I am here going to tell you about the probably best one-day trip I have ever had! (my wife do not want to hear about it)
During a vacation in Sweden, we ended up in Kollervik, Karlshamn. The weather was supposed to be brilliant the following day, therefore I secretly planned a trip in the nearby arcipalago.
Having introduced my plans for my wife, I knew she did not mind me paddling and I could start to obtain useful charts. As it turned out, the best 'chart' I could find was nothing but a simple tourist map (click map above).
I had previously on this vacation tried to get a decent weather forecast by phone - but it only works from a Swedish subscription. Becaurse of this I 'only' listened to the radio - and later tried to read the sky as good as possible.
I was a bit unsure about the scale on the tourist map, hence my first task was to time a paddled distance - knowing that I in 'normal' pace, in 'neutral' water, covers 1KM in 10min it is not that hard. From then on, navigation was only a matter of acute compass and watch use.
First break was on the eastern shore of a little island west of Joggesö. I think I was on-shore almost an hour, due to the pleasant weather - and the berries, that served as sweet desert and nutrified liquid.
My goal - if securely possible - was to paddle on the sea-side of Tärnö. For this I needed about one hour of stable and predictive weather that I would be totally exposed to the sea. Well, I paddled to the gab between Harö and Tärnö, checked the changes of the sky and wind one more time before I trusted my judgement enough to head south. If the sea turned bad at the southern point of Tärnö I could always go back the same way - time needed for this would be the same as the full trip along the exposed coast of Tärnö.
From out here I got a view of about 60° open water - and in the distant I could see what I believed was Bornholm.
As it turned out, the points of Tärnö only showed a bit of fun - zigzaging between whitecaps raised by submerged boulders. Safely around Tärnö I had my second break on a little island just north of Tärnö. It turned out that it was a retired couples private little paradise: harbour, pool (3/4 cliff - 1/4 concrete), veggie and fruit garden, well, rainwater accumulation, etc etc....
From here I took a scenic route more in lee of the islands - the wind had increased a bit - back to Kollervik.
A combination of the possible best weather: No more wind than it was secure to paddle the sea-side of Tärnö, but not so calm that it got boring.
Getting by with a tourist-map, and good use of compass and watch.
Navigation, time and distance planning underway worked as a charm.
20KM / 4 hours