Sunday 1.5.2016

First sight ever of Märket for the first timer Tipe.

On the way to Märket Mats drove slowly near some small skerries where gray seals rested changing their winter hair to ‘summer coats’. We got to see them from quite near. They were very curious over us, and rolled over and dived near the boat.

Already before departure to Märket while waiting for Mats, Anne tested the warmth of the Åland Sea in Käringsund harbour while trying to photograph the row of boat houses from an interesting angle. She already had to put to use her second set of clothes.

Nice to have met you! Have a wonderful week – have a nice tour back home!

While changing crew the Arctic terns returned to their breeding grounds on Märket. The week 17 crew was happy to hear them screeking familiarly. Later we saw three white-tailed eagles resting on a nearby skerry.

Round tour and safety review for the first-timer – and for all of us.

Monday 2.5.2016

Pasi taught us ‘girls’ how to use the winch to wind up and down the rubber boat.

Then Emilia, Kaija and Tipe went out to sea to learn how the boat behaves in the waves, and they cruised around Märket.

Pasi sent Emilia over to the roof of the engine room to sweep the chimney of the hot pot, and went up himself to help her out. The duo HHH (Hammarlandin Hormihuolto) succeeded in finishing the job, and the smoke rouse up freely again in the chimney.

Pasi, Anne and Emilia cruised with the rubber boat to Märketskallen to see what interested the four white-tailed eagles so much. They found 3 seal puppy corpses in the cracks of the rocks. The eagles had not been able to grab them from the deep cracks.

Kaija and Emilia oiled the sauna benches to give them a long life – both the benches and themselves.

For dinner to accompany the two macaroni casseroles (one with minced meat and one with soy granules) Anne baked delicious rolls.

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Fixing of the front door of the lighthouse.

Agreeing that a shelf for shampoo bottles would be convenient, Pasi held us a PPP course in woodwork, and we made one for the sauna. While making it we had lessons in using various tools e.g. a circular saw. (PPP = Pasin puutyön perusteet)

Ready for sauna.

Kaija took an inventory of the products of the Märket shop. Tourists are welcomed to buy e.g. Märket souveniers, lighthouse calendars, and send post in first day cover.

Pasi continued improving the chimney of the hot water pot. He made two hatches to the chimney pipe to ease the sweeping in the future.

Wednesday 4.5.2016

Pasi repaired the hatch of the sauna’s hot water pot with a ‘toho’ (fluid gas burner).

Kaija and Tipe who did not yet visit Märketskallen did it today. Emilia joined them. Emilia almost stepped on an owl. It flew away but stayed on the skerry. It was a long-eared owl, obviously resting on it’s migration up north. Later it flew to Märket, and we could observe it all evening long.

”We love Märket”. Photo taken from Märketskallen.

Today we did some inventories: the cuttlery, cups, plates, buckets, lifewests, etc.

Kaija washed some windows of the lighthouse, and got this nice photograph of the beautiful Märket scenery.

Thursday 5.5.2016 Ascension Thursday

Yesterday evening at half past eight Märket got its first visitor this week. A kayaker Henkka landed at the seal rocks. We shook his cold hands, and were sorry the sauna was not heated that evening. But we welcomed him warmly with hot tea and newly baked rolls and ‘pulla’.

He told us that he had started his paddling journey from Turku (Finland) where his brother had dropped him and his gear. He comes from inland Joensuu (Eastern Finland), and his plan is to paddle around Scandinavia! That will take him about 3 to 4 months. Henkka put his tent up and quessed he would not be here for coffee in the morning. He planned to continue to Understen and further along the Swedish coast towards Norway. Follow Henkka’s trip on his site at Locorock.fi.

At 3 o’clock in the morning Kaija and Tipe saw light in the tent, and in the morning our visitor was gone. Later we also noticed that our earlier visitor, the long-eared owl had continued its migration.

The crew had morning coffee outdoors alone, accompanied ‘only’ by the surrounding birds.

Luckily Märket got more visitors in the morning – a gray seal landed on Märket. On the photo you can see us, the four lazy ones, lying on the rocks staring at each other curiously.

We continued doing the inventories, and e.g. repainted the fairway signs guiding to the ‘old harbour’.

After a very beautiful, calm and warm day, we had a possibility to enjoy a beautiful sunset – once again.

Friday 6.5.2016

Every morning this week the sky has been clear.

Mats brought 14 ladies from an Eckerö kindergarden ‘Daghemmet Nyckelpigan’ to spend their spring leasure day on Märket.

Heating of all ovens every day is very important to get rid of the moistness in the lighthouse caused by the winter.

Six persons arrived with a private boat – they appeared to be special guests. Lady Marianne Brus (born 1929) from Understen lighthouse with her ‘crew’ (Sweden, 12 kilometres away from Märket, now military area). She was born on Understen, and she has been living and later working on Understen. She has visited Märket often but was pleased to return to Märket again on this sunny day We were very curios listening to her past in this area.

Greetings from Märket and from Anne, Emilia, Kaija, Pasi and Tipe