out and about on the 'john jennings'

For one week, every summer, a number of boats head out from Hästholmen on a short tour of Lake Vättern. The trip takes in the towns of Forsvik and Askersund.

At lunchtime, Captain Lasse guides the tug John Jennings out of Hästholmen harbour. This year there’s only one support boat, with David and Helena aboard. And the John Jennings carries Ingmar and me. It’s my first time, even though I’ve been hearing about these eventful trips for some years. And speaking of eventful, this year will turn out to be no exception!

We set course straight across Vättern towards Karlsborg and Forsvik. The waves come straight at us, and for the support boat it promises to be a pretty bumpy ride. Lake Vättern is known for being rather choppy, which can sometimes make for an 'interesting' experience. On the John Jennings, it doesn’t really affect us. As a new crew member, I quickly have the opportunity to steer the boat. At first, I'm a bit all over the shop but I know I'll soon get a feeling for how much I need to turn the wheel to meet the waves and keep the boat on the right course.

In fact it's easy to aim at the wrong landmark, as even our experienced captain discovers when the support boat finally points out that we need to change course a little to avoid ending up in Hjo. At Karlsborg the bridge is about to open and we realise that we will probably miss it by just a few minutes, which would mean waiting around a while for the next one. But Lasse increases the speed to 8 knots and with a whole 30 seconds to spare we arrive in time to glide smoothly into Bottensjön.

The environment changes rapidly, with rocks and small islands creating a true archipelago feel. Forsvik is a pleasant stop which can be reached by boat, car or even mobile home. The lock here is both the oldest and the highest on the Gota Canal and great fun to watch in action.

But don't miss a visit to Forsviksbruk, which showcases 600 years of industrial history. Throughout the year there are guided tours, theatrical performances and a range of musical events. Alvas Café and Forsviks Mat and B&B are other essential places to visit while you're here. As is the canal shop 5 Knop, located right by the lock gate.

Lock adventure

On one of the days we get an addition to the crew in the form of Anna and Ninni. The weather looks promising so we try following the canal up to Lake Viken. Given the size of the John Jennings, we checked with the security guards that we could use the lock after the big passenger boat Juno. We keep our eyes on Juno’s entrance, and after that it’s our turn. Or so we thought.

But something gets lost in the telling, and two yachts start to come down through the lock so we’re forced to back out of the narrow channel. Manoeuvring like this, and taking into account other yachts waiting around us, turns out to be a pretty sweaty exercise. At first, we can glide slowly towards one side and reverse, but suddenly our stern gets stuck and the prow swings out from the quay and straight into the path of an oncoming yacht. Now we really are stuck. And right across the canal, too, so no boats can go up or down. Thankfully, everyone remains calm and with the help of the yacht’s Dutch crew, and lots of encouragement from the land, we manage to pry our stern loose and continue to back out to one side. Needless to say, this offered great entertainment for passers-by and there's plenty of photographic evidence of our antics. It's lucky we have a skilled captain on board.

On our second attempt, things go much better and we get a wonderful trip up into Lake Dammsjön, the Spetsnäs Canal and Lake Viken. We anchor up and enjoy both a swim and the sunshine before it’s time to go back down through the lock. This time without any mishaps but with many curious and interested spectators.

Up into the archipelago

An island landscape in the north of the lake, Vättern's archipelago has been called the most secret in Sweden. Incredibly, there are more than 1200 islands here! We say goodbye to Forsvik and head north towards Askersund. Off Karlsborg we are in wide open water and the lake has a real sea feeling. We pass Djäknesundet and the Ombo Islands and enter the archipelago near Aspa Bruk. Here the

An evening out with M/S Wettervik

Here too the John Jennings draws attention – perhaps it’s the fluttering Hammarby flag, or perhaps it’s the crew. Many people are curious about our large tug. In Askersund we have good company in the form of the work boat Pricken, which is owned and operated by Johan and Marita. For 20 years, they have also taken passengers out on M/S Wettervik. We take the chance to go out for a prawn party with singing, and enjoy a beautiful summer evening amongst the island landscape of Hammar. We call in at Grönön, and the passengers pouring off the boat are a bit of a surprise to the couple who have pitched their tent by the beach. Many Askersund residents associate the first boat trip of the year with the start of summer. Unfortunately, 2022 was the last year it ran on Vättern, and it now has another home port. But keep a weather eye out, because we hope there will soon be a new boat to adorn Askersund. The archipelago is truly worth experiencing.

water is turquoise, and all around us there are uninhabited rocky islands covered with pine trees and blueberry bushes. Incredibly beautiful. Kayaking is popular here and we see many boats that have brought people to sunbathe on the islands and swim from the rocks.

After a few hours, we approach Hammarsund Bridge, which towers above us. We get a great view of Stjärnsund

Which side of the mark?

Manor, which is beautifully situated at the water’s edge, and can see all the way to Askersund harbour. Just as we moor up, the sky opens up in a real downpour that's fortunately over as quickly as it arrived. The evening is sunny and fine and we look forward to our days in Askersund.

Small town shopping in Askersund

Askersund offers lots of pleasant walks as well as laid back small-town shopping. Don't miss Johan's Leksaksbod, a toy shop made famous on Swedish TV a few years ago. Customers who visit Johan's still talk about the programme. In the summer, the harbour is a pretty yet vibrant meeting place full of small stalls selling all kinds of goodies and delicacies, with art, music and much more besides. A pleasant walk takes you to the rural life museum, where you can see a range of old buildings together with goats, rabbits and other small animals. It’s attractively located, with a great view of Stjärnsund Manor and the water. The beach promenade can also take you out to Borgmästarholmen where there are plenty of places to swim. And if you don't want to walk, you can take the small train that leaves the harbour several times a day.

Our days in Askersund are coming to an end, and the forecast warns of strong winds so our support boat decides to go a day early. They are forced into the port of Motala when the winds and waves become too strong. We cast off the day after and pass slowly through the sound. Here we are protected from the wind and the captain and crew take the chance to do some maintenance on the boat. We aren’t as observant as we should be, and navigation markers can be a bit tricky. But we discover that it is apparently possible to pass on the wrong side of the mark, and continue homewards. This is easier, because as soon as we get out on the open water we see Omberg, and then it's just a matter of keeping our course. Now even the John Jennings feels the strength of the waves, and the water sprays in over the rail as the boat heaves. I keep my eyes on the horizon to suppress the nausea. We steam past the Jungfru as a flock of seabirds scream and fly around the island. It's fascinating to see how they play in the wind. Before we arrive at Hästholmen, we pass Omberg. The vertical rocks and caves disappear down into Vättern's waters. Today's definitely not a good day for kayaking. A couple of yachts have accepted the challenge, but Vättern’s pretty empty today. It's all about knowing what to do if you do go out on a day like this. We get a warm and happy reception from Hästholmen when we slide in; the quayside feels a bit empty when the John Jennings isn’t there. It's nice to be back home and we bring many great memories from our week on the water.