Monday: 7/1/19
Dep. 11.06am arr: 5.20pm. 31.7nm 6 hours 14 minutes
For a higher-resolution map of this route, click HERE:
With the wind howling we both had only a fitful sleep in Jurmo. I rose at 4am to fix a particularly clanging halyard and didn’t really sleep much thereafter, thanks mainly to Kevin creeping up silently behind me while I was working and giving me a manic grin as I turned around. There’s a reason his nickname on our race team is cowbell…
The Finns we were docked with showed no inclination to leave early given the conditions, so we followed suit and waited until around 11am, when conditions finally eased and we were able to clear the harbor and hoist sail for Rosala. We thus enjoyed probably the best sailing of Kevin’s stay, with winds blowing 14-16 on the quarter and us enjoying a lively passage under jib and jigger alone. I left most of the helming to Kevin, preferring to navigate and make braggy videos for fellow sailors at home.
The only slight fly in the ointment was that as we approached the Rosala gasthamn (guest harbor) we were feeling a little too confident and decided to tack up the narrow channel. As usual we were quickly put in our place as Arcturus got backwinded by a sudden windshift, meaning I had to fire up the engine in a hurry, jibe around to the wider bay behind us and drop sails before motoring the short distance into the harbor. Lesson learned again, I hope.
Rosala itself is a picture-perfect spot with berths for perhaps 30 boats, but it was mostly deserted. There was a small but well-provisioned harbor master’s office, decent showers and the hottest sauna I have ever enjoyed. The berth was cheap at 15 euros but the sauna was 20. But 35 euros for that experience was cheap at twice the price. The harbor is nicely sheltered and with the wind dying almost completely, we enjoyed a very full and deep night’s sleep.
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