42) to winter home

The last sail of the season from Urke to Mauseidvågen turned interesting. The forecast was for a southerly wind, but it was incorrect, again! A gentle northerly came in and we and two other sailing boats enjoyed a close hauled, tacking sail, all the way up the Hjørungfjord.

Just had to show the track of some competitive sailing. We came second, just. Third place boat gave up.

Then motor into and through Vegsund to Mauseidvågen and the end of the journey.

Surrounded by hills, the place is only open to the fjord to the north with islands and more hills behind. Well protected therefore.

Had to travel home to Kongsberg to fetch the boat cradle and all the other necessary kit for winterising. Originally planned to be by bus/bus/train/train/train. (Done it before). But the operating of trains here in Norway is being privatised, and as that train/train/train sequence was now under three different companies, planning was nearly impossible. But, so popped up a solution by the old national NSB, (Norges Statsbaner), who in the interim had changed its name to “Vy” (norwegian “view” or “vision”. Odd!), of an overnight coach service to Oslo, starting from just up the road at Moa. Reckon that they felt miffed at losing the trains, and started a competitive bus service. I ordered. Local bus to Moa terminal, enter the lower deck of a sumptuous coach, depart at 22:20 and subside into intermittent slumber. Halv an hours pause half way, and rolled into Oslo Buss Terminal at 06:25. Painless. To be recommended.

A slightly frightening half-awakening at dawn, saw the countryside rushing past at (at least) 110 km/hr. I had got very used to 5 knots, or 10 km/hr for three months, and that was a bit of a shock. On with the eyeshade again until the bus station.

Then back with a fully-loaded car and cradle on the roof, the long pipes with flappy plastic bags sticking out both ends. On recommended main roads, easy navigating and no stress, several pauses. Spent the next day assembling and levelling up the cradle, on rather uneven, stony ground, and woke next morning to a drizzly D-day, all ready for action. Harald started his beast and lifted Josin like she was a toy. Left her hanging for a pressure wash, with astonishingly little growth, only a bit of stringy weed at the waterline, and then safely lowered on to the cradle and secured. Harald on the left, me in what the locals call their national costume. Yes, it is necessary. It rains a lot up here. And yes, I kept quite dry thank you.

• 

• 

Then a few days of carrying out winterising tasks, loading up the car again, this time with (almost) everything that needed to come home, erecting the awning support and draping and tying down the awning. Not quite finished, as the sheets I had were the wrong size or too tatty and new ones were partially sold out. It was slightly odd moving about the now quite stationary boat. It didn’t react to my weight movements, and I felt almost wobbly! Land legs already.

Josin white-awning-covered. Need to take one more trip, to complete the awning, and to drain all water and all the other little tasks which will take time, but not much effort.

For the journey home again I chose the scenic route. Unfortunately there was much rain and cloud down over the mountains, but the sun broke through just as we descended into Geiranger, the most spectacular place of the whole trip. You can’t have it all.

Looking forward to next year already!

John