This time SY Blue Layla heads directly for Pavilosta: the most beautiful harbour in Latvia, in our view. U. gets support from Stephan, with whose help we cover the 432 nautical miles from Warnemünde to “Paul’s Harbour” in less than 5 days. A. finds such forced tours too much of a good thing, so she comes to Latvia by plane and (together with U.’s godson H.) only joins us there.
above: departure from Warnemünde
right/below: in the Arkona Sea.
above: Passing Utklippan island; right: approaching Sandhamn.
below: the first shower after almost 186sm...
This is followed by a brisk 86.5nm leg to the east coast of Öland (Kårehamn).
Eventually we reach first the southern tip (right) and finally the east coast of Gotland. Stephan (below) provides much needed help during the complicated (windy) mooring manoeuvre in the small harbour basin of Vändburg. Our logbook has now recorded data for the first 330 nautical miles.
Early rising is necessary for the last 103 nautical miles to Latvia in order to arrive with some light left – the sun sets earlier in the east. Despite a strong counter-current, we are still able to spot the Akmeņrags lighthouse (above) in the remaining sunlight before we enter Pavilosta/Paulshafen and sink into our bunks, exhausted.
In order to get from Gotland to Latvia, we have to cross two busy shipping lanes and the Nordstream 2 pipeline:
Here is a short video, taken on the first afternoon in the Arkona Sea: