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A small 'Lots' (Pilot) hut. It used to be for pilots to navigate ships through the narrow passage. Today there is a café and restaurant directly in the straight.
On our way to Öxelsund, we stopped at Ringsön. The island was recommended to us by a talkative old Swedish man. This guy was 80 and still rocking his sailboat! His stories from 50 years of sailing were impressive, so we gladly followed his advice. The most direct route led us through super narrow straights and passages, challenging to navigate under sails. With the wind almost in our direction, we had to tack constantly. The long keel and old sails curbed our efforts to sail Alba close-hauled efficiently. Thus, we shifted a lot between motoring and sailing. After arriving in the bay, we realised how exhausting this passage was for us. However, we quickly found a little spot to moor Alba for the night.
The red and yellow markers are essential for navigation. They mark the sides of navigable waterways or punctual hazards. However, only the main routes are marked.
(Alba on the bottom left) The Island of Ringsö was recommended to us by a talkative old Swedish man. We gladly followed his advice and found a perfect spot to stay overnight.
Almost every Island in Sweden is solid rock shaped by ice during the last glacial period. Primarily small but thick forests are on top.
The austere look of the Archipelago: the vegetation is signed by the strong winds and climate of high latitudes.
Trees often grow very close to the water on the islands, which gives an excellent opportunity to secure the boat's bow.
The next day we left towards Oxelösund, a simple and unexciting marina next to the industrial harbourside. Yet, we decided to stay for two days and enjoyed the comfort of a shower, running water and shore power. When we entered the harbour of Oxelösund, we faced a large tanker. It was no surprise that the industrial port had regular traffic of cargo ships. The 100m long ship was about to dock in front of us. It forced us to leave the docking area quickly. Since it was going out of port, we had to pass the tanker on its side. Albas’ 27-foot hull was fighting through the swell at full throttle. The air was vibrating from the ramming engine of the cargo colossus next to us. Finally, we passed the wall of solid steel. This experience made us realise, once again, how small this little sailing yacht can sometimes feel.
The industrial harbour of Oxelösund with a cargo ship leaving the dock.
Navigating towards the Guestharbour behind the cargo ship.