The weather was playing tricks with us here in Sweden: while work-days were almost summer-like, with sunshine and moderate winds weekends were, ironically, almost exclusively rainy or it was blowing so hard that even cycling was becoming problematic.
It seemed that the story will repeat itself this week too but this time I decided to play my dirty trick instead: I prepared my boat for launching last evening and today I left the factory a bit earlier.
Once back home I had a few hours of daylight and fresh wind still blowing, promising good evening sail. We launched at 18:00 from our local harbor.

Forecast warned that it will deteriorate late at night and next day will be cloudy and rainy. We enjoyed the clear, blue sky then!

Glooming on the horizon, approaching from Stockholm, were foreposts of tomorrow´s cloud army.

I was hoping to beat quickly against the wind and reaching Rosättra. I could see that already under the bridge the wind was blowing harder: water was dark from wind.
Prudent mariner in me decided to put one reef into the sail. It is the first, shakedown sailing this year so we don’t look for any drama here.

No other boat nor folk in vicinity. Most importantly: no motor launches. Calm evening with still warming sun rays. We were not in a hurry.

After some time it became clear that the wind was getting weaker rapidly. We will not reach Rosättra on sails this evening. I decide to carry on at least to Vätö kyrkan and see up there how much time we have left before dusk.
Almost reached the church.
I decide to shake the reef - and then the wind dies. Not weakens - dies abruptly and instantly!

It became so calm and peaceful that I felt that starting an engine is a sin. I turn the boat and row back to my harbor which is a little over a mile away.

We float slowly and almost effortlessly on mirror-flat water, close to the shore. Birds activity is high and they don’t seem to be bothered by us gliding along, silently.
Exploring waters around dead, fallen trees reminds me Mark Twain´s books, Huckleberry Finn adventures. Or Swallows and Amazons, of course.

We enter the harbor at dusk. I retrieve Louve with no issues and we drive home for late supper.
First sailing this season is behind us.

Building Louve can be found here