Monday, 13 June 2016

We are in Ystad, the rally formally started yesterday with a supper together ashore, which was good fun. We are 16 boats ranging from a 30' single handed sailing boat to a 60' motor yacht from the US. Most are just over 40' sailing boats and most have spent the winter in a cosy shed somewhere not far away.

On Saturday Wendy, Jasper and I took the fast ferry to Bornholm, a delightful Danish island slightly smaller than the Isle of Wight,some 38nm to the SE of here. Taking the bus we toured the northern part in the morning, had a very nice sunshine lunch in Svaneke on the east coast and bussed back to Ronne to explore on foot before returning on the ferry to Ystad. It was a great day out and we enjoyed fine weather and the good company of three others from the rally.

Bornholm is hosting, next weekend, the "Politics weekend", an annual event where politicians take a small marquee / tent on the island town of Allinge and the public is entitled to discuss any matter with them to ensure the politicians do not lose sight of their function and to maintain the health of their democracy. Denmark has the most contented population in the EU but, we are told, they cannot have a referendum on their EU membership because too few would vote to stay.

Today we visited a museum specialising in ancient music making instruments, their design, creation and purpose which was all assembled in some beautifully restored ecclesiastical cloisters. This was followed by a lunch in town and a little shopping to prepare for a few days away from provisioning stops.

The plan was to depart tomorrow (Tuesday) but the forecast is for too much wind from the wrong direction so we are staying put another day. Then we will night stop in Simrishamn but quite where after that is the subject of some discussion as there is a horrid looking weather system intending to hit this area on Friday and we need to be tucked up somewhere cosy for that.

"October" may well press on across to Karlskrona as we need to be there for Ann & Tom who are joining us on Sunday, we also need to collect a replacement wind vane which we have ordered to be delivered there. Weather is always an issue and will always present us with the challenge we hoped had gone away along with winter. However it is cold enough so perhaps I fail on both counts, hey ho - that's boating!