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We arrived at the Wasahamnen marina in the centre of Stockholm an hour ahead of schedule! There was just enough time to try out the showers before setting off for a restaurant.
 We spent the next day visiting the Wasa Museum to see the remarkable well preserved Swedish warship, The Wasa, which was built at the time of Henry the Eighth and sank on her maiden voyage right in the middle of Stockholm Harbour. There are no worms in the Swedish mud so the Wasa survived extremely well preserved, even some of the sails survived!! We lunched at the museum cafe then caught a ferry to the old city. After sightseeing we found an excellent restaurant, The "Michael Angelo" and enjoyed an excellent meal. At £50 per bottle no one wanted the wine.
The next day we set off through a narrow "Back Door" channel the Bagenstaket. It was narrow and shallow in places but well marked and beautiful. That evening we moored at Dalaro where we found a tiny marina.
The next day, at Sandaam for the first time, we used the usual system of mooring in Sweden: stern line on a buoy then slowly up to the quay to take a line over the bow. Sandaam is described as "The Cowes of Sweden". We found an ideal spot to moor just 20m from the pub! but when we found that the beer was £6 per pint suddenly it wasn't so good after all. After Sandaam on to our most Northerly point to anchor in a remote bay on the island of Kodoxa. It was super. We saw a herd of deer. We used the dinghy and outboard to go ashore. Swam round the yacht before breakfast the next morning. Then to Furusund. Great sail but the wind made it difficult to
a;decide where to berth and
b;to get into the berth.
All went well. The weather forecast was poor and Furusund was nice so we decided to stay. We found an ancient compass rose carved into a rock.
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It had 12 points each labelled with strange nordic symbols.
The next day our first objective was an island, Angso, described as a Nature Reserve. There were already a number of yachts in the mooring place which we had chosen. We watched one drop their kedge and go up to a rock for someone to go over the bow with a line and then did it ourselves. After lunch we set off for an anchorage near Vaxholm. Looking for a fortress island on the way. We found the fortress carved into the solid granite. But then the rain started. We decided to go to a marina in Vaxholm instead. Ferries have absolute right of way in these waters. We arrived at Vaxholm with 4 ferries!! The marina was right by the ferry dock. We didn't like it. Luckily there were no berths left so we carried on to the little island of Getfoten. There were two jetties to moor up to but no buoys for the stern lines so out came the kedge from the depths of the locker again. There was a restaurant/bar and the info from the internet said "Sauna"; we booked it for 8.00 and went back on board for a meal. After the meal we set off for the sauna. The sauna was at the far end of the island in hut on a rock that was joined to the island by a rocky causeway. We crossed the causeway and went into the hut, on the left were two wide steps as seats and to the right was a cylindrical heater with rocks in the top. Water from buckets onto the stones. Phew!! It was hot! Then out to the steps and in for a swim. Bhrr! it was cold! We repeated this process a number of times. The next day we returned to Wasahamnen in Stockholm, our final stopping place.
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