Month: June 2023

Roskilde (2)

A very interesting place!
The outstanding landmark is the cathedral on top of the rise in the center of the town. It is enormous, and of course visible from afar for sailors. I won’t describe it here, too much info, but wikipedia has an excellent article on it. Try “Roskilde Cathedral” if you are interested. Impossible to photograph, too close, but in the middle pic, there is a person in the bottom right hand corner to give a little size comparison. All brick. started in the 12th century.

However, I didn’t come to Roskilde to look at a cathedral, but boats. Ancient wrecks of Viking-age ships, modern copies, small, large, from other countries, in use or just on display, and all presented such that one could get close.

The most interesting perhaps were the partial reconstruction of Viking-age hulls which had been salvaged from the Roskilde fjord. I tried to follow the guide’s rather indistinct languages, but only picked up crumbs. These 5 ships had been sunk in a strategic channel to prevent marauding hordes from coming in a large fleet from the north, (did she say Norway?), so they had to land much further from the town than planned, and didn’t succeed.
Unfortunately, photography was unsuccessful due to too many people in the way and rather indistinct lighting. Quite intriguing the explanation of the detective work and methods carried out to enable the reconstructions.
More realistic perhaps were the very informative presentations of the methods these ancient boat builders used to create these fantastic seaworthy shapes, and all done with hand tools. Naturally shaped bits of oak tree were essential for frames and the like. Planks were made by radially splitting a log in two, then two again, then two again etc, until a thin enough sliver could be shaped with an axe to the desired thickness. What a test of accuracy, skill and patience!

The next one: Bits for making boats: Even stitched together:

After several hours of watching and listening and absorbing and admiring, my brain went into overload and I retired, quite exhausted, to Josin for the rest of the day.

Today started rather dull, in sympathy with my grey cells, but both brightened up this afternoon and I pottered up the hill into town, took pics of the Cathedral, food shopped, coffee and a sticky bun on a comfortable bench and watched the world go by. Polyglott lot. Then back down the hill to Josin and a further relax.

Tomorrow the wind will hopefully have changed from contrary to suitable, if the forecast holds, and I plan to start early and retrace navigated steps back up the Roskilde Fjord and out into more open water and head west, then south, and see how far we can get to new places and adventures.

Alls well
VikingJohn

Roskilde

I’d planned to do the trip from Gilleleje to Roskilde in two stages, with a stop in either Hundested or Lynæs, both at the entrance to the long Roskilde fjord. But I woke really early to a bright sunny morning and a gentle southerly wind, promised more later. So, no excuses, and we were away at 07:15. Beautiful sailing day. Westward along the coast, consisting of low hills sloping down to endless sandy beaches, the electronic chart was the only info to know where we were, as there were no details to distinguish one stretch from the next. We were (almost) buzzed by the Danish Navy, or anyway four vessels of it, of various sizes rushed past close enough to wave to and get a response.
Before we got, remarkably early, to the turning point to enter the Roskilde fjord the wind had gradually died sufficiently to need help from the engine, and what with all the zig-zag navigation and much traffic later, it helped all the rest of the way. There seemed to be little point in stopping as planned so we just carried on, and didn’t stop until we got to Roskilde, nearly 50 nm. Found a pontoon space to tie up, with the kind help of a jovial Dane in the next boat, who then flooded me with hardly-understandable information on the charms of Roskilde. At least I caught on to a restaurant just round the corner. Went there. Had a cheeseburger and chips. retreated back to Josin and retired, weary but very content.
On the way, I had googled Roskilde, and to my surprise and foreboding, discovered that the Roskilde Festival, rather large, very loud, didn’t start on July 1st, (which I had previously noted and thought I had avoided), but had already started. Relief when I discovered that the festival site was nearly 2 km away, but the boombass is audible if the wind is in the right direction.

Today is monday and this is a suitable place to take it easy after yesterday’s hours, and wait out the weather promised for mid day. It came. Menacing long ridge of very dark clouds: (The pic on the right should be in the middle, sorry!), which marched slowly but surely and sharply across the sky, pushing the sunshine before it.

Darkness descended. Wind almost stopped and veered 90 degrees. Temperature dropped several degrees, (C), and an eerie wait ensured. No rain? Then a spatter. Then lightning and thunder. Then rain, lots. Took about an hour for the front to go through, leaving a cooler and wetter state behind. I had been glad that Josin’s mast was lower than most of the others around, but no lightning struck. Quite the best entertainment for a day of relaxing. And no, the festival loudspeakers cannot compete with real thunder.

Tomorrow to the museum of old boats. Roskilde is probably the biggest center for all things Viking Ships. Real ones, copies, and a rich milieu of expertise on how to build and use them. Probably lots of historical info too. Looking forward to a long visit.

Alls well,

RoskildeJohn.

Gilleleje (56 07.5 / 012 18.8)

From Varberg, the wind blew us, and the waves tossed us, all the way to Hallands Väderö, (56 26.8 / 012 33.8), some 45 nm, wow!, and we tied up on the other side of the ferry jetty. Very peaceful, very quiet, after a rather bumptuous ride. This would have been Plan D if I had plotted it in while in Varberg, as I couldn’t hope to get so far. But the wind blew steady and strong, and as the possible goals swept by, we just carried on in style.

Woke next morning to an overcast sky, but the wind still steady in the same direction. So, up and at it and next stop Gilleleje. Another bumptuous ride at full speed. Very attentive to the commercial traffic going into and out of northern Øresund. Arriving at Gilleleje presented a problem. The wind was still strong and waves were sufficiently bounce-producing that I didn’t want to go out of the cockpit to put out lines and fenders before going in, but couldn’t remember what the harbour looked like inside, for a temporary pause to do the necessary. Relief! A small “lagoon” just inside the outer harbour entrance provided just the necessary space and shelter. A complication was that another sailing boat arrived just after us with the same mission. We both, suitably attired, puttered proudly further in. No spaces! There must have been a general feeling that the wind was either too strong or in the wrong direction for any intrepid sailors to leave yet, (it was only mid day). Eventually found a space absolutely furthest in which has turned out to be acceptable. (Nobody has complained!).

Now yesterday was Midsummer’s Day, and I had no idea how the Danes celebrated. Google to the rescue. Two programs on two different websites, but they agreed on where, the West Beach. So in early evening I followed the flow and there were the crowds, in and on the dunes at West Beach. Everyone doing their thing, families grouped on rugs, elderlies on camping chairs, people wandering, ice cream dripping in hand, and a large group around the Tuborg tent. The other most popular draw was a bouncy-castle, packed with kids, parents outside looking in, parenting.
The programs, both, had listed a bonfire, but as it has been, and still is, brown-grass dry, bonfires had probably been cancelled and instead, several large bowls with containable fire, with an attendant fireman with hosepipe, provided more than enough heat to burn sausages and marshmallows golden black.

Gilleleje is crowded with people this festive weekend, and a typical town square market provided both artistry and other things. I took many pictures, but most have mysteriously disappeared. Right now I am not motivated to go back and try again, (past lunchtime, and it is hot), so here are the few which have survived:

Many Danish houses have a thatched roof, and here must be one of the most artistically carved. Not quite sure what those things on the top are, but they must be something to do with keeping the winter gales under control. These knives are really incredibly varied, and the basketwork, (both eye-watering expensive), and there isn’t room on Josin for anything un-useful, is there?

By the way, the wind is blowing directly from the direction we aim for next, so therefore no need to stress onward, and enjoy where we are. Lunch: Fresh peel-your-own shrimp on almost-warm rolls, mayo and a squirt of lemon juice. Then snooze. Then what?

Alls well.

JosinJohn

Varberg

Two positives and a negativ.
First the negative: Two sailing boats, one 60 feet long, the other 53 feet long, both with just two persons on board, occupying much quayside space.
Do they for a moment consider that their selfish opulence hinders other smaller boats from using the same harbour privileges? Do they care?.

Then the positives:
1. Varberg Harbour Authority deserves applause and thanks for painting, in thick layers, those omnipresent tractor tyres used as fenders, normally sooty-black and contagious, in blinding white. No more sooty-black Josin. Even saw a young pair, probably summer-jobbing, with a large can of paint and large dripping-white paint rollers, looking for their next prey. All sorts of harbour furniture were gleaming.
Reminds me of the message roared by the sergeant at us recruits: “If it moves, salute it, if it doesn’t, paint it”.
2. I found a sourdough bakery.

Varberg is a good spot to wait while the weather goes away. Rain last night, low overcast and a strong southerly wind today, keeping all of us trying to head south in this sheltered harbour. Plenty of restaurants and shops, an enormous bookshop, and today a market in the town square, colourful and cheap. Ice cream stalls everywhere, doing excellent trade. I am not a very popular customer, asking for only one small scoop in a small cone. Quite enough to melt and drip in competition with a fast-licking tongue.
Intend to start early tomorrow. First to the diesel pump at the marina on the other side of the harbour entrance, and then south, hopefully in the forecast-favourable wind. So far experience of the reliability of wind forecasts has not been very good. Yesterday for instance was quite wrong in both strength and direction. Ah well, one cannot be right all of the time, not even weather-forecasters. Plans A, B and C are plotted in, depending on how kind the sailing wind is.

And just now returns the sunshine. Must be promising.

Alls Well

JosinJohn

One has a choice, navigating this stretch of Swedish coast, called Bohuslén, either inside the islands, very beautiful, busy with boats, much chart-watching and weaving and adjusting of sails, or, outside the islands, none of the former, but very much more relaxed, usually more and steady wind and very little navigating. As we have done this stretch before, I decided to go outside, and was rewarded with two days of gentle sailing. Time slips by, and before you know it, you are nearly there. Detailed navigating again required when approaching harbour, and other activities like starting the engine, (yes, it does now, every time), taking in the sails, putting out fenders and mooring lines and paying attention. Approaching Gothenberg, we were assailed by an armada of fishing boats, all carrying a large blue flag protesting against windmills on their fishing grounds. Must have had a rally somewhere. My sympathy. But they could of given a rolling and bobbing Josin a bit more space as they surged past.
I had remembered that the marina at Långedrag, (57 40.0 / 011 50.8), had those berths with two thick tree-trunk piles on the way in, onto which stern-lines have to be hooked as you are going past, at the same time as other things are demanding one’s attention. So, I had made up two more “lasso”s, with line inside a hoop of hose, and hoped for the best.

And with the aid of the boathook, dropped them neatly over the poles first time and fumble-free. Relief! The other ends of the lines were already wrapped around a winch each, at the rightly estimated length to stop the boat before the bow bumps the quay. Relief! Then with the engine just turning, one can let out just enough to inch forward until one can hop ashore with the bow-lines. Relief! I was lucky this time because there was not a crosswind or current to confuse the operation. Not so worried about the next time now.

The facilities at the Goteborg Kongelig Seil Selskap’s marina are first class, and quite reasonable really, so we stayed for a couple of days. Booked the shower and the washing machines, and apart from the problem that the code for the door lock didn’t open the door until help arrived, I, my clothes and Josin’s linen are now clean.
Also a “five minute” walk takes one to the tram in to town. Three stops and a large supermarket, and a chandlery. What more could one want?. A trip in to the town center, and the vast Nordstad shopping mall, produced everything on the non-food shopping list. That was saturday, and it was very hot outside.
Spent a convivial sunday afternoon with friend Andy on his Ballad sister boat, admiring his latest projects and sharing stories. He is in a neighbouring marina, not on the tram line, and I pedalled my way there and back. There were hills, oh dear, and too much taking of wrong turnings, but the exercise was worth it.

Today, its monday, we sailed, and motor-sailed, and sailed, south-along again, to a blue mooring buoy in a bay called Skallehamn, (51 21.7 / 011 59.6). Very quiet, amongst another, (much smaller), gaggle of geese.
Tomorrow to Varberg. Need diesel soon. There wasn’t a pump at Långedrag. The forecast is promising for after lunch.

Alls well.

JosinJohn

Happiness is a new startmotor, which when fitted, brought the engine back to life. Had a video, but WordPress will not accept it. Whatever, we are back to normal operation again, and on our way.

Monday evening was sufficiently young that we set off, keen to see the last of Strømstads Marina. Helt OK, but rather boring after so many days. We sailed, and motored, to Sør Koster, to a favourite rock, (58 51.3 / 011 02.7). Thermometer in the water, and it showed at least a degree over my minimum, so I lowered myself and enjoyed a very short float, (there were stinging jellyfish lurking). It has got to be significantly warmer before I take the usual underwater inspection!
Tuesday dawned misty, and not a breath. Forecast said sailing wind later, which was correct, and we sailed to Gluppö, (58 35.0 / 011 13.0), where there were blue buoys to tie up to. Bad luck for us, they were all taken, so we anchored in a calm spot.
Today, wednesday, no wind again, absolutely flat calm, with voices carrying over the water remarkably clearly. And a cuckoo! so I took it easy and slept some more.
Mid day the breeze came in and we sailed all the way, over almost calm seas, to a group of islands just south of Lysekil, where more blue buoys were promised on the chart. Nearly there we passed what must be a gigantic gaggle of geese, Canada sort. Hundreds and hundreds, on a rock and floating. By the time I had found the phone camera we had sailed well past them, so no pic unfortunately. Buoys all taken again, so we found a suitable anchorage just around the corner, at (58 14.7 / 011 24.3). Another lovely evening, not a cloud and a gradually calming breeze. Dinner in the cockpit.

Alls well,
SunnyJosinJohn

Strømstads Marina

The new startmotor didn’t arrive on friday unfortunately, so I, conscientiously of course, get busy on the things-to-do list, those things which didn’t get done before we set sail because there were other more interesting things to do, (you know the feeling?).

The Marina office and facilities. My neighbours Party boat.

A large proportion of these CABINCRUISERS bore Norwegian ensigns. Inactive, maybe because it is too early in the season. The third pic is of an owner who started the party season even before getting the boat afloat.
Friday evening was party evening for members of this marina at a long row of tables just inn front of Josin, much merryment, songs (?), and competitions, one of which was to try and throw a rubber boot between one’s legs and over one’s back and get it to land in front of you. You try it? I don’t think I will, but I can claim artificial knees.
Saturday was lazy. But a walk in to town to get some exercise and do a bit of shopping. There is a river separating the marina and its environs from the town, and to avoid a very long walk to a bridge, there is a do-it-yourself ferry. I bought the necessary swipe card, swiped it, read the instructions carefully and got only a failure signal and no sign of movement. Saviour in the form of a local who came, smiled, “first time?”, mhm, and pushed all the right coloured buttons in the right order and we crept across. (I watched, and did it right on the return journey).
Interesting mural. Looks as if the artist started at the bottom and got his proportions a little too large for his canvas.

Today has been boat domestics, like washing and polishing the cockpit, scrubbing the teak and generally tidying up in the cockpit lockers. The sun is powerfully hot and protection necessary by dark clothing, shady hat and lathering the exposed bits.

And tomorrow is monday, hopefully with the two o’clock delivery by post of a nice, brand new, wickedly expensive, (yeah, boat things), starter motor. This is what the old one looks like:

Pathetic and sad sight.

Alls well

PatientJohn

There’s always a first time! Today, Josin had a tow, by efficient and friendly Svenske Sjøredning, ie the Swedish rescue service. The captain sent me his pic, kind.

Why? The engine refused to start, the startmotor had given up. It had been reluctant on the morning we left Tallakshavn, but after wriggling a thick cable or two, it cooperated and we headed for Missingen, (59 10.3 / 010 42.8). Ok there, but not at Kungsvikshamn, (58 59.8 / 011 07.7).
In depth diagnosis. Dud start motor. Nearest Volvo Penta dealer, Strømstad. Order new motor from Lars. “Kommer friday or monday”.

But, back a bit, The reason for Kungsvikshamn, just over the border in Sweden, was that grand daughter Hanne was busy filming for a TV series there, only a few hundred meters from the harbour, and she had invited me to come and watch if we were passing. Not quite sure what her title is, but she was organising everyone, lots of people, and everything, six cameras and several recorders, very competently and smoothly. Very impressive! Actual filming only happened part of the time. Hiccups and changing of minds and equipment issues took much more. But the sun shone and the whole crew seem to thrive under Hanne’s command.
In her free time she was an incredible help for me. Drove me to suitable places to buy needed starter motor associated things, and fetched me in the evening so we could have a very enjoyable powow and meal. And drove me back to the boat afterward!
This morning, after yet another forage-by-chauffeur, she returned to her duties and I waited for the wind to blow us out of the harbour. Without her incredible selfless help what could have been a catastrophy, became just a smooth process. What a girl!

Kungsvik: The filmsite is at the sandy beach which you can’t see behind the red hut. Harbour on the left of the picture.

The breeze came in from the right direction later this morning and we were able to sail very gently zigzag dingy-like avoiding boats at pontoons and out into clear water. The tow arrived when we had got about half way of the 5 N miles, and we almost surfed our way to Strømstad Marina, (58 58.6 / 011 09.8), where we docked with amusing confusion. (The tow was a sort of grown-up sea-scooter with lots of power through a waterjet, which at low speeds is not very manouverable with a four ton sailing boat tied alongside).
So, here we stay and wait for a start motor. In the mean time, I get to work replacing corroded cables and connections. They appeared from the hidden depths as various things were dismantled in order to get to the start motor. Must have been an undetected saltwater leak in the past.

Quite a cruise this one so far! The sun shines luckily and it is wonderfully warm.

All’s nearly well.

Josin-mechanic-John.

To quote the immortal Spike Milligan: “The sky must have holes for the rain to come in, but the holes must be small ‘cos the rain is so thin”
This was the water hose which had a hole, very thin, caused by a small but steady diesel leak, which gradually dissolved the rubber.

But to catch up: We had another excellent sail in bright sunshine from Risør to Sandefjord on friday, the wind only needing help for the last half hour. Had to take avoiding action off Larvik for the (very) high-speed ferry foaming its way in to Larvik. Didn’t reckon that the general rule “Steam gives way to sail” would be appreciated. Furled the genoa and turned 180 degrees for a few minutes while it rushed past. No sign of acknowledgement.
While in Sandefjord, and with the loan of kind Kari’s car, a hose emporium provided a new length of hose, and more or less useful things, necessary to carry out repairs. I also made a quick trip back home to Kongsberg to fetch several necessary things which I had forgotten. Then a lovely evening, and dinner, with Kari before she drove me back to Josin, and we pottered round to this anchorage at Tallakshavn (59 04.6 / 010 18.4), for the night.

Yesterday, well securely tied up to a buoy, a repeat of the lengthy “get access” process was needed before the hose could be replaced, and everything restored back to normal. Long time job. Now, no leaks, but the pervading diesel perfume remains. The source(s) will be hunted down.

Plan now is to sail, when the wind appears later, to Missingen, on the other, east, side of the Oslofjord, for the night. Then, with the forecast NW wind, south to the Swedish coast. Hope to meet grand daughter Hanne, near Strømstad, where she is filming for a TV show, for an evening. That will be great, to catch up on all her business.

Alls well.
JosinSailorJohn

Night Sailing

When the wind blows the wrong way, have another cuppa, and wait. When the wind blows the right way, you sail!
These are not pics of a sunset, they are of early dawn. 01:30 and 02:00 to be precise, on the way from Stavern (58 59.9 / 010 02.5) to Finnøy, Risør, (58 44.0 / 009 13.6). See all the little lights? Somewhere amongst them all are navigation lights. Best to keep out to sea, where one doesn’t need them. Actually nav lights are quite intense, and are, more often than not, flashing in a definite sequence, (on the chart, in a code that one has forgotten, but is in a sticker on the bulkhead), so they can be identified. Binoculars help enormously. Then there are of course the main lighthouses, with unmistakeable flashes, seen at great distances.
This year I have decided that the engine will be used as little as is sensible, hence the waiting.

We set off from Stavern in early afternoon, after the Skagerak rollers had died down a bit, and we had a humpity sail in a direct line to Risør. Forecasts are sometimes wrong, this time with prediction of sea currents. Should have been with, but Neptune would otherwise. Progress was slightly slowed as a result.
When far from the shore, and especially late in the day, there are only a few commercial vessels on their way, as the leisure craft have all tied up somewhere. Very relaxing. With plenty of previously-prepared coffee, teawater, sandwiches, chocolate, nuts, raisons and other goodies, I suffered no pain.
The entrance to Risør from the north is via a very narrow gap in the islands and rocks, but the half-moon shone brightly dead ahead and navigating was easy, almost like day.
Relaxed and slept some extra times next day.

Again the wind changed from contra to hopeful, and we set off after an evening meal and sailed to Lillesand. This time I headed out to sea to find the SW-going current which “is always there”, but it wasn’t. Again against. Neptune did not answer my complaints. Got to Lillesand guest harbour (58 14.9 / 008 22.8) at 03:30. Soon after midnight the wind had gradually died away so we had to motor the last couple of hours, with a gradually increasing diesel-perfume. Oh dear. Inspection later showed a good liter of the smelly stuff in the cradle under the engine together with a little water. Scoop up and bottle. Write diagnostic task on the to-do list.

Lillesand is a charming, mostly white-painted small town, with a large and popular guest harbour, necessary and less-necessary shops, and several restaurants and a pub. But I didn’t investigate, but, equipped with freshly-baked sticky buns, visited old Ballad owner and good friend Svein Tangen, physically somewhat reduced, but always good value. His partner Hilda had also bought sticky buns, so we gorged.

Back on Josin, a forecast of favourable winds competed with finding the diesel leak, and the forecast, confirmed by diverse flags, turned out to be correct, and won. Off again, this time back up the coast. I had planned as an alternative, to sail direct over to Denmark, Hirtshals, if conditions were favourable, but they were not. This time we sailed close inshore, to avoid the current, but here it was, strong on the nose. Never mind, the wind was direct off shore (no waves) and plenty of it, so we made exceptional progress at high speed back to Finnøy. Fantastic sail.
Today the wind is light and unfavourable in direction, so we stay put and enjoy the sunshine.
But later. First, much removal of hoods and dismantling of panels, and emptying of cockpit lockers, to get to things. Mystery. No leaky fuel pipes or hoses. The culprit was the fuel secondary filter. Eversoslightly loose. Tighten. Job done. But, the drips had fallen on a waterhose, which didn’t tolerate diesel and had developed an aneurism. Tape-wrap, string-wrap, epoxy, more tape-wrap. Tested later and leak-free. Wonder how long that will hold. Find hose emporium soon.
And I have enjoyed the sunshine.

Alls well again.

JosinSailorJohn