Sailors are superstitious. They have always been. Although I consider myself an atheist guy with a fair amount of scientific education, I bow to the vastness and endless riddles of the universe we live in. As a sailor, I stand in awe facing the raw might and endless beauty of nature. I don´t believe in superstition, but, well … I believe that there are more things we don´t now than those we can be sure about. And sometimes, things go in mysterious ways. Such as this little nice story you are about to read.
Some weeks ago I hand over another Oceanis 30.1 to their owners. These guys were in a way completely unusual compared to my ordinary clients, although all of them are special in their own ways. The owners of this beautiful grey boat are Americans, which is the first noticable fact: Being skilled seafarers their whole life, having sailed (and built by themselves!) yachts up to 50 feet, they fell in love with Europe, the history and – of course – as such with the Baltic Sea. Sailing the Baltic Sea is the best way to grasp the different cultures of the European countries sharing a coastline with this sea and also getting to know our history.
Discovering the richness of the Baltic Sea
So they bought the smallest Oceanis in our range, knowing that this little yacht is able to sail quickly, offer enough internal volume to being able to take everything with them they´d need and being small enough to snug into those countless little beautiful harbors the Baltic Sea is known for. Harbors and anchorages, of course. They sailed some weeks ago from Luebeck – course set due North-East, heading to Sweden. Some days ago, I found an email in my inbox, sent by the couple. Subject heading: “Omega 42”.
That was a surprise! Attached were three pictures. I read the mail: “Hello Lars. Greetings from the Island of Rånö.” I smiled and felt humble. This story is so beautiful in a multitude of layers. First of all, Ranö. You, dearest reader, might remember my Oceanis 30.1 sailing adventure with the very prototype some four years ago? I was able to receive the boat from the yard and sail her 540 miles to Stockholm where the wunderful promotional video had later been shot. An unforgettable cruise for sure!
The very first island we dropped our anchor arriving at the Stockholm Archipelago at that time was … Ranö! So here´s a nice co-incidence which makes me smile and thank the universe: One of my customers, having bought the very same boat, sails the Baltic Sea and by chance drops anchor at exactly the same place! How are the odds? The Archipelago consists of hundreds, if not thousands, of islands. And they visit this place in exactly the same boat as I did. But that is not all …
This must be a sign …
The text in the e-mail goes on: “We have spotted several Omega 42-boats as we approach Stockholm. Here is one tied to the rocks adjacent to us.” I open the attached pictures and my smile instantly becomes brighter. A beautiful, long and sleek white boat is moored to a rock. As they do it in Sweden, bow first just under a meter away from the stones, kept in place by a stern anchor and big bolts nailed to the rocks. What a great view!
Behind the Omega 42 I can see the Oceanis 30.1, the very boat I handed over some weeks ago – the same color and design as URSUS, the prototype I sailed to this exact place. This picture means so much to me! Somehow, even if I am not superstitious at all, this is a good harbinger. I remember talking to Stefan, owner of Omega 42 WINDFAENGER answering his question what I wanted to with my own boat once she would be finished. My answer was as such: “After shakedown and sea trials, of course, my first destination must be Sweden!” And I mean it!
Looking at the pictures the crew of DORIAN made for me I feel absolutely assured that this must be the plan. As a Swedish icon of yacht design the Omega 42 must sail to where she was conceived and made. Those islands are her natural habitat, she is meant and made to sail between these small and big rocks. Apart from this, still, of all my sailing voyages, discovering the Swedish Archipelago is the greatest sailing trip of my life so far. It´s a must to go there again.
A happy, exciting, beautiful voyage!
And so I wish the crew of DORIAN a safe and happy voyage, say thank you so much for caring about my passion and thinking of me during their own trip. Thanks so much! It is a real honor for me personally that you guys have decided to buy your boat through my company and seeing your star spangled banner flying in “my home turf” discovering the European history and culture means much to me. I wish you both many, many, many more happy miles on DORIAN!
As I know from Google Analytics, apparently twenty per cent of you, dearest readers, are Americans. This is the single biggest audience filtered by geography and this fact even more underlines my connection to the US, maybe also to this particular story. So, maybe, even if I am not religious at all, this little nice story of coincidence, chance and luck is a beautiful example for the fact that somehow, in the smallest and in the biggest, everything seems to be connected and related. And this, in turn, comforts my mind and makes me smile even a bit more.
Also interesting and related:
Swedish Archipelago Adventure
Sailing Sweden, all articles
Building my Omega 42