As the nice September weather continues I took a short trip at about 10 km close to home. This is att Sunnanå yacht harbor on Lake Vänern. A beautiful afternoon where I practiced my strokes and steering.
The days are getting shorter, I work a lot and soon the autumn will be here in full force. That means some less kayaking now but I hope to paddle an average of 2-3 times a week. The last five months there has been 3-4 days a week.
I also start planning for next year. My plans are to build a Black Pearl kayak and in the summer go to Helgeland in north Norway to kayak for two weeks. Hope to bring some friends with me.
Enjoy my photos from a colorful September
The lighthouse Högeholme will soon be in use again. The local yacht club will take care of it.
This September has been very, very nice and warmer than usual. There has been a lot of kayaking, of course, and I have not been home or been to tired to update my blog. Sorry!
Also there is no video this time. I have filmed a bit but then again it takes a lot of time to edit and I just hadn't had the time.
The photos are from a afternoon trip from Nordkroken to the tip of Halleberg on a very nice day. I was actually sitting nude on a rock drinking coffee as it was too hot in my wetsuit. Before going ashore I did about 20 rolls and it's slowly feeling as it was early this spring. Very easy! Good.
The next trip was with two friends, Martin and his wife Margareta, in Kinneviken. That was to an event where Friluftsfrämjandet was giving people the chance to test canoeing and kayaking. I was there to help and show some rolls. (Show off!)
Then I was out two days on Lake Vättern with a friend, Frida. Again marvelous weather. And I took a swim in infamously cold Vättern, in september! Actually rather nice.
Again a trip with Friluftsfrämjandet and this time at Yttre Bodane, my home waters. Nice day with a bit of wind and sea. Not much, just so it was a little bit fun. While the others went back home I stayed the night on a small island by myself. A campfire, a beautiful moon and a good sleep in my hammock. Life couldn't be better.
The last trip was the end of the season with Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping. An evening trip where the last hour was in the dark. All we had was some glow-sticks to see each other. Several times we heard beavers slap their tails close to us, but otherwise completely silent. Perfect finish of the season.
At Lake Vänern. Halleberg to the right
A feather in the water
Autumn colors at Kinneviken
Margareta
Most photos from the trip on Vättern were fuzzy. So I made Frida even more fuzzy!
Stora Röknen is a military area. We are not allowed to go ashore on this island. (We didn't)
Out of the rock at Yttre Bodane.
Someone is taking a photo of three moose.
A moose cow with two calves
Out of the rock 2!
Just as I was going asleep in my hammock when the moon appeared
Campfire
Morning at Yttre Bodane
Calm Sunday
Listening to Magnus Hägg
He teaches us how to take a nice photo
Probably I make all the mistakes taking this photo
Now it's the third year in a row that I have visited Koster islands in september. (2015 and 2014) As last year my daughter Paula was with me but this year also a friend, Fredrik joined us.
We started Friday afternoon from Rossö and in the strong SW-ly wind headed out to the southern part of the archipelago. Here there are a lot of small uninhabited islands that's creating a maze to paddle through. Probably one of the best kayaking places in Sweden. A nice swell and some 1 meter (3 feet) high seas made the crossing a bit over an hour. There was also a rather strong N-ly current which made us head more south to compensate. (I have a problem with my GPS where the USB port is not working anymore. So no tracks until I have a new one.)
Passing Ramsholmen and entering the passages north of Tjälleskär the sun set. And what a marvelous sunset! Magical! When we arrived at our campsite at Tjälleskär it was already dark. So we got our tents up and a tarp to sit in for our meals. Nice to have to break the strong wind.
In the night we could hear the wind and some rain but I think we all slept OK. Next morning the skies cleared but the wind was still there, west about 11-12 m/s (22-24 knots). We headed into the wind towards Ursholmen that used to be the most westerly inhabited island in Sweden. It was people living there until 1965 when the lighthouse was electrified. Then the lighthouse keepers with families had been living on the island for 70 years.
We had i nice walk up to the lighthouse and then a fika. At the way back to our camp we had some good surf. In the afternoon we hiked to some of the highest "peaks" on Tjälleskär to have a look over the archipelago. Nice to walk and climb after spending hours in the kayak. Then a short nap before going up to one of the highest places to watch a new nice sunset.
Next morning we took it easy to break camp and then headed with some nice detours to the northwest of the islands to start the crossing back to Rossö. On this Sunday the wind had changed to a N-ly wind and just 3-4 m/s (6-8 knots) and not a cloud on the sky. After taking some fika at St. Brattskär we crossed over the fjord. This day it took only 20 minutes! The wind slightly with us and almost no current.
Back at Rossö we had time to practice some rolls. Nice water at about 20°C.
A very nice kayaking weekend with Paula and Fredrik.
Just crossed over Kosterfjorden.
Fantastic sunset!
At Ursholmen
The old lighthouse
To the left the old lighthouse, then me and finally the new lighthouse
"I want to go there" Paula.
Fredrik
Nice place to take photos
Superman?
Rowan tree. When they have a lot of berries the winter will be cold, they say.
The yearly kayak meet at Stocken camping on the island Orust is at the last weekend of August every year. This year about 150 kayaks (and a few more kayakers) were there. We are talking kayaking, taking day trips, watching photos and videos and testing kayaks. Very nice and relaxed mood.
A great place for meeting new and old kayaking friends. I was there from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. On Friday we were a small group that took a short trip but on Saturday and Sunday we were bigger groups that took longer trips.
All in all a great weekend!
Don't miss this video with some nice action!
Preparing for a trip
Information about the trip on Saturday
Calluna (ljung) is common among thi island on the Swedish west coast
A bit rough but some of us decided to go out and test it.
Me showing photos from Alaska. Photo: Caroline Henriksson
