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Sunday, July 31, 2011
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
There was a music festival. We attended a piano recital in a garden, drank a bottle of rose, enjoyed the evening sun.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Very few cars on Koster. But efficient emergency services - someone fell ill so they sent in the air ambulance...
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
We rented bikes and I made a prat of myself by charging off down hill and forgetting all about the continental system of back pedalling to brake the back wheel. It was very crowded, I was trying to catch up, overtaking a load of people, some kids ahead, touch the front brakes, stopped pedalling and bang! The back wheel locked up, skidded, I ended up in the ditch at the side of the road with lots of concerned people gathered around telling me how lucky I was and handing me bits of the bike. 
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Customs wouldn't allow us to leave the boat in Norway (at least they might have done, it depended on who one spoke to, I had an email saying 'no problem just tell us where it is' followed by a chat with the man in charge whose short answer was 'no'). So we went back down to Sweden, to the lovely Koster islands, where the anchorage was busy, but the holding good, and the weather calm. 
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Its nice to walk amongst the trees after time at sea.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Went into Fredrikstad. Very pleased to meet up with Karel and Hannie who we first met on the W Coast a few years ago. Mona joined the boat and we stayed a night with friends who live locally. All very social after the time on my own. It rained a lot so no pictures, this is a few days later, the day after the massacre, sunset at a quiet anchorage.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Pressed on northwards, crossed the border into Norway.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
The exhaust elbow broke in half after 7 years/700 hours. The big pipe is the exhaust from the engine, the small pipe is for the cooling water. We had both exhaust and cooling water filling the boat for a couple of minutes before anyone noticed, by which time the bilges were overflowing. Strapped it up with some leather and a jubilee clip, which held for long enough to manoever alongside at the end of the day. A fishing boat was in for a refit and the welder at the boatyard put it back together again first thing in the morning, so we weren't delayed.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Smögen was crowded. I stayed on the other side, a 10 minute walk away from the action
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Southern entrance to Marstrand - I was going to sail up here but noticed that the boats coming in and going out were all motoring, so took the sails down. Just as well as it was single file in places with motor boats chugging along at 4 knots behind yachts.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
The previous night was tough. Had a long day, found a perfect anchorage, lots of other boats there, a couple of moorings. Some of the other boats seemed a bit casual about the way they anchored. I did my usual 5 minute routine of gently backing the anchor in, increasing the revs in reverse to ensure it was set. Then I relaxed, had a meal, a drink, turned up the music to drown out the sound of the rising wind. Next think I knew I could see a mast fast approaching - I was dragging! Shot out of the cockpit, dressed in shorts and t-shirt, into a squall of horizontal rain and huge wind, engine started first time, to cries of acclaim from the boat behind me where the couple aboard were standing at the bow, ready to fend me off. Missed them by a couple of feet. Had something of a quandry: needed to steer the boat into the wind, needed to get the anchor up, needed to avoid falling back on to the rocks. Procedure - rush forward, wind up the anchor, rush back, steer a bit, rush forward etc. Eventually got the anchor up with what looked like a hedge attached to it. Meanwhile I was soaked through and cold. The autopilot couldn't cope with the conditions. Had to get some sail up to be able to engage the wind vane to steer the boat for long enough to be able to get to the chart table to work out where we could go, get some clothes on etc. The sail cover was on the main. No longer wished to be in this particular anchorage, and couldn't face the neighbours. I thought it would blow over quickly, but it lasted an hour. Eventually made it to another anchorage. Took 3 attempts before I was happy that the anchor was set, even then not completely happy - some poor holding (like silt) in some of these places. But by then the wind had gone, and it had cleared up, and in the morning it was nice again. The non-slip on the decks rubbed the skin off my knees when I was trying to get the anchor in, had a couple of nice scabs for the next couple of weeks, to remind me.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
I cycled to the Volvo museum, a few kilometers from the centre of town where we were moored, and much less touristy. This wharf was on the way.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Jim flew back from Gothenburg, a friendly place. Start of a few days single handed sailing.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
A beer for Jim, one for me, and one for Matthew, who wasn't there.
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
This part of the coast of Sweden has many islands and many fine natural anchorages.
Monday, July 04, 2011
Summer 2011, W Coast Sweden, Varberg towards Oslo
Moved the boat to Varberg on the W Coast of Sweden and instantly felt better. Lovely scenery and people to match.
Left the boat in the marina in Varberg for a month and then came back at the start of July. Had a couple of days sorting things out before Jim arrived. The boat was in surprisingly good shape, with a bit of fouling on the stern gear, but otherwise clean.
Jim and I sailed, over 3 days , in lovely sunny warm weather, with a nice breeze, north to Gothenburg.
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