Again, a cool grey dampish morning and with little wind. However, the difference was that I was determined to move on so after a trip to the library to upload emails etc, we cast off for the fuel pontoon nearby at 10:00 and by 10:30, €120 poorer but with a happier fuel situation on board, we set off. Our plan, for want of a better word, was to head roughly north-eastwards for a few days, then turn round and head south and then west, arriving back in Mariehamn around Saturday but this time in the west harbour. We might or might not make it as far as the Finnish archipelago which in truth, rather seamlessly joins onto the Ålands, time would tell.

Having set off, our first goal was to make it back to the Lemströmskanal by the 11:00 bridge opening and a little convoy of like- minded yachts proceeded in that direction, making it with a few minutes to spare and once through, we split up like a flock of birds scattering when threatened by a peregrine . Our route was to take us through the impressive meteor crater of the Lumparn back towards Bomarsund then to peel off eastwards to exit the Lumparn before turning north-east. Luckily, the wind started picking up and we were able to sail and in fact, it became quite strong, blowing at about 20 knots so there was wind to spare. Moreover, the clouds lifted and we were treated to prolonged periods of watery sun, not brilliant but a whole lot better than rain!

We had originally decided to anchor for the night but upon reflection and given the wind and unsettled conditions, we opted for a harbour and headed for Remmarhamn on the island of Kumlinge, arriving at the small harbour by 16:30. Here there was a single pontoon with its usual collection of buoys to tie to but annoyingly, boats had opted to go alongside instead, so rather than having room for say, 20 yachts, there was only room for half that number. We were told to pick up a buoy and given the wind, I opted to place the boat nose-to the pontoon, which is OK but if the pontoon is low, it's a long way down from the pulpit to the deck and can be quite a struggle, like this time. Still, all was well and moreover, they had very good wifi, which was a pleasant surprise, so I was able to download more programmes to watch if we get stuck somewhere in the future.

Opposite us on the pontoon was a large (51’) Najad, a Najad 511 and with a British flag albeit she was registered in Jersey and she was named Red Roo. We got to chatting with Peter and Shirley Simkins, (Shirley is Australian hence the boat name, the tender is called Joey) and they invited us on board for after dinner drinks (we had coffee, time to dry out after the last two weeks!). It transpired that Peter went to school in HMS Conwy on Anglesey, went to sea at 15 and at 24, lost his lower leg in a motor bike accident which necessitated a career change. He then set up a company conducting hydrographic surveys and 35 years later, sold the business and the Najad is proof of his success. She is fully automated, with hydraulic and electrical systems that enable him to handle this large, powerful boat single-handed. Shirley sails with him but in her own words, she 'does the fenders’. It was a pleasant evening and once again, as we got ready for bed at midnight, I reflected upon the cruising life and the way it turns up unexpected events and meetings.

Only one photo in today’s blog but there will be many more tomorrow to make up for it.