Six days of sailing in the beautiful Stockholm archipelago in (almost always) glorious sunshine and 10–15 knots of wind. Knowledgeable and flexible skippers who let us guests (cabin charter) take the helm whilst sailing. Whether anchoring in the traditional way, mooring bow-to with a stern anchor, or berthing in the harbour of a smaller island or a larger one (Sandhamn) – variety is guaranteed in the Stockholm archipelago!
Country: Sweden
Departure: Gustavsberg
Destination: Gustavsberg
Route: Gustavsberg – Storön – Ostholmen – Sandhamn – Finnhamn – Ekholmen – Gustavsberg
Nautical miles: 110
Travel dates: 24.08.2024 – 01.09.2024
Sailing yacht: Monohull, ketch, 43 feet
Organiser: Ocean Spirit
About the yacht: I felt very comfortable and safe on board at all times. I was lucky enough to have my own cabin, which was something of a luxury, of course. Naturally there's the occasional smell of the engine, but since we rarely used it apart from manoeuvring in and out of berths, that was kept to a minimum. Besides, I could always open the hatch for a bit of fresh air (whilst moored). The engine failure on the morning after the first leg was naturally a bit of a shock at first (especially for the skipper), but thanks to good communication (including with the owner) the problem was solved fairly quickly and permanently. In the end, that too was a valuable experience!
The boat has a few years under her belt and the equipment (sails, lines) has seen better days. But as I tend to see myself more as a cruising sailor than a regatta type, that didn't really bother me. The owner only acquired her a year ago and is now gradually replacing the equipment. The view from below deck is simply indescribable, as large windows all around provide a 270° panoramic view!
On the sailing area: Dream islands, idyllic bays, beautiful sunsets – Sweden has been my passion for over 20 years anyway. Being able to combine that with sailing was my idea from the very start. I really enjoyed sailing as helmsman because it's so demanding. On the one hand because of the wind conditions with wind shadow and funnelling effects, on the other because of the shallow waters. Apart from the berthing and casting-off manoeuvres, only one other crew member and I took turns at the helm, so I was able to gain a lot of experience. My absolute highlight: a really long run wing-on-wing with a preventer! I also found the overnight stops very varied. It was already late season, so it was never crowded. On the first evening classic anchoring (Storön), on the second mooring to the rocks (Ostholmen, unfortunately the sauna was not in operation), on the third alongside at the jetty in Sandhamn, then at the jetty with a stern buoy in Finnhamn (with a sauna session!) and on the last evening once more at the jetty in Ekholmen (in the end we did get a – wood-fired – sauna after all).
About the crew: The skipper clearly enjoyed working with people and was trained accordingly. Absolutely authentic, never forced. Daily briefings and debriefings were well prepared. We were always able to have a say in decisions. Everyone, in my impression, 'got their money's worth'. Baking bread on the boat was also a brilliant idea (and execution) by the skipper. The co-skipper calmly took on the skipper back-up role. He always knew where we were going without making a fuss about it. Sometimes a bit hard to understand, as he thinks his German with a Swabian accent is High German :-). Totally likeable and conveyed a sense of security. Another crew member took on a bit of the 'good soul' role, cheerful even though sailing isn't her passion by her own admission. That worked to the advantage of the first-mentioned crew member and myself, as we had even more time at the helm. She was an experienced sailor and instructor, from whom I was also able to learn a lot.
From the final debrief I also got the impression that everyone felt comfortable. Helping out on board, whether during manoeuvres or at mealtimes, was a matter of course for everyone, which I found very pleasant.
What would I still like to have done? In order to skipper myself one day, I'll need to learn and practise harbour and anchoring manoeuvres intensively, which wasn't my focus this time. Fortunately, with the excellent weather and in this sailing area, I didn't have to find out whether I have problems with seasickness either. The biggest waves were the wake from the ferries 🙂
I'll definitely be back!
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