Were we ever at sea?

Sitting at my laptop, deep in the Finnish countryside. We finally arrived the day before yesterday and already, after having got the boat moored in, emptied and cleaned and slightly celebrated the achievement, it all feels somehow like a distant dream. We sat down last night to look at some of the photos and it felt like the first part of the trip that only started a little over two weeks ago, was ages ago.

But arrive we did on Saturday the 13th and with some style! The storm which was due on Sunday and was the cause of our slightly rushed schedule arrived a day early. So, all of a sudden the wind changed from NE to SW and after a foggy morning and some careful monitoring of the radar, the sky cleared and the wind picked up. We took in one reef and continued. After a while it became evident that the wind was getting stronger - at this point we did not yet know that the storm was early. Statistics of Finland's biggest and very popular annual off shore race, the Suursaari race tell the tale of what we got through - out of 113 boats that started only 18 finished. The conditions were the toughest ever for this race and fortunately there weren't any serious injuries, just torn sails and seasickness etc.

The main came down to the 2nd reef and I took out the no 3 jib altogether. Soon that proved to be a good call. We were travelling downwind at somewhere between 7-10 knots and the waves were as big as you'd probably ever see in the Baltic, about 6-7 metres. The sun came out and that lifted the spirits for the final challenge. Slender Delta showed what she was made of and carried us through the weather really well, and I guess we all felt that we'd be able to deal with anything now.

Against the howling wind, we moored into the friendly and safe harbour of the Finnish Yachting Club, Suomalainen Pursiseura in Sirpalesaari Island, right off the Southern coastline of the Finnish capital, just a stone's cast or a two minute ferry run from 'terra firma' proper. The Viking Quest of the Slender Delta and our little adventure was over...for now.

Ha-harr,

Ahab