Vastervik

John Crowe

We set off early with the expectation of winds up to 12 - 22 knts. What we got was 17-20 knots initially increasing to 19-22 then 20-23 gusting 27. Consequently the sea state was deteriorating as we progressed. Even so it was an exciting and fairly comfortable sail on a close reach until we reached the Blacken E Cardinal buoy when we needed to harden up to the wind to start heading landward and to the entry point to the Vastervik archipelago. It was slow going tacking against the wind which had increased further to a constant 24 gusting up to 33 knots as predicted by the amber wind warning we received over the VHF part way through our passage. The wind was thanks to a series of squalls coming from various angles in the northern sector but somehow we managed to run along the edge of each one and only get a sprinkle of rain. We definitely felt the down draughts of each as it approached. Eventually we made it into the lea of the land. While the wind didn’t drop much, the sea state improved significantly and made our entry through the rocks easy. Once inside on calmer waters we were able to enjoy the stunning scenery as we made our way to Vastervik where we berthed in Pampas Marina.