New Crew! And our first guest bloggers since 2019

How generous to be called ‘new crew’; I’d say ‘new liability’ as the fella with the big grin limped on with his walking stick.

The sun was shining and we started with a shore trip to the Vasa Museum – wow! After nearly 400 years at the bottom of Stockholm harbour, they refloated this 200 ft long 1200 ton warship with its two gundecks and exquisite carvings still almost intact.

What a saga for the poor shipbuilders as this royal flagship was so top-heavy and unstable that on its maiden voyage it rolled over and sank in a light breeze less than a mile from its launch site. And a reminder that in the 17th century, Sweden’s empire included the Baltic and all the territory south through the three main rivers of Northern Germany.

So, after a Nick-style paella on board we set off the next morning to sail around the archipelago on courses carefully crafted by Karen with William at the helm and Karen very much in charge of sailing and sail changes as the light winds shifted and a few thundery showery squalls added to the fun.

This glorious scenery of some 20,000 tree-covered islands just rolled out, many uninhabited, some with discrete picturesque holiday homes nestling between the trees. With visitor Ebba on board (who brought a bagful of yummy Fika pastries, all different flavours including cinnamon, anis, cardamom and vanilla) we sailed to Grinda island and learned the intricacies of mooring to a stern buoy in such a way that we could step off the front onto a jetty and explore this pretty island all bedecked in wild flowers. It does help not to run out of rope before reaching the jetty! Enough said.

Next to Runmaro for a Cobb BBQ on board cooked by William, and then beyond Möja where Karen found such a pretty, secluded anchorage at Värmdö with red-breasted mergansers for company and we all went swimming.

On our last night, another highlight – Ekholmen which is just the most perfect small privately owned island that was bought by a group of Swedish sailing families more than 100 years ago and has been handed down through the generations.

This time we tied up the bow to a buoy and lashed the stern to the jetty for easy getting on-and-off, and were welcomed by a group of some 30 Swedes who let us use their log-fired sauna (followed by the statutory cold plunges into the sea), where we chopped our own wood.

Later we joined them at a communal BBQ area where Nick amused the locals by lighting a bark, twig and log fire and then cooked marinaded pork loin on brochettes with mushrooms, green+red peppers and onions, and William dispensed generous glassfuls of wine. What an evening, one for the memory banks!

Thank you both so much for introducing us to this glorious country and lovely locals, and sharing your good ship Melodrama who did us proud! Nick and Ruth xx