After a couple of nights in Mariehamn, we were ready to move on. But where to?
To Mariehamn
Jellyfish! Lots and lots of small jellyfish next to our boat. I didn’t even know we had those in Finland but we were all very excited to see them. A good sign and a good send off for our next leg to the capital of Åland, Mariehamn.
From Turku to Åland — And Uh-Oh Crap
Our sailing vacation finally started! It was a cold and cloudy Monday. We left quite late and had only one objective: to get just a bit away from Turku so that it wouldn’t feel like being home anymore. The next day, though, was to be both exciting and— for a few— quite terrible.
Hanse 388 — Every Nook and Cranny
Half a year ago, I was trying to figure out (among other things) what gas bottle would fit on a Hanse 388. It was a bit challenging since I couldn’t find any measurements for where it’s supposed to be stored. Now I know better, so starting with the gas bottle, and slowly progressing through the rest of the boat, I will try to write down stuff that hopefully might be useful to other potential Hanse 388 buyers.
Ten Hours of Downwind
It was Sunday and time to turn back home. We were thirty-five miles from our home harbor and after having done ten-fifteen miles a day the previous days, this was to be our longest sail yet. All in gentle to non-existing downwind.
Don't Reef the FCL Jib
Last week we found out that 20+ knots of upwind with one reef in the main and a fully rolled out jib equaled too much sail for our newbie family sailing. Previous experience suggested that reducing sail area by partly furling away the jib wasn’t a good option. But what would have been? I asked the knowledgeable people over at myHanse.com as well as Elvstrøm Sails, the provider of the Hanse’s FCL furling jib.
Sailing Is the Most Terrible Thing Ever!!!
Charlotte and I woke up at about four in the morning to the sunrise and the wind changing. We both looked out the window and gasped. Out on the sky, there was this beautiful rainbow painted onto an equally beautiful archipelago background, all colored with redish morning sunrise.
Midsummer’s Eve
“Well, this is actually quite a nice place to spend Midsummer!” Charlotte said and smiled at me.
Sleepover in a Sailboat
Midsummer is the holiday in June when people flock away from their workplaces and city apartments towards their summer cottages and boats. The weather looked nice so we thought this would be the perfect time to go out sailing, all of us, and see what it would feel like, to spend a few days, as well as nights, on the boat.
It's a Wrap!
So, just a few weeks after getting our new boat to Finland, it was up on the ground again. We wanted it to “go all the way to eleven”, and there was just one final push over the cliff (onto land) to make that happen. (If that previous sentence felt partly like nonsense, forgive me, but do check out the Spinal Tap movie!)