A bare rock that looks as flat as if the waves of the first winter storm would effortlessly crash over it. But on it stands the lighthouse, supported by red-painted steel lattice. A few yellow houses gleam dimly in the hazy twilight, and further back, as fine as needles, the masts of a few sailing yachts loom. This is how we see Utklippan for the first time.
One of the most unusual guest harbours in the Baltic Sea
This lost outpost lies about ten nautical miles off the Swedish south coast, uninhabited. There are certainly guests: boat crews (in summer), a few fishermen (in winter), a few birdwatchers from time to time - and flocks of seabirds. A nature reserve, and one of the most unusual guest harbours in the entire Baltic Sea.
Two skerries make up the main area of the archipelago. Even if you count them generously, they each measure no more than 250 metres in diameter. The northern of the two, Norraskär, is home to the harbour, a basin blasted out of the granite, slightly smaller than a football pitch. It was created in the 1940s as a harbour for small boats. The lighthouse and all the other buildings huddle together on Södraskär.
You can only get across by swimming or by boat - either with your own dinghy or on hire with the rowing boat that the Svenska Kryssarklubben has kindly "stationed" on the island for this purpose.
Recently, however, there has also been some limited construction activity on Norraskär: a modest toilet block has been erected next to the ticket machine for the mooring fee (a flat rate of 230 Swedish kronor, or 24 euros).
A fire blossom burnt here as early as 1690
In the evening, we cross over to Södraskär. The excursion café seems to have closed for the foreseeable future at least, so we continue on to the lighthouse, whose mighty door is also firmly closed. As early as 1690, a lighthouse was burning on the same spot to warn ships of the obstacle. The current tower was built in 1870, as a stone inscription reveals. Around a century later, when the tower was finally automated, the last lighthouse keeper left Utklippan.
We hike further across the island. Only a few bushes, pressed down by the wind, have found a foothold on the humped rock, furrowed by glacial ice. In the far south, an antiquated signalling cannon still stands as if forgotten, pointing out to sea. And then it suddenly appears, silently, as if out of nowhere: a fog bank! Fortunately, after just a few steps back, the shadowy foundations of the tower loom up in front of us, and we soon reach the jetty. The path across the water is not far and we reach the entrance to the harbour before darkness sets in
Utklippan comes to life
The fog of the night has lifted the next morning and an almost blue sky stretches over Utklippan and its small forest of masts. Early in the morning, the first commands resound through the rectangular basin, winches whir and "doldrums" sputter to life. Many crews have a long way to go, and the day doesn't start very promisingly, at least from a sailing perspective. For the first time since we started our trip a good week ago, the Baltic Sea is smooth and windless.
Sunlight sparkles on the surface of the sea, and even the smallest pebbles, which only protrude a few centimetres out of the water, lie there dry.
Oystercatchers and herring gulls use it as a vantage point, and further out some seals warm their plump fur. We join the procession of departing yachts and leave this outpost. Although it remains hazy, the hilly profile of the coast, barely ten nautical miles ahead, is already clearly recognisable.
The course is north-north-west, towards Karlskrona - our first "real" landfall on the Swedish south coast. The second half of our Baltic Sea cruise with the Cruising Club of Switzerland has begun (Part 1 with Bornholm and the Pea Islands: see here).
King Karl's harbour
Karlskrona bears the name of its founder, Charles XI. The monarch, who reigned from 1660 to 1697, did not leave much of a lasting legacy, but Sweden's fortunes at sea had run out and the country (and the king) had a reputation to lose as ruler of the Baltic Sea. So the crown issued an order to build a war harbour. And even though there was hardly a fleet worth mentioning in the meantime, their new home was very well chosen.
Karlskrona lies on the north side of a bay that is closed off from the open sea by four large wooded skerries. Only the centre of the very narrow passages is passable for deep-draught ships. The main fairway now also leads us between these two islands, Aspö on the port side and Tjurkö on the starboard side. Only the nautical chart reveals another obstacle for overzealous attackers: at the narrowest point, a barrier has been erected that reaches just below the surface of the water. Fortunately, the gap, which is barely two cable lengths wide, is clearly marked by two lighted sea markers.
Behind it opens up the yttre reden, the outer roadstead, with the striking "Godnatt" beacon, a massive fortress tower with a tiny lantern house on its copper roof.
A large ferry approaches us from the terminal on the island of Verkö on our starboard side. We keep to port, weave our way between a few skerries and just a few minutes later we are alongside the first floating dock of Karlskrona stadsmarina, which faces north-east. The marina is one of the largest and best equipped in the area. The fee of 260 kroner (28 euros) for our 13-metre Trader is collected at the jetty. www.karlskronastadsmarina.se
When the Russians ran aground
From the marina, it's a fifteen-minute walk to Stortorget, the city centre square. Two magnificent baroque churches dominate the backdrop, the Fredrikskyrkan, which is currently on the rise, and the Trefaldighetskyrkan with its columned front and dome - just two of the monuments that have helped the city onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The streets around the square are lined with restaurants and cafés to suit all tastes.
Even when the weather is reasonably warm, most of the action takes place on the street, which is typical of Scandinavia. Mediterranean lifestyle in the far north!
The UNESCO stone heritage site naturally also includes örlogsbas, the old naval base from the time of Charles XI, which is still watched over by the bronze effigy of his admiral Hans Wachtmeister. Although the old dry dock has long since been abandoned, the area is still used by the navy and coastguard. The main attraction, however, is the modern building of the Naval Museum, whose exhibition sheds light on many aspects of Swedish maritime history - from the sailing ships of the line from the time of King Charles to the Cold War, from whose threats even neutral Sweden was not protected.
For example, in October 1981, when the submarine "S-363" of the Baltic Red Banner Fleet ran aground not far from Karlskrona.
A fisherman noticed the shipwrecked vessel, which was then surrounded by the Swedish navy. The Soviets did not want to know anything about espionage and cited a navigational error as the cause. The boat and crew were eventually released. However, doubts remained, especially as similar "mistakes" continued to happen afterwards. www.marinmuseum.se
In a maze of rocks
Our course continues westwards across Västra fjärden and through the Hasslö swing bridge, following the coast. The wind is back with a vengeance and blows across the deep blue Baltic Sea. If you stick your head out, your cheeks quickly turn red. But downwind, in the shelter of the archipelago, it's summer.
There's hardly a rock that doesn't have a hut with deckchairs in front of it, or a jetty from which children can swim.
The fairway winds its way through this rocky maze for around 30 nautical miles. Without a plotter, you have to pay close attention and have binoculars and a map to hand at all times in order to accurately identify the floating poles, beacons and steel towers ahead and not stray from the right path. Some of the rocky outcrops covered in pine trees, lichen and dry grass are as dense as in Boköfjärden, south of the island of Tärnö.
Karlshamn announces itself from afar: a tall, crusty chimney on the western bank of the river Mieån serves as an unmistakable landmark.
There are several harbours in the surrounding area, but we decide to dock in the centre. So we round the bastions of the fortress island of Kastellholmen and enter the river, with shiny metal industrial plants with intricate pipework on the left and the light-coloured plaster facades of Hamngatan with patina-green spires behind them on the right.
Baltic Sea Festival in Karlshamn
At the floating jetties of the city harbour ( www.karlshamn.se ) there is exactly one place left for us. Pure coincidence, because just as coincidentally, the annual "Östersjöfestivalen" begins that evening, during which Karlshamn becomes a visitor magnet for the whole region for a long weekend - and moorings are in great demand. Ferris wheel and carnival in front of the town hall, live rock bands in the harbour, plenty to eat and even more to drink. Illuminated pavilions, surround sound on the flybridge, an Azimut on the right, a Sunseeker on the left: it's like being in the Mediterranean again! And we're actually quite happy about that, because otherwise Karlshamn's attractions are rather modest compared to Karlskrona.
Over to Hanö
We are now leaving the area of the protected archipelago coast, a longer sea leg is on the cards, at some distance from the coast, out to Simrishamn. But first we have to make time for a stopover on the island that gave the whole bay its name: Hanö. It's about ten nautical miles from Karlshamn on a right-hand course of 190 degrees until we round the north-western tip of the strikingly high island and enter its small harbour. We are greeted by red wooden houses (café, mini-market, island museum) and the stiffly rattling flags of the Baltic Sea countries - Sweden, just like in a picture book!
The best spot on the pier is reserved for the excursion boat that comes from Hanösund on the mainland, but it's cosy too.
In addition to the few dozen islanders, the population of Hanö also includes a small group of holidaymakers. If, like us, you only have a few hours at your disposal and would like to have the full view, you should make the climb to the highest point of the island, where the white fire tower of Hanö fyr towers 60 metres above the sea. The path up first leads through the small village - where you can fortify yourself with freshly baked waffles along the way - and continues through mixed forest, which huddles shyly against the slope, up to the bare hilltop. The strongest beacon in the Baltic Sea is said to turn here.
So bright that, according to legend, it even blinded and brought down a dragon in the flesh, which until then had flown back and forth between Hanö and Tärnö every night.
It's just as well that it's daylight now and we can enjoy the view. We can see the archipelago to the north, Karlshamn and the route we have taken. To the west, very close, the Listerlandet peninsula. And behind it, as a blue, wavy strip, the coast of Schonen. It's still 30 nautical miles to Simrishamn. We could be lying on the beach there in just a few hours. Time to set off!
Nautical information
The Hanö Bay
Hanö Bay (Swedish: Hanöbukten) is part of the southern Baltic Sea. It is bordered to the north by the coast of the Swedish province of Blekinge with its offshore archipelago, and to the west by the long sandy beaches of the coast of Scania. To the south, it extends nautically to the northern tip of Bornholm. The eponymous island of Hanö lies about two nautical miles off the coast of the small peninsula of Listerlandet.
Between the outermost mainland points of Torhamns Udde near Karlskrona in the east and Sandhammaren in the west, Hanö Bay stretches for around 70 nautical miles. Stralsund, the nearest major German harbour town, is around 100 nautical miles from Sandhammaren.
There are two Swedish army firing ranges on the west coast of the bay: Ravlunda north of Simrishamn and Rinkaby north of Åhus. The coastal area in front of them is closed during live exercises. Information about the dates can be obtained from the harbours in the area. A training area (of the navy) is also designated south of Karlskrona. Closures are also announced in good time here
The harbours
The coast of Hanö Bay offers a whole range of mooring options, from small fishing harbours (often with murings) to large city marinas with modern floating jetties and a comprehensive range of services and facilities. Karlskrona and Simrishamn in particular belong to the second category, which is one of the reasons why they are among the stopover destinations on most cruises in the area.
Boat and club
The motor yacht "Rolling Swiss II", a 13.30 metre Trader 42, belongs to the Cruising Club of Switzerland (CCS) and is used for training and cruising trips. The seaworthy semi-glider is technically state-of-the-art and offers space for six people. Within the CCS, the motorboat section forms an important division of its own. With around 6,500 members, the club is one of the largest in the country and is a leader in the field of deep-sea training in recreational boating. www.ccs-motorboot.ch
