The Archipelago at last !

Moondog
Brian Whitefoot
Mon 14 Jun 2010 20:32
Today dawned bright and with gentle winds, and an excellent forecast, so off to Norden in the archipelago north of Gothenberg ( 57:53.6N, 011:41.1E).
 
This was a great day for the new crew members to get to know the boat, and enjoy a very pleasant sail in fantastic scenery. I am slowly getting used to the idea of 50 metres off a rock being very comfortable and nowhere near too close, as we threaded our way around the channels and islands.  Lots more navigation practice for all, and a lot of commercial shipping to dodge for the first hour as we left the Gothenberg harbour area.
 
This area is more akin to sailing on large lakes, linked together by narrow channels, and we had plenty of time to just sail for fun on the 'lakes' where we had plenty of searoom, rather than just slogging on to our destination. We all just soaked up the sun and scenery, and shared the detailed navigation. This leg also saw us passing under our first bridge, which was shown as 18m clearance. We need about 15m, and it looked a very tight fit until the last moment....the perspective from deck looking up to the bridge plays tricks on your mind, and you just hope the engineers measured it correctly......at  least we do not have to worry about big tides here, which would need to be taken into account for our clearance.
 
The approach to Norden marina was a little tortuous, but went fine with Avis on the helm, and we tied up without drama. The marina is an idyllic spot , surrounded by islands....and ( sign of the times) good wi fi !. Hopefully another sunny day tomorrow, to explore more of this wonderful archipelago.
 
 

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