A fairly short trip today and one where we pottered around checking out various places. The first place was Gullholmen. After leaving our mooring about 9am we stuck our nose into Gullholmen to see what berths were available. A cosy harbour, there were various options from alongside outside the harbour to stern buoys and mooring lines inside. Shortly after that we hoisted the staysail and main and whispered our way to Ellös in a very light breeze. We also stuck our head around the jetties (under sail) to see the berthing options there – stern buoys on the outside and mooring lines on the inside …..
From there we sailed downwind in an increasing breeze to the Bokenäset Hotel shortly before Henån. Just before the hotel we took the sails down to have a quick look at their guest harbour. The presence of a spa, sauna and various other appealing activities was tempting, the strong south-westerly blowing straight onto the jetties, less so! So we headed round the corner to an SXK mooring in a small bay off Dragsmark. This was a bit more sheltered , though the gusts coming through the anchorage did lead to us dancing around the buoy somewhat ….
After lunch we headed ashore for a walk around. It is a small place, but the first stop was Dragsmarks Church and monastery. The chiurch was still standing, the monastery less so. It was apparently called the Monasterium de Silva Sanctae Maria and was founded in the 13th century. It was owned by the Premonstratensians (!) – This was apparently a diminutive name, the full name being the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré. In Britain and Ireland they were better known as the White Canons, a term that sounds more like a 1970s heavy metal band. This monastery was very prosperous in its time but was abandoned in the mid-16th century.
After a quick look round the church and monastery area we headed round a woodland walk – the ground carpeted with white wood anenomes. A beautiful walk ……
