Drying out

After the very wet ride from Jomfruland to Lillesand, everything inside the boat was either wet or damp, and the weather the next morning was still foggy and wet, so no good trying to dry things out.

Spent a very pleasant morning with Ballad friend Svein Tangen and his partner Linda, originally for a late breakfast, which turned into a leisurely brunch. Ballad things were discussed and ideas exchanged. Svein has copied some of my safety features, and will probably do more. He is a little handicapped due to a hip operation which was not entirely successful, leaving him with a weak thigh. But he is fully intent on continuing sailing. We spent an amusing session trying to get his new hand-held VHF radio to behave, with the helpful encouragement of the watch-keeper at Tjøme Radio.

Linda has the interesting task, in Kystverket, of looking after all the lighthouses around the coast, mainly ensuring that those who run the facilities, not the lights themselves, are doing the right thing, so she knows the Norwegian coast very well.

One casualty of the wetness was that no signal was apparently transmitted from my newly installed AIS unit, after passing Risør. So next priority was to seek help, in Kristiansand. Up early, another motoring/sailing day, not quite so boisterous luckily, and arrival early enough in K to contact Raymarine Service there. One man, Øyvind, who could help, but “he’s very busy, best you send him an SMS with the problem”. So suggested, so done. Plan B was however put into action, using a dedicated aerial, which needed to be purchased, and lo!, who should ring but Svein, who was in K, and asked if I needed to be driven anywhere. Marvellous. K’s shopping center, east of the city, is enormous, and we drove from shop to shop! Armed with the necessary bits and pieces, got back to the boat and a message from Gilbert that he “followed” Josin in to K. Oh? Mystery! so things must have dried out enough that the system woke up again. Ah well, spares are stowed away. But find the fault? Not yet! Message to Øyvind, thanks, but no help needed.

Nice sunny day next, with a little wind occasionally to help the engine, all the way to Skarvøy, east of Farsund. Been there several times, this time no other boats, but two cuckoo birds calling to each other. Spring is definitely here. Forecast was for more sunshine, higher temperatures, and little or no wind, so we stayed today too. It has been a perfect drying-out day, with everything moveable spread out on the wooden jetty. I will attach a picture or two, if I can find out how to do it.

All’s well