One of the challenges of cruising is in working out quite when to leave a destination in order to be somewhere else by a given date. In this case, we need to be in or around Travemünde in Germany by 15^th August, when our friend Helen Banks joins us for the Baltic Rally of the Cruising Association, due to start on the next day. Now Travemünde is round about 500 miles or so from here and we can do 60-70 miles in a long day, call it 9 days and allow a few days for breaks and bad weather, that is two weeks. Now today is the 17^th, so that gives us 31-17 + 15 = 29 days, so we need to average somewhere between 15 and 60 miles a day to get there in time. As you can see, this is not an exact science, it gets more exact as the time gap narrows! If needs be, we can sail through the night and into the next day, so in 30 hours or so we can have around 150 miles logged, so it's definitely too early to start panicking or even to get concerned, we just need to be aware, that is all.

All that preamble is to explain what we are doing next, which is just about what we have done so far albeit in reverse, that is we will wander roughly southwards and try to do at least 10 – 15 miles towards Travemünde ,daily . Today we were off to an anchorage, a group of islands that form a natural harbour called, enticingly, Paradiset. The only down side of this aptly named anchorage is that we are now in high season and it may be crowded.

Paradiset is only 20 miles or so away so there was no hurry and there was no wind, so we left it as long as possible before we left this lovely little harbour in Furusund. I say lovely and yes, we did like it but the facilities were woefully lacking, one toilet in the men’s and one in the women’s shower (which had two shower nozzles each but you had to be very good friends, they were inches apart!) and one other unisex toilet. As we’re early birds, it didn’t in truth cause us a problem but when I enquired as to the paucity, it seems that the local planning regulations are preventing the marina owners, Promarina, from adding any more. This reminds me of Caernarfon, where there is one sad, ancient little portacabin thing that has been there for ever – again the council are preventing the erection of anything better .

With no wind but a pleasant temperature and sun and cloud, we motored our way towards Paradiset. The forecast on the internet suggested that we might be due for some rain later but as we progressed, the later looked like it was going to be much sooner, with angry thunderstorm clouds building and our suspicions were confirmed when we heard our first clap of thunder. Time for plan 'b’, which was find an anchorage soonest, which I did, on the island of Själlbotna, and we headed in to the north facing bay and anchored in 10 metres at 12:40. There were two other rock-hugging boats in there, on each side of the bay and that was it. Pretty soon after anchoring, the heavens opened and with it came wind but not too strongly. Fortunately, it didn’t last for too long and by four o’clock or so, all had passed and it became warm and pleasant.

My equanimity was spoiled a little when some time later, a Swedish Dufour 385 came and anchored so close that I swear you could chat with them without raising your voice – not that I was even remotely tempted, I was cross with them. A much more reasonable chap in a Delphi 40 (by the way, these yacht names are from my benefit, please bear with me) anchored a respectable distance away and later, he rowed over to ask about our defaced ensign, which I gladly told him about. I’m not sure if I gave him more information than he wanted but he had the grace to stay awake on his oars and look interested.