Oslo to Gothenburg

At the beginning of July Melanie and I flew out to Oslo to find the boat safe and sound tucked up as I had left her just south of Oslo. The weather was stinking hot, the first job was a swim in what could have passed for bath water at 24 degrees! This weather was set to look after us for the next two weeks.

Our first outing was to visit Oslo, a day trip an hour away on the train. This was our introduction to Oslo; whatever he is on I want some!!

After Oslo we headed south to pick up Tim and his girlfriend Lucy a few days sail south saying goodbye to Norway and entering Swedish waters. On the way we went ashore for a bike ride around the local country side; we stumbled upon the Norwegian answer to our stone circles, a stone ship - I was the Viking captain!







After picking up Lucy and Tim we headed out to the Koster Islands; a small archipelago and national park a few miles off the coast. In the 30 degree heat swimming and barbecues on the beach were the order of the day.












Lucy, who had never sailed before, took to it like a duck to water; it won't be long before my job is under threat!










Lucy took the helm for a belting sail south while Melanie tried to relax on the front deck. I had optimistically said we wouldn't be tipping much; full marks for determination!





The whole of this coast is littered with myriad little islands. The rock is polished smooth from the receding of the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago. On the whole there is very little vegetation giving the whole coast a feeling of sparseness.Taking the 'inside passage' made for some interesting sailing, a narrow channel between two inhabited islands can be seen behind Tim and Lucy.






There are dozens of pretty coastal towns, all sporting many little water front boathouses painted in the traditional rusty red colour of Norway and Sweden.








It is very easy to get lost in the maze of inter island passages but never fear, help is at hand!