When did things get so scary

I'm baaaaaaack, not for long and I haven't gone far but as I enjoy writing my blogs and it helps me remember and realise all the things I actually did.....so here it is.

Heading off to Stockholm to visit Kattis for a week and try some Ice yachting and who knows what else. 

Its been a year since I got the dog, walnut, and only the second time I have left her and this time I have a house sitter and before I had even made it to the plane the ridiculous creature had managed to set herself free and go off to Wolfys (Leslie's). She never fails to amaze me on her alternative homing instinct, hopefully it won't be end of me going away.

Anyway I landed in Stockholm and went to wander through immigration to discover that it was way more like trying to get in the US than the last time I came and we were still in the EU.

Even I began to question my validity in coming when they asked me who I was visiting. I couldn't remember, never mind actually say or spell Kattis' surname or where she lived. Ha ha

To Kattis' penthouse flat ( though technically as someone else also lives on the floor maybe its not) that to be honest still not really sure where it is. We rustled up some Fajitas and impressed ourselves in doing so before hitting the hay for the big ice boating day in the morning.

We awoke to it snowing I was sooo excited, Kattis was very sad.....snow is no good for ice boating......still I was excited anyway.

After some rice sausage for breakfast....which is essentially badly packaged rice pudding we headed off to the ice in a roughly NE direction from wherever we were!

Ice ice baby......couldn't resist. They are relatively simple boats ice yachts....but at the same time super technical if you at the opposite end of skillset to me

Adjustable shrouds and forestay, you can tension your mainhalyard, there is only a mainsheet and tiller that sits in front of you. The hull sits on a cross beam plank with blades at each end and a third/rudder/steering blades at the front.

You lie on your back and you really have to lie down otherwise you hit your head on the boom. Its pretty hard to see mainly because you are suddenly in a position where you realise your head must be made of lead. I recall once trying to weigh my head on set of bathroom scales and after today it sure feels heavier than what the kid in Jerry Maquire said....8lbs (3.8kg) felt like 10kg at least to me.

Well, the boat was rigged and that was it, off I was to go. There were about 10 other ice boaters, a million skaters and even some wingers and I was poop pooping myself at the expectation of just getting in and having a go never mind not hitting someone or something.....stopping isnt really a thing that happens quickly.

When did that happen, when did things start seeming way more scary.....what am I scared of.....failing, breaking, being a bit rubbish. I miss the bolder lets crash and burn attitude I had.

However it wasn't longer before I was at the point of just the wrong amount of knowledge and too much self belief and despite my head wanting to drop off I was ripping around probably too quickly and lifting a blade, lucky most people had cleared off.

Scare yourself and push yourself....tick

We walked, while one sailed in no time, to an island in the ice where the clubhouse is and BBQ'd some burgers......165yrs old this particular club has been going and wow the changes in the boats is amazing, but the season is short the weather can kill the sport and they cover some countries chasing the ice!

There is plenty more to come including a trip on an ice yacht from 1903!

All in all a pretty smart first day!