Each year Hallberg-Rassy hosts an Open Yard for sailors and dreamers at Ellös on the island of Orust on the west coast of Sweden. Now in its 25th year, it’s the largest sailboat show in Scandinavia offering the chance to meet boat builders and equipment suppliers. Also on show are pre-owned boats of Hallberg-Rassy, Najad, Malö plus other premium brands too. It’s always been our goal to visit the birthplace of Blue Heeler!
Blue Heeler was built at the Ellös yard of Hallberg-Rassy in 1996 – Production number 100. Only 209 HR-39s were built between 1991 and 2003.
We left Blue Heeler berthed at Mollösund and our friend Karl drove us to Ellös to inspect the new models, walk through the workshops and visit the origin of our floating home.
Wayne and Karl checking out the gadgets on the new model 57
On display at the event was the new 57 foot Hallberg-Rassy. On board we chatted to CEO Magnus Rassy, the son of founder Christoph Rassy. The 57 is a beautiful yacht with a spacious interior, exquisite detail and finish with European Oak. Although well out of our price range, it was a pleasure to look over the new 57 and imagine us at the helm sailing it around the world. We also stepped aboard the same model currently under construction so we could see details usually unseen and hidden behind finished woodwork. I also had the opportunity to meet Christoph Rassy, the original founder of Hallberg Rassy, who was very pleased we had sailed all the way from Australia and said Blue Heeler was most welcome to berth at the Hallberg Rassy docks.
There were a number of used Hallberg-Rassy, Najad and Malö for sale at the Open Yard. One HR39 almost identical to ours was for sale (its production number is 47).
HR39 #100 constructed here
The visit allowed Wayne the chance to speak with Volvo dealers, other exhibitors, carpenters and boat-builders, plus visit the Spare Parts section where almost any part for a Hallberg-Rassy yacht can be sourced.
We’ve owned Blue Heeler ten years this month and we’ve kept the boat maintained as best as we can, but it helps having a well-made and sturdy vessel.
All being well, Blue Heeler should look after us for at least another ten years!
The HR39 is no longer produced but here is a link to find out more about this model.
On a side note, it’s said the canal is also known as the ‘divorce ditch’ due to the anxieties of navigating through the network of locks, narrow canals and passing through or under bridges. But after weeks in the Erie Canal and the Inland Waterways of the USA in 2015, and navigating through the Mast Up Route in the Netherlands this year, this trip was just another day of living the dream – haha!
Narrow parts of the canal are carefully navigated, so we paid particular attention to the depth and height, as overhanging trees may cause problems too. Lock and bridge openings were generally timely, although a few have set opening times. All this information is available from 
Stockholm is the most populated city in all of the Nordic countries, with almost two million people. Spread over fourteen islands, and a myriad of connecting bridges, Stockholm is often referred to the ‘Venice of the North’, but this is also applicable to many other watery Northern European cities we’ve visited such as Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Stralsund and Lübeck. Whatever the label, Stockholm is certainly stylish.
Wasahamnen is located on the west coast of Djurgården – once the Royal hunting grounds, but now a lovely outdoor area with cycle tracks, impressive old homes, a Royal abode, the Skansen living history park, and the Nordic Museum. It’s also home to a number of tourist places such as the Gröna Lund amusement park, the Vikingaliv centre with an interactive session on vikings for the kids, the famous Vasa Museum displaying the 400 year old man-o-war, and of course, the ABBA Museum.
Back out in the southern islands of the Stockholm Skärgård, we considered sailing south around the bottom of Sweden around to Norway, rather than pass east to west through Sweden along the Göta Canal. But with a few days of strong southerlies on their way, the decision was made to head west.
From Åland to the northern islands of the Stockholm archipelago or skärgård is less than 30nm – a day sail. It also means winding the clock back one hour, so now sunset is around 9.30pm.
The geology and climate of this region reminds me of our 2015 trip through 
As you’ll have read in the news, a heatwave is over the entire region, including UK and Europe. Humid days over 30degC had us jumping in the cool water everyday in water that is usually around 23degC. The teak deck heats up in the hot sun and when we lay down the water steams off our skins.
First Wayne slowly poked the boat’s nose in, me on the bow making sure it was deep enough. It’s a little unnerving anchoring this way as we’ve spent the past ten years trying to avoid rocks, and here we are literally driving up to a rock wall! Once we’d established the depth was deep enough, Wayne reversed the boat, from the stern I threw the Max anchor and 5m of heavy chain over the transom and let the rode flow through the fairlead. I gave the lazy end to Wayne to brake the boat as needed, then I went to the bow and prepared my lines. Closer, closer, then… jump! Standing on the granite I grabbed the pulpit and stopped the boat from going any further while Wayne tightened the stern line. I then tied the bow lines up to nearby trees. Sorted!
Such a hot afternoon, we jumped and dived from the rock like a couple of teenagers! What a great spot! Plus our plan of arriving before lunch seemed to work as most people are on the move by then. A few power boats came into the anchorage for the afternoon. As luck would have it, a 35’ Targa power boat promptly dropped his anchor on our stern anchor immediately snagging our rode. He then began pulling it up! Ugh, there’s always one!
From the exquisite city of Helsinki, we navigated west following the southern islands of Finland’s 
At the Kökar gasthamn, a smooth massive slab of granite is easily mistaken for a boat ramp. Laying reptile-like on the warm slab were a few bikini clad young women with fake tans and a few pale guys catching some vitamin D as the temperature inched up to 18degC. Campers, motorhomes and yachts fill up the surrounding area, keeping the small grocery shop busy supplying smoked fish, recently baked bread, ice creams and freshly baked cinnamon buns, plus various other supplies.
Mariehamn, the main town of 
With hot weather and calm seas, a yellow algae forms in the Baltic. We’ve noticed patches of algae since leaving Germany and the warmer weather has increased its spread. Apparently the toxic one to look out for is the greenish cyanobacteria, which is essentially caused by pollution. At the moment it’s just small bits of yellow algae, and doesn’t look very inviting to swim. But with the outside temperature hitting 30degC as a heatwave builds over the Baltic, we still jumped in to stay cool.
