After a tiresome day updating the plotters software we left Mariefred in the evening with everything working again, we had a fridge full of food and planned to spend a few nights at anchor. Our first night was still in Lake Malaren where we anchored all on our own in a very quite bay, about 21.00 we had a rainstorm come through giving us a fantastic rainbow, we also watched a Marsh Harrier trying unsuccessfully to take a baby duck from its mother. Day 2 Out of ...

A delightful little town with a beautiful castle Gripsholm Slot built in the 16 century home also to the Swedish National Portrait Gallery. The town is also noted for its Narrow Gauge 600 mm steam railway 1st opened in 1888 then closed in the 1930s. In 1959 a group of enthusiasts started to run engines in a local brickworks, the line is now 11 kilometres long. The engine that took us along the line today was 100 years old this year.

Birka on the island of Bjorko was the ancient Viking capital of Sweden and is now a world heritage site as Birka is one of the most complete and untouched Viking trading sites from 700-900 AC For us it was just 16 NM from last nights anchorage but with sunshine and light winds on the nose, motoring was the order of the day We are at 59' 20' North the farthest north for this year as we at now going to be going south and west. At this latitude we are only about 3...

We left Stockholm this evening for Lake Malaren a 70 mile long inland sea with hundreds of islands. To get into the lake we had to pass under four lifting bridges and raise up half a metre in a lock, we have chosen an anchorage at Drottningholm right outside the home of the Swedish royal family, we dropped anchor at 21.00 with the sun setting over the royal palace. Day 2 Woke up to rain, the pilot book said we could moor near the palace to visit it, on attempti...

Today the weather is still overcast so we are visiting the famous Vasa museum. The Vasa is a 17 century sailing man of war that sunk on its maiden voyage in Stockholm harbour and layers undiscovered for 333 years before being raised on my birthday in 1961, she is 98% intact and is in amazing condition, due to the water here not being salty. A must see if you ever find yourselves in Stockholm. www.vasamuseet.se