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Voyage to Sweden


Sweden homeward bound

Sigrid Storräda and Orm 5/6 It was chilly but lovely weather, sunny and no wind.
After listening to the weather forecast it would remain that way for the whole day.
Although the Vänern is the biggest lake of Sweden, Yvonne dared to sail with Henri because of the good weather forecast.
They should sail to Läckö, that wonderful white castle.
In Mariestad Henri had noticed the announcement that there was a new rebuild Viking ship baptised in Lidköping.
Of course he wanted to see this.
So course was set to Lidköping.
After arrival they heard that the official baptising was in Lidköping, but that the ship stay’s in Blomberg.
A Viking is not fast disconcerted, so on the way to Blomberg.
And yes, there was the Sigrid Storräda, a full size replica of the Gokstad ship, a wonderful ship.
Of course the Orm was hearty welcomed and Henri got a tour on the ship.
After two hours exchanging information to each other it was time to leave for Läckö.
Soon the contour of the castle was sighted above the horizon.
The camping was unoccupied and Yvonne was allowed to sleep in the office of the camping master.
Läckö
on a rock 6/6 The un-lucky day.
By sailing trough a twisting, buoyed sea-lane one could cut off a part of the lake to Vänersborg.
There are buoys in the water and the sailing-direction is showed by big white painted stones.
But first the gas has to be filled up in Spiken.
After departing Spiken, back in the sea-lane, one of the white stones was covered by a grove.
By this Henri judged the sailing direction wrong by one degree.
But on this spot this was fatal.
The Orm hit a rock.
The bow was high up and in this case the ship is not stable.
Yvonne was in total panic.
Henri tried, standing in the cold water, to push the Orm away from the rock with one of the booms of the sail.
But the ship was standing high and dry on the rock and was not getting free.
Yvonne wants Henri to use the safety-raft to bring her ashore, but this was of course out of the question, that raft was for real emergency and this was not one.
Henri blow on the horn the well known S.O.S to catch the attention from someone in Spiken, but at seven o’clock in the morning there was nobody, this time of the season.
The past evening a big ship of the Swedish coastguard has taken birth at Läckö.
Was this a co-incidence ?
By VHF on channel 16 Henri could lay contact with them and within ten minutes one of their smaller boats was on the spot and could tug the Orm off the rock.
Yvonne was so upset that she wanted only one thing, as soon as possible out of the Orm and she was lovely taken on board of the ship of the coastguard.
Of course Henri checked first if there was water coming inside of the Orm.
But the strong thick keel has taken the hit and the thinner hull was undamaged.
So the trip could be continued.
Just for safety the coastguard escorted the Orm to open waters.
Yvonne has sailed back with them to Läckö and takes the bus to Vänersborg.
On this last part of the Vänern it was raining cats and dogs but the Orm safely reached the new built yacht harbour.
the coastguard
trollättan 7/6 This day the famous trollhättan Canal should be taken.
Also here Henri had a free passage and the director, Lennart Sandberg, was waiting for him.
In the same time a working-boat of the Sjöfartsverket was also going into the lock.
The Orm was moored along side and was brought trough all the locks.
Henri was lucky, he don’t need to do anything.
The trollhättan Canal is also a good example of controlling the water.
Are the locks of the Göta Canal only five meter high, that’s why they build the locks as stairs, here the locks are thirty meter high.
Because of a wooden beam has come between one of the locker-doors it takes a few hours to pass.
A diver had to come and take the beam out.
trollättan
Kungälv On the end of the afternoon the Orm arrived in Kungälv in the rain.
Yvonne was happy to know that the youth-hostel was very close by.
Henri saw that one of the ships in the harbour did not turn off the navigation lights and walked to it to warn them.
The ship was the Danish Stampe, more about this ship later.
8/6 The last part on the Göta älv to Göteborg.
On both sides of the sea-lane the navigation signs are very wide crossing in the sea-lane.
In Göteborg there would be a few days rest and from here Yvonne should leave for going to Holland again.
The Orm was moored at Lilla Bommen.
This was close by the Dutch Consul where Henri takes a box with supplies.
The Consul,Mr. den Haring, suggests that the Orm should move to the pilot-station, he already had asked permission to do so.
Gothenburg
the Orm at the pilot station There the Orm would be moored safely than in the crowded city.
It appears to be a very good choice, the place was locked, good sanitary, even a bed to sleep and most of all very kind people of the pilot-station.
The day was spend by shopping, dinner in restaurant VIKING.
Suddenly Henri noticed the light advertising on the opera, what was playing that day : "the flying Dutchman".
9/6 A day to rest and preparing the Orm for the crossing to Denmark.
Henri was asked to sail with the pilot boat to bring a pilot to an oil tanker.
the pilot boat
Äskekärr After returned from that trip, a Viking ship was sailing in.
It was a replica of the Äskekärr, the of the Viking Ship Society from Göteborg, that was baptised a year ago.
By blowing on his cow-horn Henri got the attention of the ship.
Some of the crewmembers were visiting the Orm in their dinghy.
So the last day in Sweden was a very nice one. Ove Långe,

[  last updated :  9-5-2021  ]


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