Hävringe Island

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The 22-metre wood beacon from 1752 on the left, the main pilot house on the right. In the distance the contemporary lighthouse is visible.

Hävringe is a unique area in the outer archipelago of Oxelösund. It is located 10 miles away from the coast and was a perfect stop for the night. After we moored in the small guest harbor, two men strolled along the pier. Simultaneously, they checked out the boat and us strangers. We were both below deck writing the day’s log. When I came up on deck in my underpants and greeted them, the conversation started: A little old boat out here in these strong winds? Interesting! You have a Danish boat with Swedish flag, but you live in Austria? They both laughed. We and the ship were as bizarre for them as the island was to us

The 22-metre wood beacon from 1752 on the left, the main pilot house on the right. In the distance the contemporary lighthouse is visible.

Four of the islanders helped us to moor Alba with several lines for the night.

No one owns land on the island. The 20 cottages are passed on to the descendants of pilots and boatsman.

View on the open sea. Everything on the island is delivered by smaller ships. Including fresh water.

The man told us that the inhabitants are all descendants of pilots and lighthouse keepers. He has been coming here all his life for the summer holidays. His family owns one of the 20 small houses on the island. The 22-metre wood beacon from 1752, painted in red with characteristic white stripes is often mistaken as the lighthouse, he continued, but it was just a visual landmark back in the days. The contemporary lighthouse was built in 1979 and is located on the other side of the island.

The main lighthouse was built in the 80s and works with electricity. In the old lighthouse, the petrolium fire had to be set every night by the operator.

Entrance to the electrified Lighthouse.

There are several lighthouses on the island that help ships to navigate through the archipelago. They have to be serviced every other year but otherwise operate automatically.

The island and the new lighthouse were electrified in the beginning of the 80s. An undersea cable delivers electricity from the shore.

The old Lighthouse keepers shelter and the newer Lighthouse in the distance.

On of the small houses on the east north-west side of the island.

Several houses with the Lighthouse Station, Beacon and a Military Radar Tower in the background.

The island is a Natura 2000-area, were Wildlife and nature are preserved and protected. It is an attractive nesting site for several threatened bird species.

The 22-metre wood beacon from 1752, painted in red with characteristic white stripes is often mistaken as the lighthouse. It was just a visual landmark back in the days.

We took as stroll around the island, while the wind was increasing. When we came back to the boat other residents offered us a place in the narrow marina outside the guest berths. But the wind has been picking up significantly since we arrived and maneuvering in the small harbor seemed too risky now. It did not take long until four of the islanders began to discuss in Swedish what to do with the boat for the night. After some minutes they started to secure the boat with lines in every imaginable direction. We were amazed how skillfully the men knotted the lines. We love this; they said and grinned at us. They must be truly bored on this tiny island. Generously, we let them do their thing since we did not have much to say in the matter anyway. They proudly finished their work and Alba rocked much more relaxed along the harbor pier.

The tiny village of hävringe.

The harbor offered good protection from big swells and gusty winds, which reached 30 knots at night.

Sunset over huts directly on the coastline.