Kalmar was all we had hoped for , a friendly and knowledgeable chandlery which stocked VHF cable and antennae ,and a charming electronics expert called Martin who agreed with our diagnosis that the existing cable and antenna needed replacing . We purchased 100 metres of 2mm spectra from the odds and sods bin for a mousing line, and as it appeared ready flaked didn’t bother to flake it again. I climbed the mast , Lynda attached the line to the old cable at the bottom of the mast and I began to pull it out from the top. What could possibly go wrong?
It was all going so well until a sticky label on the spectra somehow interfered with the efficient paying out of the line and within milliseconds our calm , professional progress turned into a stressful nightmare as 80 metres of spectra turned into the biggest knot in the world. Lynda and Martin had their hands full trying to coax some more line from the spaghetti at the bottom of the mast, whilst I was demonstrably underemployed at the top. It’s quite a good view from up there , but it doesn’t change much ! After half an hour passing tourists were taking photos of me , but I got seriously worried when I began to be included as a high (!) point on the guided tours of the harbour !
After 90 minutes I needed a bedpan , but the knotty problem relented to the extent of another 20 metres of tangle free line and I at least then had some employment in fixing the new cable and aerial to take my mind off the discomfort. Our joy at hearing the radio burst into life was matched only by the relief of reaching ground again after two hours in the sky.
That night we beat 30 miles to the little guest harbour of Kristianopel, and awoke to the chatter of hundreds of swallows sitting on our guard wires and rigging. They were obviously thinking about heading South, so perhaps it was time for us to follow. Another 25 miles ( to windward ) brought us to the lonely little archipelago of Utklippan which was where our Swedish adventure had started 3 months ago. There is quite a collection of vessels here as , unbelievably , the forecast for tomorrow is for NE winds , followed by Easterlies for a few days –perfect for us all to follow the swallows and head south to Denmark .
