2021 Sweden
3 July
What had not been possible in the precious year (thanks to Corona), we finally realized this year: Sailing along the east coast of Sweden and venturing up north as far as Stockholm. We planned to visit our friends Ana and Henrik there on Ljuströ, which is an island in the Stockholm achipelago. They were to spend their summer vacation there until end of July. So we had to speed up… which we did. In only 14 days we reached Sandhamn at the entry to the archipelago.
Hindeloopen - Cuxhaven - Heiligenhafen - Klintholm - Ystad
Uitklippan is a far out group of skerry islands, which in former times had provided a perfect shelter for fishers. It is now used by yacht skippers like us as a convenient stopover.
Visby
On our way to Stockholm we took our time to explore this well-preserved medieval Hanseatic town, located on the island of Gotland. Visby is a national treasure boasting of historic buildings, churches and a 3.5 km long medieval ring wall.
Because of its picturesque alleys with its cobblestones and winding roses Visby was a perfect filmset for the beloved Pippi Longstocking movies.
Fårö
Fårö is separated from Gotland by a narrow sound, but its nature differs greatly. The sand is finer, the landscape more barren and there are these unique limestone sea stacks called „Raukar“, towering against the sea. They give Fårö a mystical touch and must also have attracted Ingmar Bergman, the legendary Swedish film director. He lived and worked here for over 40 years.
We stayed for two nights in the super tiny harbour of Lauterhorn and took our time to extensively explore the island with our bikes and to visit the Ingmar Bergman Museum.
To reach the entrance to the archipelago of Stockholm meant having to cover a distance of 85 nm. We chose to leave Lauterhorn in the early evening on order to arrive at our destination the following morning in daylight. There are plenty of rocks, skerries and islets scattered around, which have to be navigated with caution. We pushed out of Lauterhorn, expecting a quiet sail… but, with a bit of a shock, we realized that our autopilot was not functioning. This meant for us that from now on and for the whole length of almost 1000 nm we had to steer by hand. This makes a big difference to a short handed crew like us.
We found an anchorage on the tiny islet of Trollharan, connected with Lökholmen with a narrow bridge and with Sandhamn by ferryboat. We could not have found a more charming spot for diving into the Skärgård, this archipelago of 24.000 islands spreading into the Baltic Sea.
Ljusterö, one of the larger island, was only a days sail away now. We were expected there by our friends Ana and Henrik. Our route meant zickzagging through the Skärgård, this magnificent countryside of islands, barren cliffs, deep forests, secluded beaches and colourful cottages. It provides for a nature experience beyond comparison.
what a warm welcome on Ljusterö
We spent three leisurely days with Ana and Henrik. Their house had access to the water and we could moor Arielle directly at their wooden pier. They led us around the islands hiking on nature paths and, with a ferry, they took us over to Norrtälje and Furusund, where Astrid Lindgren used to live in summer over a period of 60 years. The evenings we spent on their patio overlooking the bay, playing cards and drinking wine. We had much fun together, but soon it was time for us to move on to Stockholm.
Stockholm
Stockholm is a fabulous city, divided up into 14 islands with a lot of water in between. We enjoyed strolling around different parts of this grand city with its rich history, but apart from the Gamla Stan „the old town“, the Vasa Museum attracted us most. In 1627 she battleship Vasa sunk right after its launch before the eyes of the king and his folk … the well preserved half was retrieved from the water with much expertise and financial effort and is now displayed in this museum.
After two days of exploring the city, in this time of year naturally crowded with tourist (like us), we were drawn back into the nature and exclusion of the Skärgård.
The next leg of our journey would take us to Dalerö. From Stockholm we took the shortcut through this frightfully narrow natural channel charted with unreliable depths. We consulted locals and were assured of a minimum of 3 m. It is suggested to give a sound signal as a warning to oncoming boats, as it is impossible to pass at certain points.
From Dalerö we sailed south exploring the Swedish coastline. We discovered secluded anchorages and stayed in tiny harbours. And we were enchanted by the natural beauty of all what we saw on our way.
Many of the islands on the Swedish shoreline are nature reserves and trails and paths are well-marked. On many occasions we enjoyed hiking and cycling in this incredible nature and more than often we did not meet a soul on our way.
Kalmar
In Kalmar we had to catch up a bit on Swedish history. Founded in the Middle Ages, Kalmar had long served as the political centre of the Scandinavian union of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. After the union had dissolved, the castle was expanded, renovated and redecorated by the monarchs of the House of Vasa. The impressive castle and stronghold of Kalmar is fully restored to its original glory and it is a popular tourist attraction… at which we took a close look.
The impressive walls of Kalmar castle where built to ward off pirates and enemies.
Kalmar - Utklippan - Christiansø - Bornholm
Christiansø
The skerry islands grouped around Christiansø lie about 10 nm off the Danish island of Bornholm and they are an absolute unique place. They had originally been a refuge for fishers in this part of the Baltic. Eventually, because of its strategically convenient position, a sea fortress had been erected on the island under the rule of the Danish king Christian V in the year 1684.
The Great Tower on Christiansø is more than 330 years old. In 1800 it had been made into a lighthouse. Today it provides space for exhibitions and cultural events.
Gislöfsläge - Klintholm - Vejø
Sailing without frontiers – from Utklippan🇸🇪Sweden to Bornholm🇩🇰Denmark, to Gislöfsläge🇸🇪Sweden and from there to Klintholm and Vejø🇩🇰Denmark.
we are on our way back to the North Sea
It seems to become a bit of a habit … once more we had to take a forced break in Norderney on our way home. The North Sea really is nothing for sissies …
On 19 August we were back in Hindeloopen
47 days – 1962 nm