Day & dusk sailing — Boatworks

Similarly to last weekend the weather forecast was promising for Saturday and discouraging for Sunday so we set up with Marek on Saturday early afternoon. Wojtek could not join us also this time.

I went to the harbour a bit earlier so when Marek arrived 12:30 Meritaten was almost ready for sailing. The wind picked-up substantially and was blowing from West - pushing the boat into berth. I rigged running spring from the akter, to help us align Meritaten properly when backing against the wind. I use floating line, to avoid danger of it tangling the propeller.

I was working the lines and Marek took the rudder and engine controls. After a while we noticed that we cannot leave the berth on normal reverse - the wind was too hard - so I asked Marek to give it a full speed back. He did. And Meritaten jumped from her berth! After I run back to the cockpit I saw that he indeed gave her full back FLANK! I’ve never exercised this engine so hard - it started to spit unburned oil through exhaust!

Well, but it did the trick - we were out. Luckily the spring line is floating because we got it a bit tangled - which took us too close to neighbouring boats and it was just half-meter close to collide when we rushed away on full-ahead flank!

The plan was to sail as far as we go up until 15:00 and then head back. We had a direct back wind so with both sails up we were sailing butterfly-style (with few accidental gybes) nice and easy. Speed was moderate 4 knots, up to 6,5 in gusts.

I took the rudder for down-wind sailing. Just around 15:00 we approached Flaten, the last island on the entrance to Norrtäljeviken.

The original plan was to land on the island and do some fishing but we decided to skip it as there was long way back home - and against the wind. So we continued sailing.

We rounded Flaten and entered the narrow channel back into Norrtäljeviken. I continued sailing against the wind in this narrow place, at some point we even started “steel genua” to get us away faster from there.

With half-rolled genua we re-rigged the sheets to enable easier tacking and going closer to the wind. Marek took over the rudder.

Sailing became more exciting - as always while beating against the wind. Meritaten happily heeled on gusts but all within control. Reduced foresail gave us proper balance and I did not feel we are over-canvased.

Weather was perfect - sunny, windy and picturesque skies!

As always - when reaching water crossways to Rosättra we got some energetic wind gusts, giving us 6,5 knots as top.

Since Meritaten cannot go so close-hauled as sleeker, modern boats we had to tack very often.

Half-way in the Bay it became considerably colder as the Sun was getting lower. We changed at the rudder to put more warm clothes and rose spray-hood to give some wind shelter.

After Tistelö the wind got weaker so we re-rigged genua sheets and unrolled the full sail. We changed at the rudder and continued until we saw Harkö, the last island before Norrtälje. The wind was getting weaker and weaker and at this point we were considering starting the engine. The Sun was already low, air got chilly and we did not want to be stuck here when the night comes.

Off went the genua and after few minutes of motor-sailing we dropped also the main sail.

Marek tried little trolling with wobbler but 3 knots under engine proved to be too fast for any fish to catch up.

Close to the harbour it became dusk so I switched on navigation lights and we entered the berth on completely flat water. Completing boat-keeping procedures took us just a few minutes and at 19:00 we could leave Meritaten safe in her mooring.