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Hail
and farewell...
(and hail one day again, we hope!)
WE THOUGHT
that we should find a barren land with a few Lapp kator on the
shorre.
a scant, industrial town, devoted only to iron loading.
a barely charted maze of skerries and islands, undisturbed except
for the steamers for the ports and possibly some fishing craft.
WE ASKED IN LONDON
- if it was even possible to lay up a
yacht in Lulea for the
winter. The Swedish Embassy, Consulate and Travel Agency could not
tell us.
- if it was possible to get fresh food,
particularly fruit during the winter, or i f we must arrange for
our own cases of oranges. The Swedish Travel Agency could only
tell us that rail communications would allow us to send for what
we needed. (The Treasurer ought not to see this, perhaps).
WE HEARD IN STOCKHOLM
- that there actually was a yacht in
Lulea called La Gitana.
WE FOUND
- the gayest and mest modern and
complete little city of our knowledge, blessed with.
water as only Stockholm is blessed and more sailing yachts moored
together than anywhere we had seen north o f Kiel.
No Lapps, but a very live Yacht Club, full of keen sailors and
overwhelming in its generous welcome and hospitality.
A Summer cruising Paradise and many friends whom it will be bitter
indeed to leave.
They could not tell us in London if we could take a yacht to
Lulea for the winter. But we can tell them now that Lulea is full
o f yachts and that when they race in the North, they aren't
afraid of carrying sails. (We remember Marga's topsail at
Altappen). We shan't forget either that the last yacht we saw in
England was "Wishbone" . . . . the first yacht we saw in Lulea
was La Gitana. What we don't like to think about is that Dusmarie
must sail way from Lulea this summer. But Dusmarie will never
forget how she has been welcomed in North Sweden and she will
always hope to sail back again.
In the meantime, to the officers and all the members o f the L. S.
S. we say thank you ... for your friendship, your help and the
most wonderful cruising summer of our experience, and we wish you
fair winds, ashore and afloat.
DOUGLAS och MARY DIXON
Royal Ocean Racing Club.
9 th May, 1938.
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