D20 – Crossing of Skälderviken – 21 March

Today we paddled 26,9 km with average speed of 5,6 km/hr.

That took us from Torekov across Skälderviken to Kullaberg naturreservat and onwards to Lerhamn. Where we were met with hospitality from locals. First and foremost Torben – chairman in the local sauna society, which is how we ended up finding lodging in a sauna at the quay! Perfect, as it will be a wet and windy night. But good conditions tomorrow when we hope to continue all the way to Denmark. We can see Denmark from here but low(!) and in the distance.

Back to today’s paddle. Torekov is a place with 900 inhabitants in the winter and 10.000 in the midst of summer. The missing 9.100 are currently in Stockholm. It’s a fashionable place. We talked with some builders working on a house that had cost 10 million to acquire and 20 million to rebuild. Our new found carpenter friend Tommy offered us access to facilities in his container barracks. Always welcome.

We postponed our start until 1200, because we were facing 5 m/s headwinds which should fall to 4 m/s at 1300. That’s a much bigger difference than it sounds.

Crossing Skälderviken took us 3 hrs and was an 18 km paddle. We were about one third across before we could see land on the other side. We had seen it the night before and we paddled on compass, but always good to see land all the same.

After our only break for the day we continued around Kullen to Lerhamn and the above mentioned warm and warming welcome.

Stein’s boat behaved well today. Yesterday’s problems were likely caused by waves breaking over the boat from behind and pulling down Stein’s spraydeck, allowing water in.

One more person to praise today: Camilla at Olympus who personally delivered a new battery to Stein’s camera to Stein’s sister Nina who we will meet in Copenhagen 🙂