Saturday 8th of July
Our crew met up in Käringsund sleepier than usual, because of an earlier start time to Märket. Jari, Päivi and Marcus are experienced lighthouse volunteers. Ilkka is on his second trip and Petja is our newcomer. With routine, boat was swiftly packed and we were on our way.

We relieved previous crew in a hurry, just changing a few notes. Belgian radio amateurs left Märket on the same boat ride. Our crew started setting up provisions and planning for the week. Ilkka was interested in how winter and ice had moved rocks in the old harbor after last year’s dredging.

Last season, rocks were nicely piled at the bottom of the bay.

Marcus painted a new flag pole after the previous one was broken during the same dredging job Ilkka was part of. Perfect chance to tell again how it all happened.

As we showed Petja around, we discovered nature was in full bloom. Daises and other green things on the rock! Growing from rock crevices. A seal was sunbathing on neighboring rock.

Arctic terns have their chicks and are very territorial at the moment. We have to test where we can move.

First day coming to its end, more about our plans for the week tomorrow!

Sunday 9th of July

We started to fill out cracks in the breakwater’s wall. Jari and Petja giving an example here. Winter storms and high waves pound the walls protecting the lighthouse. No wonder the old girl needs bit of new mortar now and again between the granite blocks.

Six hours later, one side of one wall was looking stronger again.

Since the weather was calm enough, our next task was testing the dinghy and training our volunteers how to use it.

Arctic terns didn’t care for our training, but let us go with a warning this time.

Island from seal’s point-of-view.

Being Sunday, we also tested the grill and bbq’d some steaks.

We also heated the sauna. Probably one of the most western saunas in Finland.

Monday 10th of July

Today we had a change to our routines, as Mats brought a group visitors from Pori. Päivi and Petja were eager to show them around the lighthouse. Thank you for visiting!

Wind is picking up and weather forecast is promising rain for tomorrow.

Päivi’s jobs on the island include cooking. Here she is making potato and sausage hash for dinner. Each of us has their specific responsibilities on the island, even though we help each other.

How come is today’s diary so short? Well, most of the day we’ve been mortaring the breakwater’s wall. Pretty uneventful job, but both walls are almost fixed on the outside already. Petja pumped some air into our rubber dinghy, and Marcus has kept himself busy with electrics.

Last night Ilkka snapped a picture of full moon over the dining table.

Tuesday 11th of July

Before the rain started, Petja and Ilkka piled about a cubic meter of firewood into the warehouse.

Looks like black guillemots are nesting in an air vent under sauna floor. Birds are more active than normal since chick are training to fly.

After lunch, Petja and Ilkka took the old rubber boat cover apart . Tarp had seen its better days, a new one is coming with the next crew. Parts and screws neatly together for the next crew.

Wet and gray, day’s theme.

In the afternoon, Petja and Ilkka installed a few new doorstep moldings that Jari had brought in to kitchen and dining room.

Wednesday 12th of July

Petja photographed black guillemots visiting bedroom window early in the morning.

Sephyr appeared from heavy morning fog carrying visitors.

Luckily for our visitors from Finland and Norway, weather cleared during their stay.

Breakwater outer walls finished, we moved our gap filling expertise to the lighthouse’s base. Petja here demonstrating.

Jari mixing more mortar. Marcus installed the new flag pole and raised the Aland flag as well.

Since the weather cleared up, we’ve enjoyed great visibility and bit of sunshine. Seals visited on the far side of the island as we had dinner on the terrace. Ships sailing to north and south are a common view between Märket and its Swedish counterpart Understen. In the picture, Bulk carrier Cielo Di Valparaiso under Maltese flag sailing between lighthouses from Pietarsaari to Hamina.

Thursday 13th of July

Wind picked up to 15 m/s at gusts and swells grew. It’s almost hypnotic to watch swells breaking to shore. Ilkka got a little wet for a couple times, getting a bit too close.

Looking at the North harbor, it’s easy to understand why we didn’t receive any visitors today.

Päivi made a fabulous lunch again, and even baked us cinnamon buns for dessert.

Sailing boat passed our mooring buoys. We’ve been expecting a researcher from Finnish Transport Agency arriving by boat. Maybe that was him.

Jari, Petja and Ilkka continued the work with lighthouse’s foundation stones. Fresh mortar is filling more gaps. Petja had to do a bit of gardening first.

Petja took a photo of the storm windows in the kitchen. Normal windows didn’t last on the 1st floor facing northwest.

Friday 14th of July

Our last full day on Märket this time. After careful planning on the day’s jobs, Jari started do various maintenance tasks, Päivi took on cleaning and organizing. Ilkka and Petja were left in charge of mortaring the rest of lighthouse’s base. They seemed satisfied when the mortar ran out. Most of the lighthouse was fixed all the way around and breakwater’s “business-side”. Next week’s crew may continue.

One of the everyday tasks on Märket is pumping sea water into the sauna. Since fresh water is scarce on island, we bath with sea water.

Researcher arrived today, but unfortunately the wind was still blowing from a troubling direction, and boat couldn’t dock straight at the island’s natural North harbour.

Boat managed to attach to one of our buoys, and Marcus as skipper and Ilkka as dead weight, our rubber dinghy defied swells to pick him up. We also discovered that you can go out with our rubber dinghy bottom valve open, and not even notice the extra water coming in.
Researcher Make seems like a jolly fellow who was happy to get a cup of coffee.

We were still emptying the rubber boat and lifting it back up, when two paddlers arrived. Tired, they asked to camp on the island and were welcomed to do that.

If sea canoeing isn’t easy, camping grounds in Märket are bit rough too.

All in all, Märket is just about ready for next crew tomorrow.

Jari, Päivi, Marcus, Petja and Ilkka thank everyone. We’ll post a group picture here tomorrow.