AUTUMN SAILING WITH LUFFA
Not long ago, I moved my boat to a new harbor, which means I can now keep it in the water for an extra month each year. Autumn has always been one of my favorite seasons for sailing, so Marcus, David, and I decided to take advantage of the quieter waters and spend a weekend out in the archipelago. It was pure bliss—just the three of us and a few majestic sea eagles, with no one else around.
DAY 1
David and Marcus arrived on Thursday evening, and when we woke up on Friday morning, there was a light drizzle. We decided not to rush, enjoying a relaxed breakfast before setting off from Ingarö. One of the main goals for this sailing trip was to fine-tune the trim on the genoa I’d ordered when I bought the boat. The wind was strong and steady as we set out, and the forecast predicted it would shift north and east after lunch. However, that wasn’t quite how things turned out.
The rain stopped soon after we set off, and we sailed east toward Biskopsön before continuing north. Once again, we were fooled by the weather goods, which had predicted heavy rain and strong winds for Friday evening. Based on that, we’d planned to sail up to Sandhamn and take shelter at Sandhamns Värdshus. However, the weather turned out to be much milder than expected, but it didn’t matter. We enjoyed a few drinks at Dykarbaren before heading out for dinner.
DAY 2
The second day started with lighter northwesterly winds and overcast skies. We left Sandhamn and headed south toward the island of Borgen. Before long, the sun broke through, and the wind picked up to a steady 7-8 m/s. We sailed part of the Gullviverallyt route, passing Kalken, and took the opportunity to explore some alternative paths for next year’s race.
After a delicious lunch of goulash, we set sail toward the seal protection area of Själberget, just off Biskopsön. At this time of year, it's allowed to enter the area, but unfortunately, we didn’t spot any seals this time, but all the more birds.
After rounding Själberget, we noticed the weather was looking worse to the south, and since we had planned to relax on the rocks and grill, we decided to head back north. We’d already had our fill of rain on this trip, so it seemed like the best decision to avoid any more bad weather.
We stumbled upon a perfect little island just north of Söderö, with an unobstructed view of the horizon. The sun warmed us up beautifully as we relaxed with a few cold beers.
We took a short stroll around the island before Marcus and David fired up the grill to cook some delicious entrecôte by the rocks. Meanwhile, I prepared a risotto in the cabin. With the days getting shorter, it’s important to start the grill early, and by the time the food was ready, the sun had already set. So, we moved inside the cabin and enjoyed our dinner as the evening settled in.
DAY 3
On the final day, the sun returned, and we enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit. Since we were so close to Ingarö, we decided to take a slight detour on our way home. We sailed south, passed through Norsten, then turned inland toward Fjärdlång before heading north again toward Ingarö. The winds were still favorable, with good pressure, so we hoisted the jib and sailed on.
We spotted a remarkable number of sea eagles during our time out on the water. By the time we hit fifteen, we lost count! It’s amazing to see how well the eagle population has recovered. The genoa performed flawlessly, pushing us along at a steady 7-8 knots. Although we didn’t get the full challenge upwind, it felt like it could be an SRS killer. It was a perfect end to the trip with the boys, but with a few weekends still left before the boat is hauled out, there’s always a chance for one more sailing adventure.
