January

Monday 3 January 09.00LT Göteborg Sweden
Hope you all have as good start of the new year as we have. The winter weather still dominates and it looks like we will have a cold and white period during our whole visit in Sweden. Between Jan 12 – 25 we will visit Stockholm.

Sunday 16 January 23.00LT Stockholm Sweden
Stockholm in rain, sun, snow and then slush again. We are very happy we didn’t leave the boat in Fiji or Australia…

Monday 31 January 09.00LT Göteborg Sweden
One more month in Sweden before heading back home… to NZ.

March

Wednesday 2 March 14.00LT By train to Kastrup airport
After 3,5 month in Sweden and a lots of meetings with friends and relatives we are finally on our way back home. We are looking forward to the next trip from New Zealand to Alaska, via Tahiti and Hawaii. If everything works as planned…

Monday 7 March 13.00LT Whangarei NZ
We arrived last Friday after a trip of 40h door to door. You are not that alert after such a travel and today is the first day all pieces seams to fit together again. It was a rainy weekend but the summer weather is back today. Funny to see the normal foot clothing here, either bathing shoes or hiking boots with thick socks, or bare feet. Our boat had managed our absence really good.

Saturday 12 March 19.00LT Whangarei NZ
Luckily – No problem in New Zealand after the earthquake in Japan. Warnings were sent out during last night until this morning.
We continue our preparations before departure in high temperature summer weather.

Tuesday 22 March 23.00LT Whangarei NZ
This week started in rain and some wind.
Our preparations are advancing and tomorrow we are hauling out for cleaning and to change propeller.
We hope to be ready for departure during next week.

Sunday 27 March 22.00LT Whangarei NZ
Last weeks hauling out was both a success and a letdown.
The change of propeller went fine but with the boat on the hard it was not possible to shut even one eye to the bad antifouling. We have to repaint. So next week we hope to squeeze in another hauling out, order paint, sand the bottom and paint four layers.
How fun is that…

April

Sunday 3 April 22.00LT Whangarei NZ
We made it.
Haul out on Wednesday morning. New antifouling applied already on Friday after some light sanding. For the first time we bought the sanding and the spray painting, fast and easy, with a very good result.
We are now back in the water to bunker food before taking off as soon as possible.

Wendnesday 6 April 20.00LT 3536.94 17432.14 Tutukaka NZ
What a day,
We left Whangarei at 10 and anchored in Tutukaka at 15.30.
Full speed all day, the antifouling and the new prop is fantastic. Good wind all day and as soon as we came out at sea we saw a small (1,5m) hammerhead shark chasing an eal or a snake… Shortly after that a penguin and some other birds.
Just very happy.

Sunday 10 April 23.45LT 3518.92 17407.25 Opua NZ
In Opua packing everything together.
The forecast shows a possible weather window late this week.
We have since left Whangarei started to update our position and as soon as we leave NZ it will be updated every day.
We will also try to write these quick notes twice a week.
A pleasant journey to all our readers.

Friday 15 April 21.15LT 3518.92 17407.25 Opua NZ
Leaving New Zealand for Tahiti tomorrow, Saturday.
The outlook is not the best and the route is long so we will have to go around the lows and highs to avoid the toughest wind areas.
We estimate around three weeks at sea.

Monday 18 April 06.45LT 3421.22 17811.36 at sea
Yes, we left Saturday in rain and a very confused sea, but with a nice breeze for the first 12 hours. Sunday full sunshine and at sunset a Mahi mahi on the hook. The moon gives us almost daylight all night through.

Wednesday 20 April 14.45NZLT 3420.08 17531.76 at sea
Four days and 550Nm in variating wind and swell conditions.
Wind from the west up to 55knots and 4m swell and now south 10knots and a moderate swell. Everything is working fine.

Sunday 24 April 19.30LT 2646.12S 16458.33W at sea
Four days and 550Nm in variating wind and swell conditions.
Wind from the west up to 55knots and 4m swell and now south 10knots and a moderate swell. Everything is working fine.
Another four days on a starboard tack in gail conditions all the time… The good thing is tath we are now half ways as the wind made us go directly towards Tahiti. We see much easier wind for next week so tomorrow we will start fishing again.
Note tath we are now in a new time zone.

Sunday 28 April 19.00LT 2328.7S 15614.8W at sea
Only 520 Nmiles left and only light winds in sight.
We got three days excellent sailing after the windy days.
Fruit and veggies are finished, sea temp 29 degrees.

May

Monday 2 May 16.00LT 1735.4S 14936.9W Tahiti
We made it – 17 days and 2320Nm.
The shortest route is 2200Nm so it looks like we managed to stay on rumbline very well.
The trip can be split in three parts, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…
Well here we are and we will sleep very good tonight.

Sunday 8 May 18.00LT 1731.40S 14932.18W Tahiti
After some days rest at the neighbour island Moorea in rain and grizzeled weather we are back in Tahiti. Time to stock up both food and fuel for the next leg north through the calm part of the Pacific.

Thursday 12 May 08.00LT 1731.40S 14932.18W Tahiti
After 10 days at Tahiti and Moorea we are now ready to sail on towards Hawaii. We expect mostly East-North-East winds but hope for a couple of days in the beginning with East-South-East.
If possible we will make stop over at one of the nearby atolls.
The length of route to Hawaii is as from NZ to Tahiti, but we counter at least three weeks for this trip.

Sunday 16.00LT 1306.10S 14735.70W next stop Hawaii
We entered tha pass into the Tikehau atoll just before sunset on Friday. After a good nights sleep and some fixing with our windvane we set off again after lunch in a ESE wind that lasted untill late.
Then wind from E – ENE untill this morning and now motoring…
Just as we were up in speed we got a 4-5kg Waho on the hook so now we have fresh food for several days.

Sunday 22 May 06.00LT 0026.60N 4527.10W next stop Hawaii
Day 10
Another week since last info on a lonely sea and tonight we crossed the equator almost exactly five years since last time in the Atlantic. The weather and wind conditions have been good, only one day with winds over 20knots which makes the sea ruff. Up to 14 knots of wind and no jumpy seas builds up, and that is what we have had mostly.
The westerly current have until yesterday been a half to one knot against and from the equator and up to 4N it runs to the east. After that it is westerly again which will give us an extra knot or so.
Three days ago we caught a Blue Marlin, about 4 feet long. What a nice fish, we have food for a week now. Some birds and fly-fish are the only guests and the sunrise and sunsets look exactly the same. The moon have been up but is now smaller and visiting us shorter every night.
Within a couple of days we will have the boat cleaned from salt in the squally area between 4-5N.
Hopfully not more than ten days left…

Thursday 26 May 14.00LT 0026.60N 4527.10W next stop Hawaii
Day 14
One more week to go, if the wind stays as it is.
A little boring as the wind is stronger making the boat to jump and bump. Not much to do than to listen to audio books, eat, sleep and keep up the speed.
We have heard one ship on the VHF radio and seen it on the AIS, but nothing else.

May

Monday 2 May 16.00LT 1735.4S 14936.9W Tahiti
We made it – 17 days and 2320Nm.
The shortest route is 2200Nm so it looks like we managed to stay on rumbline very well.
The trip can be split in three parts, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…
Well here we are and we will sleep very good tonight.

Sunday 8 May 18.00LT 1731.40S 14932.18W Tahiti
After some days rest at the neighbour island Moorea in rain and grizzeled weather we are back in Tahiti. Time to stock up both food and fuel for the next leg north through the calm part of the Pacific.

Thursday 12 May 08.00LT 1731.40S 14932.18W Tahiti
After 10 days at Tahiti and Moorea we are now ready to sail on towards Hawaii. We expect mostly East-North-East winds but hope for a couple of days in the beginning with East-South-East.
If possible we will make stop over at one of the nearby atolls.
The length of route to Hawaii is as from NZ to Tahiti, but we counter at least three weeks for this trip.

Sunday 15 May 16.00LT 1306.10S 14735.70W next stop Hawaii
We entered tha pass into the Tikehau atoll just before sunset on Friday. After a good nights sleep and some fixing with our windvane we set off again after lunch in a ESE wind that lasted untill late.
Then wind from E – ENE untill this morning and now motoring…
Just as we were up in speed we got a 4-5kg Waho on the hook so now we have fresh food for several days.

Sunday 22 May 06.00LT 0026.60N 4527.10W next stop Hawaii
Day 10
Another week since last info on a lonely sea and tonight we crossed the equator almost exactly five years since last time in the Atlantic. The weather and wind conditions have been good, only one day with winds over 20knots which makes the sea ruff. Up to 14 knots of wind and no jumpy seas builds up, and that is what we have had mostly.
The westerly current have until yesterday been a half to one knot against and from the equator and up to 4N it runs to the east. After that it is westerly again which will give us an extra knot or so.
Three days ago we caught a Blue Marlin, about 4 feet long. What a nice fish, we have food for a week now. Some birds and fly-fish are the only guests and the sunrise and sunsets look exactly the same. The moon have been up but is now smaller and visiting us shorter every night.
Within a couple of days we will have the boat cleaned from salt in the squally area between 4-5N.
Hopfully not more than ten days left…

Thursday 26 May 14.00LT 0026.60N 4527.10W next stop Hawaii
Day 14
One more week to go, if the wind stays as it is.
A little boring as the wind is stronger making the boat to jump and bump. Not much to do than to listen to audio books, eat, sleep and keep up the speed.
We have heard one ship on the VHF radio and seen it on the AIS, but nothing else.

June

Wednesday 1 June 21.00LT 2119.73N 15807.16W Ko Olina Marina
Day 20 – Hawaii Here we are on the Oahu Island.
The trip have been faster than expected but also a little more unconfortable the expected due to strong winds and ruff seas.
Our normal update on the web has not been working because of a failure at our web hotel. It is now back in order and you can go back to May 12 to read all the missing Short Info.
We are now going to have some rest and look around before setting off for the third and last long leg to Alaska.

Wednesday 8 June 22.20LT2119.73N 15807.16W Ko Olina Marina
One week on the Oahu Island where the capital of the Hawaii Islands – Honolulu is situated. It’s warm and mostly sunny but also
quite humid. We are looking around and pedalbices for some excercise while prepering for the next sailing. Leaving earliest by the end of next week.
We are now in the mobile phone world.

Sunday 19 June 22.20LT2119.73N 15807.16W Ko Olina Marina
Ready for the last leg up to Adak/Dutch Harbor in Alaska, but we will do a short stop at the Kauai Island for a couple of days to clean the bottom after 20 days in a marina.

Thursday 23 June 08.40LT 2212.60N 15930.04W Hanalei Bay
We are now leaving a rainy Kauai Island for the last stretch north over a quite windless ocean. Possible landfall from west to east, Attu, Adak, Dutch Harbor or Kodiak depending on the wind situation for the last quarter of the distance.
There are still some lows rolling in from the west every week.
We count on 14 to 17 days and quite a lot of motoring.
Hope we will catch some fish.

Sunday 26 June 07.00LT 2903.05N 16255.86W Sailing North
Day 3
We are mostly doing over 6 knots plus 1 knot from the west going current. Some squalls with rain and increasing wind and so far a nice wind direction, but we have to move westward tomorrow for some days with NE winds.
Fishing, Yes- but our first catch took all line and the lure…
The second night we hade something falling down from the sky not far from us. That something was shining bright green as it fell down, it was probably some part from an old satellite. There were no other ships around.
The summer solstice has now passed and we have passed the north tropical circle so now for the first time since June 2006 we have the sun in the south again.

Wednesday 29 June 18.145LT 3518.20N 17002.30W Alaska W
Day 6
Last night we had gale winds caused by a little Low that squeezed in in the big dominant High that covers almost the whole North Pacific. Now we are back in the H again and in a day or two the engine will have to give us some speed. The centre of the H is fare more west then usual so we may even end up further west than we were hoping for. It looks like Adak or an island to the west will be our landfall at around the 7 of July.
We caught a Mahi-mahi two days ago so we have fresh fish for some days ahead. The water is still 25C but the sky is grey, and a lots of tears fall down on us every now and then.
The ocean is as usually quite empty but we have already seen some albatrosses and one cargo ship, plus some garbage. In fact more than we ever have seen on any ocean passage.
For now we enjoy the longer evenings and the light in the mornings, and we certainly need it as the moon has gone to bed.

July

Sunday 3 July 05LT 4150.00N 17413.00W Adak or Kiska, Alaska
Day 10
Less motoring than expected. It looks like we have to possible landfall options, Adak on Thursday or Kiska on Friday. The wind direction will help us to choose.
It is getting cooler so now we need an extra blanket in bed and to run the heater now and then. The ever present fog doesn’t make it better…
We are in a lively ship route an see ships every day on there way between Panama and Asia/China and have good use of both AIS and radar. You have to have a look at a globe to understand why they go so far north.

Thursday 7 July 19LT 5149.67N 17634.77.00W Adak, Alaska
Day 14 and arrival day.
The last four days we have been under engine a lot and we haven’t seen the sun many minutes. We arrived just in time to go through a strait on slack water. But we didn’t see any land until 30 minutes before the entrance in the fog and rain. This will not be the first day of fog as it is very common during the summer months.
Air and water temperature are now 10C (50F) so our heating systems are working almost all the time.
We had several ships crossing our route the last days and two says ago we saw the first Puffin. Tomorrow we will fill up with fuel and then start exploring the coves and islands eastbound.

Saturday 16 July 19LT 5159.12N 17553.49W Igitkin Bight, Alaska
Little more than a week ago we made landfall at Adak in the middle of the Aleutian Islands. After a nice tour by bikes on Adak we have been anchored in a salmon bay. They just started to return to there breading ground where they now will jump up the stream to were the once came from. So far there has only been a few and we can’t wait for the big schools to come, but we saw some jumping as if they were practising. We have started our cruising eastbound and we will try not to move unless there is a western component in the wind. The weather systems change often so we will not have to wait long. We are lucky – we have already had fog, rain and sun…

Sunday 24 July 10LT 5206.79N 17437.03W Atka Is, Alaska
We have now had some days with strong wind.
Friday afternoon and night to Saturday we had 30knots (15m/s) and gusting 45-55+ knots (24-30m/s) for about 12 hours. We are anchored in a very sheltered bay (from the swell, wind protection is not easy to find…) with excellent holding and have had two anchors out.
We have also have had time for some long nice walks and seen caribou, blue fox and a lots of eagles, and of course s lots of other birds as well. These barren islands are beautiful.
Today we plan to move a little to the east to see another bay before leaving Atka Is for the next group of islands to the east.

Sunday 31 July 15LT 5707.47N 17016.71W Pribilof Is, Alaska
A detour to the north.
The Pribilof group of islands lies on the edge of the shallow shelf that continues all the way up to the Bering strait, 500 Nm straight north. The group has two inhabited islands, St Paul (500) and St George (less than 100). We were lucky to have half a day in sunshine on St Paul last Thursday, taking a lots of pictures at the fur seal rookery and of course a lots of birds. Since then all we have seen is within some hundred feet/meters…. fog fog fog.
Plan to leave tomorrow for Dutch Harbor for supplies and laundry.

August

Friday 5 Aug 12LT 5352.57N 16633.03W Dutch Harbor
A quick stop in the busy Dutch Harbor, the center of the fishindustry. Supplies, laundry and a lot uf updates on the web.
Take a look under Updates.
Leavin today in the sunshine going east.

Sunday 21 Aug 14LT 5806.97N 15436.42W Geographic H, Alaska
Nine days of sunshine. And we have seen a lot of spectacular views.
We can now add sea lion, bear and orcas on the list of what we have seen in our proximity. In Old Harbor we went on a bear tour but saw only some evidence that they had been there…
In Kodiak Harbor we where welcomed by the sea lions and that was also the beginning of the rainy period. We are now on the mainland in a bay where tourists are flown in to have a look at the bears. And for those with unnecessary amount of money – it is worth it. The bears are used to humans, boats and small aircraft so one can take photos of bears in less then 5 meters/yards.
We did that too…

Sunday 28 Aug 20LT 6007.14N 14925.88W Seward, Alaska
After an eventful week we are now on the mainland in Seward, a tourist and fishing harbor surrounded by high mountains and a lot of glaciers. Very beautiful.
Last Thursday we got our second Alaska storm and you can read about our adventuers in the log, published in a couple of days.
Our passanger, Berit, is now flying back home and we go by bur or train to Anchorage for a couple of days.

September

Saturday 3 Sep 16LT 6007.14N 14925.88W Seward, Alaska
— New updates – new log, new map and a new album
Today, Saturday, we are leaving Seward after a trip to Anchorage where we also said bye bye to our crew since three weeks.
We are now heading east and hope the weather forecast not will be fulfilled… It looks very wet and windy until Wednesday.

Sunday 11 Sept 17LT 5651.79N 13649.32W Glacier Bay, Alaska
Last week went very wet, rain from Monday to Wednesday but the wind didn’t effect our bay that much. Thursday morning we started the trip over Gulf of Alaska after given up on going to Cordova first. Today, Sunday morning after an eventless sailing , motoring 80%… we arrived at Elfin Cove in sunshine so after a quick look around we continued into the Glacier Bay to see some of the fantastic views.

Saturday 17 Sept 20LT 5823.00N 13438.92W Auke bay, Juneau
Glaciers, drifting ice and many beautiful snow covered peaks. What more can you ask for when the sun shines from a clear sky and the glaciers rumbles like thunder.
Since Tuesday weather conditions are back to normal, some rain now and then… Tomorrow (Sunday) we are leaving the most north-easterly position on the trip this year. We have about 800 miles left to our wintering quarter (not decided yet…) on Vancouver Island in Canada.

Sunday 25 Sept 20LT 5544.37N 13215.47W Meyers Chuck
Almost on the Canadian border. We didn’t manage to sail all the way to Ketchikan to check out today, and now we are waiting for the tomorrows gale in Meyers Chuck. Since last info we have had two storms but had good shelter both times. The latest, last Friday in Petersburg resultet in a landslide, due to heavy rain and power failure due to trees fallen over the electrical wires. And they claim the are used to this climate!
New New – Updated , Album, logbook and map.

Oktober

Sunday 2 Oct 22LT 5419.52N 13018.31W Prince Rupert Canada
Left Alaska on Saturday sailing 55Nm to the nearest port to check in to Canada. One problem since we left Ketchikan is the amount of floating timber, and then we are talking about hundreds big, long, almost not floating and sometimes whole trees. This is not an area where you go sailing during darknes!
Today we left the boat for some days meeting friends in Terrace, about 150km from Prince Rupert.

Sunday 9 Oct 11LT 5419.52N 13018.31W Prince Rupert Canada
The trip inland to Terrace (150km) was a success. We were very well taken care of by Niki and Campbell, and sunshine with some nice temperatures, nice views and some trees in fall colours didn’t make it worse. On Thursday we vent back to the boat and here we are, due to a stormvarning in the area. We have met many nice people and tonight we are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner.
Finally we have decided to leave the boat in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, as we fly to Sweden via Florida in late November.

Sunday 16 Oct 11LT 5229.00N 12816.00W Inside Passage, Canada
Slowly we are motoring south in the Inside Passage. The tide makes it hard to use all daylight hours as the current sometimes reach 4 knots. The strong winds has blown away since several days and now we are hoping for some north-westerly winds later this week so we can go sailing again. Last Thursday and Friday we tied up at a floating dock all alone in Bishop Bay. Sunshine, whales and a hot spring…
We took a lot of pictures and between photographing we put ourselves in to soak four times.

Sunday 23 Oct 09LT 5033.67N 12613.25W Burial Cove, Canada
As expected is is a lot of motoring in Canada, but we didn’t think it was like this – not sailed a meter yet.
Last three days we have spent together with another Swedish boat, Liva, whom we last met in Faero Islands in 2001.
The weather is shifting but not much wind and we have had the first frost one morning and the highest peaks are lightly covered in new fallen snow.

Saturday 29 Oct 13LT 4940.22N 12455.81W Comox, Canada
Typical autumn weather with a lot of nicely colured maple leafs. Though they are not red as on the Canadian flag, but yellow.
Last night we had a nice meeting and dinner together with a couple that sailed with four children to NZ in the 70th.

November

Sunday 6 Nov 15LT 4851.26N 12329.90W Ganges, Canada BC
—– New Logbook and Album – Maps coming in a day or two —-Suddenly we are tied up in our winter harbour.
After a quick look at the intended marina in Nanaimo we continued as planned south to meet sailing friends in Ganges on Salt Spring Island. Once we had tied up here we got a offer that we couldn’t resist. One reason was the price -one third of Nanaimo.
So we have now started the cleaning and fixing before we leave the boat in late November.
Tonight we will have dinner in the boat together with our friends and two days ago all four of us took a long hike in the beautiful surroundings. The autumn colours will only last some more days as the frost keeps nibbling the leaves.

Monday 14 Nov 08LT 4851.26N 12329.90W Ganges, Canada BC
One week at the same dock and we are slowly adapting to a life with shore power and Internet all the time. Walkways and groceries nearby makes a big difference. Last week we went to the beautiful Victoria by car over one day. The sun was shining from a blue sky and it was warm.

Sunday 20 Nov 17LT 4851.26N 12329.90W Ganges, Canada BC
The events this week – A music evening and a long hike up Mount Erskine. The mild winter seams to be on vacation – we have frost every night and it is not melting during daytime.
Since yesterday we are happy to have Swedish company. Jan and Gunilla in their boat Liva are tied up along side us. Last night we had dinner in Lindisfarne and tonight in Liva. Wonder what they are going to serve?

Sunday 27 Nov 17LT 4851.26N 12329.90W Ganges, Canada BC
Last week have been warmer but new lows comes every second or third day. We are leaving the Lindisfarne on Tuesday by seaplane so we hope the winds stay calm that day.
The last updates for this year are now published so we are going to take some time off writing logbooks until March.

December

Saturday 10 Dec 12LT 5604.20N 01240.09E Helsingborg, Sweden
We arrived in Sweden just before the storm last Thursday after a eventless trip. All that happened was a delayed baggage.
Thanks to Scott and Mary in their boat Egret we had a very nice week in Florida and saw both Everglades and Key West.
We will now stay in Helsingborg until new year.

Wednesday 21Dec14LT 5604.20N01240.09E Helsingborg,Sweden
Yesterday we learnt that since we arrived in the south of Sweden the average wind speed have been 10m/s (20knots). As we see across the strait to Denmark every day we can confirm that.
It has been a long time since we experienced that much wind for so long. Probably not since we sailed in Patagonia 2007.

We are getting closer to Christmas and we wish you all a –
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Annika & Björn