Sailing Down - Delivery Trip / Chapter 1 Turku -> Visby

[sochin Profile Website]

Greetings to the Forum,

yesterday I returned from the delivery trip from Turku (Finland) to Lübeck (Germany).
Unfortunately there was no satisfying internet connection in the harbors during the trip.

We (my family - Franziska, Leonie and me) took a flight to Helsinki at the end of July and rented a car at the airport.
With this we were very flexible in Turku and it took about 2hrs from Vantaa.
For all visitors: beware of the radar - they are nearly everywhere around Vantaa and are waiting for tourists! But they did not catch me
We had an early bird breakfast in hotel Helmi, where I slept last time.
Antti picked us up and we went to the boat yard -> and there she was, I hope Franziska will like her too...

HR29 - sôchin in the yard

Web-0106.jpg (58.51 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

First step is naming the boat until she is ashore

DolphinDance is getting sôchin

Web-0024.jpg (101.17 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Web-0026.jpg (60.97 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Web-0069.jpg (63.86 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Web-0072.jpg (65.94 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

After that the things become faster - so the yard wanted to start watering immediately…

Web-0120.jpg (101.78 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

and so she is afloat again very soon…
Preparing the mast

Web-0203.jpg (84.11 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Web-0207.jpg (158.12 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Rigging up the mast

Web-0236.jpg (97.93 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

Now she is a sailing ship again

Web-0272.jpg (98.4 KiB) Viewed 2792 times

So these were the first two days of our sôchin and we continue the story very soon…

[sochin Profile Website]

Here I am back again to continue the story…

After we rigged up the ship and prepared the sails we had a short naming celebration due to good luck in the future.
Then we started our test sailing near by.

First Time Sailing with sôchin

Web-0266.jpg (94.44 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

Hoisting the Mainsail

Web-0261.jpg (76.46 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

Franziska is satisfied with my work...

Web-0265.jpg (93.35 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

We took her out through the channel before S-Marin yard and sailed in the Turku Archipelago.

Turku Archipelago with bird rocks

Web-0285.jpg (61.58 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

Everything went pretty good and Franziska is happy - Leonie also, the movement of sôchin brings her to sleep immediately.
After two hours of cruising we returned to the yard, with a feeling I cannot really describe - fantastic.

In the evening we met Minna and Antti in Turku for dinner and had a perfect end of the day.

Sparkling Water for Neptune and Us

Web-0130.jpg (66.48 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

Sundown - Silence in the Yard

Web-0132.jpg (52.18 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

sôchin comes to the quietness

Web-0126.jpg (70.77 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

At the next day we bunkered the ship for the first trip to Visby.
A lot of things had to be prepared and organized as well.
But at least sôchin is ready to start the journey…

Ready for Departure

Web-0268.jpg (88.29 KiB) Viewed 2781 times

[sochin Profile Website]

Hey Hey,

after we prepared sôchin for the trip - we were waiting for the departure…
Franziska and Leonie had to leave around 11:30 to drive back to Helsinki for their flight.
In order of the several things to do (refueling and returning the car, checking in etc.) she decided not to wait until we leave.
I was really sad to let my family go but also there was excitement looking forward to the trip.

At least Antti and me left the yard around 3pm and took sôchin out to the islands of Turku Archipelago.

Antti explaining me the route

Web-0281.jpg (84.23 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Themes of Archipelago 1

Web-0282.jpg (65.93 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Only a view other Sailors

Web-0284.jpg (63.47 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Themes of Archipelago 2

Web-0285.jpg (61.58 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Themes of Archipelago 3

Web-0287.jpg (61.95 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

The Only One who knows the Way

Web-0288.jpg (78.41 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Holding Course while trying to see what Antti see´s...

Web-0289.jpg (104.52 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

This is the Way?

Web-0292.jpg (86.95 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Little Anchorages in small Bays around us

Web-0295.jpg (69.06 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

Maybe this is enough?

Web-0297.jpg (78.07 KiB) Viewed 2761 times

The inner Archipelago is such a fantastic district for small boats.
A lot of small bays where you can stay for the night.
Narrow passages where you have to navigate carefully but you get really closed to the islands.
Some last impressions from the district in the next post...

[sochin Profile Website]

Here I come back with updates...
The inner Archipelago is shaped by small islands with narrow passages, where you have to look out carefully to the cardinal signs (just spears without top-sign) and where to round them. Sometimes it is difficult to see which one is first and how to go on.

[sochin Profile Website]

outer Archipelago: bigger islands with more space in between.
Some wind came up and we were able to hoist our sails...

[sochin Profile Website]

smooth downwind sailing with the genoa

IPCT0353.jpg (79 KiB) Viewed 2540 times

outer Archipelago and Björkö: beautiful and calm sailing day at is end...
We started around 5pm on the 4th of August and arrived at the anchorage (Björkö) around 1am on the 5th August - the summer sun just goes down for an hour or two but the diffused light was still there.

[sochin Profile Website]

A long day of sailing and learning and concentrating was going to its end. Sometimes I felt like a stupid beginner because I did not see the signs or wanted to round on the wrong side.
When we started in Turku it was raining cats and dogs without any wind, but the more we went out into the Archipelago, the weather increases and in the evening we had best conditions and a smooth downwind sailing.
Around afternoon Antti prepared some very delicious black bread with salmon -> please Antti add how this was called and send me how you did it
First we went to a waste station where we emptied the waste tank - I did not do this any time before - it is already about 8pm. The downing sun gives us a wonderful light and we went on to Björkö Island where Antti knows a good natural harbor for the night.
The anchorage at Björkö is not an insider, several other sailing boats were already there, even the season is going to its end... In high season you will not find a place Antti confirmed and boats are lying side by side.
Some of them are using their back anchor and are attached with the bow to ashore, so the crew is able to go on land and have a walk.
One sailor - I remember it was a 34 Bavaria - was floating free in the middle of the natural harbor.
We decided to do so as well and went a little more to the end of the bay (Pic 382).
Antti and I were hungry after the day and half of the night, it was already around 10pm when the anchor was dropped. A large menu is not what we preferred so we boiled some sausages and had good bread and beer with them.
For the night I decided to test the cockpit - I hope sleeping there is comfortable - that is my way of taking the watch at anchorages. It is calm and the wind dropped so there is no need for being worried. After Antti went to bed I decided to test the water also and jumped into for a short "Plansch" - fantastic!
So refreshed I laid down and had a very good sleep.
First day on our new boat - wonderful beginning of a new chapter in my life

[sochin Profile Website]

We left Björkö around 11am on August 5th.
Pulling the anchor by hand is a very good workout for the morning
As we left the natural harbor we set sails and got a light wind from the west, so we decided to motor and set course through the passages directly to Utö our jump point to Gotland.
Several leading lines guided us the way between the rocks and islands into Utö harbor.
There I learned to use the buoy hook and backline for getting with the bow to the quay (normally we park ships with the astern to the peer using mooring lines or bow anchor).
Never the less we were placed at 1:30pm and had a walk over Utö and through the small village.
Unfortunately the only store there was closed half an hour before we came along...
Utö is a nice little village but for seamen there is no pub where thirsty sailors can have a drink or two
As we wanted to start around 5pm a thunderstorm appeared at the western sky and we waited until it has gone over.
Not very rough, heavy rain but only winds around 6 with gusts up to 8 bft.
A quarter past 8pm we left Utö and went out on the baltic see course Gotland.