This is a free, nature reserve harbour with a pontoon to tie to the outside of with the use of a stern buoy. Unfortunately there was an easterly blowing when I got there, making it a wee bit choppy on that coast. But I made the best of it by squeezing in behind the deserted pontoon and tying alongside it. I’d just got Zoph and me comfortable when A gale warning came on the radio. Easterly force 8 soon. I decided that this lee shore wasn’t the ideal place in a gale and buggered off to Stora Bredskär (No.99), less than half a mile away. In a westerly however this might be a pleasant spot to stop in. Watch out for the very shallow and drying rocks in the bay to the east (ed note: also watch out for the rock just in front of the jetty), particularly if heading from here to Stora Bredskär or, as I did, out, out through the rocks to the south looking to make a passage to Tallinn.
Underway to Stora Brändö
Before I tied to the pontoon I had skirted all round the island looking for an anchorage on a weather shore, but without much luck. Most of the way round the rock was a bit steep and the sea a bit deep. But you might have better luck finding a rock round here, depending on the wind direction. Because of my very short-lived tenure of this spot I omitted to take any photos, so this one is of motoring about in a dead flat calm between Elisaari and Helsinki, so pretty close to here really.
Locate Stora Brändö on the map and find more adjacent harbours and marinas here.
More information on Stora Brändö can be found from: uuvi.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.