We just had the nicest week sailing the coast south of Oslo with our nephew Philip and his children, Lillian and Philip. I met Philip and his family at Logan Airport, and we flew over together. They stayed in Oslo for the night, and I went ahead to meet Nico, who was waiting at a maritime museum dock in Horten, a 40-minute train ride south of the city. Philip's wife, Susan, remained in Oslo and was going to travel to Bergen while we sailed. There was a music festival going on in town, and boats were rafted up - everyone was swimming and partying. When Philip and the kids arrived the next morning, we toured the museum and especially enjoyed going in a small patrol sub. A veteran volunteer was staffing it, and it turned out he was a former commander of this type of sub, used to patrol Norwegian waters and keep an eye on the Russians. We had a very thorough tour and learned a lot about submarine operations and life for the 20 crew members on board. Then, in the small world department, our guide mentioned that he had a sailboat designed by a Maine architect named Roger Long. Roger is a friend of Nico's!
After that, we set sail for Hanko, an island about 15 miles south. We docked at the Royal Oslo Yacht Club dock. The island was the former summer home and hunting lodge of the late King of Norway. He was a big sailor, as is his son, and the club is a center for 6, 8, and 12-meter sailboats. His house was very simple, as are most houses here in Norway. We walked around part of the island, admiring the homes and gardens. We encountered a rock cliff in the center of the island with a bolted climbing route. Nico wished he had his gear, which was on the boat.
Next stop was the town of Stromstad, located in Sweden. A new country for Far and Away! We tied up right on the quay and enjoyed watching people passing by. Philip took us out to dinner, and we enjoyed a Swedish dish of hake, mashed potatoes, and tiny shrimps in a creamy garlicy wine sauce with dill. In the morning, we enjoyed delicious Swedish pastries filled with cardamom along with our coffee. On board, we have tried to introduce local favorites such as pressed cod roe caviar in a tube, WASA crackers, pickled herring, brown cheese on toast, and of course, chocolate. The kids hit the snack aisles in the market and found Salt Scum, an extremely salty licorice. They had a contest to see who could eat it with a straight face!
The next anchorage was on the island of Munson. We have tried to show Philip and the kids a variety of places on their short cruise. This one was a shallow bay on a rocky island approached by a tortuous route through the rocks. SO MANY ROCKS. They went ashore in the dinghy and had a swim and a hike. Although I have been calling Philip and Lillian "kids," they are not. Lillian will be a sophomore at Colby College, and Philip is in high school. They were very quick learners and soon were steering and competently helping out with all aspects of sailing the boat.
Last stop was the picturesque village of Skjaerhalden, where we hiked amongst the foundations of 13th-century fishing huts and the glorious gardens of summer homes.
Philip and family headed off by bus to reunite with Susan in Oslo, while we took advantage of the marina to do laundry and much-needed painting of the boat's brightwork. We sailed north a few miles to an anchorage that had the narrowest entrance. It is very nerve-wracking to travel around these unfamiliar waters. Most people in the anchorage tied right up to the rocks, but we didn't dare. We anchored, but we were still right next to some rocks. We put out two anchors just in case.
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