Total Distance : 78.02 nautical miles
Average Speed : 6.56 knots
Time Enroute : 11.53 hours
The 12-hour passage from Mariehamn to Stockholm on August 18–19 unfolded under gentle late-summer conditions. We departed Åland in warm evening air and light breezes, the sea calm and inviting beneath clear skies. Through the night, quiet watches passed under a canopy of stars, with only brief patches of mist drifting by. We crossed the Gulf of Bothnia before entering the famous Stockholm skär archipelago. In Swedish, “skär” means skerry or rocky islet, and “skärgård” means archipelago (like the famous Stockholm archipelago, or Schärengarten in German). The millions of rocks on the chart look skäry 😁 at first but the fairways are well marked and provide safe passage even when traveling at night.
By morning, a few clouds and light showers stirred the wind just enough to ripple the surface, though visibility and comfort remained excellent. With air temperatures in the high teens to low 20 °C and sea temperatures around 18 °C, it was an easy, pleasant crossing through the northern archipelago.
We then hugged the Swedish coast and passed Växholm, a lovely harbour that we would get a chance to explore on another leg of the journey. From there it was another 10 miles into Stockholm where we hit the morning rush hour traffic with ferries zipping past and a cruise ship pushing us out of the way, before we got into the marina.
Steering Anna into Wasahamnen Marina, the entry felt quite serene yet dynamic: calm waters with gentle ripples and the city with its stunning architecture on the hills all around us.
It took us a while to locate our allocated mooring on the outer pier but then we quickly managed to park and secure Anna to its berth to shut her down for a few days. We had arrived in the heart of Stockholm ready to explore and with water lapping softly around us. What a treat ..
Wasahamnen Marina (📍59°19′49″ N, 18°05′44″ E) lies on Djurgården Island, right beside the famous Vasa Museum and close to many of Stockholm’s key attractions. Sheltered and calm, the marina offers around 140 berths equipped with electricity, fresh water, fuel, Wi-Fi, showers, toilets, and laundry facilities. There’s also waste disposal, recycling, and pump-out services for convenience.
Its central location means restaurants, cafés, and museums are just a short stroll away, while the city center is easily accessible by tram, ferry, or even a scenic walk. Combining comfort, practicality, and a stunning cultural backdrop, Wasahamn Marina is one of Stockholm’s most pleasant and well-situated harbors for visiting sailors.
Stockholm needs little introduction, a city that gracefully blends historic charm, natural beauty, and modern creativity. Spread across 14 islands linked by elegant bridges, it’s often called the Venice of the North, where glistening waterways, leafy boulevards, and pastel façades create an effortless harmony between city and sea.
From a traveler’s perspective, Stockholm feels both majestic and warmly personal. The Gamla Stan (Old Town), with its narrow cobbled lanes and colorful houses, is alive with history; every corner reveals hidden courtyards, cozy cafés, and artisan shops. Around Stortorget Square, you can almost feel the city’s heartbeat, while the nearby Royal Palace stands as a proud reminder of Sweden’s royal heritage.
During our stay, Martin and Ivy ventured out for a bit of geocaching, turning the city and surroundings into a playful treasure hunt. Their route led them through quiet streets and waterfront paths, uncovering hidden corners and unexpected viewpoints of the islands. Further afield they managed to visit the Match Stash. This is the oldest active geocache in Sweden. And the second oldest in all of Europe: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4D
Meanwhile, David and Mikel explored at a gentler pace, wandering through the boulevards and visiting several of Stockholm’s iconic museums. They were captivated by the Vasa Museum, where the majestic 17th-century warship stands beautifully preserved, and the Fotografiska Museum, famous for its stunning photography exhibitions and sweeping harbor views.
Anna has a prominent view of Vasa Museum. The museum is famous for housing the remarkably preserved 17th-century warship Vasa, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961.
Although we didn’t have enough time to visit them all, several others were high on our list — the ABBA The Museum, celebrating Sweden’s legendary pop group with an interactive, feel-good energy; the Skansen Open-Air Museum, where Swedish history and traditions come to life; and the Nordic Museum, showcasing Scandinavian design, culture, and craftsmanship. Each promised a deeper look into the spirit of Sweden, where heritage and innovation intertwine so naturally.
The day moved gently, as we each soaked in Stockholm’s serene beauty in our own way. The air carried a hint of salt and pine, the light glowed softly on the water, and even in the city’s busiest streets, there was a calm rhythm that invited you to slow down. Over on Djurgården Island, locals cycled along shaded paths and families picnicked by the water’s edge, while across the bridges in Södermalm, art studios, small boutiques, and bohemian cafés offered another side of Stockholm, creative, relaxed, and full of character.
As evening drew near, we paused often to take in the golden light shimmering across the harbor. From Monteliusvägen, the city unfolded before us, a mosaic of rooftops, steeples, and islands bathed in a soft northern glow. It was a quiet, beautiful moment, one that captured exactly what makes Stockholm so special.
Elegant yet unpretentious, vibrant yet peaceful, Stockholm feels like a city perfectly in tune with itself. It’s a place where past and present flow together, where every bridge leads to another discovery, and where every sunset leaves you wishing for just one more day.
Mikel and David are wonderful companions, and true to their word, they surprise Martin and Ivy with an unforgettable adventure in Stockholm, a visit to the ICEBAR Stockholm.
At first glance, the entrance looked rather ordinary, giving no hint of what awaited behind those doors. We were greeted warmly by the staff, who handed each of us a long, hooded thermal cape before leading us into the bar. The moment we stepped inside, it was a wow experience, an entire room sculpted from ice, with glistening walls, intricate ice carvings, and bar counters that shimmered under soft blue light. Even our drinks were served in glasses made of ice! We spent our time there laughing, taking photos, and simply soaking in the chill, both literally and figuratively.
With a bit of extra time in Stockholm, we squeezed in some fantastic walking and biking around the city and still found time to play. That meant firing up David’s new favorite gadget: his 3D printer. Meanwhile, after a few successful (and delicious) practice rounds in Barcelona, Martin has officially mastered Tarta de Santiago. Naturally, he couldn’t resist upgrading the classic stencil… with a custom 3D-printed version. Let the baking experiments begin! 😄
To conclude the evening, we made our way to a cozy Lebanese restaurant nearby, where we shared fragrant Arabic dishes and stories from our voyage. It was the perfect finale to our time in Stockholm, relaxed, joyful, and filled with the warmth of friendship. Yet, the night held a touch of poignancy, as it marked Mikel’s final evening aboard Anna before her return to Luxembourg on August 24.
