Plan C

Somewhere in Sweden there must be a snap shackle for our Code 0!!

Breidge and I sat down with a map, charts, pilot books and chandlery catalogues, and identified the addresses of the shops we could reach by boat and bike.

I rang round and found one Selden shackle of the correct size in a ‘megastore’ on the peninsula of Boo outside Stockholm. To get there we headed north in a stiff northerly breeze, then through a narrow canal, this time deep enough and high enough to let us pass.

A small marina at Saltjo-Duvnas was to be our overnight stop. This turned out not to be a marina, but a quay where a sailing school operated, with a locked gate leading out to the main road.

Eventually we established that we could stay the night, and the instructor would turn up with a key for the gate in the morning.

We got out the bikes, and set off up a steep hill, and over the 30m bridge to Boo.

It was Sunday, and despite the catalogue claiming Sunday opening hours, I remained sceptical. 

An hour later, we arrived at the Sea Sea Megastore, and it was open!

And there, glittering on the shackle rack was the Selden Golden Fleece itself.

We emerged victorious, having bought out the shop while there, and cycled back to the boat to fit our find to the sail.