Saturday 7.7.2007 – The new gang

Weather
Cloudy, rough and big waves. Drizzle but not heavy rain in the afternoon. Seems wind is increasing towards the night.

Events
Lighthouse guard shift changed under rough conditions. Previous guards rowed to pick the new group from the Granberg’s boat, and the landing through waves succeeded mostly with good luck and some skills. The radioamateurs and one seal greeted the new posse and especially their food supplies. Lighthouse getting slightly crowded some of the new guards decided to put up the tent inside the warehouse. We hope the water level won’t raise too much…With the words of those who came before us: Market over and out

 

Sunday 8.7.2007 – Porridge and mysteries

Weather in the morning: cloudy, foggy, wind appr.10 m/s. The waves hit Market from two directions, north-west and south-east. It’s impossible to land in this weather. We definately are on the edge of the World!

Misty drizzle started around 10am.

Breakfast: oatmeal porridge, coffee, tea, bread and Lars’ stories.

The mystery of the lighthouse:
The five had grilled beef, fresh potates, boiled carrots, salad, bread and red wine for lunch.

The event got started, when strange backpack was found in the corner during kitchen cleaning. When asking nobody claimed owning it. Inside the bag were large jeans, a shirt, three apples, two tetras of pineapple juice and an orange. The biggest surprise was found under the clothes: a huge tube (Nikon ED)! The eyes of five expanded and athmosphere changed electric: WHAT does this mean? WHO had left the rucksack on the island? WHO were the women on the pink note found in the jean’s pocket? And HAS the amateurs something to do with anything?

…to be continued…

 

Monday 9.7.2007 – Dramatic nights, work loaded days

The wind didn’t settle down at the night, quite the opposite. It kept going around the rock and the waves hit the shore in each direction. In front of the SW harbour waves crossed perfectly. About 1am water started raising so that it hit over the SE cliff right into the bay where the boats were tighted up.

Lighthouse guards sleeping in the tent inside the warehouse listened to the waves and realised it’s time to check the boats. When they exit the warehouse, a huge wave crossed the island, and the radioamateurs ran out to save their boat, which was tightened on a rock in the bay. Just when they loosened the ropes, another wave hit them. Luckily only damage it did was wet the guys thoroughly. After a hard work they managed to fast the boat behind our little red dinghy, but right then another wave hit almost throwing the boats and the guys against the cliff. The boats and men stayed upwards, although slightly shaken. The little red one was lifted up to the shadow of the lighthouse and another boat tightly fastened. The wind kept blowing…

In the morning we checked the weather and informed the mainland that no tourists can land Market today. We were expecting twelve visitors to arrive, but unfortunately they had to cancel their visit. Instead we started working: we chopped wood, emptied the bio toilet (a bit nasty at first, but most of the stuff was well decayed) and started to build a new bio waste container. Lars Nikko, the Obi-wan Kenobi of radio amateurs, gave us his helping hand and the box was ready in no time. Tomorrow we start growing our own herbs here..: )

When Lars was having fun with us, other radio amateurs worked constantly with their Nobel-prized software and high technology thingys. Reflecting via meteorites, moon and some other objects they reached their target, more than six thousand contacts around the World. Eric Wennström, Peter Rosenthal, P-O Olsson, Stellan Wersen and of course Lars were more than satisfied because of that. We were amazed. Non so bad for amateurs! But amongst us, the guards, we found the real radio professional, Iiris. She took Märket live on the air on Rauma Ramona radio station. They told her she’s a born radio star and tried to hire her but she said she’s now a lighthouse guard.

Around 5pm the amateurs heard their lift was on its way and started packing rapidly. Taking antennas and satellites down took hours, though, and it was almost 9pm until they began rowing towards the bigger boat.

The first trip looked horendous as the waves tried to turn the boat upside down. Back on the island the guys looked pale and pondered if they shall row again or order a copter, but they didn’t know that their captain was an old Swedish seabear whose boat handling skills would have made even James Bond jealous. He drove the boat back surfing on the waves. We tried immediatelly hire him but he just grinned.
Seals and us waved to them and exactly the same time the sun came out. We saw the shadow of the lighthouse for the first time.

 

Tuesday 10.7.2007 – A beautiful day

Beautiful, sunny morning greeted Märket – a perfect day for visitors! Also the seals had noticed a good fishing weather and left their cliff. There was a moment when hundreds of them swam towards the lighthouse. The whole day their small black heads popped up and down all around the island.

After the breakfast we had a phone call from a sailing boat heading from Singö to Märket. We jumped of joy! Visitors!

We started preparing and doing sunny weather tasks.

The outdoor kitchen was cleaned and organised as well as the water boiler.

Märket-t-shirts were took out and aired. The shop/post office was moved back to the old kitchen and well organised.

Some of us were on the watch up in the tower but all we saw were freight ships and seals. Then we saw a sail approaching the island but disappoitingly it passed by despite of our serious efforts .

Back to work. Our first visitors finally arrived around 1pm. Antti piloted their ship Piorita outside the harbour and rowed them to shore. Pio and Markku landed with a big smile on their face.

Entering Märket was a dream come true especially for Markku who had always dreamt of being a lighthouse guard.

We gave them a lighthouse tour and served coffee out. Then the captain Markku realised that he had forgotten the brandy. He went back to the boat to fetch it – he never drinks coffee brutal. When he came back we cheered to our first guests.

Before departure they signed our guestbook and stamped it with their boat’s own stamp.

They left very satisfied and even sent a SMS afterwards with overwhelmed greetings.

We had the summer soup on the rocks for lunch. Most of the day was sunny. Towards the evening the wind turned south, maybe bringring us more summer weather for tomorrow.

 

Wednesday 11.7.2007 – Nicoly the visitor

The singing of seals woke us up. The day was even more beautiful and calm than yesterday.

After the breakfast the office was moved outdoors.

Kristina made drawings of the buildings and Marika updated the Märket lighthouse guard log. Iiris and Merja cleaned and organised the indoor kitchen; all the old stuff was thrown away and the shelves were labeled. Ja taas Ant pyäri konteis (Rauma dialect).

The day was perfect for testing our rowing skills and the boat. Tour de Märket was successfull and another trip was made to photograph the seals. A big, curious crowd -appr.30- circeled the boat, and on the way back a troop of black heads escorted us.

In that very moment we saw a sailing yacht approaching the island. We waved at them, but our friendly welcome was slightly wrong interpreted. They thought we tried to warn them not to enter the island. When they landed, their first comment was: ”What on Earth!?”. They had been wondering who the hell is rowing in the middle of the sea and why. They thought we were scouts and in a way we are: always prepared.

The couple from Helsinki got a lighthouse tour and coffee.

They were really interested of the old Märket diary and spent an hour in the shop.

We were told that it is so nice that we are ”amateurs” and that the atmosphere is so cozy -informative but not formal.

Nicoly taking off, we shouted that they have a beautiful yacht and they shouted back that we have a beautiful lighthouse. Who wouldn’t agree on that! Thank you Pirjo and Terho from Marjaniemen purjehtijat!

Ropes barely unattached we continued working: brand new bio container was carried on it’s spot and the old one was emptied.

In the sunset we had dinner -smoke salmon salad and wine- next to the pier. And some whiskey on the rocks of course.

Thursday 12.7.2007 – Small steps for mankind but not for Märket…

The day started early with hair washing, nose powdering and other crucial things. We were expecting important guests!

Around 9 AM Granberg’s boat approached the island. If we were a bit sleepy, so was also the seal who was sleeping in the North harbour. He was angry because of being woke up and didn’t want to leave the bay. The cameras were singing, the seal was sneezing.
On their way to Märket four people saw a dark mammal swimming in the water that was not a seal – only 50 metres from the boat. Among others the very experienced Bengt Granberg said it was a porpoise. Pekka Väisänen, who made the porpoise announcment to the authorities 2 weeks ago, saw the animal too and said it was similar he saw in the very same area some 1-2 kilometres from Märket.

The boat brought two TV journalists, two tourists from Lahti -Rauli and Eeva Nordberg-, Annika Pelkonen, plus Pekka, Petri and his wife Kristina to Märket. Rauli had special mission: he had made a song of Märket and wanted to see and feel the place live.

The weather was perfect and Granberg could park his boat directly on the edge of the cliff on the Northern side.

What kind of a Nation border is the one You can’t see? That was the problem in Märket till today. But not anymore. The boat brought white paint, a wood panel and a cloth both with a 50 centimeter circle in it.

Thanks for Kristian W and Ari in Bauhaus Raisio who made those the previous evening!

We had a good satellite photo map of Märket with ”corner holes” numbered from 1 to 12. We knew how to separate these holes from the other ones. So just go and search! And so we did. The first mark was the most difficult to find, and Antti was the winner. But still Kristina was the fastest to find the holes. Soon we had them all.

The Finnish Swedish Television filming we painted the first mark. It came out easily and how proud we were (although a bit scared that this action would take us from lighthouse island to prison island)!

The Finnish Lighthouse Society painting the border of Finland and Sweden! That was high! The first painting marked the most Eastern part of Sweden on Märket.

The rain stopped our work in the afternoon, but we continued towards the night so that the points of border would be ready before the famous air photographer Hannu Vallas comes to photograph Märket from the sky.

The rain stopped about everything at 4 PM, but already at 8 PM it was sunny again. So we started the great generator Honda 6500 (sponsored partly by Brandt Oy in Helsinki), now in the biotoilet room. The concrete walls stopped the motor voice nearly completely. Of course the toilet was out of use for that time.

It was our secretary Petri who brought the generator all the way from Helsinki – some 100 kilos of weight! We forgot the oil but the always great Bengt Granberg had it – and the rest went well.
Now we can use PC’s, cameras and all that stuff here. But don’t worry You Märket fans, we don’t turn this into a modern city hell – no way!

The mysterious bag left with the guests. Five had solved the mystery and found the foreign owner.

After today The Five is not Five anymore -Pekka stayed with us. Märket wishes Good Night!

 

Friday 13.7.2007 – The collegue from Understen

The mystery of the boat people holds. Perfect day, but only two boats (five people) from Sweden.

Where are all the Finns and ”Ålanders” that have promised to visit us?! You are still welcome!

But back to the morning. The rain had stopped and we started to wait for the sun and wind to dry the cliffs. The finishing of the border marks was still to be done. The point was that one can’t see the border point from the next border point. So we needed some help lines. Antti was shaking – this is too scary – we will get both Säpö and Supo hunting us, if we do this…

But what wouldn’t we do for our fellow citizens in Finland and Sweden. They have the right to now where the dividing line of the snus and no-snus-people goes!

So we made a new stencil for the border line and started. Pekka had to paint the first line as the ”main criminal” and so it went. So now we have a 15 x 80 cm white stripe showing when You enter Finland when landing Märket from the old harbour. And there is three more on the island. About the border in general on Märket see: www.maanmittauslaitos.fi.

Just after the operation we noticed an Unidentified Floating Object (UFO) coming towards us from west. We got worried. So we sent Kristina and Antti out as a rescue patrol.

We were afraid that we would find a body. Luckily it wasn’t. Instead it was almost drowned Spiderman who wasn’t at his best off shore. We decided to bring him up to top of the lighthouse to revive.

The day went on. After the lunch we saw a sailing boat approaching from Sweden. It was acting a bit strangely when we waved at them. They didn’t know Märket was open for public. After all they came to the northern harbour at a same time with a fast motor boat with three passangers from Singö.

The motor boat brought a surprise with it. A man named Lasse Gullander came with his son Anton and pal Per Brantingson. We found out that Lasse had been a lighthouse keeper at the opposite lighthouse Understen! It was a great honour to have such a visitor here!

We had great guiding tours with the Swedes and served them also coffee. What a warm atmosphere! We helped them to leave the northern harbour and wished them a nice summer.

The day was about perfect. The wind died already in the morning. The clouds were far away in the horizon, we were on the sunny side! The swell on the southern shore was just beautiful. We felt like we would have been on the Pacific.

The mother Earth thanked the shift with a beautiful last evening.

From the top of the World we followed the sun going down. The guards want to thank the Finnish Lighthouse Society, the beautiful island and the spirit of Märket!

The last hurraah from the Märket Five and Pekka!