Motoring or staying in a marina?

I'm not really sure how to start one of these blogs these days. I was always planning of keeping track of my movements, my doings and undoings in a good and transparent way. However, it have now passed a little more than a month since I started this journey and there has been a lot of things happening.

So where to start?

Lets maybe start from the beginning...? That could make sense.

I was really not aiming for departing already in 2019. The plan had somewhat changed for a departure not until 2020. I had just too much to complete on the boat and there was just too much things happening all around. However, it all quite suddenly changed and I saw a good opening, or let us call it, an opportunity to set sail once again (already did it once, Sweden to Australia, 27 foot boat - www.theinspiration.se ). The boat are far from the shape I would have wanted it to be in, but on the other hand, even if I did all the improvements and changes i would have liked to do prior to departing it might still have been in need of further changes. It is hard to consider all circumstances from "home" and what to actually come. I therefore just decided to let go of the "familiar" home and set sail. All things have their time, I'll just do this during the sailing...

I've already come to terms with the fact that I this time would be mostly alone on the boat. Even though some thoughts towards crew finding homepages had passed my mind. It was just a way to quick "get away" to start considering this. Let's face it. It has taken me over a month just to scribble down these few lines of text. Getting crew on board was just a bigger challenge than just letting go of the mooring lines and set sail. I did however, text one friend a couple of weeks prior to departing.

"Hey Jonathan, how is everything going? Just so you know. I will be setting sail again in a short while. Same type of trip as last time. Just a bigger boat and hopefully a bigger "treasure chest" to keep me going. I remember you wanted to join last time but didn't. Maybe this is the time for you now?

It didn't take more than a couple of hours and Jonathan was on-board with the plans and were calling to get some final details prior to him quitting his job and actually seem to be joining. Only down side to this was that he would not be able to join until mid August. Which obviously is not really a big down side at all, considering the other option. Going on all alone around the globe.

So I started solo from Oslo. Untied the mooring lines, boat not even close to be finished and just let go. It was a beautiful day and a somewhat nervous one. Am I actually doing this? Again?

I cruised along the Oslo fjord south bound to a small little island. Picked up a Friend and we set sail towards Sweden. A nice and way quicker sail than we thought it would be. We ended up in the middle of the night in the archipelago of Sweden, in a small town called Fjällbacka! Over 150 nm done the first day! Not a bad start!

We continued south towards Smögen, where we, of course, spent the weekend. Some parts of me are still recovering from this. But all went okay. I'm still alive. My friend, after Skärhamn, had to go back home and i continued my sail further south. Varberg. It was a really nice sail, down wind, sun and i got the newly mounted (not new by it self) windwane to stear me 95% of the way. One less thing to consider i had to fix or mantain in a way it would be operating the way I wanted. Wonderful! All alone, sailing and the boat behaved just as I wanted it to! Absolutely wonderful!

In Varberg i did arrangements for my Mom and one of my sisters to join the further sail south. Only problem was that there were to wind to predict any time soon. We motored further south. Höganäs, then to Helsingborg (where another friend decided to join for a couple of days!). So from being all alone we were all of a sudden four people on board. But winds did not change, not in our favor at least so we decided to go for Copenhagen. Picked up another friend and we finally got some nice winds to use moving us further south.

A nice day of sailing, a good speed was kept and waves were making their wonderful sounds as they kept sweeping in over the bow. Only problem was that 60% of the crew did not really feel the way I did. It was however little we could to about it at the moment and continued the final hours down south to Klintholm. Holmklint. Or whatever the name might be. Never remember. I just leave it at that. It was a remarkable sail and the boat was handling the waves and wind above my expectations. But all good seem to have some bad as well. As soon as we hit the docking we realized the canister of hydraulic oil I've (very stupidly to say the least!) been keeping in the aft at the railing had fallen over and started leaking. Not just a small little puddle of oil. But rather a bath. So that day ended in a complete different way than how it started. Cleaned most of it off. Made sure everyone knew about it and were not to step on the teak deck prior to going ashore, over the 4 other boats on our inside. Always been very annoyed when a good day ends in a disaster like this. But it is just to shake it off. Many more "happenings" are going to occur along the "way".

The following day we had two options. We could go for another day of sail, just like this one, or motoring through to the west to avoid the waves. Without really thinking about it, it just made more sense for me that majority of the crew would have had an easier time than another stressful and sour stomachs! My friend from Helsingborg, in Holmklint (yeah, or klintholm...) decided to go home. Enough was enough I guess. But she honestly did swear it had nothing to do with the sail the previous day!

Another couple of days passed and we found ourselves in Kiel. Another two friends decided to join and as you might have calculated already, we were then 6 people on board. We did sleep alright and the boat obviously could handle it. It was just not optimal. I've redone the saloon table to be able to bed 2 people instead of only 1. Just hadn't the time to figure out of to "lock" the table in the "down" position. So one on the floor... it worked. Don't worry about it. Let's move on! (Obviously not me...)

Kiel canal. I've done it once before. I were not to pleasantly intrigued going through it again. But really no other options had been present when i decided to go this routing. Weather was nice, music was playing and we passed most boats inside the canal on our transit. Engine working just fine. At least now. The start of the morning the entire motor just stopped. No diesel. I have two tanks on the boat and I had this morning decided to switch the intake to the engine from the starboard side to the port side. Something that was easier said than done. We were drifting a couple of moments just outside the marina while I was swearing and going through in my head what the mechanics been showing me just a couple of weeks prior to now. Bleeding of the system of a Perkins 4.236 is not just a hand pump. It is 3 different spots to bleed with different momentum to do it. If that still didn't work each of the cylinders would be in need to bleed as well. I took my chances, not like I was in the mood to call out "Pan pan" already this early in the traveling. For some reason, it just worked. The first time I really tried, the first time I really did this by my self. It actually worked. My friend from Copenhagen look surprised. Probably more surprised over that I looked so surprised and not by the action it self. We were on the way. Again. But still on the starboard tank. Which was running dangerously low. Specially for a canal transit. I later, inside the canal, while docked, tried switching the tanks again. This time while running the engine. Not a problem at all! So at this point i just figured i learnt something new about my boat. Switching tanks is an operations done while motor is running. Ok! Check!

So there we were, overtaking all other boats, until halfway when we realized the drinks were running dry. We kept an eye open for any stores and happened to be we saw one. I docked the boat quickly and two of us run up to the store, did a quick pit-stop and we were filled again and ready to go.

All other boats must have thought we were having problems (which obviously we had - no drinks!) but we were slowly over taking them all once again once the fridge was filled up again.

At the other side we just got in to the locks prior to them closing and could just exit straight away. The current on the other side were 4 knots with us. Straight in to Cuxhaven. A special way to enter a harbor side ways. But worked out just fine (little efforts to the end and some nearly crashing in to the entrance - but worked out just fine!) .

Last time I was out sailing we were told Helgoland was a tax paradise where everything is dirty cheap. Didn't want to miss that out. So with good winds and great sailing we made for Helgoland. Just about a couple of hours from my Danish friend leaving the boat to take his own boat out sailing. Enough is probably enough! Helgoland was not that cheap as I would have hoped for. But some decent restocking of the rom cabinet was done! Must count for something!

From helgoland we had a long passage, no wind and just motoring to Den helder to make sure the rest of the crew could come home (not my mom and sister though. They decided to stay a little longer!). Den helder to Scheveningen was just like to other sail, just by engine. So not really a sail then, is it? I don't know. It had just been no wind, or winds straight in front of us. Over night. My mom took her first, what I know off at least, night watch! Perfect opportunity for me to get some shut eye!

Then Scheveningen to Dunkerque and the last of the crew were to depart. A little sad to see them leave, but I would not really be alone. Another friend had just arrived. More or less 5 minutes after my mom and sister left. We spend the evening in Dunkerque until we ended up untying the mooring lines. Quite interesting departure when laying long side and triple bouts aft of you and three boats wide in front of you. But the bowthruster really did work it's magic and we were easily departed from the marina. We were headed for Bologne sur mer. A mere 40 nm sail. But as we were sailing and going 11,5 knots at times with the current it all went so quickly I decided to push forward towards Dieppe instead. Not to the enjoyment of the newest, seasick, crew member.

Dieppe was just a couple of hours stop (over night) until we continued to Le Havre. Here i still am, but now all alone again. Wondering if I've run out of friends.

I've got some magic done on the boat and progress are being made. It's been hard getting that much done with so many people coming and going and every ones backpacks or belongings keep taking so much room. Or at least that is what I blame my own laziness on. Could have done so much more these couple of weeks but have been to occupied getting in to the sailing mode again after 6 long years on dry land.

So tomorrow I'll head for Cherbourg. By engine. Again. Seem like the winds and weather allows nothing else. But then again. One day of engine equals a couple of days waiting in a marina. At least in this way I am making ways towards Spain and Portugal where anchoring is much, much more common and easier. That's what I've come to terms with. There just will be a higher spent on diesel for a while, just to get me away from places where marinas and weather and not really in favor of a poor sailor. We'll see later on if this is the correct thinking or not.

Me and a fellow sailor, a German in a 31' Bavaria, Nils have been collaborating about the tides, streams and departure times vs. arrival times. We've pretty much haven't got a single right one yet. But it have almost alway got where we wanted... Sooner or later. Tomorrow we are expecting 5 knots of stream against us if we are to quick. And too slow then yeah, it is probably going to be against us anyways. There really seem to be no good options some times (or.. maybe learn the tide chart better?)

Yeah, I have taken pretty much eleven photos. So pretty much need to start with this also. Getting stressed over all things needed to be done here I feel. I'll figure it out eventually. Until then I can include a picture that pretty much sums up the sailing so far....

Absolutely no wind and no sails...

Otherwise, all is going well and strong!

Over and out!

// Ludvig