Week 31: Jori, Raimo, Teija and Anu
Saturday 27.07.2013
At 8.40 am this morning we set off from the Kärringsundets visitor harbour, Raimo and Jori had started at 6 am to load the boat with building material, including heavy experimental weather boards. The fog was dence all the way to Märket, and visibility was not much more than ten meters. But Mats steered the boat with plotter and radar.
After unloading on the rocks the previous crew gave us a quick briefing. They were in no uncertain terms ready to leave the lighthouse after their two week duty, the latter one thrust upon them due to stormy weather and the boat not being able to reach the thretcherous waters of Märket to bring in new crew.
Ther were three radio amatours from Sweden, preparing for a 24-hour race on the radiowaves starting today. One of them, Teemu, had roots in Eastern Finland. So, before long it was established that he was distantly related on one of the newcomers, Jori, but they had never met.
Teija was named the cook for the week. She took her responsibilities to heart and cooked us two delicious meals today.
The wind was from the South East, and picked up gradually from morning. At 21 hrs the mist was heavy.
Sauna was had by many, good times by all.
Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu (the team of week 31)
Sunday 28.07.2013
Humidity 100%. The radio amateurs had been up all though the night.
Fresh weather. Temporary radio antennas were collected off the cliffs
Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu (the team of week 31)
Monday 29.07.2013
The radio amatours, Ricky, Thomas and Teemu are leaving this morning. They are out collecting the last of their temporary wire from around the lighthouse.
Mats came to pick the Swedes around ten after a breafast of Teijas mini-omelettes which Thomas at first took for pancakes 🙂
After washing up we burned some trash and the men started work on the new sauna.
At noon it started raining, for a while. Around 2 am there was a sailboat passing close by in the north east and for a while we they were going to land here. But they sailed on.
At lunch the butter seemed strangely soft.. the evening revealed the fridge/freezer gas bottle had run out- Raimo changed a new bottle and even managed to help Teija with the gas oven. We´re having baked apples for tonight.
Still waiting for visitors, please do not pass us by –
Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu
Tuesday 30.07.2013 – A day of visitors
Jori and Raimo hauled the last boards from the shore and installed a window. Around 4 pm they heard talking, went around the corner and saw that a motor boat with several divers had landed.
The visitors were divers from Turku, nine of them, who had been diving on a wreck to the South of Märket. They were delighted for having reached the lighthouse after having tried to several times earlier. Now it was raining and visibility was poor, but wind was almost still.
Jori gave the group a guided tour and they were served coffee and refreshments. Raimo kept them company whilst I took photos and managed the shop and museum. They guests were steaming in their dry suits.
On lsetting off the divers somehow managed to resemble teletubbies in theit gear, waddling into the sea and climbing onboard. Two were pulling and guiding the boat out of the narrow passageway as they left the island. Such fun to watch – please come again!
Wet but Still Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu
Wednesday 31.07.2013
Sitting at the breakfast table we saw the sun come out – this feels like a whole new place now as it shines. It’s not very warm, though.
Mats rang and announced he´s bringing in visitors – they were Uli and Manfred from Germany, Ulis parents Helga and Wolfgang – Manfred having visited a year earlier and Helga having followed the Märket Web cam for years (among others). Then there were matilda and Vellu from Helsinki, both first time visitors.
Coffee and fresh blueberry bun (thanks Mats!) were served after the guided tour. We were presented with generous gifts from Heiligenstadt.. To be enjoyed later.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
-W. Shakespeare, Macbeth
I keep wondering why dishes are washed on ground level. It involves a lot of carrying down and up several times a day. We have lost two drinking glasses to the shaking of buckets in the narrow long stairs this week. Maybe once the new sauna is ready, a water pump will be installed on this level meant for sauna but it would ease the washing up at this end as well. So much cold be done to make things easier.
Washing dishes and preparing food are repetive tasks and do not get the press building and repairing do.
Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu
Thursday 1.8.2013
Jürgen and Frank had visited Understen lighthouse on their way to Märket from Kappelskär and they were on the way to Turku via Mariehamn
Friday 2.8.2013
A day of cleaning. And taking down scaffolding.
Mats brought 11 visitors over from Godby, Åland. Their trip was childrens 70th birthday gift to mother. The wind blew from North and it was hard to land in the usual place. Mats had to take passangers in with a smaller boat.
It was a truly lovely and sunny day – not counting the swarms of tiny flies that invaded the calm spots.
After supper on the patio we saw a seal. First one of the week. But so far my pocket camera had no chance to capture its evening basking in the lowering evening sun.
Greetings from Märket
Jori, Raimo, Teija ja Anu