Faux départ

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.3.1" custom_margin="||40px|" custom_padding="||40px|"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.3.1" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" custom_padding="|||" custom_margin="30px|||"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.0.47" parallax="off" parallax_method="on"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"]

If the first leg of our sailing adventure between Stockholm and Nynäshamn went really smooth, the same can't be said for our attempt to cross the Baltic from Nynäshamn all the way down to Bornholm.

In fact, I'm writing this from our berth in Nynäshamn, where we chose to turn back after two and a half hour at sea.

Here is what happened.

Weather.

We knew what we were getting ourselves into. Forecasts showed around 20 knots of wind. right at our nose. That means: not a comfortable sail. We had been resting the day before, we felt physically and mentally in shape to tackle our longest passage to date, and anxious to leave the dock.

We exited the marina, and engaged in a narrow channel between two islands. The first sign of something being off occurred as I was taking the fenders off Polar Seal sides.

The wind was being funneled into the channel and blowing in our face at a force that I had never experienced before.

I didn't feel comfortable at all, but thought it would get better once the islands were behind us and the open ocean ahead,

That, unfortunately, did not happen.

As soon as we entered the open sea, the waves picked up, right at our bow, sometimes over 2 meters high. With 2 reefs in our mainsail, no headsail, and a wind that had now gone up to 25-30 knots sustained, we were barely making 2,5 knots. Something was off, but we couldn't figure out what.

Now, the waves made it difficult to keep the boat in control. We were pounded, not moving forward that much and extremely uncomfortable.

That's when we asked ourselves: "what's the point"?

We have no schedule, we're in no hurry... why do this to ourselves? After a short discussion between the two of us, we decided to get shelter at a nearby anchorage and wait for the wind to change speed or direction.

Lesson of the day: as much as possible: let's avoid going out in 25 knots of headwind. Had we waited a little longer at the marina, things would probably have looked a lot different... or?

Bye bye GPS.

So we turned Polar Seal towards the anchorage. That's when, all of a sudden and for the first time since we bought our boat, the GPS decided to go bye bye on us. In a very annoying series of beeps and alarms here and there, our chart plotter kept on rebooting itself indefinitely.

We've always been prepared mentally to the possibility of losing the GPS, and immediately fetched our paper chart, as Ryan downloaded the Navionics app to get another.

Now, with the GPS needing some repairs, we decided that if we needed professional help to repair the GPS, we wouldn't find it at anchorage.

So we turned the boat around and headed back to Nynäshamn.

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted"  - Randy Paush.

Lessons learned

In my mind, we made the right decision turning back. I don't think we should have left the dock at all that day, but well. Apart from a little discomfort, nothing bad happened and we learned a few lessons.

• The importance of redundancy: Our sailing instructor had been very thorough in teaching us the importance of redundancy. If the chart plotter goes on strike, you'd better have some replacement (especially when you navigate the minefield that Stockholm's archipelago is...). We had paper charts and the Navionic app to help us go back to port. I'm grateful we knew this before we actually needed redundancy.

• The importance of contingency: Another thing our instructor taught us thoroughly. During our course,  we would make contingency plans before each sail. We carried on the habit of always having contingency plans before casting off. Today was the first time we actually use one of them.

• Know our own limits: When you don't know what you don't know, you learn by involuntarily explore your limits. This, is exactly what happened today. Next time the forecast shows a headwind of 25 knots, as much as possible, we will stay in port.

• It's more than OK to turn back:  This is the first time that I was afraid enough that I didn't want to continue this passage. Polar Seal was very hard to control in the waves, and was shaking in a way I had never seen her do before. We turned the boat around, and that felt like the best decision of the day.

Now, what's next?

Tomorrow, the winds look a lot better. Calmer, and in a direction that will make the passage a lot more comfortable.

We are going to try heading towards Bornholm. But we won't risk anything either. Hopefully, next time I publish an update, we will be in Bornholm!

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]