It was definitely the right choice to wait one extra day in Faxe Ladeplads, Denmark, because we were rewarded with perfect sailing weather the following day. We left early in the morning and enjoyed more than ten hours of fantastic sailing, half of it with our beautiful purple gennaker. Just as predicted, the wind gradually picked up throughout the afternoon, eventually forcing us to switch from the gennaker to the genoa. Even so, we continued making great progress and covered an impressive 60 nautical miles, averaging 6 knots (about 11 km/h), including all our manoeuvres.

The weather was mostly on our side, although there were moments when dark clouds filled the sky ahead while bright blue skies disappeared behind us. In the end, however, Sweden welcomed us with sunshine and a lovely evening walk along the beach. Although there were already a few boats in the harbour, it was still “not season yet” - a phrase we would hear over and over again during our time in Sweden. As a result, all the restaurants were still closed, so we celebrated our arrival with a home-cooked meal on board.

The following day quickly reminded us why it wasn't “season yet”. Cold temperatures and lots of rain meant we wore every layer of warm clothing we had, including our thickest gloves, just to stay somewhat comfortable during the passage. We decided not to sail too far because, quite honestly, it simply wasn't much fun in those conditions. Instead, we spent a cosy afternoon in Simrishamn with tea, coffee and chocolate cake. The cats also appreciated arriving early, giving them plenty of time for a long walk around the harbour where they could watch the birds and geese.

Our stop in Simrishamn gave us the perfect starting point for the next leg. With the wind in exactly the right direction, we were able to sail straight away from the mainland and across Hanöbukten, the bay in southeastern Sweden.

Our destination was the tiny island of Utklippan. Once again, the conditions were perfect for flying our gennaker, and we took full advantage of it. The wind was actually at the upper limit of what we felt comfortable using the gennaker in, but because it remained so steady, we decided to push it a little. After a few exciting hours, the wind increased even further, so we gave in and changed over to the genoa.

As amazing as the sailing was, the biggest excitement of the day came from something completely different. We discovered that we could actually sail our boat with the entire cockpit tent up! We honestly had never tried it before because we assumed it simply wouldn't work. But with the cold and windy weather, we decided to give it a chance. After a bit of experimenting, we figured out how to use the winches, and after cleaning the plastic windows, we could even see well enough to sail safely. It made a huge difference not only in comfort but also in keeping our mood high.

In the middle of our passage, we welcomed a tiny visitor on board. A little swallow, probably exhausted after flying through the cold weather, decided our boat looked like the perfect place to rest. First, it landed on Ron's shoulder, then moved to our chartplotter, where it thought it would be a good place to poop, and finally it even perched on the captain's head before continuing its journey. Don't worry, we made sure the cats never noticed our guest, so it could rest peacefully before flying on. Who knows, maybe it even continued to Utklippan just like us.

Once home to a lighthouse station and military presence, Utklippan is now a peaceful nature reserve known for its rugged beauty, rich birdlife, and curious grey seals. As Sweden's southernmost island, this tiny outpost in the middle of the Baltic Sea truly feels like another world. We felt incredibly lucky to end such a beautiful, exhausting day by watching the sunset from this very special place. Moments like these remind us why we chose this adventure, and it still feels surreal that our little floating home allows us to experience them.

The next morning, we took advantage of the rowing boats that visitors are free to use to cross to the neighbouring island. There we explored the lighthouse, the bird observatory, and, of course, the famous Sailors' Bar—which, unsurprisingly, was still closed because it was “not season yet” - that phrase would quickly become the running joke of our trip through Sweden.

After stretching our legs, we rowed back to the boat and sailed towards the mainland again. In Sandhamn, we went grocery shopping and, after three attempts, finally managed to contact the harbourmaster so we could fill up with diesel at the fuel dock. Finding her wasn't easy, though. After all, it still wasn't “season yet”, so she wasn't sitting in the harbour office all day.

Before we knew it, it was already the last sailing day as a crew of three. The morning greeted us with thick fog, making it impossible to see farther than the bow of the boat. We were incredibly grateful for modern technology. Using both AIS and radar, we could still "see" the traffic around us.

AIS (Automatic Identification System) allows boats and ships to automatically share their position, speed, course, and other important information with nearby vessels. It helps us identify surrounding traffic, avoid collisions, and navigate much more safely, especially in busy shipping areas or, like today, in dense fog.

However, not every vessel carries AIS. That's where radar becomes invaluable. Unlike AIS, radar detects almost everything around us, including boats without AIS, coastlines, rocks, and even large rain clouds. On our navigation screen, these appear as simple echoes, allowing us to safely navigate even when our own eyes can't.

Thankfully, the fog slowly lifted after a few hours, and visibility improved more and more. We even had one close encounter with another sailboat that crossed just ahead of us while visibility was still only a few hundred metres. Fortunately, the weather continued improving until we were rewarded with blue skies and sunshine filling the cockpit.

When we finally arrived in Kalmar, it was finally time to enjoy a dinner we didn't have to cook. We treated ourselves to delicious burgers at a restaurant to mark everything we had experienced and learned on our journey to Sweden. Together with our friend Ron, we had sailed more than 333 nautical miles (617 km) in just ten days. We shared unforgettable adventures, learned countless new lessons, and created memories that will stay with us for a long time. Saying goodbye was sad, but we all hope our next adventure together is only a matter of time.

Come back for the next blog, where we'll take you through the incredible Swedish archipelago on our journey north. It truly is one of the most beautiful landscapes we've ever seen.

Day 31: Faxe Ladeplads DK - Ystad SE