34) Rødøy to Myken to Sandnessjøen

Yesterday I received a message from Telenor, my telephone and internet provider, that I “had used up all my data, and that I could buy more via Telenor’s app”. Bother. What it didn’t say was that communication was also stopped. Communication was needed to access the app………. You’ve guessed it…………… A helpful man in the phone department in the Power shop here in Sandnessjøen just now, after several telephone calls, managed to sort things out, and I am now back in the land of the digital living. I didn’t like that experience!

Back to boating. Rødøy, Klokkergården. If you order it, a loaf of fresh bread is delivered to your boat at breakfast time. Still warm, very healthy sort of bread, and quite irresistible. Nearly half of it disappeared in no time.

Studying the various weather forecasts for forthcoming winds enabled a plot: Motorsail out to Myken, and then, next day, sail all the way to Sandnessjøen. It nearly worked. To prepare for more active sailing, and as the pontoon at Rødøy was spacious and clean, I took off the smallish jib, and hoisted the much larger genua instead. (Folding and sacking sails needs floorspace). Generously helped by xxxx. Much easier with two.

There was less than forecast wind out to Myken, but we did sail some of the way. On Myken is an automatic weather station, including this rather strange apparatus:

I think the whirligig on the right houses a rain-measuring device in the middle, which you can’t see. The blades hanging from the top rail made a sad rustling sound in the wind. You can just see in the distance the mountains on the mainland. A recent and strange development on Myken is a distillery. Yes, a distillery! It certainly seemed to attract visitors. A peep into the shed revealed a long table with customers seated on long benches with multiple small glasses with light brown fluids in front of them. An articulate lady at the head presumably explaining the different sorts. I couldn’t hear what she was saying so I retreated, quietly. So that was why there was no one around in the harbour!

The evening, about ten, produced some interesting light-effects. A rainstorm which scudded past the harbour, leaving shredded clouds:

• 

• 

• 

Woke early next morning and checked the wind forecasts. Yes, the same message as yesterday, good. Hurry the morning routine, including two thermoses, and sandwiches, and then away, glorious morning. Out the narrow channel into the open sea, to find rather less wind than expected and rather more, rather confused waves. That combination was frustrating as the boat motion confused the sails, and progress was near zero. So, on with the engine and hope for better conditions, which didn’t appear until we were sheltered from the waves. An interesting sight on the horizon though: They’ve all got names of course.

At last I could hoist the mainsail and the genakker and we cruised along at a respectable speed. Autopilot working well and I could relax and enjoy the ride. I’ve been asked to somehow show where we’ve been, so here is the route from Myken to Sandnessjøen. (I really wanted to show the track, but somehow it disappeared. I’ll do better next time).

47 nautical miles, (about 85 km), and about 9 hours. We started sailing at about point 7, so about half of the way. Better than nothing. The last stretch in to Sandnessjøen was enhanced by the impressive sight of one of Norway’s proud TallShips, the “Christian Radich”, now used as both a training and a cruise ship. Doesn’t hoist it’s sails until out in open water!

The other “little” sailing boat in the picture is a 45 footer, which came in to the harbour just after us. Give you size-perspective.

Today it is blowing hard, in the right direction, but also raining enough to stay put. (Apart from needing to sorting out the data-poggle). Few setting out braving the elements, but a few bedraggled arrivals. My heater is going nicely, so I am warm and dry. Fresh fish for dinner, from the fish shop opposite the harbour, halibut. Yum!

Alls well!