Stockholm archipelago - for the first time!

When we rekade little before our planned Stockholm paddling, we were invited to a BKK -turn. A soft start with hostels and sauna may well be a good start in late April when it is 2-3 degrees in the water. For a while it felt as if ice were to remain, but they were released 1-2 weeks before. We started our journey home skåne On Friday and slept in Gustavsberg half an hour's drive from the start.

Shortly after takeoff from Norråva, Stephen, Eric, Henry, Carin

Saturday, Norråva-Finnhamn 24.5 km.
Up pretty early, ate a good breakfast with Carin and then off. At 9:00, we would meet up with Stefan Jonsson and Henrik Rydinger out on Värmdö at Norråva / Horizon kayak for paddling against Finnhamn and hostel. The weather was indeed from his good side, no wind, a little frost left from the night and clear blue sky. Sunscreen 15 on and off. Me and Eric had a little more to pack than the other three, because we would continue on Sunday, so it took a little longer.

Stefan fix Lunch

After lunch at Lådnaön and coffee at Storsand got a little wind from the south and we were helped forward by the wavelets. Fun. The evening was devoted then to cooking, bathing, chocolate , whiskey and a whole lot of talk about sumo wrestling, toilets, stoves and canoeing course. At eleven o'clock, it was time for bed.

Dinner in the dining room on Finnhamn; Henry, Carin, Pia.

Sunday, Finnhamn-Storö 28km.
We lyxade to it and ordered breakfast at the hostel, not at all stupid. And at 10 o'clock we were in the kayaks with the sun and wind in your face, 7-8m / s south, paddling against Möja. The others thought it was a good starting point for our paddling, so after lunch on the Great Barskäret north of Södermöja parted our ways different.
Stefan, Carin and Henkan headed back toward Norråva and we set out into Möja Archipelago. Thanks for letting us hang on to you in BKK, you were not so very many but we had fun!

Beautiful cliffs with nesting boxes on Ostholmen

After watching the sauna at Ostholmen, which incidentally was locked, ornate we move among all the small islands. According to our maps, it might, possibly be able to get in the way in some places, but, having fought hard, only to turn back and find new ways.
We saw a Fiskjuse-couple, one Eagle, Black, Goldeneye, Goosander, a seal and lots of Eider ducks and swans. When we thought it was time to stop for the night we headed to one of skärgårsstiftelsens all the islands of information, sopmajor, toilets etc..

Front shed on Storö, living second night, luxurious!

Stugmys, Pia wheel recommendation the guestbook

On Storön, we looked a little for the perfect camping spot and stumbled on an "open shop". We could not resist, so the second night was spent oxå indoors, in the cutest little hut, where there was room 2 bunk beds with benches and a table, except for the fireplace. Really compact living

Monday, Storö-Korsökobbe 26km.
Also on this day was incredible. No wind and clear blue sky. One begins to suspect that somebody is trying to sell in the Stockholm archipelago to us!

Coffee break at small cutting south of Brando

Flower Photo by lunch at Eknö

Well, we started going out a bit from Storön to the outer islands of Möjaskärgården to drag us down Harö and on to Sandhamn. Since we heard a lot about Sandhamn so we thought it would be fun to see it in reality.
Now might not be the month of April reflects the reality that we heard about (and disheartening) because it was pretty quiet in the community. Much was about to be refurbished for the season and the kiosk, I thought about buying postcards in, did not open until at 16 ... But the village was really nice.

We did not see many boats, but here a ferry at Sandhamn

Camp on Korsökobben

After our little walk so we headed towards the kayaks Korsö for overnight camp, was the idea, but does get us. This island is a protected property (a place where the military still playing war), therefore we could not land here. Too bad, because the island could see how good any time for camping! But in the north of the island is a small islet named Korsökobbe that worked just fine as a campsite.
There is even one small sandy beach on the east side as we pulled the kayaks on. Then it was time for the first tent overnight, founded! Worked fine in my soft, goa, warm winter bag

Tuesday, Korsökobbe-Bullerö 33km.
Monday evening was quite windy and we had a desire to come out to Green Cut and check on the Baltic Queen, the lighthouse which stands there right out. But when we woke up on Tuesday, it was once a quiet morning with sunshine!
So happily, we sat in our kayaks and paddled out. Now, we saw lots of long-tailed birds, which flew very low and close, they saw the fun out, so when we came ashore at Green Cut, I had to look in the bird book, Long-tailed Duck, it was indeed! Apparently very common in these waters, which we oxå noticed the rest of the holiday. We also saw a few Razorbill and guillemots. And of course Eider ducks ...

Green Cut

After lunch, which was taken at Green Cut, we went inside again. It felt colder in the air and the fog came in from the east, which thickened the lot. After Sandhamn we could not see so much more, but now it was a compass and map reading that came into focus.
Skärgårdsstifltelsen has published a brochure on the islands that they own and we thought it was a good way to get around among the hundreds of islands, even the gang from the weekend had been tipped off about Bullerö archipelago so that's where we were going. It took some time and when we arrived, we were pretty cold and hungry.
Up with the tent as quickly as passed, and a few chips in the mouth in the meantime. And then cooked by far the tastiest dish (at least at the time), Bullens beer sausage with mashed potatoes and Skåne mustard! Geez what is good!

Wednesday, Bullerö-Söderö 14km.
When we woke up we decided to go a round on the island, towards the village.
Bruno Liljefors has owned this island and built a hunting lodge to which he invited friends. Now use the cottage for a nature center and also a small exhibition of works Liljefors. Unfortunately it was closed mid-week off-season, but the house was beautiful as is the village did. It was not easy to walk on the island, and the noise represents bulig you understand how it was.
When we got back to the tent we had this idea that we would borrow the sauna and called one of the supervisory officers on the island.
We packed everything into our kayaks and paddled away to the village, about 1km, and started, sawing and chopping wood for the sauna, and then bathe and wash us. Very pleasant! It was still thick fog and very cold in the morning, but while we were running the sauna as the sun came out and it got really warm and cozy.

Unfortunately, it disappeared just before we were ready to paddle away. Good thing the islands are very close, otherwise we would not have been somewhere, a little joxigt with bird guards but it fixed itself. No violations were made.
On Långviksskär we talked to a girl who were permanent residents of the island, her family was the only one. We went and found the camp on Söderö, Was great! And we climbed the high (15m) peak after dinner.

The sauna at Bullerön - Pia saw wood!

Pia in fog at Långviksskär

Thursday, Söderö-Myggekären 31.3 km.
When we lived in an open shed on Storö was there a guest book that many have written in, among them a boy who had lived in an open shed on the Mosquito Cut. Where we wanted oxå take us, partly because it is a little off, alone, and partly because we had the weather for us.

Morning View from the top of Söderön, a little foggy, but oh, how lovely!

No wind, a little hazy but sunny, so we left. Via Hamnskär, Kastön, Biskopsön, where we saw two cranes come flying in, and away against Boskapsön and Fjärdlång, where Erik took out the coordinates to the Mosquito Cut.
Oh my, what a place! Just those rocks you want in the summer, the two cute houses and not a man nearby. Indeed very nice place. On the island next to the nest a lab-pairs and in the east we heard sälsången. After a walk on the small island we slept well in the soft beds!

Pia in the sun and haze

Erik on the road to Mosquito inserts, completely still, mist with solitary type = Magic!

Mosquito inserts - which kooolt place!

Swan on the mosquito inserts, sorry that we came and disturbed

Friday, Mosquito inserts-Jällö 52km.
When we awoke, it rained, failed to attract a lot to go up. Yet we were in the kayaks already a little after eight!
I think it's almost a record for me and Erik. Every man for himself, we will up easier, but not together.
We had set ourselves on trying to get us home on Saturday already, to get away a bit so that maybe we could get off another round later this week. But it was a good bit back, so we did not focus so much on it. The rain that came was thin, fine, and no wind. So I had to paddle on.

Vass

Toward Fjärdlång, further Villinki, lunch at Gillinge which was brief, as the rain increased, then past Kuggmaren where we filled the water and turned the charts and maps in an information booth. Jungfruskär, Idon, Aspön, inside Runmarö, and landed on Jällö, a pretty bad place to camp, but we were pretty happy then. We were alert in the body all the time and we were on the road for almost 12 hours, but it worked great. Record dagskm for both me and Eric!

Erik

Saturday, Jällö-Norråva 20km.
We had a little pain in the body in the morning, but the sunny weather had returned, but with a little easterly wind. Which was not too bad considering that we were going west. So with a good tail wind and heat, we left this beautiful island that we have only seen bits of the return to Skåne. But we come back, we really got a taste for more. And it may well be a few more degrees above zero in the water!

Pia

A little odd that so few from BKK went for their turn! I mean they must have been longing to paddle after the ice had been so long. And a soft start with hostel ought to be perfect as a season?
Or so thought maybe the over 1000 members that it is cheating to stay at hostels? But it can oxå been so Skanians scared them away! Extra fun was that Henkan hung out with, he is also with skåning really, it was Henry and Erik, who built kayaks tprisj a few years ago.

During the tour we used Tyvekkartor and charts, they're sooo amazingly smooth! I had the terrain map on my kayak and Erik charts. Great to have both!

A height artur! Stockholm archipelago's giant!
We have just nosing at a small part. We teach the guaranteed return.
A membership in the Archipelago Foundation feels like a good thing. If you are not yet a member so be it, they do very well in a pretty hard åtsatt archipelago. We were members from before, but next time we buy their service mark oxå.

Track from the tour can be viewed in Google Earth using this file , or as a GPX .