10% - over and out

PU: 30 May - Day 11
        Gillholmen - Koviks hamn     5 km

Eleven exciting days are over. Everything has been working very well for me as a lone paddler, both physically and mentally. 
I was able to navigate Red Nose only by using compass and sea charts. Support from my homebase has been excellent.

However, during the last couple of nights I have been suffering from a terrible cough. Last night I even started to feel pain in my lungs. After a lot of thinking I have today decided to end this adventure at this time. Better safe than sorry! The HBB challenge is always open for future attempts.

Very early this morning I called Per-Eric, my son in law, and he kindly agreed to pick me up. I back tracked 5 km from Gillholmen to the nearest marina easily accessible from the mainland.
Again it was a very difficult decision to throw in a rather wet towel - but in order to stay healthy for a future adventure is important to listen to your body and your wife. I am pleased to have paddeled 216 km, almost 10% of the full HBB distance.

In closing this blog I would like to thank all known and unknown followers for your interest in my adventure. Keep your eyes open for any future activity of common interest on this site

Thanks and sayonara!

Staffan

PS.
Red Nose left HBB in style, in a horse taxi!

Head wind every day so far

PU: May 29 - Day 10
        Skaboholmen - Gillholmen     38 km

Today's weather was better than previous days but the head wind means that you have to fight for each meter. My water supply was running critically low but I found a water tap at a closed marina at Kyrkesund. My tent is rather wet after heavy rain last night. Forecast for May 30: cloudy but not too windy! I have seen tracks of fox on tonight's island - I better keep my food with me inside the tent.

My pace

PU: May 28 - Day 9
        Skaboholmen - Skaboholmen     0 km

For an adventure like this it is good not to have a time limit. Red Nose and I are making this trip at "My pace", which is also our slogan. My special sunprotector- and visibility hat, here demonstrated by Mr. Stoneface (a native of Skaboholmen), was created by Akane in her Wasby studio. Thank you again! Visibility is important at high sea in a low boat!

The weather forecast this morning was not very good. Strong wind from South-West (head wind!) and rain showers. I actually measured 14 ms at noon. As we move on we will pass two large fjords and we prefer more peaceful crossings. That's why we are spending one extra night on this island.

Red Nose front deck looks like mine desk top

PU: May 27 - Day 8
        Lavo - Skaboholmen     21 km

Very foggy this morning but the sun came out at 1 o'clock and so did Red Nose. It was very tough crossing two wide open waters, with strong head wind coming from south west, 8-9 ms.

It was very nice to get a glimpse of  Mollosund from the sea side - this village instantly became a place for me and Akane to visit in the future . The inner harbour even features a special landing dock for visiting kayaks - but I was too tired to try using it - no chance for a Showtime for all the tourists!

I have just finished a unique island dinner consisting of 1. Dried ground beef a la Wasby, 2. Instant Chantarelle soup, 3. Baby 8 month old porridge instant formula. All mixed together and eaten with good appetite. (I had forgotten mashed potato powder at home.. ).I

Flowers to my wife this foggy morning

Progress update "PU": 

Yesterday (May 26, day 7) I left Malmon very early but still big waves but I made it safely to Lysekil and continued south to Lavo and last nights campsite. Many pleasure boats tried their best to create challenging surprise waves for Red Nose and his commander. Yesterday's paddel total: 28 km and grand total: 152 km.

This foggy morning I take the opportunity to send a flower to my wife Akane who has been very supportive of my paddle adventure. The flower I have chosen is called "Trift" (Armeria maritima). This flower is common on the Swedish west coast but can be found as a rare speci on  the east coast and is then called "Backtrift".

Commutin by kayak

Yesterday, while waiting for better paddle weather, I met a young fishermen/paddler living on Malmon. He told me that he commutes by kayak to Kungshamn every day from April to October (6 km one-way ). I then asked him what he was doing during the rest of the year? 
His answer: I windsurf in Indonesia.
His catch: mackerel and  crayfish.

Wild pansy (Viola tricolor) is very common on the islands of the Swedish west coast.

Here is a test model of a natural gear dryer for kayak paddlers.

Stranded

After waiting six hours for the wind and waves to decrease with no positive result I decided to spend the night at my emergency harbour. But no place for my tent! Instead I choose to use an abandoned fisherman's hut as my palace for the night.
The name of the place is Dragsholmen and today's paddle total came to 12 km.

Zumba on the waves

This morning started nicely. After one hour I passed Smogen on my right side and Kungshamn on my left side. Suddenly the  wind increased dramatically, with wind gusts of 13 ms and meter high waves. To keep my balance was like dancing Zumba with Red Nose. At the time of reporting this I am waiting for better weather at a small emergency harbour at the southern tip of Malmon.
.

Twenty-four or more visitors

Last night at Porsholmen a herd of sheeps came to visit me at tent bed time.
I tried to count them and when I reached 24 I fell a sleep.

I woke up to beautiful morning as you can see from my tent porch. After 8 hours of paddling and meditating today I reached a barren rock at Tryggoe for my tent. Today's total: 35 km

At Hamburgsund I passed a ship that did not make it all the way to Haparanda.

Sotekanalen was long and boring. A very strong head wind did not cheer me up. Next time I will take the open sea option.

Red Nose kitchen & power plant

After five hours at sea I arrived at Porsholmen, a small island close to the city of Fjallbacka. After putting up the tent it was dinner time while my blog machine got a power boost

Drinking water from unknown well

After 2 nights at Vitbukt (17 km from Svinesund) due to very strong winds, too strong for a Sunday paddler, I have today covered 34 km in partly strong head wind. Tonight I am staying at beautiful island called Havsten

Today my drinking water supply was running critically low. Across the bay from Streamcity there is a small party island - closed today.  I went a shore with my water bottles and found only one tap functioning - at the gentlemen's number one comfort station. I tasted the water and it was not salty, and I checked the colour and it was OK. I have just finnished a bowl of shrimp soup - and it was excellent..

All ships are small at a distance.

I am here

See me on Google Maps! https://maps.app.goo.gl/UPgL27cHxgLSTlk23

Good luck Ellen and Gerd

The lone paddlers first lonesome camp site.

On my way to Haparanda

 May 20:   After arriving safely at the old Svinesund bridge it was time to head out to sea. Ellen and Gerd started with me but after 4 hours we split up due to differences in paddling speed. First day we had strong head wind from the south.

Red Nose as of today

Today grey nose became Red Nose! The height of my ship is only 30 centimeters and in order to be as visible as possible at sea I have chosen intensive red for my ships long nose.

Going bananas 4 days before start

Making banana chips for my 70+ (or -) day sea voyage. Homemade is always the best.

Planning for the next adventure

At the age of thirteen I made my first trip outside Sweden. A family friend took me on a ten day combined canoe and bicycle tour in the Netherlands. It was a great experience and it made a great impression on me, especially the paddling part. During the years gone by I have done shorter trips by canoe or kayak in Canada, Japan, Finland and of course in my home country Sweden.  But I have always wanted to make an extended trip by kayak but never found the time due to my work.

A few years ago the idea came up to try to cover the whole Swedish coast, from the border of Norway on the west coast to the border of Finland in the north, approximately 2 400 kilometres. This trip has been named "HBB - Havspaddlarnas Blå Band" or in English: The Seapaddlers's Blue Ribbon of Sweden.

In order to realise this dream I needed to be free for at least 3 month. After a bit of thinking and a lot of headache I decided to retire from my job in the travel industry on October 2, 2016.  My plan is to start paddling on May 20 - and I am now busy preparing food, tent and other equipment for at least 70 days... Please feel free to read more about this challenge via the link below.

As a free man I can now pursue this and other adventures plans. Depending on outside and inside inspiration I have the intention to update this blog from time to time  - at least when and if I have something I wish to share with you. So, welcome on board!


Link: The Seapaddler´s Blue Ribbon of Sweden