A word on forecasts. For the yachties, there are a multiplicity of choices available today, largely thanks to the internet. There is everything available from raw observational data from weather stations and buoys through to predictions made by computer models and presented graphically to the same models taken and interpreted by professional meteorologists. Given all this choice there is almost bound to be some discrepancies but what we have found, in common with all people we have talked to, is that there are huge variations, really massive. We use the favourite amongst Swedish sailors, the Norwegian national centre, www.yr.no; the Swedish one , www.smhi.se and finally Windfinder, www.windfinder.com. All are based on the North Atlantic and European numerical forecast model for the short term and a global model for the longer term but Windfinder stops there (I believe) whereas the other two sites are interpreted. Anyway, be that as it may, our experience this year has been one of 'huh?' when trying to make a decision as to when to sail and which direction. Today was one of those days.

Our intention was to make some headway towards Kalmar, over 40 miles further south . If the winds proved favourable (recall what I said about variation in forecasts) then we would make Kalmar, else we would stop en route. We anticipated winds of no more than 9 metres/second (that was the highest wind predicted by any of the sites) which is a Force 4 basically, 5 if you push it. We set off at 09:15, successfully missed the rock and got back out into the narrow channel and after 30 minutes, the meandering route through the islands suddenly opened up and we were able to sail, in a F4 from the SW and the boat was clocking along very nicely, nicely that is until an enormous gust came from nowhere and would, I am sure, have caused havoc in a lighter boat. As it happened, all CW did was accelerate and lean away from the wind until weather helm got to much and she started to round up into the wind but then the gust passed and that was it. However, being a cautious sort, I decided to furl the genoa and use the much smaller staysail which is a strong wind option, but in the now lighter wind again, it didn’t give us enough power so we finally settled on a reefed main and genoa, as we headed out of the shelter of the islands and out into the Baltic proper .

Quite soon after heading out to sea, we passed the mysterious uncharted building that I referred to when we were heading north on May 28^th. I now know more about it. It’s history is as follows:-

The building is in fact an old lighthouse, called the Dämman lighthouse station and it dates from 1873. The initial project was funded by Lloyd’s, as they were tired of paying out indemnities due to ships wrecking themselves on the shoals but it was later taken over by the Swedish state, and it became the most expensive building project ever undertaken in Sweden to that date. In 1969, the lighthouse was superseded by the modern light (see photo on 28^th May) and the building fell into disrepair. In 1995 a businessman saw its potential and bought it for £25,000 roughly and proceeded to develop it as an exclusive hotel, complete with helipad, with a dozen rooms and a good restaurant. But it’s still not on the charts!!

It very soon became apparent that we were not going to make Kalmar, as the wind was pretty much blowing from there and CW is many things, but she is not wonderful at sailing high into the wind, she does not ‘point’ as well as some sleeker designs . We then reckoned on a harbour called Timmernabben on the mainland, more or less opposite Borgholm on the island of Öland, which we last visited with Jeff & Greta on May 27^th and that was the plan, with Borgholm or Sandvik ( a bit north,also on the island) as other options. And then the wind picked up and then picked up some more. Now big winds are not a problem, we have been in them zillions of times, but big winds when you’re trying to sail into them in the Baltic, with its’ short sharp waves is something else, you basically don’t go very fast to windward. You go like a train across the wind but if you sail for say an hour, tacking every 20 minutes or so and then look back at the actual distance made to wind, it is staggeringly little, often less than two miles. That meant that Kalmar was most definitely out of the question! We also decided to increase the reefs in the sails and this is where I made a stupid mistake, I opted to furl the main first whilst allowing the genoa to flap and the sheets (the ropes) to toss about like mad things. We furled the main well enough and then we turned to the genoa, only to discover that the port sheet had wrapped itself around the handlebar of one of the bikes and locked tight.

There was nothing for it but to go on deck and try to free the tangle . I was on deck, fighting with the sheet which was lashing about madly and threatening to bend the handlebars of the bike when the real storm hit, with winds of 37 knots and pouring rain. Again, don’t forget that we are lucky enough to be on a boat that is designed for these sorts of conditions and thanks to the ‘granny bars’ on deck, I was locked in and as safe as houses. Wet but safe. Anyway, in time I was able to free the thing and we reefed the genoa and were off sailing again. Lesson learned – always furl the genoa so that the sheets don’t flap and better still, don’t have bikes on deck!

Sailing on, we decided that the best option was to make for Borgholm, as that was where Andy & Pauline Smith were, on their ketch Odile and we got there, tired but otherwise fine, at 16:45 in, by now, bright sunshine. We’d only had the one drenching but Odile had been soaked 3 or 4 times during the day and she was only 10 miles or so away. Funny thing weather, it’s no wonder they can’t predict it.

After a reviving cup of tea on board Odile we got ourselves booked in – by the way we rafted against her in the inner harbour so it was nice and sheltered. We then had the Smiths over for G&T’s and a catch-up, hearing about their Göta canal adventures and deciding that we must do that one year. It was a very pleasant couple of hours, after which we parted and had our respective dinners which in our case was hot smoked salmon, which I think is far superior to cold smoked ie common or garden smoked salmon.