Blog
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Ylä-Lyly
· Suur-Saimaa · Sarastus · 14 MWe departed the bay early in the morning. Weather was gorgeous, but from the perspective of sailing the progress was so slow, that we decided to choose the nearby Ylä-Lyly island as our destination. The island was unknown for us and we were bit uncertain, if there would be a proper spot for beaching. We didn’t have an anchor with us.
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The Moody Finnish Summer Weather
· Suur-Saimaa · Sarastus · 3 MI have been reading Frank Dye’s book Sailing to the Edge of Fear, in which he shares his observation, that Wayfarer makes it easier to meet local people. That seems to be true. For some reason Wayfarer seems to catch the interest and sympathy of people. In case of keel boats I can’t remember experienced the same. Glassy water As three different forecasts predicted peaceful conditions, we decided to test having a cat aboard.
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Satamosaari
· Suur-Saimaa · Sarastus · 13 MThe first cruise was quite unsuccessful by many ways, but that shouldn’t discourage us. I sent some questions about the rig and lines to the previous owner of the dinghy, and he responded with excellent instructions. I tested them on ground and the results were so promising, that we decided to head for Satamosaari on next Sunday. The forecast predicted wind speed of around 3-5 m/s (3 Beauforts) and partly cloudy sky.
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The First Cruise
· Suur-Saimaa · Sarastus · 1 MFinally the day came when weather and our schedule permitted having the first cruise on Wayfarer on the Finnish waters. We towed the dinghy to the local bay where we set up the rig. It must be said that preparing the lines was a tricky and time-consuming task. Before the next sail it would be good to study and test the rig on ground, especially the mainsail and boom lines.
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Signs of Spring
First, it’s worth reassure you, that this blog won’t be a flower blog. Still, appearance of [coltsfoots] at end of March in this part of Finland is such a rare phenamenon, that it’s worth sharing, especially as it’s the first flower of the Finnish spring. Normally they are seen at end of April or in early May. Their appearance is a relatively significant event, that is recognized by the local media often.
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23 centimeters left
The Finnish Environment Administration measures Finnish lakes ice thickness three times per month. This winter has been unusually warm, that is also reflected in the thinning of the ice. Ice thickness of Lake Saimaa at Lauritsala is 23 centimeters anymore, although the statistical average reading for this time of year is 47 cm. Is that because of global warming or something else — I don’t know.
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Homestretch
· SarastusAfter being transported in a cargo ship the Wayfarer arrived at Turku port in Finland, where the freight was unloaded. I drove there and the dinghy was waiting for me in a good condition next to a warehouse. Dealing with Mann Lines staff was fluent and convenient. They were friendly and even curious about my “canoe”, which probably doesn’t represent their typical freight.
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Trip to British Isles
· SarastusAfter following boat sales sites for few months I decided to visit the British Isles eventually at end of January, to check out the different options. It might have been wiser to visit there before Christmas, because after the New Year some interesting boats were sold rapidly. My two primary targets were a wooden Wayfarer built in 1987 and a glass fibre Wayfarer World version built in 2004.
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Dinghy to Finland?
Wayfarer-purejolla näytti siis mielenkiintoiselta veneeltä, mutta ensimmäinen ongelma oli, mistä löytää sellainen. Suomalaisilla veneenmyyntisivustoilla ei niitä näkynyt eikä hakukriteereissä ollut edes Wayfarer-valintaa. Vaihtoehdot näyttivät olevan vähissä. Joko oli saatava joku tuomaan jolla Suomeen tai haettava se itse. Rakentaminen tai rakennuttaminen eivät oikein olleet realistisia vaihtoehtoja ajan, kustannusten ja lisenssiongelmien takia. Windmill-jollaa on amatööri-ystävällinen jolla, joita voi rakentaa puusta ja lasikuidusta itse, mutta Wayfarer olisi kertaluokkaa vaikeampi.
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Dinghy Dreams
Viime vuonna aloin harkitsemaan purjejollan hankkimista, koska järvisuomi on sentään maailmanlaajuisesti ainutlaatuinen ympäristö. Purjejolla on siinä mielessä kätevä, että sillä pääsee helposti sellaisiin paikkoihin, joihin kalliilla syvää vettä vaativalla köliveneellä rantautuminen on hankalaa. Jollista tuli ensimmäisenä mieleen Suomessa suosittu Lightning, jolla on maassamme jopa oma yhdistys. Halusin kuitenkin selvittää, mitä muita vaihtoehtoja olisi tarjolla. Kriteereinäni olivat lähinnä sopivuus retkeilykäyttöön, vakaus, tilat useammalle ihmiselle ja vakiintunut luokka.