Taka-Ruuho

Two of our daughters were at home before starting their studies. Over the weekend the weather looked clear, so we decided to take the four of us on a night trip to Ruuhonsaaret islands. The wind forecast was a bit dull, but compared to the rainy July, it seemed like a minor inconvenience.

We set off from the Sarviniemi slipway, and headed north from the east mark near the tip of the cape. The gentle breeze ensured a steady ride towards our destination.

The trip went off without major issues. Towards the end of the trip the breeze picked up to around 9 knots east of the Ruuhonsaaret islands, which was pretty pleasant.

Taka-Ruuho is one of the islands in southern Lake Saimaa where you don’t have to be alone on weekends. Perhaps it is because of the very sheltered bay, the sandy beach and the sauna. We ate dinner in the shelter by the sandy beach and chatted with another boat crew.

After dinner we packed up the tent and went to watch the sunset. The rest of the family slept in the tent, but I slept in the boat under the mainsail and the dog on the other side of the centerboard box. Thanks to a good pillow, it was a very good night’s sleep. In the night I was woken up by the dog climbing onto the aft deck of the boat for some reason. I made her to return to the floor where he slept for the rest of the night. It was a starry night, and I could see Ursa Major in the northern sky.

After waking up, we had breakfast and heated up the sauna. The sauna and a swim were a refreshing way to start the day. The reason we hadn’t taken a sauna in the evening was because the family shifts end at 18:00, after which there are only general men’s and women’s shifts.

During the sauna, while I went outside to tend to the dog for a bit, an English-speaking skipper came to ask what type of boat we had and where I had got it. He complimented the beauty of Sarastus and then returned to his motor boat, which soon glided away from Ruuhonsaari bay. Time will tell if Sarastus will be joined by other Wayfarers on the Saimaa.

After the sauna, we unpacked the tent and packed the gear into the boat. Then it was time to raise the anchor and head towards Sarviniemi. The wind was very light from the start, so we had to use the rye bread motor.

Near Hietasaari, a light southwestern breeze started to blow and moved us at about three knots towards our destination. After Hietasaari the wind practically died down again, which is why we paddled over Mäntysaarenselkä.

The weekend trip was a nice one. Having sauna and swimming as part of a boat trip is always a pleasant experience. The wind conditions were quite modest this time, but otherwise the weather was nothing to complain about. On water, every trip is unique.