Day 27, June 15. Perfect day!

From: Stora Berktullen

To: Häggskär

Distance: 46,5 km

Total distance: 1089,5 km

Wind: E-NE, 1-7 m/s

Weather: Cloudy in the morning, sunny from 11 am and onwards, 21 C

Today was one of those days you live for, absolutely beautiful archipelago, light winds and sunny. Had a wonderful happy feeling all day! I'm so grateful to my husband and kids for being ok with me doing this!

Snack break!

When I took off this morning the plan for today was a late lunch at the restaurant at Idö. For me a goal like this is perfect, I have something to really look forward to during the first hours of paddling and won't have to cook in the evening. The contrast from living more or less like a cave man (but in a tent 😄) and then having a great meal at a good restaurant every now and then makes you enjoy the meal and the coffee immensely and for me, a thing like that will keep me happy for the rest of the day.

 

 The view from the restaurant.

 

Leaving Idö I was singing away in the kayak, heading north and having the best of times. Soon I was approaching one of the bigger fairways and glanced in towards Västervik to make sure there were no boats coming. I saw one bigger ship very far away and thought "I'll be miles away before that boat makes over here" so I continued forwards. But just a minute or so later I looked over that way again and the ship was a lot closer so now I started having doubts, the wind was quite strong at that point and I was drifting towards the fairway so I had two choices; one, start paddling like crazy to get over in time or two, stop paddling and risk drifting out into the fairway just as the ship arrives. I chose number one, and with a pulse that started raising before I even started paddling I went. That ship was going extremely fast and got heaps closer every time I looked left but I made it across safe and sound and slowed down on the other side to have a look at it. It was the express ferry to Gotland, a catamaran, going for all it was worth. Just as I thought it was all good I saw the first surge hit the island slightly behind me to the left and had the next shock, it was huge and breaking in the shallow water (looked like a Hawaiian surf wave) and I was pretty sure that now it's time, I'm going to capsize for the first time! Pulse hit 180 again and I started paddling like a maniac to get out on deeper water. I was lucky I got away far enough from that island, the wave didn't break and I stayed upright. Usually those big ships don't leave a big surge behind but it must have been the speed this one was going at that made the difference. My knees were very wobbly for a long time after that incident...

Found the perfect campsite a bit more than 2 hours later with a place in the sun that was out of the wind and with a perfect backrest. And at this very spot is where I spent the last two hours writing this and talking to the family on facetime 😀.

Today's route: