off for Näsby, about 40nm to the west. Richard (who often goes by the nickname ‘Tricky’), came bearing gifts, including a very cool matching set of Henri Lloyd foulies, which will stand me in good stead on future passages.

The good weather of the previous two days had disappeared and we faced grey skies, occasional rain and some shifty winds for much of our passage. Richard adapted to helming pretty quickly while I navigated – he was always decent on the tiller when he first joined me back in 2016 and he seemed to have remembered almost everything. The passage was the usual mixture of wind shadows, sudden puffs, dodging rocks and skerries and trying to decide if we had too much sail up, or not enough. In the end we opted for a full main and 140% genoa and I stayed on main trim dumping the wind when necessary. We sailed for perhaps three hours before the finally died and the rain started in earnest.

  Näsby is the island but the harbor is actually called Houtskär, and is beautifully sheltered in a deep inlet, which perhaps explains its popularity. At first blush it looked full, and there were at least a couple of latecomers dropping the hook nearby, but our shallow draft allowed us to find a spot close to the marina office and we squeezed in.

  It was apparent that this island is quite a destination for nature-minded Finns, and not all them on sailboats. I was soaking wet and ready for the sauna which was very crowded, with lots of children and adults roasting together in a box-like room. It was a little unnerving walking in but I broke the ice by toasting the crowd with the ice cold beer I had brought with me, and when they heard the English accent they were all eager to chat.

  There is a pretty good café here serving breakfast lunch and dinner and as an added bonus it also has fast wi-fi – although that’s a given in most places with those hi-tech Finns. The service could not have been more friendly and the price was 26 euro for the night’s berth. With Richard replacing me in the galley we enjoyed an excellent meal of chorizo and potatoes, washing it down with a cheeky Spanish tempranillo. So good to have an old friend on board!

Fri. 7/11/19

Dep 11.03am arr. 8.07pm. 39.5nm. 9 hours 4 mins.

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Fri. 12th: This was Grace and Knut’s last full day on the boat and we had a long passage to make. Since I wanted to arrive in good time and enjoy a good dinner with them both before their departure the following day I decided to follow the path of least resistance and motor all the way unless conditions made it impossible.

We left  around 11am and the wind kicked up a couple of hours later as the channel leading to Turku began to gradually close in on us. We were passed by dozens of large ferries en route, Turku being one of the most important maritime hubs in the country. As you approach Turku the bay divides to the west and north east, the latter of which is the mouth to a river which runs through the town. Soon we were passing ferry terminals and landing bays for commercial ships before heading right into the center of  town at tying up in Turku’s main marina, which has room for perhaps 40 vessels bows-to with berths separated by pilings, for about $40 for the night. Fortunately I had booked my spot in advance, which was just as well since it was the last open space remaining. Coming in around 8pm my instructions to the crew were rather drowned out by a thrash metal band performing at moored barge on the other side of the river, but fortunately they quit within an hour.

   The Turku waterfront is really the heartbeat  of the city in summertime. It is lined with restaurants and bars, all of which were overflowing the locals and visitors. Knut did some research and booked a table for three  at the nearby Bassin restaurant and it proved an excellent choice. We enjoyed some delicious oysters and tostskagen for an appetizer, before they moved on to grilled local whitefish, while I opted for  trout, which was excellent. We shared a Gooseberry posset for dessert and washed it all down with a bottle of white burgundy and another of sauvignon blanc from the Loire. To our delight the restaurant had a nightclub upstsairs where we repaired for gin and tonics and dancing. It was a very special night bidding adieu to a very special crew.

Wed. 7/10/19

Dep 12.18pm, arrive 5.57pm. 24.7nm. 5 hrs. 39 mins.

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Wednesday dawned bright and sunny with good wind that promised a brisk passage to Kasnäs. By now my initial conservative sail plan had given way to a more confident outlook and with about 10 knots on the beam we hoisted full main, 140% genoa and mizzen for a brisk sail with the wind alternating from a beach reach to close hauled.

Grace and Knut swapped on and off at the helm while I concentrated on navigating. But while the day stayed sunny as the afternoon wore on the wind eased and by 3.30 were were barely moving under a full press of sail, although our tans were certainly progressing nicely. Soon the wind kicked back in however and we enjoyed a brisk sail right to the entrance of of the Kasnä harbor, before we dropped sail and fired up the genny.

The harbor is divided into outside and inside berths and I tried to find an inside option before discovering all the choice spots were private. No surprise there, I suppose. As the wind continued to rise I was forced to turn the boat around in tight quarter that left my crew – and a couple of the local boatowners – a little nervous, but we made it out without incident and came in on an outside berth with stern buoy. Once we tied up snugly and our heart rates returned to normal we had a look around, noting clean and modern facilities, a nice terraced bar overlooking the marina, laundry, sauna showers and quite a large restaurant – or raventola, as the Finns call it. There were holiday chalets lining the marina area suggesting this was a not just a destination for yachties. We had dinner on the boat and one bottle of wine turned into two. I was eager to turn in because I had a deadline the following day, but Knut and Grace felt differently, and I believe they woke me up around 2am to watch a huge, lustrous Finnish moon rise in the distance. It was quite a moment.

Thurs. 11th: For me the day was consumed with a newspaper deadline but Grace and Knut took the chance to explore. I did take a break at tea time and I was very glad I did. On the advice of the harbor master we took a ten minute walk up the road to the most adorable tea house, nestled in the forest down a quiet lane. The grounds were awash in granite outcroppigs and local wildflowers, and three of us ordered tea. Hibiscus for the crew, green tea for me. The tea came with a tray of freshly-baked focaccia with three toppings, including a spicy aoli and a yummy onion marmalade. Since they had fast wi-fi I stayed to work while the crew headed back to Arcturus. Twenty minutes later the heavens opened and I spent a very enjoyable hour inside the tea shop, sitting in a comfortable chair and listening to the pulsating percussion of a Finnish rainstorm on the corrugated iron roof. It was quite a special moment.

Tues 7/9/19:

Dep. 11am. Arrive: 2.37pm 20.5nm. 3 hrs 37 mins.

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The day dawned cloudy but rain free as the last of the previous night’s storm drifted away. Knut and Grace marveled out our rustic mooring, taking plenty of pictures of our bows-to setup before departure. And Grace, an avid yogi and  meditator, made sure to do a couple of inversions in front of the boat to get her blood flowing.

   Hanko was our destination about 20 miles distant. We cast off about 10am and had good wind but I was initially quite conservative in my sail plan, since I wasn’t sure how broad the preferred channel would be and the wind can be very shifty and unpredictable. We started with a reefed main and jib until we were overtaken by a smaller boat carrying a husband and wife and two toddlers. Both Grace and Knut looked at me quizzically as we were overtaken, so I quickly swapped out the jib for the genoa, shook out the main and we were soon moving along at a brisk 6kts with a good breeze on the beam.

Grace proved very adept on the helm, keeping the telltales flying while Knut trimmed like a champ. Gradually we were joined by about a dozen other boats also heading towards Hanko and as we turned to weather for the last five miles we enjoyed some brisk upwind work not unlike a Wednesday night race back in California.

   Hanko is quite a large marine center, with three harbors adjacent to each other, but the main one, the largest of the three, was clearly the best in terms of available berths and facilities. In addition to easy stern buoy and pontoon berths, the place had excellent modern facilities, a superb restaurant and top-notch sauna. It also seemed like it hosted big regatta events, because there were numerous pennants and advertising collateral posted around, featuring an upcoming regatta sponsored by Mercedes Benz. After the rustic night we had just spent in Jussarö, this was another world. The berth for the night cost 42 euros, which was a little more than I was used to spending but still good value.

As afternoon gave way to evening the weather brightened and we took the water taxi across to the town for a decent dinner and bottle of wine at an Italian restaurant. After the wine we were not quite ready to head back to the boat – plus it was still bright daylight at 9.45pm, so we went to a Karaoke bar where, apart from a Ukrainian couple, we were the only patrons. After a couple of vodka tonics my karaoke monster was unleashed, and I performed Mac The Knife, Back in the USSR and Bust a Move while Grace did an adorable rendition of These Boots Were Made For Walking. All in all it was a good day’s sailing with some fun bonding for the three of us, but we were all stifling yawns by 11pm and ready to turn in.

Monday 7/08/19

Dep. 11.39. Arrive 9.50pm. 47.7nm. 10hr 11 mins

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Because we had pulled in late and tired to the Old Town Marina the night before and because they were still battling jet lag, Knut and Grace were happy to forgo a visit to Old Town Talinn until Monday morning, so we spent a couple of hours sightseeing, enjoying the street performers and visiting the city’s oldest coffee house for some caffeine and pastries.

The cobbled stones and authentic Baltic feel of the Old Town is really a special experience, but we didn’t linger, heading back to the boat to cast off our lines shortly after 11.30. Within a few minutes of leaving the harbor we had plenty of wind and so raised sail, enjoying a lively beam reach in 10-12 knots heading NNW for about 5 hours.

But somewhere in the  middle of the Gulf of Finland the capricious wind decided to ease. We tried hoisting the mizzen, which mitigated the easing wind a little but we were still forced to fire up the engine around 4.30pm. As evening approached so did the first islands of Finland, and the last two hours saw us motoring in a glassy calm between rocks, skerries and forested islands as Knut and Grace marveled at the beauty. Turning up towards towards Jussaro shortly after 9pm we saw a worrying sign: two boats at anchor outside the compact harbor – which could only mean it was full.

But the silver lining was that the shore on the far side – barely 400m from the harbor, looked very promising as a bows-to anchorage. With the skies darkening with imminent rain I outlined the sequence of actions the crew needed to take and took a quick recce to finalize our spot. I then circled back out, put Grace on the helm and made our approach, dropping the stern anchor four boats lengths out in 30 feet of water. I then gave clear instructions from the bow to the helm for the approach, and we tied off to three separate points without incident. Just in time, as the heavens opened and we quickly scurried below for a glass of wine and some music while I made a butternut squash curry with jasmine rice. The only slight fly in the ointment was that in my haste to get out of the rain I had not quite secured the bowlines tightly enough, causing a couple of bumps on the keel. After dinner I bit the bullet  and went topside in the rain to tighten the lines properly, ensuring we all had a peaceful sleep while the rain pitter-pattered on our cabin roof.

Dep. 9.08am Arr. 5.40pm 46.1nm. 8 hours 32 minutes

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Friday July 5th: Kevin packed his belongings quickly and stepped off the boat a little before 9am. He had been an excellent crew mate and he seemed eager to repeat the experience in 2020. I would certainly be happy to have him on Arcturus again.

But time and tide wait for no man so I quickly prepped for departure and headed out into the Gulf of Finland shortly after 9am. The wind was very light so I motored under mainsail alone all day. There was a bit more wind in the middle of the Gulf of Finland but not enough to tempt me. I tied up in Helsinki Marina, which is ideally located in the heart of town, around 5.40pm. The boat was quite a mess after ten days with Kevin and myself so job one was cleaning her up so she could receive visitors. I was scheduled to meet with Knut M and Grace F, another two sailors from my home port, the following day.

Sat. 6th. I was up early scout the neighborhood and spent an interesting hour walking through the waterfront, which was hosting an American classic car convention. There were plenty of classic Buicks, Dodges and more on display and the sense of dislocation was heightened by the fact that the attendees were dressed appropriately in denim, black boots and even a few baseball caps sporting Confederate flags. I was also happy to see a busy farmer’s market selling fresh local produce and a few food stands dotted around. I arranged to meet Grace back at the boat at 11.30am and together we walked into town hunting for supplies, groceries, ceramic knives, dish towels, etc. We found everything we needed (and something we didn’t) at the Stockman department store. It was raining off and on and I opted to buy a ‘cheap’ umbrella. Either through fatigue or not paying attention I shelled out $75 for a garish Marimekko umbrella but by the time I got back to the boat and realized my error I couldn’t be bothered to take it back.

Knut had taken up residence in a waterfront bar right by my boat, sheltering from the driving rain outside. Grace and I met up with him for a quick beer and thence to the boat. We enjoyed an Italian meal at a local restaurant and a bottle of wine before turning in. Grace had the forepeak and Knut and I shared the main cabin.

Sun. 7th: Departed for Talinn about 9am after brief knot tying and fender briefing. Motored the whole way in very light air. Dinner on the boat (meatballs and new potatoes). Followed by drinks and conversation. I didn’t know either of these folks very well but it was soon obvious that we would all get on like a house on fire. The passage to Talinn was uneventful so I won’t dwell on it, as much more interesting passages awaited us.