After sitting around for days it looked possible to leave safely. Ropes were let go at 7.50 in the morning. And we were late. Half the marina had emptied by that time. We weren’t planning on going very far, a little north and across the strait to Sandvik on Öland Island. Another new place for us.

I had planned that Sandvik would be a calm spot behind a big pier. Well, with the southerly wind, the waves came in and our spot was a bit bumpy. Our neighbours aft line broke while they were out walking, but we managed to get one of our lines to the buoy, so that the bow didn’t hit the pier.

We had a beautiful walk in Sandvik, and even found ourselves at an inn, that has been around since the 18th century. Lovely quaint place where the grandkids were serving and selling ice cream and other treats that grandma had baked.

Plenty of new cool places and anchorages were found on the trip back north. Nothing can be better than finding a sheltered spot, which is peaceful. I also found something I did’t like. We all have our needs. Wetwipes are some of the greatest thing you can have when you’re outdoors. But the thing to remember, is that wet wipes do not molder or compost in any reasonable time. I know, I empty very well kept dunnies every year. The paper is gone in spring, the wet wipes remain for years. So, if you are trekking and hiking in the forests and nature reserves, PLEASE have a plastic bag with you and take the used wipes back to civilisation.

Finland has some restrictions on bringing dogs in the country. You have to have your rabies shots in order, and also a de-worming medicine has to be given in a specific time-frame before entering. Worst case scenario: some fines and quarantine for the dogs if the de-worming was not done. We had heard that people had been stopped by the coast guard and the dogs papers checked. For once, we wanted to be law abiding citizens, and since we’d been in Sweden for so long, we started checking vets along our route. The only place where we could get an appointment immediately was in Saltsjöbaden, so we had to backtrack a bit.

The medicine itself is over the counter stuff. But to get proper markings in the passports, you need a vet. I couldn’t book an appointment online, since I didn’t have a swedish social security number. Foreigner problems. But the service at Evidensia Saltsjöbaden was supreme. We got our appointment, the clinic was right along the bus route and we were in an out in a jiffy. So uncomplicated. We fulfilled our obligations and were off.

A few nights and new anchorages later we found ourselves in Mariehamn, Åland Islands.