Donsö 19th June

We left Glommen on the 16th with 12-15 knots of wind on the beam, so we made good speed northwards under sail. We arrived in Bua harbour at 1430, and found a berth with stem to the quay, and a buoy astern. We didn't think this was such an interesting harbour, but there was a good ICA supermarket within walking distance. Also there was a diesel pump on the quay.

The next day we set sail for a little natural harbour called Mönster some 9 nm away. Again a fast sail with a 15knot tail wind. The entrance from the west was a bit torturous between the offlying rocky islets, but we made it up to the tourist buoys at the inside end of the sound. Although the sea conditions were quite rough outside, there was complete calm in the sound. During the afternoon, we had torrential rain and a thunderstorm.



 

Opposite us on the little island of Hesteholm, was a nesting pair of Swans, but they didn't take any notice of us. We went ashore in the dinghy with Queenie a couple of times, but in the evening we got talking to a couple of boats that had tied up to a mooring platform. It turnred out that this was owned by a local sailing club, and they offered to help us in. So we motored back in the dinghy to fetch Restless. The procedure was to drop a stern anchor and motor right in to the platform with the stem. This made getting the dog ashore very much easier.

 The other boats left early next morning, leaving this wild place to ourselves. We walked to the top of the rocky point, where there was an old pilot look-out post. The view was fantastic in all directions!

 We stayed another night in Mönster sound, taking several walks on the rocks, and enjoying the quietness. There were some wooden cottages about - used as holiday places, but there was no road access. We saw one family load up their dinghy and sail away home.

The next morning, the 18th, We let go the ropes forard, and hauled up the stern anchor, which came up reluctantly! Our stern anchor is a Fortress aluminium anchor and seems to dig in quite well. We have it attached to an "Anchorline! reel  with webbing, but we have a few meters of chain at the business end.

The wind was blowing a good 15 knots again as we left the sound. The first leg was a cracking sail, with the wind abeam, but when we turned north, we had the wind and waves on the port quarter and that made for an uncomfortable rolly sail. We sailed around and in between various skerries until we eventually reached Donsö.

This tuned out to be a pleasant surprise. Donsö, which is a small island attached to the larger island of Styrsö by a bridge, is remarkably well organised. There are 15 shipping lines registered here including Stena Line! There are also several deep sea trawlers based here.An amazing number of ferries call in from offlying islands, and there is a larger ferry to Gothenberg.
There is a remarkably well stocked supermarket, and a bowling alley, plus a pizzeria. The toilet/ shower facilities are first class, and there is free internet wifi.

 There is a thriving community here, many of the residents commute to gothenberg on the ferry each day though. The size of the mission church suggests a strong congregation.
 There appear to be no private cars on the island - only electric mini electric cars and mopeds with front load platforms which zoom around all over the place. It is amazing what they can carry on these mopeds.

 



This harbour has a washing machine - not so common in these islands - so today was
declared washday.
This afternoon, I walked a 5km nature trail through woods and over rocks on the southern end of the island. The views to sea in all directions were aweinspiring.

  watching a ferry sail between the skerries

Today has been really sunny, but this morning it was blowing 25 knots, but it has heen a wonderful day.