Vaagland, Pos:(63 07,40 /008 15,90)

Remember your nursery rhymes?

The north wind shall blow,

and we’ll get no snow,

but sailing against it is grim.

So we clothe us real well

to help keep us warm

with the engine doing it’s best, poor thing.

It has been a week since the last posting, from Florø, and the sun has shone from a cloudless sky most days, but this north wind is chilly, rarely over 10 degrees. Sometimes the angle tempts me to unfurl the sails, but only seldom do they get to be effective.

Terrain north of Florø is more mountainous, on both sides of the fjord, so the wind blows either against or with. If a side-fjord, then sometimes side-wind, but not for long. Then there are ‘down’ winds, when they curl over the high mountain and down onto the surface. With sails up, this can be exciting, so it is to be avoided.

Another rather wet ride to Måløy, and again suspicious behaviour by the AIS, so next day, which would have been far too windy to carry on, round the Stad peninsular, was spent re-locating various units to dryer places, getting expert and friendly help from the local radioshop to make up new cables and check that it was all working correctly. Sigh of relief!

Surprise arrival was a real Nordlands boat, on a Norwegian Greenpeace mission round the coast to drum up support to close down the Sellafield nuclear plant. Skipper was from a place way up north, with characteristic ability to amuse, and a genuine appreciation of an ‘anchor dram’, (provided by me), to shoo away the wet and cold ride, (it is an open boat, nothing to hide behind). Local paper turned up, interviewed and took pictures. Maybe we will meet again further north. If you are interested, look up “www.neptunenetwork.org”.

Late afternoon we pottered the short distance to Selje island, pos:(62 03,16 / 005 17,74), where St Sunniva was shipwrecked and founded a kloister. Two german masons, repairing the tower, and an eagle, way up on the ridge, feeding two very large young, to plaintive squeaks and raucus squauks. The evening potter was to shorten the distance to Stad, rounding which was forecast to be allright next day. It was correct. Early start, in very easy conditions, which lasted until a few hours before Ålesund. We were not the earliest, as four other boats had started from Måløy, and we were in convoy. Nice to be able to follow them all on AIS, and call them up to ask if they could see me. Yes, it was working fine. No problem.

Two nights in Ålesund, the intervening day, again very sunny, but blowing hard, was used to ride the busses to find electrical things, and shop. Enormous cruise ships in the commercial harbour. An Aussie couple on the bus were irritated but glad when I could tell them that, yes, they were on the right bus, but going the wrong way to the Aquarium. Strewth!

From Ålesund to Tornes, pos:(62 50,19 / 007 02,53), and the wind gradually veered enough to SAIL. Four glorious hours. At last! Balm for the soul.

From Tornes to Kristiansund, again against the wind, and on a bouncy, spray-ey sea, enough to make even me feel queasy. Or was it the sardines for lunch. Revolting, maybe in both senses of the word.

Intended to stay the night in K, but in the early evening, a band started to warm up and test its powerful equipment, all too close to the guest harbour, so I skapered. Westward into the deep fjords, past an enormous offshore floating drilling rig, parked for the duration, to a little protected side fjord, and Vaaland, pos:(63 07,40 / 008 15,90), where there was a jetty, a deserted boat-builders yard, and no-one. Loud hello’s didn’t get response, so I tied up and enjoyed the quiet. Next morning was magic in the sunrise. Mirror water. Not a sound. Majestic, snow-spattered mountains.

And now we are on our way again. Northerly breeze of course. Maybe as far as Børøysund. We’ll see.

All’s well.