Decision time and Stockholm archipelago - July 9 th

You can't have an ugly crane blotting the sights of Stockholm so make it into a bit of art. 

The old town island from the water.

Several cruise ships  came and went, stopping just long enough for the Chinese to run round the Vasa museum, watch the changing of the guard, run round the royal palace and take photos of everythinhg in sight.

The royal palace.  A lump from outside but very fine inside.

Our marina, almost in the country. ( the fine house behind is the italian embassy) We had meals in the cockpit looking out onto a wooded shore backed by fields.

We have decided to come slowly back. We've sailed through yet another chart portfolio so moving onwards further north, tempting though it is, requires yet more expense and it is a difficult to navigate through the rocks using the plotter alone .... the black lines which mark the routes are absent on the plotter. So we are now sailing slowly back and enjoying warm weather, lots of swims and seeing lots of Swedes on holiday within a days sail of Stockholm.  The sailing here is good and navigation easier than further south. The anchorages surpass those in Scotland for shelter and there are hundreds.  But it still takes us hours to work out the route for tomorrow and possible anchorages.