lauantai 30. syyskuuta 2017

Ragans blog Day 7

Day 7 Ådö-Högholm

We are headed for Högholmen. This is a very nice spot, closer to Helsinki, we moore off a Coast Guard station. 
















There is a happy hour in a house on the island, we dingy over through some mildly choppy seas to their dock. 

The house has a very nice view, and very cool deck cut into the rocks. And a puppy! These houses, this island is perhaps the 1% of Finland? 

They have a wood stand for the boxed wine, I think my friends on Fire Island need this. But to note, even the 1% here have an outhouse. So far I enjoy all the Finnish beers, America should learn their ways, instead of all this IPA swag, or as they say here, ”eeeepaw”.

















 Back on board the crew has the Sauna ready, one must rush to get a beer and get in the Sauna. I got extra time, since the rest of the ladies were still in transit from the island. I came to the deck for some air and David had a net, catching these little fishes, anchovy like creatures. We joke with everyone on deck about eating them raw. David looks across the deck at everyone and bites the tail off one, and hands it to me, I take a bite. Oily, fishy. They would be delicious fried whole. 









For dinner there are Crayfish! Songs + vodka shots! It’s John’s birthday – Juha made an ice cream cake! Boat made chocolate ice cream! Dressed in whipped cream, frozen and torched like a baked alaska – kinda – it was delicious. To be remembered, Swedish songs make the best drinking songs, which should be short and quick. Gravity becomes to heavy and I slept better than ever. 

torstai 14. syyskuuta 2017

ICOYC-cruise Marianhamina-Helsinki by Ragan Peck, Day 6

Day 6
Storlandet - Hanko – Munkshavn- Ådö

Departing Storlandet there is some rain. Overnight despite the crews best efforts to erect a tent over the cabins, one couple gets soaked. The beauty of a wood deck! Kati quickly sets to drying everything out and they solve the problems quick as ever. Time to get a little wet hoisting the sails. As we carry on the skies clear and we can squeegee the deck and resume our basking like marooned seals. 








Kati and I fooling about in the hammocks, what a lovely crew we have. The channel on the way to Hanko is narrow and fun to watch with all the traffic and people on shore since we are closer to the cities there is a population again. 

A moment of intrigue: a ferry-like leisure boat misses their dock a head of us and tries some ill-fated turn around in the narrow traffic filled channel, to no harm, they must continue on and wait to turn around till out of the maze of islands. 

And there goes the chef, in the dingy, he is off to greet his mother? Their summer cottage just around that island yonder. The charm of this place. He returns, speeding back to us, with a secret bounty of crawfish. The charm and wonder of it all. 










In Hanko it looks a large town, we tie at the industrial port with the cargo ships. We quickly take taxis to town to buy produce, wine and gin, the best Finnish Gin. Visiting the Marina it is packed as there is some speed boat competition, people seem well dressed, nice bags. There are tents set up with high-er end shopping, I got cute shoes, Riveras, appropriate for the Finnish Rivera. 

















Back on board, there are nice seas rolling the Svanhild about in the sun. And now, we are as I type, underway! A destination unknown. We come to a protected cove no one can recall the name (Munckshavn)! We approached a rock face that looked promising, and I must have had a worried look fender in hand, Loury, smiled and relayed it’s not a worry the hull was wood and very thick. A few moments later – smack! A rock. So I guess it is no worry and we will not stay here. I am wistful it will be over soon. 
















Ådö, Odö, a very fine looking spot with beautiful granite rocks, pockets of tall reeds and as always nice pines on shore. This shall be home for the night. A nice place for a swim.  Beautiful summer cottages – this might be the place. 

The unknowing of the destinations is the most magical feeling, wherever they take us there we will be. A nice feeling of implicit trust in our Captain. 












tiistai 5. syyskuuta 2017

ICOYC-cruise Marianhamina-Helsinki by Ragan Peck, Day 5

Day 5

Örö to Kasnäs to Långholm to… Storlandet: well Dorthy we are not in Kasnäs anymore. 

A nice leisurely morning, and a walk to the northern point on Örö, from that point, an old military fortification you can see both sides, the protected harbor and the windward side, it looks like it will be a good day to sail – a direction unknown.


We depart to get water, fuel and pump out. The wind was really nice and we seem to make good time, and it was engaging to put the sails up. We made good time as we cruised in the wind and sun till we came to Kasnäs. 

Some shopping, some gas, some time on land. There was a large marina, a spa, hotel and a fish factory. I saw some strange smoked salmon, now I wish i had purchased: smoked salmon with blue cheese smoked on top? Apparently now one else on board has ever has this either and I guess we may never know. Always but the food. 












Långholm – the NJK has a yacht club out station, and they hosted a happy for all the guests of the cruise. The Svanhild is far to large to get to the outstation so, we take the dingy. I ended up in the first scouting dingy somewhat by accident, but happy I was. It was nice to be cruising low to the water, we finally found the destination, a beautiful ride. Of course I left my shoes on board. Day drinking problems. Oops. I stepped on land only to be whisked off again and invited for a beverage with the loveliest couple, the shoes – not required on boats. Upon further inquire about these snakes they keep warning us about – indeed they are poisonous, I had thought they were joking. Beware of the Wipers. 






Långholm was an enchanting spot and our host for the evening Jan and Anna put out a great, huge amount of cheese for all the guest of the cruise. Our ship with people from the Seattle Yacht Club and Kyoko and Naoki Yamanaka from the Suma yacht club in Japan.  In the larger group of boats, there are people attending from as far as Australia, Canada, Germany & England. (pardon if I missed your country!). 











And now, we are as I type, underway! A destination unknown. Somewhere better to moore for the night. We come to a Storlandet a very fine looking spot with beautiful granite rocks, pockets of tall reeds and as always nice pines on shore. This shall be home for the night. A nice place for a swim.  Beautiful summer cottages – this might be the place.