Skating, Närdingen, Dec 23rd

Me and Ricky headed to Erken on Saturday morning where I though we'd find the full lake nicely frozen, but that turned out not to be the case.. A quick review of maps and we went to Närdingen close by which had really nice conditions, despite the light rain and a few degrees above freezing point.. About 1 hour and some 15 kilometers of skating later we wrapped it up, to get back ot final christmas preparations in Stockholm..

Skating, Dalkarlskärret, Dec 22nd

Skating+Headlamps+Marsh lake in the woods = Win! I ended worked downtown Stockholm, wisked home to get my car and gear, and drove up towards Uppsala to meet up with 6 other skates who were up for a great way to make a little lake into an adventure.. Around -7 degrees, a clear sky filled with stars, a beautiful night..

Nordic Skating, Tämnaren, Dec 17th-2017

Unusually late premier for the season due to work, travels and wonky weather.. Anyways, went up on a hunch to lake Tämnaren on Sunday and the old ice covered by snow had partially melted and re-frozen so it offered pretty decent conditions.. Being solo, I stayed close to the shore-line and avoided the more tricky parts of the lake..

Freediving, Santa Maria Caves, Comino, Sept 2nd

Relaxed freediving with a colleague and some new acquaintances at Santa Maria Caves, northern side of Comino, Malta. Plenty of fish, lots of scuba divers, very clear and warm water.

Sailing, Blidö, Aug 18th-20th

Me & Carin left Herräng Friday night and started making our way south through Väddö Channel. Saturday morning offered pretty rough weather with heavy rain showers & winds gusting to gale. At around noon, the skies cleared and we arrived at Blidö guest harbour and met up with Marcus & Josefine for 24 hours of relaxing, sauna, crayfish party and a BBQ lunch. Sunday noon we headed back north, this time with sunshine and a fresh breeze from the tail so we had sporty sailing with only the genua.

Sailing, Åland & Söderarm, July 29th-Aug 3rd

Time for the final longer trip I had planned for the holiday, again sailing single-handed. Saturday night I took the quick hop up to Brännäset where I lay over. Early Sunday morning, I turned East towards Eckerö, Åland. After a few hours I saw land again, and via Hellmanssundet I arrived at the beautiful harbor of Käringsund. I stayed there for two nights, doing some work on the boat, cycling with my Brompton and stocking up on fresh food. Tuesday morning I cast off heading south-west, straight against some bumpy waves, and spent a night at Villösan close to Arholma. On Wednesday I explored the gorgeous Söderarm archipelago with winds increasing in the afternoon.  Having spent the night in Österhamn, Lidö, I took a loop around Vätö on Thursday before heading north up through the Väddö channel and back to Herräng.

Sailing, Gotska Sandön, July 21st-23rd

For the return leg from Öland I was joined by Tommy who came by bus to Byxelkrok. We headed off in the early morning July 21st and motored our way straight into the wind all the way to Visby, Gotland. Some sight-seeing & shopping in this beautiful medieval city before calling it a fairly early night. On the 22nd, we cast off towards Gotska Sandön. The whole sea was completely becalmed, so again we motored our way all across to the island in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Plenty of algae but that's pretty common for the season and this type of weather. Gotska Sandön did not disappoint, a true gem with endless beaches and untouched forests. We did a lengthy hike and saw some 22 Grey Seals at the colony on the northern side of the island. On the 23rd, we continued onwards to Nynäshamn, gradually the wind picked up so we could sail the last 3/4 of the way. Great sailing adventure!

Sailing, Herräng to Öland, July 8th-15h

First part of this years summer cruise with my Adagio 27. We headed off from Herräng on July 8th and made our way south via Väddö Channel. Late in the afternoon, engine started to overheat, so had to make a stop at Kålö to try to fix it. Impeller had broken, but could not locate the missing wing in the hoses, so sailed to Ljusterö for assistance at the warf. All done Tuesday morning, and we continued south via Nåttaröfladen, Draget channel, Ringsön, Älö and accross Kalmarsund to Grankullavik.

Freediving, Comino, June 17th

Rented a small powerboat and headed with some friends from St Julians up to Comino, the little Island between Malta & Gozo, well known for the Blue Lagoon. Did some lazy snorkeling & freediving, pretty tired from the night before, and the sea was too choppy for a visit to the P-31. But nice as always to be out and enjoy the great weather.

Freediving, Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Malta, June 13th

Headed over to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay after work for a chilled evening session of snorkeling/freediving. The sea is plenty warm for a shorty wetsuit, visibility wasn't great, but nice to explore this area filled with large boulders creating plenty of tunnels and little canyons.

Freediving, Blue Grottos on Malta, June 11th

A short freediving session at Blue Grottos on Malta on Sunday afternoon. Water temp was nice, probably around 22 C, and the water was reasonably clear despite some waves. All the tourist boats running back and forward to the grottos makes this place feel rather sketchy though, I kept as close to the shore/rocks as possible..

Sailing, Roslagen, June 6th

Day-sailing with my new Adagio 27 from home harbour to Brännäset. Initially in the morning very light winds, on the way back in the late afternoon a fresh breeze with some gusts. As I'm still getting to know her, I settled with using the Genua only. Happy with the performance, up to 5 knots close-hauled without main sail is pretty good. After some calibration of the tiller pilot that also worked to satisfaction.

Hiking, British Columbia, May 28th-June 5th

A week in British Columbia, Canada with the lady - Mostly a road trip where we took some loops on Vancouver Island with Tofino as the turning point, around the Rockies via Harrison Hot Springs, Lilooet, Whistler and Squamish.. But we also got some short hikes done as well as a whale/sea-lion safari.. Hope to be back some day..

Sailing, Herräng-Öregrund, May 19th-21st

Friday night to Sunday afternoon cruising in Roslagen with my lady..  We anchored on Friday night in Brännäset, and on Saturday we sailed on towards Öregrund for diesel, water and a great lunch.. Saturday afternoon we anchored at Alnön, another nice spot.. Just need to calibrate the tiller pilot, figure out some things with the electronics, and then I'm all set for longer adventures..

Sailing, Roslagen, May 13th-14th

First solo-sailing with my Adagio 27, combining nice relaxation with some tweaks and getting to know the boat after the hectic transport sailing.. Spent the night at Brännäset and enjoyed the doghouse while motoring home in the rain without any wind.. Managed to manouver the boat properly into my harbour slip this time without hassle, starting to get used to the bigger size and full keel..

Transport Sailing, Ekoln->Herräng, May 5th-7th

My Bellona 23 is sold, and I bought the next boat, an Adagio 27 in excellent condition.. It's a motorsailer-sailboat hybrid with a doghouse for nice coverage also i the sometimes harsh climate in Sweden.. On Friday evening me & the lady took delivery at Skarholmen, Uppsala, and started the long transport sail back to Herräng via 5 lifting bridges and 1 lock, Hammarbyslussen.. Everything went quite well including a fairly rough passage over a bay in gale force winds, except some circus-maneuvers in my harbour-twice the weight and long-keel takes some new skills for tight manouvers..

Nordic Skating, Roslagen, Feb 12th

Morning session with Ricky, first proper run in the archipelago for the season.. We headed off from Hargshamn with a calm wind, sunshine and a blue sky.. Most of the ice was quite thick, enforced by the cold temperature the last 2 days..

Nordic Skating, Båven, Jan 28th

Another 50 kilometer run on the Båven lake in Södermanland.. Myself, Jon & Ricky headed off at around 08.15 and throughout the morning the light fog and frosty trees created a mystical atmosphere.. The ice was mostly great but in many of the straits we hade to make our way around ice rifts..

Nordic Skating, Vällen & Ekoln, Jan 21st

Not as great as last weekend on Båven, but still a very nice morning. Joined by my brother, we started off on Northern Vällen, where the ice was half-decent but still enjoyable. After that, we drove to Ryssvägen and took a lap north on Ekoln with a bit smoother ice. Total distance for the day was 38 kilometres.

Nordic Skating, Lake Båven, Jan 15th

Amazing day of Nordic Skating on Lake Båven.. Me and my brother headed off from Sparreholm just before sunrise and covered 50 kilometers with fantastic ice conditions.. About as good as it gets!