Month: August 2024

From Mandal to Kristiansand, (58 08.6N / 008 00.2E), to Lillesand,(58 14.8N / 008 22.8E), to Risør, (58 44.0N / 009 13.6E), to Tallakshavn, (59 04.6N / 010 18.4E), to Åsgårdstrand, (59 21.1N / 010 28.2E).

HOME AGAIN !

Just as a compensation for all the earlier motoring, we SAILED the rest of the way home.
Early morning i Mandal was quiet at boat level, but there were small clouds moving across the sky at a respectable pace, so I ate breakfast in the hope of a good sail.
Mandal is at the outlet of a river into a large bay, so far OK, But, at the outer end of the bay, we met yesterdays Skagerakk rollers and waves, pushed by the strong SW wind. Josin bounced and rolled, and it was rather uncomfortable and energetic, so Plan B. This involved scuttling back in amongst the islands to sheltered waters and much navigation. Wind still more than adequate to push us along though and good time was made to Kristiansand.

On the way, we “squeezed” through the narrow gap at New Hellesund, all quiet at this time of the season. A harbour for fishermen and the local pilot in its day, but now just summer-dwellers. One dwelling was a bit unique: A converted fuel tank! One up, one down. Imaginative.

The disaster of the day was a tooth-filling which fell out while eating a lunchtime sandwich. What to do? Would the gap go bad if it didn’t get fixed? Can it wait til I’m home and confront the dentist. (She filled it in early May, not good).
We got in to Kristiansand early afternoon, and a quick google produced several dentists, one within ten minutes walk from the harbour. Temporary fix? Easy, should last, but not absolutely necessary if you wait ten days. Half an our later my tongue was inquisitively investigating the filled hole, and I returned to Josin, reassured.
Next day the wind had reduced a bit, but the waves were not as big, and we had a lovely sail to Risør, (Finnøy, home of the Risør Seilforening), in the sunshine, initially through the islands but later out at sea. Just genoa was more than enough sail and the wind pilot coped well.
Woke next morning early to calm, and a small breeze. Would the wind get up again later? It did, and after motoring out into the open sea we had another lovely sail all the way to Tallakshavn a natural, sheltered harbour and a mooring buoy. Long day, many miles. Tired!
Next day, and still the wind blew in our direction, but the option of sailing out to sea and round “Lands End” as the local map has it, was not enticing, as it would have meant beating to windward through those waves for the first hour or so, and that would have been very rough. So, the quieter way, following a short blast across the fjord, and then inshore until after Tønsberg and the last few miles in the open, back to Åsgårdstrand.
Such was progress that I had to reduce sail to a small triangle in order to not arrive too early as Kari and Gilbert wanted to welcome me with flags and hurras. They DID.

What a welcome!! Big hugs and hot food. They look after their Dad! Lucky ME.

A summary of the cruise in another post. Bye for now.

Alls well
HomeAgainJohn

From Bergen (Strusshamn) to Kalsundvågen, (59 59.8N / 006 15.8E), to Skudeneshavn to Egersund to Skarvøy to Mandal, (58 01.5N / 007 27.2E).

First the good news: Today we sailed, with the engine stopped!
The bad news: Until today, the engine has been running all the way from Ålesund. That’s an awful lot of motoring miles, and diesel, and lack of entertainment.
Some days the sails have helped a bit, including one half-hour’s blast over the Krossfjord, south of Bergen, in 25 to 30 kt wind and large waves, even then I kept the engine running as it gave the rudder more power.

As taking pictures in the murk, and/or rain is not informative, there have been few opportunities, but here are two, both of colossal bits of engineering: Takes an engineer to appreciate engineering!

A new suspension bridge over to Sotra from Bergen, to compliment the existing, equally large one. Took a pic towards the opposite bank, of entrances to tunnels, but it was all murky and useless.
An offshore platform under construction, outside Haugesund, luckily when the sun was shining on it’s brilliant yellow paint. Not a window in sight! Must be the biggest steel box.

So, the winds have been either southerly, or very weak, and thus very frustrating for a sailor, but at least I have been travelling in a boat!
But today, over my early-morning-cuppa, a study of weather forecasts, from several sources, all said the same: A westerly wind of sailable strength and we were going east, and they were all right. Ah, bliss! Even got the wind-pilot rigged and functioning, so even the electric autopilot was silent. Out in the open seas we wallowed along, (yesterday’s rollers were still active), at a respectable speed, and the sailing sounds were salig.
Rounding the southernmost point of Norway, Lindesnes, (57 58.7N / 007 03.3E), this morning, I downloaded a pic from the web camera there, and also took a pic from the boat.

If you peer and squint you can just see Josin, the tiny white prick just to the right of the tower.
There seemed to be lots of people on the rock too, although they are equally difficult to discern.

And here in Mandal a front has arrived with more wind and drizzly rain, predicted to clear up during the night and leave another sailing-wind day. fingers crossed!

Alls well
HomestretchJohn.

From Ålesund to Bergen.

3rd august was a non-boating day. Took the bus out of Ålesund town to the enormous shopping sprawl, Moa, where there is everything, and you get good exercise as well. Found what I needed, then retreated to “Spisestuen” (N for dining room), where I met Viel for lunch. Afterward she drove me to her home and her washing machine, needed and most welcome, and spent the afternoon catching up, (and watching some Olympics). Time to leave and I got an early-birthday present:

Viel rightly pointed out that if I was going to keep dry in inclement weather, I needed proper head-gear, the local speciality, (made in Ålesund), guaranteed effective. It has been, couldn’t have done without it under conditions later. It should have the front brim folded upward, forming a sort of gutter to drain the rain away from one’s eyes, and specs.
Rain next morning, forecast clearing later, which happened. So, set off after lunch, motoring, as the wind had been dragged away with the clouds, to the enclosed anchorage at Klungsvågen, discovered on the way north.
Interesting meteorological effects seen on the way: I love the top hats!

Next day was cloudy and calm, forecast to stay so, and ideal for rounding the tricky bit round very exposed Stad, so we motored optimistically off and found it to be true, almost calm. Rounding the headland, very impressive in its size and majesty, we met the North Sea SW rollers and reflected waves, and we nodded, and bounced, one could almost say, As Usual! Lasts for about an hour or so. Always repeat that I’m lucky that I don’t get sea sick.
In to Måløy, first to the diesel well, then to the guest harbour, then to the fish-and-chips restaurant.
On the way there, met the owner of the boat-things shop, in the process of shutting. Agreed to come back at opening time next morning to discuss new ropes for genoa sheets, as the present ones were getting frayed and argued with the winches.
Sadly, no suitable ropes, but hanging there, inticingly, was the latest thing from Ålesund’s experts in wet-weather gear. Very tempted, as my sailor dress no longer keeps the worst wet out. But size? Went back to the boat and got dressed in all normal layers and dress for worst weather, and waddled back to the shop. 2XL, in both trousers and jacket fitted well.
AND, I’m glad I did, as the next few days were all strong winds mostly on the nose, and thus spray, and all too much rain. I Kept Dry.

Actually, there was very little to remember or report, or more pics, for the next few days, motoring all the way to Bergen, nearly 200 nautical miles. Very boring. But I couldn’t just wait for the southerly winds to abate. They haven’t yet unfortunately.

Except…. Just south of Måløy, entering the narrow straight past the towering mountain Hornilen, I was very surprised to hear screams like a child was in agony. Not, thank goodness, but two sea eagles in a dog-fight. Very impressive, and wonderfully near, as they almost hit the top of Josin’s mast in their acrobatics, which sort of woke them up, as they ignored each other further and soared away, equally impressively, to each their revier (?). It all happened so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to grab the camera. Pity.

Bergen. Lived up to its rain-reputation. Tied up to the harbour wall in a small gap right opposite “Bryggen”, where all the pointy, old warehouses are. Always impressive, also probably to all the wandering huddled-under-umbrella-two-by-two tourists from the cruise ship nearby.
Managed to find the right bus-stop, and the right bus, pointing the right way, to travel and visit Hanne and Xander, and serendipitously, Kari, who had come in from Hardanger. Very succulent dinner, followed by the intricacies of mounting a shelf to a concrete wall. Then the stupendous news that Hanne had finally completed financing for her film which she has been brooding. Whoopee! Now the luxury problem of finding the time to make it!
Kari kindly drove me back to the boat in the late evening, in time for Josin and I to motor the short distance to Strusshamn, a much quieter place to wait for (slightly) better weather.

Alls well, though damp, from

WaitingJohn

From Brekstad to Ålesund.
On the way: Storfosna, (63 29.3N / 009 23.9E). Halsbukten, (63 09.8N / 008 10.5E). Kristiansund, (63 07.1N / 007 44.0E). Oldenborg, (63 03.5N / 007 43.3E). Ona Fyr, (62 51.8N / 006 32.7E). Ålesund, (62 28.3N / 006 09.2E).

From Brekstad to Storfosna was just a short evening trip to an anchorage for the night, but on the way we met strong wind-against-tide waves which made remarkably wet spray. I huddled under the spray-hood, and as the windows were quite opaque, I stuck my head out only very briefly at stort intervals to make sure we weren’t going to hit anything. Discovered after anchoring that the fore-hatch hadn’t been screwed down properly and much water had bashed its way in. Will I ever learn??Luckily I don’t sleep on those matresses.
Woke the next morning to rain, so waited until after lunch when the skies cleared and a gentle NE wind came in. Out of the lagoon and carefully over the shallows at the entry, bottom looking worryingly close in the clear water, and then it was full sail for almost the rest of the way down Tronheimsleia, the broad fjord and main thoroughfare, to the anchorage at Halsbukten. The wind gradually subsided with the evening so the engine took over. These pics were taken at about 22:30, a while before we anchored: Haunting lighting in the sunset, looking north and looking south.

Next morning the few miles in to Kristiansund, all motoring, but at times nearly 2 knots of current pushing us along at unusual speed. Strange feeling, that, the landscape passing by so “fast”.

Gentle drizzle next morning, and the weather forecast for the next two days was for strong southwesterlies, not encouraging for the next stretch, over Hustaviken, which can by very uncomfortable. So I took the ten-minute bus-ride out to the sprawling shopping center and wandered around, had a coffee-and-sticky-bun, bought a few necessary things, and goodies like raspberries, and rode the bus back to town. Back on the boat, turned on the heater to dry out, and eat the raspberries.
In the late afternoon the wind had eased a bit, so decided to put the baug to the wind and motor to Oldenborg, the Kristiansund Sailing Club’s friendly little marina, well sheltered from the weather. This was a bit of a detour, but it shortened the exposed bit the next day and meant that I could start a bit later to match the forecast weather window next afternoon.
Next morning dawned flat calm with not-a-breath. Ah well, you can’t get them all correct!. Set off south, then west, then north around the large island of Averøy. Along the way, saw what must be the arch-typical Norwegian small farm; White main dwelling with a cross-shaped upper floor, small white dwelling for the oldies, a red barn for the animals, and a red boathouse down on the shore.

Also saw two churches, one very old, preserved by wood-tar, the other new, preserved by paint. Maybe the community out-grew the old church.

And also a blight on the landscape, a chalk (?) quarry, very extensive, on the other side of the fjord. A necessary sore I suppose. Ingredient in concrete?

The exit from the fjords thereabouts is under the only sail-height bridge into the open sea through the long string of small islands along which the Atlantic Sea Road winds its way, (big tourist attraction, particularly for camper vans, fantastic ocean views). What?? Where’s all this wind? Where’s the waves? All benign. Just enough sailable wind to waft us along. Relax. Brew tea. Drink tea. Adjust course a bit round that red marker, then straight on, autopilot doing its reliable thing. Boring really. Considered hanging out a fishing line. Rejected, we are going too fast (3 to 4 kt), for anything except makerell, of which I am not fond. Waved to boats going the other way. Wind gradually died so motored the evening way to Ona Fyr, (lighthouse), a very small community, now only summer-dwellers, on a very strategic lighthouse island for this stretch of the coast.
Sea birds like remote islands, and here were Kittiwakes, in their squawking hundreds. Nesting on impossibly small ledges. Except…. Some of those ledges in the pic on the right look like shelves, man-made and mounted. A bit wider and obviously popular. Some kind people help birds. Good!

The view from the top of the old lighthouse was indeed fantastic, like the blurb said……And it was a very nice day!

Then a NE breeze crept in and we sailed to Ålesund, most of the way with both the genoa and the genaker up and drawing, (Pic on the right taken with wide-angle). Most unusual sailing circumstances, and much concentration and accurate steering was needed to keep both sails filled.

Sometimes sailing is extra fun!
Ålesund guest harbour was full. Very full. Never experienced so many boats before, mostly cabin cruisers. Perhaps there was some sort of celebration? No, no sign of. Must have been because it was such a lovely sunny, friday-evening-and-thus-weekend day.
Found a Josin-sized spot up against a friendly sailing boat with Australian/Belgian crew. Relax. Make dinner. Eat dinner. Watch the Olympics. Sleep.

Alls well,
SailorJohn.