It’s a somewhat convoluted trail into this harbour on Kökar (ed. note: the harbour is called Karlby, there are two other harbour on the north side of the island of Kökar), but most of it is marked with painted leading lines. By the time you get in you have the impression of having turned round in several full spirals. We went in in crap, downpourish weather and a strong south-westerly, in which the initial entry through the outer rocks was a bit fraught. But it’s a well used channel to a secure, if slightly rundown harbour, in a pretty spot.
There are 2 significant downsides. Firstly, the superannuated teddy boy who took our money demanded more for berthing than I’ve paid anywhere in the Baltic apart from the centre of Stockholm. Secondly, there was no hot water at all in the showers. I was endeavouring to scrub my bod in freezing cold water when the cantankerous old bloke who seemed to constitute the night shift burst in. A very rare Scandian who spoke not a word of English, he flung open all the windows to admit the gale and the driving rain and, by means of hand signals, angrily told me that there was no hot water. This was a fact of which I was all too painfully aware. Overpriced even if, as with luck will be the case if you go there, the shower did work, but a good place to sit out a hurricane without being disturbed by so much as a ripple.
Leaving Kokar to the south, before the channel gets convoluted
The main village and quay right inshore
Locate Kökar on the map and find more adjacent harbours and marinas here.
More information on Kökar/Karlby can be found from: www.guestharbours.fi
Disclaimer. While Martin Edge and Sail in Finland have taken every precaution to ensure that the information in this post is correct, it is not a replacement for proper charts. Safe navigation is the responsibility of the skipper and Sail in Finland assumes no responsibility for accidents occurring while entering or leaving the harbour.