The Picks of the Season 2018

After two modest summers we experienced a wonderful and warm season finally. The waters warmed up rapidly in May that opened access to Lake Saimaa early. Below is an analysis of the season.

Weather

From weather perspective the summer was absolutely fantastic as there was abundantly warmth and the wind conditions were pretty nice too. We experienced the best wind during the trip in the Archipelago Sea when we sailed to Sandön island. In that day a gentle breeze was blowing between two stormier days.

When weather is poor we rather stay at home. This summer, when sailing, the most challening weather was during the trip to Mustamaansyvä area. Then the waves grew to 1.5 feet high and a moody fresh breeze blow from St. Petersburg. After getting back to the starting point we experienced a torrent but fortunately there was a shelter available.

The Best Destination

This summer there were two best destinations, Suuri Lintusaari and Sandön islands. The first has a luxurious slowly sloping sandy beach where swimming in hot weather was a very pleasant experience. For an inland water sailor the latter destination provided a more exotic environment with fine sandy bays, a peculiar sand cape and more southern vegetation.

The most modest destination was the east shore of Pullikainen island. We ended up there because of strong breeze which would have made landing to and leaving from the western shore or lagoon very difficult.

The Best Water

The Archipelago Sea during the trip to Sandön was a new water for us. Because of its extent and the new destinations sailing there was an exciting experience for us. Still, the fresh water sandy beaches of Suur-Saimaa area beat any salty waters.

In the summer we sailed in three waters and they all were very good. Thus, the poorest water isn’t chosen this year.

The Best Experience

The finest exprience was spending a hot day in Suuri Lintusaari island. Because of the wind conditions the western beach of the island was sheltered that made arrival and departure easy.

Downright negative experience we didn’t have. The only unfortunate thing was that we didn’t have time for more sailing because of other commitments.

The Most Challening Conditions

When returning from Laajahiekka a thunder-gust reached us. Fortunately we were close to Hietasaari island and were able to head for there in near gale. We hauled the boat onto the beach where we had a picnic under shelter while waiting for the weather to improve.

The Best New Gear

The nautical chart of the Archipelago Sea was the best investment.

The Most Useful New Skill

Even if anchoring isn’t a new skill for us, we practiced it as often as possible. Gaining experience in different bottoms is always beneficial.

Looking Forward

We have sailed Sarastus for five summers. Out of them summers 2014 and 2018 had the best sailing weather. We are curious to see what’s the trend going to be as the climate change affects the global sailing conditions too. It’s hard to image Finnish summer could get any better than this year.