Month: June 2024

There has just been a short intermission……..from 19th to 25th June

With Josin safely tucked up in a marina-slot at Maursund Boat Club, kindly loaned by Guttorm, as his boat was on the hard for some fixing, I headed back south by car, together with friend Viel, who was going to a school reunion near Kongsberg. First four hours to Toftemo, (61 59.6N / 009 13.2E), a traditional staging post, for a night, and then 6 hours or so to Kongsberg. Took it in turns to drive, with plenty of stops. Seemed strange for me to be travelling at 80 km/hr instead of 10! (5 knots).
Home was as it should be, with nothing amiss, and a newly functioning heat pump, which had blown its fuses just before this cruise started. Long hot showers!
Good to enjoy our friday morning coffee-and-cake session with the Tollumløkka residents who were at home.

After a very relaxed and sunny weekend, took the train on the monday to Oslo to meet brother Peter and his Marion for lunch, together with those of my family not scattered afar in other parts of the country. Very good to catch up after so long since the last time we met, which was well before covid.
An excellent lunch at Nedre Foss Gård, consisting of many small dishes, just to your taste. Thank you brother! Much appreciated.

In the pic, no Nicolai, Ida’s partner, as he had to leave earlier.

Tuesday morning, up early, to get organised for the journey back north, including a bag with things-forgotten earlier, and the bicycle pump.
It was a lovely sunny day so we decided to take the scenic route, a little longer, but much more enjoyable, over Valdresflye, a high plateau about half way. Had to take the pic of the summer snow near the highest point, and other bits of spectacular Norway, including Trollveggen, (62 29.2N / 007 44.5E), (google Troll Wall), can’t you see the grumpy troll? and other things you don’t see every day.

Didn’t overnight on the way north, which took nearly 11 hours, again with plenty of stops, and it was great to get back to Josin. Just so the west country could remind us of the local weather, it started to rain as we arrived.
One night in Josin, then in to Ålesund harbour to stoke up on food, water and diesel. Had to take a pic of one of these enormous cruise ships, rather more imaginatively decorated than usual:

Then a short sail to an anchorage just a few miles north, for some P & Q for an evening.
Next morning, quite early, another sailing breeze to start us on our way, but it only lasted properly for about an hour or so before we were back to motor-sailing, over the exposed Hustavika, benign this time, but with ocean rollers to hobby-horse over, to Kristiansund guest harbour, (63 07.1N / 007 44.0E).
As boats are getting bigger every year, there’s less space for Josin, but we crept in to a “just enough” slot for a quiet night.

Today the forecast was for a lots-of-rain morning and clearing later, but here I am eating first-of-the-season cherries at lunch time, and not yet a spot. Maybe a late start to an anchorage a little further east for the night.

Alls well, from SailagainJohn.

The inner Hjørundfjord.

Having dragged the bike out of its storage space and unfolded it, discovered that the tyres sorely need air. I have two pumps, one at home and one on the boat. Bother, both must be at home. Refold bike and back to storage. Find and extend walking-poles.
There are several marked trails in the valley, plotted in on a large map of the area outside the local shop, (closed indefinitely), with incomprehensible local names, to the outsider. However, the trails were marked in colour and I picked mauve, the shortest, mentally noted its name in the local dialect, and sett off, all optimistic and inquisitive.
Turn right, over the bridge over a fast-running and incredibly clear-water stream/river, from melting snows from higher up.

and then the first anomaly. Very long, low, sheds, obviously neglected and getting rusty. Ex mink farms apparently. All such were forcibly closed down several years ago, after intense lobbying by animal rights people over the farming methods. It must have been quite an economic and cultural shock for the community to lose an industry. Back to farming.
Much activity at this time of year to get in the spring harvest of hay, and “tractor eggs” in abundance. Modern method of preserving hay for later winter fodder.
Up the hill to a crossroads and trail signs. Why didn’t they continue with the colours? Chose what I thought meant shortest, turned to the left and into the valley. Firstly tractor-suitable road:

then gravel footpath, then grass footpath, then er, well, rather overgrown footpath, not very walking-poles-friendly. Beautiful spring flowers though.

finally a view of that mountain-top, Slogen 1564 m, very majestic and distant:

I think this must also have been the end of the trail, or at least the used bit, so I found a way to get in the direction I thought it went, back over the stream/river on a suspiciously rusty bridge, (that water looked intensely cold), and up to the road and plod homeward.
Past the famous and unique Union Hotel:

and back to Josin. My Apple watch tells me that I had taken 10 442 steps and covered 8,2 km. Not bad, eh? Well-earned rest.
Next day, more sunshine, and having “done” the valley, puttered off to investigate the other arm of the fjord, south down to Bjørke, (62 06.3N / 006 33.0E), right to the end, surrounded by high, impressive mountains.

then retraced our steps to about the only place where there was shallow water, (fjord being mainly over 300 m deep), and anchored for the night, under the threat of a sharp-toothed mountain top:

Next morning, overcast and utterly still, I disturbed the peace with the whine-loud anchor winch hauling in the anchor, and motored away at slow cruising speed back north, hugging the western shore to look at the few and mainly isolated places on the way. This one apparently only accessable by boat.

Finally tied up to a pontoon at the Ålesund Sailing Club’s island of Gåsholmen, just south of Ålesund town. The sun got hidden by spectacular CuNb thunder clouds and they did their grumbling thing later that night. Lots of rain in showers, sufficiently heavy to wake me up. Calm again this morning.

Alls well,

FinishedtouristJohn

From Eika to Ålesund to Mauseidvågen to Øya.

Yes it did rain, more or less, for two days, holed up in the anchorage at Eika. No activity, no disturbances, except one sailing boat, “Rose”, who pottered slowly round the little bay, sightseeing he said, and then pottered away.
But I was running out of food, so when tuesday dawned, with a forecast of cloudy but only showers, we up-anchored and headed up the broad fjord for motor towards Ålesund. Then a following wind came in, gently only, but it helped. Then the rain started, again, and not just a shower. By the time we tied up in the inner harbour (Brosund) in Ålesund, I was again longing for warmth and sunshine.

Ålesund is a popular port for cruise ships, especially the larger sort. This pic was taken the day we left, from the inner fjord looking north at the south side of town. The ridge, “Aksla” dominating, with popular restaurant and lookout post perched on the edge, overlooking the town.

Next day was a shopping day, for food and other things needed. Took a bus to Moa, a sprawling shopping center, (the locals call it the largest), where it is very easy to trudge and get lost looking for a particular shop. Lunch with friend Viel, who kindly let me later use her washing machine, as the one in the harbour facilities had gone. Then back to boat and hang up partially-dry laundry, in the cabin. (It was still too wet outside!).
Next morning, as you can see from the above pic, was calm and not raining, so we set off on the short distance to Mauseidvågen, where Josin had spent a winter a few years ago, and where she was going to wait for me while I am away south to meet brother Peter and Marion on their brief visit to Oslo.
On the way there we took a slight detour to see the tower of pallets, erected by students, to be burned on Midsummer’s Eve. Lighting a bonfire is a carefully maintained tradition on Midsummer’s Eve, over the whole country. This one is it quite a sight. “Slinnings bål”, if you want more info.

Then away south, down the loooong Hjørundfjord, again with a motor-helping breeze, and turn left into Norangsfjord to Øye, (62 11.7N / 006 39.1E) right at the end.
On the way there, much majestic scenery, difficult to picture, but this one was worth a try, waterfalls everywhere:

About a half hour before arriving, the skies opened and everything got very wet. In-to-the-skin evidence that my sailor suit is no longer waterproof. Back to the clothes-drying process, inside.
Having changed, and eaten, I walked the short distance to the famous Union Hotel, (Union Hotel, Øye), to have a look and a coffee. Which was served on a silver tray, from a pot-bellied antique silver coffeepot. There i sat, under a panoply of ostrich feathers, lit by a glittering chandelier, feeling quite posh. Good coffee too.

But next morning, this morning, MAGIC! No rain, blue sky, and the most picture-postcard sight ever! Still chilly though, only 12 degrees.

I was here, maybe 30 years ago, and we climbed the local mountaintop, Slogen, 1564 m. Well, the other two did, but a knee which complained decided that 1300 m was enough for me. This time I shall admire it from sea level.
Plan to get out the bike and pedal my way further in the valley, but later. It is so restful to do nothing in the sunshine.
Alls well,
TouristJohn

From Måløy round Stad, to Larsnes and beyond.

Forecasts were reasonably correct, and three other sailing boats must have read the same, as an hour after leaving Måløy they appeared from other harbours, all heading north to round Stad. (62 12.2N / 005 5.6E).
Stad is notorious for confused winds, currents and waves. Especially in winter and for commercial traffic it is a problem. So much so that there is a plan to bore a tunnel through the peninsular further inland. Crazy idea? Makes sufficient sense however that plans have been drawn up, proposals made and finance is in now place for a serious project. It will be an enormous undertaking. For those interested, try google “skipstunnel.no” and wikipedia “Stad ships tunnel”. It hasn’t been in the news recently, so the timetable has almost certainly slipped. It would have been quite an experience to go through in Josin, but I’m not convinced that it will be ready in time. Whatever….
Anyway, this time round was windy, luckily following, and large, confused seas. Very roly-poly-up-and-down. Because the land is high and near-vertical, down to an undersea ledge, ocean waves get raised up by the ledge and then get reflected back out to sea again. The result is as described.
All four sailed round in good time, waved to each other goodbye from our fleeting wave-tops and went our different ways. We headed 90 degrees east, oddly enough with still a strong following wind, to Larsnes (62 12.4N / 005 34.1E), a familiar harbour. But Lo! it wasn’t familiar at all. The guest harbour as I knew it, shared with the ferry, was now occupied by an enormous barge with everything needed to make a new something there. It was by now very late evening and no one in sight to ask, so I tied up to something solid and hoped for the best. (Left very early next morning, before work started again. It being a saturday, perhaps it didn’t).
Under threatening black clouds and drizzle, we motored off to find a place where we could anchor up for a night or several, as the forecast was just gloomy-and-rain depressing.
On the way, it gradually became absolutely flat calm, no wind, no waves, and no rain, and an excellent opportunity to try and reset the electronic compass and autopilot, as although they functioned, the display showed we were crabbing along about 10 degrees to starboard. Irritating, but not dangerous. A long process, with imaginative re-readings of the instructions which I happened to have on board for an earlier model, resulted in success. Observers, mostly patient gulls (who concluded we were fishing as we were going round and round in circles several times), and human ones, who could have begun to think we were in trouble. No, all turned out well. And no more crabbing. The instructions, in paper form, were stowed just before it started to rain again.
After nosing in to inspect possible anchorages, we ended up in a tight bay on Eika (Oak) island, (62 14.6N / 005 53.5E) and intend to stay safe here until the weather improves.

Maybe some more weather (ish) pics from a deep fjord. The squashed rainbow was in another direction.

Alls warm, dry-ish well.

WaitingJohn.

Hardbakke to Måløy. (61 55.9N / 005 06.8E)

A fine welcome!

The wind blew again, strongly, and we made such good progress that we just had to carry on past Florø, which was plan A for the day, and all of 62 nm to Måløy. Almost all the way was in protected waters so no waves and no problems keeping a straight course which was a relief. Sailed with just the genoa, slightly rolled in, which gave more than enough speed and easier steering.
Much ships traffic in and out of Florø, including these fast ferries doing 25 knots and more, which are there before you know it. Lookout almost continuous therefore.
The weather forecast had said showers and this time it was correct. The clouds scudding across the sky would occasionally grow fratricidal and together deposit a lot of rain, very cold too. Then the sun would reappear and dry us quickly out again. Repeat.
The most interesting bits of the trip was in the long fjord after Florø, where firstly this suddenly appeared:

Looks like a very local shower was illuminated by a narrow shaft of sunlight. Squashed rainbow!

And secondly the winds blowing along the fjord forced-guided by the high mountains on both sides competed with the fall-winds from the winds over the mountains at another angle. Made for sudden and large changes in windspeed and direction. Never a dull moment. Quite energetic in unfurling then furling the genoa in a hurry.
Round the “U” turn at the end of the fjord, dominated by the near 1000 meter high wall of Hornilen mountain, which caused complete confusion in the winds, so we motored the hour for the rest of the way. Including over 3 kn current in the narrow Skatestraumen, fortunately going our way. (Quite unplanned!)

I had to struggle to tie up in Måløy’s guest harbour as the wind was blowing hard, of course away from the pontoon, it was also raining just then so all help was sheltering down under. I made it at the third attempt just as there was a lull and the rain stopped. Phew!
11 hours, a new max for the trip, and very satisfied, but somewhat weary.
Did one tired-stupid thing though, about half an hour before arriving, and I forgot to re-hang the fender which covers the cabin-heater exhaust when in cruising position, before turning the heater on. Exhaust hot. Plastic melts. Fender deflates and is uselessly sorry-looking. Saved by helpful lady in the boat-things shop on the quay, who found an identical one and inflated it.
Although the guest harbour is surrounded by pontoons and should be calm, those fast ferries drag their significant wake when they slow down at the last minute before docking, close by. Then the pontoons and all us poor boats dance and roll for a few seconds. Fenders vital!

Showers (lots) and Bright Periods, (few), continued unabated so a rest day yesterday, and most other sailboats stayed put too, awaiting weather more suited to rounding the peninsular at Stad, always a weather challenge. My several weather forecasts agree that things will calm down later this morning, (more BP and less S) and further into the afternoon and later, so I plan to depart after lunch, (it is friday), leaving some artistic Måløy walls.

Alls well, form a well-showered JosinJohn.

to hardbakke, (61 04.4N / 004 50.2E)

Monday 3rd June. A very windy day. All my sources of weather info, YR.no, Windy, and the Coastal Radio got it a bit wrong, timewise. All predicted a South Westerly gale, and gale there was but it arrived while we were out sailing, and not later. Ah well, another confirmation that both Josin and I are capable of handling a gale with aplomb.
The first hour or so was in the broad fjord, protected from the rollers from the North Sea and local wind-blown waves and we made excellent progress in 15 kt wind, thinking that this was going to be a fun day. But later, outside the fjord and exposed to more weather, it became rather tivoli-like in motion, but still with full sail. Still fun. Then the gale arrived, what? Already? 25 kts steady and much more in the gusts, so I reefed both sails, two in the main, and about half the area in the genoa and settled down to a helter-skelter ride downwind to Hardbakke. Not quite so much fun! But quite OK. There were a few sunny spells and short, sharp rain showers, but not enough to feel cold. Watching the clouds being torn across the sky was quite an entertainment. Glad I’m not in the least exposed to mal-de-mer!
Amusing to see a few ships going in the opposite direction rocking up and down in boffing clouds of spray. For most of their journeys these are coastal vessels and they sail inside the islands so do not experience waves.
Arriving in the very well-sheltered harbour at Hardbakke seemed quite an anti-climax, and almost idyllic, and plenty of places to tie up:

The motorboat in front of Josin was surprised to see us, as he had tried to go south and had returned chastened.
Look at those mountain faces behind the harbour! Can’t you see all the trolls that are lurking there?

This morning, its Tuesday 4th june, I can confirm that the weather forecast was and is correct: Still a gale and rushing rain showers. Josin has a significant heel to starboard as even in this sheltered spot the wind is powerful enough and right on the beam. An inside day therefore. Heater on, things to do, books to read, food to eat, and snoozes too.

Alls well, from StayputJohn

Skudeneshavn til Haugesund til Bergen til Hardbakke.

Again fortunate with favourable winds and excellent progress. Am way ahead of schedule!

From Skudeneshavn the short distance (17 nm) til Haugesund was sailed with a fine beam wind sedately but fast enough in the calm protected water of the south/north Karmoy Sound. Ideal for trying out the wind pilot and it worked fine until other traffic and much navigating in the narrowing sound meant back to electronic autopilot. Only problem with the windpilot is that I have to stretch out over the stern to change the setting of the vane, which governs the course to sail. Must think up a way to do that with strings instead. Next winter’s project.
Haugesund has one og the most interesting shops for things boating. In several floors of an ancient building on the waterfront, structure made of thick logs, with natural-shaped trusses. Low headroom and narrow aisles and creaking floorboards. And everything, if you can find it. I had to ask for help, and a very kind assistant rushed off into the labyrinth and left me hurrying behind but quickly lost. Had to wait. He found me. Walked slower next time. Thankyou!

Early start from Haugesund, (07:15!) next morning to utilise the forecast wind, which was to gradually die away after a strong start. Check. Unfortunately the direction was right on the nose, NE, so we sailed close-hauled into the waves. (There were two other sailing boats ahead doing the same thing, so we couldn’t just motor could we?). Amazingly, with much careful trimming of sails in very small increments, and observing over time, we managed to improve the windward performance quite substantially over what I had deemed normal before. Pleasant surprise! (For the initiated: An improvement from 2,5 -3 knots in velocity to windward, to 3,5 to 4 knots). That ought to change our placement in the next tuesday regatta back home!
The wind died away just as we turned to the north into the next fjord, so we motored the rest of the way to a quiet anchorage at Orrøya, (59 51.5N / 005 13.9E).

Even earlier start next morning, 06:45, in flat calm and windless conditions and motored all the way north to Strusshamn, (60 24.2N / 005 11.5E), a few miles west of Bergen. Been there often before. The harbour in the center of Bergen is busy, noisy and unsettled. Tie up to jetties protected with large very black old tractor tyres, which leave ones fenders and hull black afterward. So I much prefer Strusshamn and a bus ride into town.

Bergen was looking its best in the late spring sunshine and all the many rhododendron bushes were in full flower.

Also a large cruise ship had disgorged its tourists so there were many milling about. A scene in the middle of Torgalmenningen had circus artists performing, so there was plenty to gawp at.

And there was Hanne and Sander! We met for brunch and then sat on a bench overlooking the water and fountain and the ducks and talked. Then took a bus to their flat, all very new for them and rather disorganised, with many layout plans and ideas. I’m sure they will end up with a very liveable space. More chat over several cups of tea from a large brown teapot and then time to bus back to the boat. Being sunday the bus timetable was a bit sparse, so I had to take just that one, or none. Shortened the visit a bit unfortunately.

As there was still much of the day left, I decided to head off and cover a few miles to a familiar natural harbour at Uttoska, (60 39.3N / 004 56.4E). Found a new pontoon to tie up to, instead of anchoring as before, and enjoyed a quiet night.

Next day, wind and waves and more wind and waves, to Hardbakke.
Pause for food.

Alls well.