Sweden to Finland second attempt. Day 9 Monday 18th July. Sandvik Gjesthamn to Örskär

Sandvik Gästhamn to Örskär

We were up at 0630 aiming for a good breakfast and a 0900 start. After three wether bound days entropy increases and packing takes a bit longer than normal.

Fighting entropy one dry sack at the time
Sandvik was a good place to stay, but it is about time we got going

We still managed a 0852 :-). Just in time for the morning ferry rush hour at Kökar.

Ferry rush hour

After about two hours paddling we had a long and lazy early stop before we started crossing the Kökar fjord.

Soon it was first break of the day

That crossing and a bit of a challenging weather forecast last night was the reason for the slight stress in the morning. But now the weather and the forecast both looked like smooth paddling.

Crossing the Kökar fjord

And it was.

We another break for lunch just as we came across the fjord,

Lunch spot
Long lazy lunch.

Then we did the last short paddle of the day to Örskär where Erling thought there might be a sandy beach. And there it was, all three meters of it 🙂

Behind the beach was a small grove of black alder trees. Mikko explained that the trees were planted way back in time when farmers harvested the branches as fodder for the animals. Now it made a nice “foresty” campsite.

In the middle of the campsite Karianne found a big brown deposit suggesting that a moose had recently visited. Just as long as there are no wild boars! There have been at least one incident when five wild boars had swum across from Sweden to Åland. But they were immediately hunted to extinction. Just as well.

After some chilling time it was dinner time, then night cap time and then bed time.

Tomorrow we aim to cross the Kvigharu fjord before the wind picks up in the early afternoon. About two hours of paddling. According to the map this will be the last crossing worth mentioing. WP

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