Day 53 – Stockholm! Second leg done – 23 April

Day 53. 23 of April. Kunghatten to Vintertulltorget 30. 14.2 km, 6.3 km/hr average speed.

A short day with just one leg to paddle. Varying wind but OK conditions. With the help of Mr. Garmin and Mr. Google, we paddled straight to Hammarbyslussen (locks) which let us straight through. Now to find a place to land the kayaks. Not easy. Our hostess Gro had mentioned some stairs just outside their flat. We found them, but it was about two meters from the water surface to the first step. We went looking for a little less interesting option. After a bit of searching we tried to land at Sjöredningens brygge. We were welcome to land, but it was a closed area and not somewhere the boats could lie for two days.

Then Anders, “first mate” on Sjöredningen’s boat, offered us to take the kayaks onshore in his garden at the seaside just up past the locks again. Very welcome and very valuable to us. When we are in cities, safe storage of the kayaks is a key concern.

By now Erling’s youngest son Lars had come to greet us. He was just back from Oslo and brought a big suitcase of resupplies.

Lars helped us land the boats at Anders place, and the three of us went looking for Gro. She found us, and soon we were installed in the guest flat and having coffee at Gro and Enrique’s flat.

We had one serious mishap, though. Erling’s head gasket on his drysuit split beyond repair as he undressed. No drysuit no paddling. At least it was a practical place to have such a mishap. Nero at a diving shop will fix it by tomorrow afternoon.

However, this meant that Lars and Erling missed out on Gro’s tour the Stockholm”. So Stein is now the sole Stockholm expert of the Expedition.

Tonight we will have a Peruvian dinner. And tomorrow we’ll maintain boats, shop and get ready for the next stage. And have dinner with Erling’s friends Kees and Ann Charlotte.

Weather for the crossing to Åland looks dismal. Days of waiting on weather. We are looking at ferry options.

On the bright side: Stein has gotten his replacement camera from Camilla/Olympus. Top service!