 |
| These maypoles are on every village green. They were covered in fresh birch leaves on Midsummer day, a major Swedish festival when they dance and play games round the maypole...sounds a bit like a junior school sports day! |
 |
| This is a semophore for stopping the ferry as it drives past. You pull the handle and flip the disc. |
 |
| I would say "a cool sauna" but it is of course very hot. |
 |
| Swedish boats do anchor in the middle sometimes. |
 |
| Perfect except for being overlooked by a very large house with security lights all round, and on its posh jetty. This explains why locals anchored outside the narrow entrance |
 |
| A zig zag entrance to this anchorage. |
 |
| More boats tied to rocks than anchored. It was easier and more peaceful to anchor so we anchored as normal. |
We've actually enjoyed very good sailing (mostly to windward as per normal for 2016) and some stunning anchorages with perfect shelter, good though cool swimming and lots of Swedes enjoying their summer holiday. The locals tie to rocks and use a stern anchor. They wouldn't dream of doing anything else and do not have bow anchors or rollers. They get out barbecues and the rocks are splattered with mooring rope, rings, pitons and cooling barbecues, not forgetting the cows (come to lick salt off the mooring ropes?) This method fits large numbers of boats into a small space. All retire before 10pm and sleep to at least 10am so it's very civilised. We are now successfully using our new stern anchor for the first time on a rainy day in a tiny guest harbour on the island of Orno, so we may try a rock mooring ourselves. Lacking the standard fitments (a projecting bow sprit and drop down ladder plus an anchor tape reel and anchor launcher at the stern) makes it more difficult.
