40 mile engine journey
Trip Start
Apr 29, 2011
1
90
109
Trip End
Sep 03, 2011
Grönhögen, Kalmar, Sweden
Thursday, August 11, 2011
It was a grey day, the forecast was for a reasonable wind from the west, a good sailing wind. We were off the pontoon by 07:30 and the engine was off at 08:00 as we started to sail. For the first time, we felt cold, it was a chill, damp breeze and we were surprised to see that the thermometer said 17°C, it felt much cooler. Sadly, to add to our woes, the wind backed during the morning and also dropped so after an hour, we had to start the engine and it was under engine, sometimes with all sails and sometimes with just the main and finally, no sails at all that we entered the harbour at Grönhögen at 15:15. There was only one other visiting boat there, tied up to be downwind of the SW wind but not in the guest harbour. Sheep-like, we went behind him and soon after, behind us came a large ketch, an old Italian boat but owned by a pleasant German couple from near Peenemunde. After an hour or so, having heard the forecast for the coming evening and night, we decided to move our two boats to the other side of the inner harbour wall, as the wind should then be blowing strongly from the opposite direction so again, we would be blown away, rather than on to the wall. This accomplished, there was not much left to do other than shelter from the rain that had come in, as forecast. It’s funny, they get the rain right but not the wind!!!
