Vaderoarna (the Weather Islands) were classified as a nature reserve in 2012 and have one of Sweden’s warmest, but windiest, climates. A lighthouse was first installed there 1867, and a pilots’ station in 1754. Today the beautiful islands are a popular tourist destination, particularly the current pilots’ lookout, built in the 1930s.

We initially planned to overnight at Vaderoarna, but swing room was restricted and a large swell was running through the anchorage. So we opted to anchor at the nearby island of Gluppo and visit the islands the following day by tender.

Below are trip highlights from September 17th and 18th, 2019. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

9/17/2019

Soten Canal Position: 58°23.33’N, 11°14.44’E Approaching the southern end of the Soten Canal, built in the 1930s to provide a shortcut around the exposed outer peninsula and also as to help unemployed stonemasons during the Depression.

Narrow Position: 58°23.64’N, 11°14.53’E Passing through a narrow section along the Soten Canal.

Sotenas Bridge Position: 58°24.31’N, 11°15.26’E Nearing the Sotenas Bridge, with a clearance of 5.7m. The bridge opens on demand when a boat nears.

Green Light Position: 58°24.47’N, 11°15.46’E A green light visible on the right shore indicating we can pass through.

Bridge Closing Position: 58°24.61’N, 11°15.68’E The Sotenas Bridge closed quickly behind us once we were safely through.

Fishboat Position: 58°31.01’N, 11°15.66’E Fishboat just west of Heestrand.

Fingerpost Position: 58°31.51’N, 11°15.45’E A fingerpost on a small islet showed the direction to some major and minor centers, such as Oslo, New York, Gothenburg and the nearby town of Hamburgsund.

Sunk Boats Position: 58°32.60’N, 11°16.37’E Sunken boats on the channel near Hamburgsund. They all appear to have been abandoned.

Hamburgsund Position: 58°32.88’N, 11°16.26’E The picturesque town of Hamburgsund, strung along either side of narrow channel of the same name.

Cable Ferry Position: 58°33.05’N, 11°16.17’E It’s not often you see a ferry where the total distance covered is only a few boat lengths. The cable ferry route across Hamburgsund is only 130 meters.

Fish Drying Rack Position: 58°34.61’N, 11°13.33’E Fish drying rack and cabin on an islet north of the island of Hastvam.

Pilot Lookout Position: 58°34.52’N, 11°4.24’E The former pilot lookout at Vaderoarna is a symbol for the islands and a tourist draw.

Vaderoarna Position: 58°34.52’N, 11°4.24’E The community at Vaderoarna includes a year-round restaurant and hotel (yellow building) and a number of traditional red cottages.

Gasthamn Position: 58°34.52’N, 11°4.24’E We were hoping to anchor and go ashore at Vaderoarna, but swing room was restricted and a large swell was running through the anchorage. The island does have a guest harbour, but all the charts we had showed depths of less than a meter, and we weren’t confident on entering with swell rolling through the entrance. So we departed to anchor at nearby Gluppo instead.

9/18/2019

Gluppo Position: 58°34.85’N, 11°12.94’E The morning sun lighting up the cliffs to our east at Gluppo (click image for larger view). It’s a lovely anchorage.

Power Wash Position: 58°34.85’N, 11°12.94’E We’d taken a bit of a saltwater bath on our run over to Vaderoarna yesterday, so we gave the boat a power wash this morning,

Waterline Position: 58°34.85’N, 11°12.94’E James using a suction cup to hold position in the tender to scrub off the brown stains around the water line.

Fire Extinguisher Test Position: 58°34.85’N, 11°12.94’E Performing the biennial test the automatic fire extinguisher system in the engine room and lazarette.

Tender Position: 58°34.63’N, 11°4.13’E We put on our big Mustang 2175 exposure suits and made a 5-mile run over to Vaderoarna from the anchorage at Gluppo. Here we are tied off at the guest harbour on the island of Storo. The least depth we saw heading in was 8ft, so Dirona could make it through with a 6.6ft draft. But the swell running through yesterday could have brought us awfully close to the bottom, so we have no regrets on deciding not to enter with Dirona.

Welcome to Vaderoarna Position: 58°34.64’N, 11°4.12’E Reading the information signs describing the Vaderoarna Nature Reserve and its history.

Picnic Position: 58°34.66’N, 11°4.14’E Enjoying a picnic lunch in the sun on Storo.

Traps Position: 58°34.64’N, 11°4.13’E Lots of traps with colorful floats set out near the head of the Storo guest harbour.

Vaderoarna Position: 58°34.60’N, 11°4.13’E Panoramic view of Vaderoarna (click image for larger view).

Pilot Lookout Position: 58°34.53’N, 11°3.95’E A pilot station has existed on Vaderoarna since 1890. The current lookout station was built in 1930 with a cabin below and an enclosed staircase leading to the lookout above.

Vastra Hamnen Position: 58°34.56’N, 11°3.96’E Looking down into sheltered Vastra Hamnen on the west side of Storo.

Vderarnas Guesthouse Position: 58°34.61’N, 11°4.03’E We were surprised that Vderarnas Guesthouse was not only open this late in the season, but had a crowd for lunch. We couldn’t resist a glass of wine on their sunny deck.

Vaderobod Position: 58°32.54’N, 11°2.00’E The tender tied off at Vaderobod to visit the lighthouse there. Even in relatively settled conditions, a signifanct swell enters the tiny harbour. We initially tied the tender off where the wooden slats are, but it kept getting caught beneath then in the swell, so we moved to the rocks where there was less risk of damage and a little more protection from the outer wall.

Vaderobod Light Position: 58°32.53’N, 11°1.79’E A lighthouse was first built on Vaderobod in 1867 and replaced by the current tower in 1965. It looks awesome painted bright red.

South Harbour Position: 58°32.50’N, 11°1.90’E We took the tender into a small harbour along the south coast of Vaderobod. Even in the light swell on this relatively still day, there is a lot of water motion in the entrance, so you need to be careful. Entering would have been pretty extremely difficult in yesterday’s big swell.

Stora Hejen Position: 58°34.89’N, 11°3.88’E Pleasure boat tied off to the set of docks that run along the protected eastern shore of Stora Hejen. Our charts showed less than a meter here, but we sounded around 10ft, so we’d have no problem bringing Dirona there.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.