Evening trips

I have done a few evening trips the last week between work.

August 17 with Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping. Nice tripp with some who are testing kayaking for the first time.

August 23 a solo trip in the bay of Vänersborg (Vänersborgsviken). Nice weather and I paddled a bit faster to have a good exercise. 

August 24 with Friluftsfrämjandet i Vänersborg (Sorry Lidköping, I couldn't make your trip in time). They set a new record with 55 kayaks!

August 25 was with a friend, Fredrik, to the small islands Kräcklingarna outside Mellerud on the Lake Vänern. It started with rain but by and by the weather got better. It was a lot of fun to maneuver through all the small passages in this seldom visited archipelago.  It is a bird sanctuary and you are not allowed to be there before July 31. No wind and we are past that date so we took the chance. 

It really tests your technical skills to go through the reefs and islands. Very good practice and a beautiful place.

Magnus at Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping

Some new kayakers are testing at paddling outside the islands. (FF Lidköping)

Me doing a solo trip

It was total 55 kayaks out this nice evening

On our way back to Vänersborg

Many nice passages at Kräcklingarna

Fredrik is doing sharp turns

Beautiful bird islands

Nice for playing with the kayak

Fredrik

Too narrow!

On our way back it was dead calm

Lurö solo kayaking

After only two weeks I'm back att Lurö. It's weekend and I just had to go out kayaking. For once all my friends were otherwise busy so I took the trip alone. The weather forecast was not that great but I wanted to kayak out to Lurö again anyway, it is always possible to go on the lee side of the archipelago even on windy days.

I started at Ekenäs again and with a slightly different route from last time took myself down to Lurö. Mostly sunny and not too much wind this first day. At Stenstaka the restaurant was open so I took the chance to have a beer there. This is the first time I got a beer while out kayaking since 2014 in Croatia.

As it was getting more windy in the evening I had to find a new spot for camping, but with a hammock you just need two trees so that is fairly easy. I found a nice little beach on the north side of the island and set up the hammock with an extra tarp over it as it was supposed to rain in the night.
A bit cold I took a walk to warm up, grilled some hot dogs and made a pot of tea. Warm again I went to bed and after a movie on the iPad fell asleep. Sometime in the night the wind increased and it was raining. Never mind I was dry and comfy so I just turned over and went back to sleep.

Next morning it was still raining so I took it slow to get started. After an hour the rain stopped and I packed my gear and in a strong head wind made it back to Ekenäs.
On the whole trip I did not see any other kayaks or any yachts, just two small passenger boats going to Lurö. It was a nice and very quiet trip.

A video is on the way but the editing takes time as I'm not home a lot now, mostly out kayaking.

Getting ready at Ekenäs

A short break. Nice weather.

Inbound to Stenstaka, Lurö. I wonder if the restaurant is open?

Yes! It's open and I enjoy a beer.

"My" nice little beach

Dinner

My Hennessy hammock and Hilleberg tarp as extra rain cover.