Under Aurora Borealis

We have never before seen Aurora Borealis reflecting from the sea. What an amazing night that was!

Catwalking

What jumped here? A frog?

Yes, it is a frog! The first mate did not allow me to contact with the frog...

Big in Kropsu

Weather forecast for last weekend was very promising and it was really a great weekend. Check out the pics from our weekend at Kropsu, a local island I had never before visited.

First mate brought couple of fine Suillus luteus for me to check. OK.

Top view

Before our changed plans the crew climbed up to the local mountain. 

The guest marina is in the pic, can you find it?

Lessons about life in Häggvik - Part 2 (how to look after a crew member with sprained ankle)

I had a situation to manage. The captain was off to non-nautical duties and away from the vessel. And the first mate was incapacitated, suffering the sprained ankle. This was really the most demanding case I have met during my career as a sea cat indeed. The first mate was lucky because the injury was medium serious case meaning that she could use her right leg even the moving was difficult. However we concentrated resting in the cockpit and keeping the first mate leg in rest position on the pillows. I like hanging around at the bow when moored but now I knew walking was very difficult to the first mate so I decided to stay in the cockpit with her.

Those few days spent waiting for the captain, instead of doing excursions and enjoying rest as planned,  were long days but I managed well to support the first mate and help her taking care of the boat and the daily routines. I looked after her sleep and if there were some noises outside I woke up to check that everything was OK and notified the first mate too. Two Sundsvall boats with very nice crews,  twoSigma and Racoon,  were moored next to our vessel. We learned many new details about sailing in Högä Kusten and I could see the discussions cheered up the first mate.

The captain returned earlier than planned, due to the first mate ankle situation, on Wednesday morning. We could not wait as the weather seemed perfect for the passage to Vaasa archipelago. We prepared as soon we could and off we were for 16 hour sailing to Rönskär! Goodbye Höga Kusten, see you next time!

...

As of early September the ankle improves every day. The biking has started, but no running yet. The first mate is hopeful to start skiing season in time.

Lesson about life in Häggvik - Part 1 (and why tunnbröd became so important to us)

Next stop Häggvik, one of the most exciting harbors! There was a quite special situation with us. The captain had to return to Oulu for his non-nautical duties for few days and me and the first mate had decided to stay at Höga Kusten, to take care of the vessel, and to rest. The first mate had big plans for those days, about the mountains she would climb on and about small excursions, like one to Högbonden, she would do while I would sleep in my normal daily land routine between 10 am to 6 pm.  

However, you may make plans and have high expectations but they may not get realized as thought. 

Early Sunday morning the captain had a taxi to pick him to the railway station in Kramfors. Some time later I retreated to my nap and the first mate borrowed a bike at marina to ride to Nordingrå for groceries. She made the shopping and wanted to ride the bike further in the town for sightseeing. When she drove up to the church hill she was so impressed about the lovely view to the lake that when she stopped she forgot this was not her own bike but a different bike with different seat hight. She put her right feed on ground that her foot could not reach and she fell down with the bike.  The ankle swoll immediately and it hurt, really hurt. 

That moment was one of those moments that are short but feel like minutes - the pain made her worrying if it was serious damage to her ankle who would she take are of me and the boat, if she would need to go to hospital, how could she manage alone... Then from somewhere appeared a friendly lady who helped the first mate from the ground, instructed the needed first aid, and walked her to the local tourist office. The lady at the tourist office offered the first mate bag of frozen tunnbröd, type of local bread, that was used to cool the hurt ankle. The first mate believes that this was critical to get the ankle to heal fast. This was not all, the tourist office's lady closed the office to drive the first mate back to marina to the vessel. She also took care of the bike from the marina. 

We are very very thankful for the help of both the friendly lady who helped the first mate at the church parking lot and the friendly tourist office lady who returned my hurt crew member back to the vessel!   

(We do not have pictures of this incident, so some pics about arriving at and at Häggvik quest marina.)

My favorite destination of Summer 2015 - Lustholmen

I immediately knew that this is the best harbor ever, look at its features: In addition of the water and the fishes there are two extras: First, behind the pier there is more water with reed and second, behind the narrow waterway there is full forest with all the trees. You can imagine what this means - there were plenty of small fish in the water,  behind the pier there was duck with large school of her children cruising back and forth. And then the forest, with the forest birds! What an enjoyment!

In Lustholmen I started a new practice spending time on the bow. It was great location for observing all this activity! It was also great way to meet people, and some dogs too, promenading on the pier. I got many times to tell that I am a Siberian cat,  not a Norvegian forest cat, "ingen norsk skogskat".

Here in Lustholmen we met a boat and its crew from Oulu, from our home marina. Later on the first mate learned that the crew of that very same boat has a blog too, Virtauslanka, check it out for its great pics!

I enjoyed the activity close to the boat, and there was something for the crew too: The island itself with steep elevation offered great views and view points with lovely paths leading up to them. Also, local boat club's club house on the top of the hill was very cute old villa. The first mate loves old pine trees, like she likes classic lighthouses, and she wished that she had visited the island before quite many of them had been harvested. 

This is definitely a destination to recommend! By the way, I forgot to mention sauna, beach and a kiosk for acute ice cream needs summery sailings may cause in sailors.