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.
Josin's 2025 cruise 