This far north in Sweden, the harbours are always empty and the anchorages deserted. I can even arrive late in the evening and always find a free spot – or so I naively thought. As I sail into Trysunda Bay, I am proved wrong. During my routine glance through the binoculars, I’m in for a shock: where there should be a jetty, I see nothing but boats. Packed tightly together like the bodies in a shoal of herring. With no discernible gap for my small, modest yacht.
“We’ve come to stay – ideally for a few weeks!” Kjell Larsson explains to me later; he’s sailed over in a small motorboat from nearby Härnösand. The simply furnished Idyllic natural scenery and marina has around 25 berths.
The jewel that is Trysunda
“Trysunda is the jewel in the crown of the Höga Kusten!” Kjell assures us. Traditional fishermen’s cottages, a historic chapel, sheltered coves, clear water and walking trails make the island a holiday destination you really won’t want to leave just yet. “Few boaters come here from other parts of Sweden,” says Kjell, “but the people of Västernorrland want to enjoy their summer holidays too – so why go far afield?” He’s quite right – after all, I too have travelled many hundreds of miles to get here, just like the other few hundred international guests from Denmark, Finland or Germany who visit this region every year.
Not a millimetre more space
It was Kjell who waved to me as I arrived and pointed out onto the water: “There’s still space here!” I couldn’t see what he meant – the jetty was completely full, after all. But then he manoeuvred me into a narrow gap between the boats, which were moored side by side. My anchor flew out behind me and, as I slowly made my way towards the jetty, I became part of the swarm. Now there really wasn’t a millimetre of space left!
In theory. Because when, later that evening, a small yacht heads towards the jetty – the skipper clearly looking for a free space – I wave to him and, together with Kjell and defying all the laws of physics, manage to squeeze yet another gap into the dense cluster of boat hulls.
From Kappeln to the Höga Kusten
When the sailor at the tiller greets me with ‘Moin’, I’m completely taken aback: it’s Hans Krees with his Winner 9.50! A jetty neighbour from my home harbour at Henningsen & Steckmest on the Schlei! It really is a small world. Hans invites me on board; we drink some perfectly chilled white wine and he tells me about his adventures: he’s sailed from Kappeln to Trysunda in four weeks, covering the distance in daily legs, and has planned to spend about ten days here: “That’s enough, at least, to do more than just sail past everything.” He’d meticulously prepared for the long solo voyage here, without, however, rigidly sticking to the planned route on the chart plotter. “You can’t just sail past the Stockholm archipelago, can you?”
The many miles it takes to get here – a whole summer’s worth of sailing along the Höga Kusten – is it worth it? “For those who’ve been to the Norwegian fjords before, the term ‘Höga’ loses some of its significance,” says Hans. But there are still plenty of lovely sights and interesting places to see.
Mjaltön: Sweden’s highest island
Take this one, for example – Trysunda – which, despite its many boats and crews, exudes an almost family-like atmosphere. Or Mjältön, which, at 236 metres above sea level, is Sweden’s highest island. Wooded slopes, steep granite cliffs and the well-sheltered natural bay of Baggviken, complete with a jetty or mooring. From here, footpaths lead up to the summit, offering impressive views over the Gulf of Bothnia and the archipelago that borders it.
Part 1 of the feature You can find it here
Part 3 will follow shortly
Nico Krauss
Freier Fotograf
