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An eventful journey on a not-so-regular saturday

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Dad and I had been practicing for the bicycle ride that we would have to make today. The distance to our target being somewhere around 12-13 km. A few days ago, I managed 14.26 km, so I was well prepared for what I thought was going to be just-going-to-fetch-our-boat. This turned out to be a long and eventful day, but it was everything but boring :)

Leaving before noon, we made our way to the first ferry on Blidö. We took our bicycles across to Yxlan, and then onto the second ferry to end up in Furusund. Here, we had a burger break (aka Lunch) and discussed how far we had to go before reaching the place where we were picking up the boat from its winter storage. It turned out to be well within my previous majestic bicycle ride of 14.26 km, and we quickly reached our destination after having finished lunch. We had done 12.1 km on the big roads. Woohoo!

We donned our life jackets and stowed the bicycles and helmets securely in the boat. On making our way out onto “the real sea”, we had a playful event of chicken with one of the big Silja Line cruise ships that go through the strait of Furusund. Once we got into open waters and floored the engine, it soon started making weird noises. Shortly thereafter it stopped completely. Dad was somewhat surprised since the boat and the engine had just been taken out of winter storage, and serviced accordingly. The waves were getting big, and I have to admit I was getting a bit worried. Dad told me to keep calm and that “we’d be alright”. He grabbed one of the oars and began paddling the boat. After a few hundred meters, he also managed to get the attention of another boat and its driver. We asked if they could tow us to the boat petrol station. They did, and that’s where Dad’s friend Uno came down to help us figure out what was wrong. It turned out there was water “in” the gasoline. It took Dad and Uno the better part of an hour to get all the water out.

While Dad and his friend were working on the engine, I was getting slightly bored. Simply chilling in the sun isn’t something I do too well. Another boat came to get some petrol and as it approached the petrol station, their (mad!) Labrador Retriever jumped into the water! The dog’s name was “Nalle” (Swedish for Bear or Cuddly Animal). It was a BIG dog. Dad, his friend, and the dog’s owner managed to lift it out of the water and onto the docks, receiving many thanks from the owners of the dog.

Once the water was out of the tank, and the engine, we could resume our journey. Reaching the outside of Blidö, the waves went from a nice and easy half-meter to 1-2 meters and … well, let’s just say my bottom took a serious beating. Dad was (of course) in the back driving the boat and got the majority of the splashing water, though I did get a few waves smashing into me as well (or so it felt).

We reached our destination a few hours late, and I was dead tired. But I know one thing, I will never forget this day for the rest of my life! And I also learned a valuable lesson. “Stay Calm and Focus” really is a useful method when you find yourself in a bind!

 


Copyright © Joaquim Homrighausen
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