Today's leg will see us passing through nineteen locks and four bridges to complete this final section of the Göta Canal. The afternoon will be the most intense because within a short distance we will negotiate a set of four locks and then immediately a set of eight locks, descending fairly rapidly to arrive at the shores of Lake Vänern (44 metres above sea level) early in the evening.

Today will also mark the first time we were locking downwards, rather than upwards. I am not feeling nervous as I have read about the recommended technique and it actually sounds much easier than locking up. I have also watched boats locking down and as there are no strong currents to contend with and we come into the locks at ground level, I'm hoping it will be a more restful day. Well, in theory, anyway....

After studying the charts last night, I saw that our first stop was at a bridge, located about 10 or 15 minutes along the canal from the night harbour. My guess was that an 8a.m. start meant 8a.m. at the first bridge, so at 7.40a.m. we fired up the engine and cast off, motoring along the pretty rural scene in brilliant sunshine.




We were the first boat to leave and as we passed Mr Knob, he called out something sarcastic about us suffering from resfeber, meaning that we were so restless, nervous and jittery before our journey that we took off extra early. We ignored him, but the boat immediately behind us, who also left at the same time, told him that the brige was opening at 8a.m. Then the penny dropped and Mr Knob (and the others) realised that they needed to get cracking to be there in time. When we glanced back, there was a flurry of activity as people rushed about to cast off. The bridge connects the main road, so the opening wait times are set and cannot be altered for latecomers.




By leaving a little earlier, we found that we were able to simply motor down at a slow pace and enjoy the early morning landscape. We are on vacation, after all! The farmers were also up early, out ploughing the fields and all around us were signs that summer, that time of new growth, was on its way.




And of course, we can't possibly have a blog entry without the early morning cow shot. They were ambling along the pathway, grazing on the grass, drinking water from the canal and calling out a greeting as we passed by. I like cows - there is a kind of friendly, unhurried gentleness to them.




This stretch of the canal is a little more populated with many homes and tiny settlements lining the shore. Several of the old lock keeper's cottages are now cafés, handcraft shops or able to be rented out to stay in over the summer and already there was some life about the place. At Hajstorp, there were people taking an early season coffee at the café, sitting a few metres away from the action taking place on the canal.




I can't say that I liked being observed so closely, but I do understand the attraction for those looking at the locking process. Fortunately, by this stage we had ironed out the few hiccups we had encountered in the first double lock and as the lock keepers were friendly and efficient, I had recovered my composure and had no problems working while people were watching. As in other places along the route, the Australian flag on our boat was a talking point, but fortunately nobody asked any dumb questions today.

The locking went very smoothly for us and I had time to chat to the young man who was our lock keeper today. He was cheerful and a really calm young man and like the other keepers, he was a university student who was doing this in his vacation. He had also studied overseas and had lived for a time in the beautiful Margaret River region of Western Australia, so he was most enthusiastic about Australia and very keen to hear what I thought of Sweden. I also noticed that he conversed fluently to the people on a German boat in the convoy, so I guessed that a requirement for this work would be the ability to speak English and/or German.

Around lunch time, we stopped for an hour at Lyrestad while we waited for a passenger boat to pass up the canal.




This gave us time to stretch our legs, grab a bite to eat and drink and to talk to the other boat owners. We discovered that the three other boats in our group locking together were new purchases. We had noticed that people seemed a little slow and uncertain in the locks - is it any wonder when they are still trying to learn how the boats behave? The German boat had a father/son crew. They had bought the boat in Stockholm and were taking her home to Germany. The son spoke outstanding English and told us that he had taught at a university in Sydney for a couple of years. Like us, he was looking forward to the end of the canal part of his trip and was anxious to hoist the sails and really test her out.

When we came to Norrkvarn, the place was packed with school classes on an outingAfter lunch, we continued on to Norrkvarn, which is a place that is touted as the perfect place for a family to stop on the canal journey. They certainly had a lot there, with several pubs, restaurants, a hotel and youth hostel and enormous playing areas for the kids. I bet it is a busy place in summer.




THe houses are coming thick and fast now and you can feel that we are coming closer and closer to the end of the canal. It must be great to look out of your window during the summer and see the parade of passing boats from the comfort of your own home.




As well as people and homes (and cows!) we also saw several churches along the foreshore. They all looked very old and I was sorry that we were not able to stop and take a look at them more closely. Today they look wonderful in the sunshine, with white walls contrasting with the deep blue sky and the lush, green trees and plants around them.




There has been a lot more hopping on and off the boat than I had anticipated today and by the early evening I am feeling quite tired and was absolutely delighted when we came to the outskirts of the small town of Sjötorp - the end of Göta Canal for us! We made it! And without getting a divorce. So much for it's reputation as Sweden's "divorce ditch", though I can see that if a relationship was already a little fragile, the pressures and physical work of a canal trip and the degree of co-operation needed for it all to go smoothly could cause added strains.




It was with a big smile on our faces that we came down the final step of locks and tied up Fiona at the guest pier. The sun is shining, it is 32C and we are here on the shores of Sweden's largest lake, ready to set sail again - well, after a day or so to look around here, prepare the boat and REST!




As we approach mid summer, they daylight hours stretch long into the evening. At around 10p.m., another of the lovely old steamers comes down the lock on her way to Göteborg. It's amazing to watch the locking from the shore and not to have to do it yourself. And it's hard to believe it is still so light so late in the evening. With the cloudy weather we have had lately, it's been hard to judge it accurately.




The morning dawns bright and sunny with gentle breezes. We spent the morning packing up the boat properly, doing a couple of loads of laundry that we left out in the glorious sunshine to dry and walked around the little town of Sjötorp. It was so sunny today that we even set up the bimini for some added shelter, especially for Lambi, who is finding the heat a little much in her old age. Even the birds have been out all day, sitting in the cockpit and twittering at the many passersby. The children seem particularly enchanted by them and several people have asked us about how they manage on a boat. The answer is - brilliantly. They are so very versatile and curious about everything that it's been fun to have them onboard.




We also spent the day mulling over all of the information we have been told about Lake Vänern. From here at Sjötorp directly to Vänersborg where Trollhätte Canal begins is around 64 NM. Any distance we travel north of here must be added to that total. And make no mistake this is an enormous lake, covering an area of 5,655 km². The other consideration is the wind. This high pressure system means we will have poor winds for the next few days, which restricts distances if we want to sail. We can't do it all and we discuss what area we would like to concentrate on.

In the end, we decide to check out the town of Mariestad (literally Marie's town - with a name like that, I just have to go there) and decide after that where else we can go. Hmm.... time for a gin and tonic, I think.




From all of us, Sluss och Kram!