Every third day sailing

Hello again, it’s time for an update. Where am I now? Position 55°23.4’N 014°3.7’E Kåseberga hamn

It is lucky to have plenty of time on these long distance sailing trips. The weather has been a challenge all the way. I did finally get to leave my hideout in Degerhamn on Wednesday the 8th. Got up early that morning, at 04.30 and got out of there around 05.40. The sailing was good, low winds (12-16 knots) and sunshine. I got all the way down to the most southeastern island of Sweden, Utklippan, where I stayed for the night. It started raining while I had my dinner that night. The island is a treat for bird watchers. So many different species of birds there. For ten years ago, when I resided in the Karlskrona archipelago, this was my favorite place to sail to. There and back home took about four hours of sailing.

The next morning the wind was gone. Completely no wind, but the forecast said in the afternoon a good northerly wind would grow. I started motoring, autopilot was steering a straight course down to the coast of Scania, town of Simrishamn. 242° all the way down. But in the afternoon, sure enough the northerly wind picked up, very good. At the same time visibility was low and it occasionally rained. Sailed with a 6-7 knot average speed over ground (fast for Isabell) and only saw a few other vessels on the radar. Already, at 15.30 in the afternoon I was outside Simrishamn. So I decided I could continue south with this great northerly wind. I came around the bend of the Scanian coast at Sandhammaren around 19.00 hours. It cleared up a bit in the evening, but when I could see the harbour of Kåseberga (only 6 nautical miles to go), the wind turned to the west, straight in my face. Took down the sails, clutched the leeward coastline as close as I dared to take the shallows, and it took me two hours of tough motoring against the wind. Got into the harbour after 21.00 hours. Tired, but happy with the days progress. The wind continued to pick up from the west and has been very strong even today, Saturday.

So I am touristing the sites in this wonderful area. Staying until Monday, when the wind is supposed to slow down and I will be able to sail west. This is at least not a locked down place, such as it was in Degerhamn. There are things to do and alot of things to see. And there is a fish marked in the harbour. So guess what I just ate? Hmmm. I am well.

And the good news is, after 16 days at sea, I am half the distance to Delfzijl, my target harbour in the Netherlands. Yeah! But then again, I have only been sailing (making progress) half the time.

Leaving Utklippan early on Friday morning