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22/08/2015

Widago - English Channel @ Night

With the ARC Baltic Rally literally in our wake, WIDAGO now makes haste towards the UK. And just time - I was in a near panic earlier today at teatime only to find we were in fact out of English Tea. Luckily we are scheduled to arrive in Brighton prior to our next afternoon delight - hopefully we will be treated to a proper English teatime...crumpets, scones, clotted cream (hmmmm), and obviously a larger pair of stretch pants for yours truly. Before I get into any more details of this particular journey, I wanted to give a huge thank you to Joel & Cecelia with World Cruising Club for leading our family through a fantastic adventure in the Baltic Sea. Always smiling, constantly corralling, these folks wrangled 19 vessels and their crews with grace, style, and patience. We miss our. read more...


Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close
18/08/2015

Shenanigan - ARC Baltic draws to a close

After a night on the island of Oland, we had a perfect sail for the last 15 miles to our final ARC Baltic destination of Kalmar, arriving earlier than the rest of the fleet in time for Mack and Col’s arrival.  As we entered Kalmar marina we heard Mack and Col calling from the dock; they too at their destination (with panniers full of bubbly for a certain person’s birthday) having motor-biked over 1,100 miles to meet us.  Tales of both journeys shared over drinks and barbeque that evening.Alexandra and Amelia flew in on Friday making us eight on the boat.  We spent Saturday watching the Ironman competition taking part in Kalmar.  These guys really have to be admired.  Over 2,000 competitors, both pro and amateur, starting their day at 6.55am with a 3.8km swim off. read more...


15/08/2015

Lyonesse - Helsinki - Mariehamn - Stockholm

Samstag, 15. August 2015Viel Abwechslung in der letzten Woche – daher mal wieder nur Stichpunkte:Bisher entspannteste Woche der ARC Baltic dank kürzerer Tagesetappen - viel Spaß an Bord mit den neuen Crewmitgliedern Kerstin, Lutz, Kendall und Felix – malerische Ankerbuchten – romantische Sonnenuntergänge – schnelles Segeln – Dockparties (Highlight: jedes Boot sollte einen Cocktail erfinden, der die Erfahrungen der ARC Baltic reflektiert ...) – Drinks / Essen mit den Crews von Oojah, Northern Light, Widago, Persuasion etc. – Nebel (grrrr, nicht so schön) – quirliges Saltsjöbaden (schon wieder ne Hochzeit) – Altstadtbummel und leckere Sushi in Stockholm – Kerstin und Lutz müssen leider schon wieder nach Hause – beeindruckendes Wasa-Museum - Abschiedsessen mit Axel von der Moboe – letzte. read more...


Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Final Leg
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobaden
13/08/2015

Shenanigan - Final Leg

We can’t believe that we are on the last leg of our ARC Baltic Rally. Looking back over our photos we are amazed at all the places we have been to and all the wonderful sights we have seen and visited along the way since leaving Rostock nearly six weeks ago. The whole trip perfectly managed by Joel from World Cruising Club ably assisted by Cecilie. Always in their yellow shirts with smiles on their faces, always with time for everyone, always waiting on the dock to take lines whatever the weather. From skippers’ briefings to coach trips and dock parties – they both are a credit and super example of what we have come to know as the service of World Cruising Club ARCs.We had intended getting a few more miles under our belt after leaving Saltsjabarden but after a radio call from Pene. read more...


Northern Light - Northern light being overtaken by Migration
Northern Light - Northern light being overtaken by Migration
12/08/2015

Shenanigan - Mariehamn to Saltsjobadens

We left Mariehamn in glorious sunshine. Boats ahead of us on the radio were talking of poor visibility and exchanging very clear references on radar readings. Sure enough around lunchtime we found ourselves in the same dense sea fog and understood the radar conversations of earlier. Not a good day for sightseeing or photos. Visibility was down to about 40 metres and in fact a passenger ferry we spotted on AIS was completely invisible through the fog. Other yachts did however eerily appear out of the mist – some, given the conditions, a little irresponsibly under full sail. The fog cleared in the afternoon and we shared an anchorage for the night with Blonde Moment, Oojah and Shamwari; spending a very hospitable and enjoyable evening with everyone on board the rather lovely yacht. read more...


Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn
09/08/2015

Shenanigan - Helsinki to Mariehamn

Jane and Phill joined us on board for supper on our last night in Helsinki (Sat 1st Aug) bringing ‘squeaky teeth’ bread cheese and cloud berry jam for pudding – a traditional Finnish dish with an unusual texture which made our teeth squeak as we bit into it. This was an odd sensation but rather moreish.The fleet left Helsinki after a parade of sail around the harbour and we all headed off back into the Finnish archipelago en route to Mariehamn.  We stopped briefly to refuel and Brian brought us all yummy warm doughnuts with cardamom seeds in for breakfast.After some super sailing, we motored into an anchorage for the night at a place called Barosund.  I had forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for supper but managed to defrost some sausages in the warm engine. read more...


09/08/2015

Northern Light - Northern Light - St Petersburg to Helsinki!

28th July - Having set off from St Petersburg , via Kronstadt Island for customs clearance, and having said goodbye to the immensely helpful Vladimir ('Vlad the Enabler’), we headed West for the first time towards Finland. We arrived at Haapasari, the nearest Finnish Island at just after midnight,after an interesting night passage through some narrow and shallow channels, with the aim of clearing customs there. Guyan and Ali from Widago came aboard for a nightcap of Benedictine liqueur, and it was only after the final drop has been consumed that we remembered the ‘zero tolerance’ exercised by the Fins to alcohol, and that they quite often breatherlized yachties. Indeed we soon discovered that two skippers had been done that evening, with only the Honk Kong flag showing a minor. read more...


Northern Light - SS Sally!
Northern Light - SS Sally!
Northern Light - Hellsinki
Northern Light - Hellsinki
Northern Light - George goes ahead to buy the beers!
Northern Light - George goes ahead to buy the beers!
Northern Light - Kronstadt - Can we go please?
Northern Light - Kronstadt - Can we go please?
Northern Light - Northern Light by moonlight!
Northern Light - Northern Light by moonlight!
Northern Light - Julia takes charge!
Northern Light - Julia takes charge!
Northern Light - The Russian Navy welcomes the Baltic Arc Fleet
Northern Light - The Russian Navy welcomes the Baltic Arc Fleet
Widago - Sunset at KSSS
Widago - Sunset at KSSS
Widago - Sunrise en route to Stockholm
Widago - Sunrise en route to Stockholm
Lyonesse - Night in Russian Waters
Lyonesse - Night in Russian Waters
Lyonesse - Parade of Sail in Helsinki
Lyonesse - Parade of Sail in Helsinki
Widago - Running in Mariehamm
Widago - Running in Mariehamm
06/08/2015

Lyonesse - St. Petersburg to Helsinki

Donnerstag, 6. August 2015 St. Petersburg war beeindruckend…und sehr anstrengend…tolle Architektur, Paläste und Kathedralen und eine sehr lebhafte Großstadt, aber auch x Nächte mit megalauter Party-Mucke in der Marina, anstrengende Taxi-Logistik aus und in die Stadt und eher mittelschöne Facilities im Hafen. Quintessenz: toll, das einmal mit dem Boot gemacht zu haben, wir wollen auf jeden Fall nochmal hin, dann aber eher mit Flieger und Hotel ;-) Dementsprechend war es auch gut, am Montag wieder aufzubrechen in Richtung Finnland. Zuerst hieß es Volltanken zum absolut unschlagbaren russischen Dieselpreis und nochmal Spass mit dem Russischen Zoll, der auch beim Auschecken nochmal in viele Schränke und Verschläge an Bord schauen wollte…immerhin nicht mehr in alle und ohne Drogenhund wie. read more...



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