I launched Louve in our local harbor.
Weather was mild for this time of year, 12 degrees and moderate, Southerly wind.
There were frequent wind gusts of 10 m/s but otherwise the sea and wind were rather calm. After all week´s drama at work the last thing I wanted was dramatic sailing so I put one reef in the sail.
My club neighbors were about to retrieve one boat just after me so it was busy at the slip. I exit on engine, to clear the area as soon as possible.

I wanted to try my new rigging idea - with sail halyard taken all the way back, to helm. That´s to be able to hoist and lower the sail without leaving the helm. That did not work as intended - bronze loop screw holding the block snapped on me when I was rising the sail.
That was unwelcome: the yard spinning around the mast on the wind before falling into drink.
I picked a nearby buoy to calm down the situation and to re-rig the damn thing.

I also removed brailing lines, they were getting in the way and catching on thole pins when hoisting sail. I will need to figure out a better way to rig them.
We finally cast off and sail North. Weather forecast says there will be more clouds and wind shift later during the day.

There are signs of that already on Southern horizon.

We sail comfortably on broad reach or running, gybing a few times. When we pass by Rosättra boatyard the clouds catch up with us.

I had no real plan on where to sail, initial idea was to land in Fiskebyn on the other side of my island but I changed my mind and sailed further North, towards small, desolated islands close the entrance to Vätösundet. Mash- and Korsholmen. I’ve never been there and it was time for lunch so we wandered a bit around to find a convenient place for beaching.

Eventually we landed on lee side of Mash. Tea, sandwiches and contemplation of silence around us.

I shook off the reef as there were no more gusts. Wind started to shift to SW. We cast off and sail back clause hauled into Vätösundet.

Close to Rosättra the wind dies entirely. We start the engine and glide on calm water, contemplating autumn colors.

This type of sailing would never happen should I still have my mahogany boat Meritaten. By this time of year she needed to be already on land, to protect mahogany from freezing.
Beautiful boats these mahogany yachts but oh how limiting, at least on these latitudes.

We were back on our slip by 18 so it became good 5 hours sailing. Temperature started to drop rapidly when the sun went down. Dew condensation was building up on everything.
I retrieved Louve in total calmness and we drove home.

Building Louve can be found here.