Sailing with Kaika — Boatworks

Jim asked if I go for sailing and I had some reasons to go for sailing so we decided to sail together, both boats.
We met in the morning in the harbour to decide where to sail for a night. Wind, as always, was a decisive factor. With moderate Southerly wind Idskär became the target - knowing that we will anyway not find place in Arholma, spending a night on anchor, in protected bay, was appealing.

After some planning and preparations we were ready to go. Communication on VHF.

As often, it was blowing hard in Rosättra. I had some close encounter with neighbour boat when leaving the berth, when my cast-away manoeuvre failed to work. Emergency engine on full throttle saved us from problems this time.
We started by sailing North in Vätösundet.

Nice and easy, with beam- and broad-reach all the time.

After passing Örarna we entered Lidöfjärden and started to beat against the wind.

Sailing close-hauled is not the strongest course of our boats but we did well. During one of many tacking manoeuvres something splashed heavily close to my boat. “Wow - what a fish!” was my thought.
Well, it was not the fish.
It was one of only two ancient winch handles which I restored last winter… Stupidly I have not laced it and genua sheets took it into the sea.

That’s a pity, only one left - now properly laced to the boat.
I’ll need to make a copy of the lost one - and substitute plastic head with teak of Tufnol.

After reaching South of Björkö we started to head towards Arholma archipelago. I often get lost here so I try to get close to cardinal mark which warns against ground here.

We entered Idskär bay on sails, close hauled - the bay is opened from North, giving quite good protection during Southerly wind. There were boats already in the bay but the anchorage was empty. There is a place for 2-3 boats to anchor there so we were lucky and dropped anchors in the middle.

Boats prepared for staying overnight - we turned into house-keeping procedures: Jim feeding his parrots which woke up and started to make noise. I was mending my newly made bow ladder to use it as bathing ladder.

Knowing that Jim is close with his dinghy I decided to give it a try and take a dope in the sea. He warned me that it’s cold but I wanted to try and the ladder needed to be tested anyway.
In case the ladder failed and I could not get back on board I put my life jacket - to survive in water before Jim comes to rescue me.

Well, the ladder did not fail but my bath was only 6,4s long.
It was not cold.
It was damn cold!
I jumped out of water as soon as my brain got reports from all skin sensors: we are in liquid nitrogen!

Ladder prove to be single-purpose device: it works as bow ladder, to enter deck when in berth. As bath ladder it required too much attention to make it user-friendly. I have a hard time seeing my girls using it.
I’ll need to make a dedicated bathing ladder then.

My plan to swim to Kaika for a beer failed. Instead Jim took his dinghy and came to visit us on Meritaten.

Smoking pipes, drinking coffee and talking till late night. Planning for next day sailing. It was dark when the party was over.

Wind was still blowing and occasional swell from open sea entered the anchorage but otherwise the nigh was calmed and peaceful. Our anchors sat good and there were no signs that the wind direction will change so we could sleep peacefully.

My mast-top light is of wrong type to be used as anchor light so I lighted additional light in the cockpit.

Next day started with perfect weather. Open-sea view waiting to be explored.

Breakfast and relaxing time before leaving. My renovated pentry is serving the purpose excellently!

We decided to round Arholma on open sea and then head back home.

Wind was steady from South so we could sail on broad reach or running.

Leisure sailing during perfect weather.

After rounding Arholma on North part we started to head South, beating against the wind.

We didn’t decide how to sail home yet - we were about to decide when we reach Idö height. Keeping contact on VHF we sailed close hauled. Kaika sailed faster and after few hours I lost sight of her and Jim. At some point they came back to find me and we continued sailing together.

It was a good and tiring sailing. Wind increased in speed and sea got disturbed. Our boats were in their primary element.

While sailing together we took opportunity to photograph each other. Not so often one gets himself and the boat on photo while sailing.

We decided to go into Norrtäljeviken, with the hope of beam-reach sailing there and broad reach in Vätö Sund.

Wind got considerably weaker in Norrtäljeviken so we had calm sailing, racing a bit against modern sailboat (which got behind us in the end)

We reached Vätösundet southern opening with enough wind left to sail us through narrow channel in the beginning.

Lazy sailing, side-by-side, in Vätösund - perfect ending for an active sailing day.

Before reaching Vätöbron we had to start engines - wind died, as usual in this part of the channel. We went on engines this last leg to Rosättra.

If not for the incident at the end this would have been perfect ending. Exactly while we were entering our berths there came a small motorboat which made so much swell that both of us crashed our boats into berths. Meritaten got scratches by riding over steel boom. Kaika crashed into the pontoon, bending her bronze protection plate on bow. Neighbour boats were jumping in their berths, one of them almost loosing it’s boarding ladder.
Brainless drivers are everywhere.

We’ll fix these dents so no worries. These were very good sailing days!