13th of July through Turku Archipelago

 From the beginning of the day, we knew it will be long. Beacuse to Reach Rauma in two days is quite a long trip for any yacht. Luckily we got fair winds and early start (we left Hanko before 8.00 in the Morning)

 Here we pass the "archipelago gate" Kasnäslandet

 Sailing through Turku Archipelago. Long nice open waters. Strange high islands.

 Reaching the sunset and arriving to Teersalo, north part of Archipelago. Just before Kustavi Island (gate to the Selkämeri).

 AquilaDeux Moored in Teersalo at 22.00 in the evening.

We were the last legal customers in the local bar Vanha Salakuljettaja to have a sip of Beer before sleep.

What a nice sailing day!

11th of July to Hanko. Important purchases + party party party. 12th of June new crew arrived.

We woke up (not even early in Barösund and continued the day towards Hanko somewhere around 10.00 in the morning. The earth was good for us and gave a perfect day to sail. So we sailed the whole day, sun was shining. Everyone was happy for the days experience. Just a half an hour before Hanko we had small rainshowers from a thunder cloud (only for 15 minutes). When we were in Hanko - no more rain.

We parked the yacht in the Itämeren Portti piers. 

 After registering the yacht, the Skipper left the female crew in the yacht to prepare their evening and left to the magazines to purchase a missing sea-chart for the Selkämeri region (north of Turku Archipelago). The local Entrepreneur organized the missing chart even though the shop was already closed. later on we found out that this map was extremely important to have to reach Rauma.

 After very important visit to Sauna The Crew decided to offer the Skipper a nice meal in the Itämeren Portti Restaurant. Excellent fish. Thank you ladies!

 Later on we visited local bars starting from the pavillion next to the port. The party continued until 5.00 in the morning. Anyway what happens in Hanko stays in Hanko...

Very tired crew left the next day back to Helsinki and the Skipper stayed in the yacht to wait for Stidi for the next three days. Stidi  arrived in the evening. There we tasted some wine and prepared the trip for the next day.

10th of Jully Adventure towards Rauma started

The lady crew arrived and we were ready to start at 17.00. First we filled the water and Diesel tanks for the trip. There was practically no wind and if was it was towards us. To keep trip going we decided to engine forwards.

 We reached Barösund (Kaupan laituri - The Pier of the local store) at 23.00. And stayed there overnight. GT tasted very good after the days trip. Tomorrows plan is to have a party in Hanko.

3rd of July Attempt to Tallinn

 The Crew arrived chilling early in the morning. The idea was to go to Tallinn to fill the ratios for the summer sailing. Matias and Aleksi arrived exactly and we set sails to the south. Unfortunately the wind was almost all the time against us and also the waves were quite a challenge.

We tried to start the engine somewhere at the Helsinki lighthouse and we noticed it does not start.... decision turn back to Helsinki. If service is needed - it is easier to get while in Helsinki.

Finally we got AQ2 in the Särkkä Service pier. The same time we arrived to Särkkä there were FDP boats and ambulatory groups + Helicopter in Särkkä. Terrible accident had happened in the boathouse and one member of Merenkävijät has lost his life. Sad but true.Matiasd and Aleksi went back to Helsinki and decided to go to Tallinn anyway the next day to enjoy the athmospere. They decided to use ferries. 

So no ratios filled. Luckily it was quite easy to fix the engine. The wind got higher reaching 14 m/s so the Captain stayed in the yacht overnight and moved it back to its place the next day.

Small and interesting trip to learn new things.

19th of June Midsummer night - The Guard watch. The 21st of June small leg in Front of Helsinki

19th - 20t of June was the Aq2's turn to guard the Särkkä. So no sleep. Every hour checking the places in the port. 20-21st of June good sleep in the yacht and finally 21st of June small leg in front

of Helsinki.

16-17th of May. From the wharf to new home docks in Särkkä

Start at 7.30 From Loviisa Båtsnickeri (thx Erkki to drop us there early Morning). Beautiful day. But the beauty has its price. Water is still below 10 degrees Centigrade, The wind blows from North - Northwest. This combination makes the feeling on the deck freezing. No need or even will to beat the wind and sail. We engined the within seven hours to Sipoo where visited a very nice summer house located in an Island.

After a cold day it was a time for Sauna (Blood circulation returned!). Then  having a nice evening, tasting beer & wine, Skagen sandwiches and some grilled salmon with homemade potato sallad. Excellent! Thanks for the Host Family! Not only for the food and stay but for everything!

 Overnight in AquilaDeux (The heating worked!). In the Morning we woke up by hearing some voices... We found out that the family cat did found a place from the top of the tree. Morning excercises started. Almost two hours we tried different strategies with/without ladders to persuade the cat down. No results... He decided to stay up there.

When we left the port - cat was still in the tree.... hopefully he finds his own  way to come down.

The weather was fantastic! Sunny day. Southern, South-Western wind 4-5 m/s. We got the sails up and enjoyned the weather for two hours. Finally the wind went down totally and we had to engine towards Särkkä in the middle of Helsinki. Aquiladeux new homedocks were easily found and there she is now waiting for the summers adventure...

And in the end of the day Erkki called and told that he was nearby. Thx Erkki of taking us home too!

11-12 September to Katajanokka and from there 13-14 to Loviisa

Thursday night Aquila was moved to the "city address" in Katajanokka Marina. Where we left to Loviisa for wintering. Saturday night in Kabböle. Late Sunday in Loviisa. Excellent weather!

Waiting for the next season...

15th - 16th of August Helsinki-Tallinn race 2014 17th August back to Helsinki

We all gathered in the afternoon at the home docks. Finally we started to steam towards the starting line. This year the start line was located again west of Rysäkari Island.

We prepared well with sandwiches and drinks before the start. The weather -actual and the forecast looked promising. During the transfer. The wind blew steadily from W-SW 7-9m/s.. The forecast was little lower, but possibility for the thunder storms existed.

Just before our start the wind went down! We had a good start and we even used spinnaker. After passing the second turning point (1,5 m from the started) the wind tilted totally! We stayed at one place more than two hours. We made a decision that if we do not reach the Helsinki lighthouse before the midnight we will go back to Helsinki.

Luckily the wind came somewhere and we started to move. Unfortunately we were staying two long time in the eye of the wind so our race was over from the start. We were not the only ones. Bad luck in the wind-lottery. Night was beautiful The horizon was in flames because of the thunderstorms on the top of Estonian continent. Luckily the thunder never came on us. 

In the Saturday morning we reached the finish line at 6.06.00. Final position 26/33. Not very good sesult but we beated another Swan 371 Trinity (match) by 15 minutes so we should be satisfied on this. Somehow makes me wonder that the LYS-coeffient is not really upgraded to the older boats. Next year we probably try ORC where there are real measurements and age corrections.

 In the afternoon we went to our hotel suite "Sergei Bubka" again. Enjoyed some drinks and Sauna. The most famous drink is of course "Lumivalge ja seitse naberguliaist" (Snowhite and seven dwarfs ;) ;)....

 Then we went to dinner, this time to the hailed Pegasus restaurant with S/Y Sunday bastards (they won us by fifteen  minutes, donnerwetter!). Excellent food, wine and company. Besides we reached one of our goals by getting the cute waitress to blush. Mission accomplished!

Sunday morning we started at 9.00 going first to the filling station to fill the Diesel tank. Anssi was sleeping in a hotel suite and came in the last minute to the Yacht. Just before we left. We engined in the low wind (me and Stidi decided not to wake up the crew. Autopilot drove us to the finnish waters where we had a new kind of incident.

Somewhere between the Helsinki Lighthouse and Gråskärsbådan the Finnish Border Guard came to check our papers. One unnamed crew member forgot his passport or ID home (only driver's licence he had). The Border guard removed him to their boat and he was fined by 300 €uros. Better to take IDs with next time.

Home docks were reached at 18.10. Nice day, nice trip  in all possible ways.

Thanx guys!

2015 ORC!

Yesterday preparing, today the Skipper's meeting tomorrow the Race!

Yesterday evening Anssi and Pekka came to the boat with high pressure washer. We washed the bottom and prepared the ropes. We are more or less ready for Friday.

Today there will be the Skipper's meeting in Lauttasaari where we will get the final instructions. 

Tomorrow is the race. Wind forecast 5-7 m/s  W-SW. Our start is 19.28.30. Three other yachts start the same minute including a match - another Swan 371.

 

To get better results tomorrow, we decided to use racenames for the whole crew (derived from second names).

 

So only fo the race let me introduce the race crew:

Junde - the skipper

Kale - the steerman

Ile -the pianoman

Juiri - 1st deck officer

Ykä - 2nd deck officer

 

 

 

6th of August another day Blowing in the wind... quick rehearsals

At 18.00 the whole race crew (Except Holiday Jaska) gathered at the boat.

Anssi brought with him three nice ladies to participate the rehearsal and to bring good luck.

The ladies were Virva, Margaret (from the USA!) and  Anna (Anssi's daughter). Also Antti our freshman was first time in the rehearsals. Naturally all the newcomers earned an AquilaDeux pin (very valuable and rare) for the partcipation.

                                              The wind blew from E - SE between 6-8 m/s.

 We took the yacht out from the Viipuri rock and set sails up. Then we sailed in the fair wind with genoa number 2. The route was (E to S) around Santahamina, Suomenlinna, Särkkä, Harakka and Uunisaari. We reached top speed of 8 knots on the fair wave surfs.

Finally we took the sightseeing route for the ladies to Helsinki: In from Merisatama, slowly through Kaivopuisto and then finally around the pool near the main market square (Kauppatori). A lot of people were enjoying this nice summer evening in the Kaivopuisto terraces.

                                         Back to home docks at 20.35 Total mileage 12 nm.

                                         Another nice sailing day in the fantastic summer of Finland,

                                         Thank you boys and girls.

2nd of August to Tallinn again...

 Early Morning we engined towards Tallinn. Unfortunately we had direct front wind until Tallinn madal where we set the sails up. Nice day to sail!

Finally we arrived again Piritta port.

 

We visited city and ate again in Pegasus. After good meal Make and Jaska Went shopping. I myself went to manicur nto get my nails done.

 

Evening continues.

 

Tomorrow I go back to Helsinki with "vomit bird" (nickname for estonian catamarans).

 

Jaska and Make continue with Mafalda.

 

Good winds for you! 

1 st of August - S/Y Mafalda arrives in home docks

In the afternoon Mafalda arrived in the home docks. Steerman Jaska (Mafalda's skipper) and Make were in the boat.

Surprisingly Jaska had a birthday (25th apparently...) and on the behalf of the AQ2 I presented him very high quality original LIDL sunglasses. Congrats Jaska!

We spent the evening in the Sauna and chatting about nice memories. And naturally By listening music. Next Morning Tallinn.

Summer continues in H-R Mafalda

Logically we continue with the next story today. Aq2 Steerman Jaska is picking the AQ2 skipper up today to sail his H-R "Mafalda" to Tallinn.

Plan is to go first overnight in Granlandet in Eestiluoto where Sailing club Merekävijät have another base. 

Tomorrow morning we continue to Tallinn. Forecst 3-7 m/s S-SW.