Month: July 2025

There has been a short intermission, sorry! (More in a bit).

From Huftarøy to Mosterhamn to Tananger.

My hopes came true. After about an hour of motoring, starting late morning, the northerly wind came in and we genakker-sailed all the way down the (nameless) fjord to Mosterhamn. Mosterhamn wasn’t the goal for the day, but which became Plan B, as an enormous storm cloud very rapidly developed across the sky, and rumbled and lightning-ed and was very threatening. There were several other sailing boats in the harbour, all larger than Josin, with taller masts, and I reckoned that a lightning strike would hit someone else.
It rained only, large drops making rings on the water, but with very little cooling effect.

Next morning was thursday, 24th July, and it will be remembered.
1. Forgot to remove hearing aids before swim, and one fell out. So stupid.
2. Phone call telling me that my life-long friend from uni-days had passed.
3. Three phone calls from the house-alarm company, the first two to say that there was a technical problem, oh?, and the third to say that there had been a break-in, alarm activated and that there was someone in the house. And here was me enjoying a gentle sail towards Haugesund. The telephone glowed.

Alarm company and police came and did their thing, neighbours gathered and informed, and one, Rolf, bless him, kept up a running commentary via telephone and coordinated communication, one with policeman who took a thorough inspection and we could agree that there was noting of value missing. Phew!
Lock smith came and changed locks, leaving security again and a whopping bill. (By now evening and special rates).
I could relax.
Nasty experience, leaves one a bit wobbly, having had one’s private space violated.
Sleep illuminated and disturbed by break-in imaginations.
Early awake. So, what next? Trip home indicated? Yes. Best to ensure no loose ends, and start the “paperwork”.
Goal for the day was therefore Tananger, from where I could take bus/train home. Long way, 52 nm. Go. Engine on and purring. Breakfast on the move. Heading south-westward out of the fjord.
Strange indications on the AIS screen. (other vessels nearby). Turned out to be this:

Easy to see, easy to avoid, including the very long tow-hawser between tugboat and platform, and the one “pushing” behind, well, helping to steer.
Then turned south and a helpful wind, which lasted the rest of the day. Through Haugesund with a following current, 3 kt in the narrows under the bridge, and on, and on, and on, to Tananger in the early evening.
Night train from Stavanger had a “lounge seat”, leaving at 22:something, so a pause for a meal and a snooze before catching a bus to town.
You never sleep well on a train do you? But Kongsberg in the early sunshine was welcoming, and Norma was kind enough to fetch me and my food-shopping. Kiwi was open at 7.

Home and an inspection first. Drawers open. Shelves emptied. Plenty of things strewn. He’d obviously been looking for small things easy to sell, and had only found and taken an old iPhone which I should have binned before. Lucky me!

It was friday, and fridays are coffee-and-cake days at 11 in our common house. So tales were told and relished and questions resolved.
Tidy up
“Paper”work. Telephone and iMac busy.
Change alarmcode.
Snoozes, to catch up on sleep.
The day disappeared.
Convivial evening with neighbours on Rolf and Turid’s terrasse.
Back to the railway station by kind Norma and night train back to Stavanger. Bus to Tananger.
Breakfast and more snoozes.
Bus 15 minutes to giga-shopping mall at Madla. Found what i needed. Bus back.

Next morning, it now being sunday, promised a northerly wind so we set hopefully off after a leisurely breakfast and found a breeze, not a wind, so it was a motor-sailing day in rather confused seas which confused the sails, to just outside Egersund where we anchored in good-holding mud for the night.

Alls well,
Back-to-boating-John

From Utvær to Kjellingøy to Kirkeholm to Strusshamn to Huftarøy.

The last pic from Utvær in calm summer weather is of the tourists, recently deposited from the fast ferry, on their guided tour, from the lighthouse to other places:

Onward south, for motor, with no wind but glorious sunshine at sea and boiling-up clouds over land. That must have dumped cooling rain somewhere lucky, later.

to a beautiful lagoon some hours later, at Kjellingøy. Clear 10 m deep water and good holding for the anchor.
Later in the evening in the low-sun light, I spied a Rock-Troll, (solid version of his cousins who live in their forests). You see him? with a pointy nose and one eye staring out to sea?

Next morning in the early sunshine he was still there, his shoulder braced against the coming winter storms.

Stayed there until afternoon, enjoying trying fishing, without a single nibble, and several snorkel swims to see if I could find any fish. None. Gave up.
Several small boats with colourful, joyful families came and tied up, and enjoyed the very-inviting water.
We left, onward south, in the afternoon and after the forecast wind hadn’t really arrive,d but it was enough to have the genoa out to help the engine, to Kirkeholmen, (bis), and luckily unoccupied.

Some of the long-ago remains of a dwelling have been re-cycled into a landing spot, and a fire-hearth. Also someone who must have been a regular visitor had built a bench to enjoy the sunset, unfortunately cloud-spoiled for me this evening.

Next day, still no sail-able wind but in strong sunshine, we motored to Strusshamn, just outside Bergen, to civilisation, shops, laundry, water and diesel.
Just to have a gripe, the facilities are run by GoMarina, maybe a good system, but their control-terminals for showers, toilets and washing machines have a pathetically small display, at chest height, with dark blue letters in a light blue screen. You pay by “app”, the instructions are minimal, and if you get it wrong, there is no oopsie possibility, and you have to start from scratch and pay again for access. Guess who got it wrong?! Twice!!! Gripe over.

Spent a convivial evening with Åsgårdstrand sailors Børge and Marit on their boat while it tried to rain a bit. Pretty rings on the water surface, but no cooling effect.
We had been cruising much of the same waters since Tananger several weeks ago, but they had travelled further north, and had now met again in Strusshamn, sort of on the way home.

Yesterday afternoon, that must have been tuesday, we ventured forth south again, past the gigantic pillars of the new Sotra bridge, (can you see how they have grown since my last pic?) and into more open, less trafficated waters, unfurled the genakker, and sailed for several enjoyable hours at about 4 knots in a 8 knot wind with the engine silent at last:

to Huftarøy, (bis), to find another sailboat, from Holland, anchored there. Just enough swinging-space for two in this calm weather.

Today is wednesday, the morning clouds have dispersed, the sun is again beating down, and I’m waiting for the forecast wind to materialise. Hoping to repeat yesterday’s sailing, south-along. Hoping.

Alls well,
PatientJohn

From Nordfjordeid to Utvær

It has been hot, wind-less and just motoring the last few days.
I used to feel superior to motorboats; noisy, fast, wake-creating, and always first to harbour. Now? We’ve joined the group, although still last to harbour. Sad.
The day-long sunshine which is part of this high-pressure scene is welcome, but the attendant lack of wind is not. Boating has changed.
Josin seems to be content at a lower cruising speed than I’ve used before, 4 and a bit knots instead of 5,5. I’m sure we are using much less fuel, which is the point.

Westward out of Nordfjord seemed to take ages. It is obviously a popular place for the cruise ships. I had woken very early and decided to ignore the need for food-shopping and set forth in the cool of the early morning, but was slightly surprised to meet no less than three new cruise skips on their way in. More than 10 000 passengers. Probably a record for the number of ice creams sold in Nordfjordeid that day.

Back past Rugsund where the current in the narrows was at least 3 knots against, (again!), and very swirly-turbulent. Concentration needed!

Onward past Hornilen, still majestic, and the long drag down Bremangerfjord and back to Botnan and the mini-jetty. Several cooling-off dips.

Next day, more motoring, going south, with a necessary re-fuelling stop in Florø, to Svanøy, where there is an interesting place called The Hjortesenter, (deer research), which I intended to visit the next morning. Unfortunately the visitors pontoon was full so we anchored, insecurely it turned out.
Strange that although there had been little or no wind during the day, it suddenly descended at 00 am and the anchor dragged. A rumbling noise reverberated through the hull and woke me, suddenly. Several bleary-eyed attempts to re-anchor were needed before we were safe. Turned out when we did up-anchor later that morning that that bay has an exceedingly rich growth of seaweed which had confused the anchor. I didn’t get to visit the Hjortesenter.

Onward to the next sizeable place which promised a supermarket, Askvoll, and it has two. Also a washing machine. Productive visit.
Pic on leaving next morning. Still blue skies and zero wind. No, I’m not complaining, just saying.

Then onward to Utvær, the most westerly island in Norway. Only 150 nautical miles to Shetland, and I was tempted. Rejected, as it would have meant motoring all the way if the weather forecast was correct.
Utvær has a lighthouse, now automatisert, and many mature buildings, now holiday homes. It has a long, narrow harbour, luckily deep up the middle. These pics are from south, through west, to north.

Tradition has it that it was home to over 100 souls, living off fishing and farming, before it gradually declined, the last inhabitant left about twenty years ago.
I wandered after breakfast, walking poles in re-assuring use. More pics. A sort of dam, probably built to decide what was harbour and what was not. I was amazed at the size of the stones and how they were gathered and placed. There didn’t seem to be anyway a machine could get there.

There were signs of forgotten times in the long, now uncultivated grass:

And a chance meeting with Vigdis and Vibekke, (think that’s correct), brother and next generation of the last inhabitant, willing to impart history.
Dog insisted on being photographed.

Then back to Josin, carefully, just in time to see the fast ferry arrive with saturday’s tourists, deposit them ashore, and leave, much grumbling of powerful engines. Amazing how manouverable these are, pirouetted on a penny.

After lunch, the forecast northerly breeze may happen, and the gennaker is ready.

Alls well,
Scorched, (somewhat pink), John.

Northward and eastward into another long fjord

Morning in Fløholm was drizzly and chilly. A dutch sailing boat in the same bay showed no sign of life, so was probably agreed in staying put.
Early afternoon the weather cleared somewhat and we both got active and set off, Josin north, Dutchman south. We waved.The universal language.

The promised southerly wind was there, but too light to just sail, so it was motorsail on, again, to Herland by evening, which was familiar and easy to tie up to.
Next morning, similar conditions windwise, but still overcast. Bother. Motor-sail again northward. No excitement. Islands and nav-marks came and went, passing vessels were waved to, high-speed ferries avoided, until we were past Florø in the afternoon when holes started to appear in the cloud cover. Then this phenomenon: A thermic cumulus to the west at low level bursting upward and merging with a wave cloud. Looked like a helicopter with enormous bulgy eyes. Only bit of entertainment all day!

Then in to Botnan, at the west end of the Bremangerfjord, shaped like an appendix and very sheltered, where we tied up to a pontoon with space for one on each side.

Next morning, it was by now saturday, I opened my sleepy eyes to blue sky and promised warmth. About time! Obviously the heatwave plaguing folk further south had crept up to us summer-hungry souls here further north.
But the wind was fickle, blowing quite hard on the nose from the northeast to begin with, defied and denied by the windmills on the top of the mountain which were quite motionless.

We motored on, past some strange formations in the mountainsides, and past what must be the most-difficult-to-get-to hill-farm in the area, then past the iconic Hornilen, a cliff face falling almost vertically 1 000 meters. Supporting shoulder on its right hand side. Very difficult to photograph.

To Rugsund, under a bridge, just, and through a very narrow channel with 3 knots of current against. Rugsund is known for its old trading place and museum. Luckily got there just as a cabin cruiser was leaving, as there was very limited space on the short pontoon.
I had plotted in this spot as last time I was there, some years ago now, it had a good restaurant. Sadly no longer, the building closed and tired. But the cafe did roaring trade in ice cream and cold drinks in the sunshine.
Next morning, now sunday, was equally sunny and hot, so a quick dip in 19 degrees started the day off well.
Motored all the way eastward into the Nordfjord, in bluesky, hot sunshine, to the small town of Nordfjordeid by mid-day, (an “eid”, I think, is where a river runs out into the fjord and has created a flat space).
The Nordfjord is almost as wide as the Sognefjord, and just as attractive. No surprise that it is popular with the cruise ships.

On the way, a pic of gulls waiting for dinner at an unfenced salmon farm, and a pic of a very useful sign warning of an overhead high voltage span. It said ” m over high water”

It was oven-hot. 34 degrees, both inside and outside the boat. Too much by far. Tied up to the guest pontoon, I lay under a wetted bath towel and waited.
Was disturbed by a loud machine/mechanical noise in the evening. A large black cruise ship had arrived and was busy being secured, not to a jetty or somesuch, (water not deep enough), but to enormous buoys, and a floating bridge in sections, opening out like a carpenter’s folding ruler until it reached the ship. The tourists could then wander ashore. Clever.

Later in the evening, and inspired by all the sunny-sunday swimmers and divers and splashers and paddlers, I measured the water temperature and was surprised to read 22,5 degrees. Hadn’t seen anything above 16 only a few days earlier. Thermometer can’t be that optimistic, surely?
So i immersed myself, and it didn’t seem chilly at all. Unearthed the snorkel and mask, and crept under Josin to clear the detritis half-blocking the logg, and a “string” of seaweed caught in the propeller. Bonus!
Tomorrow is monday and I shall be up betimes to food-shop before the temperature rises to uncomfortable again.

Enough for now,
alls well,
SwelteringJohn

To Balestrand, and back out of the Sognefjord

A really fine, sunny day, visibility excellent, and even a gentle breeze to help waft us along, we got to Balestrand in the afternoon to a slight problem.

Pic courtesy of Norskhavneguide, taken near high water of the tide, ( ca 1,2 m).

It was unfortunately now close to low water, all the visitors’ tie-up places were against high jetties with very few things to attach to, and too high for me to clamber out. Helpful Frenchman took my lines and attached Josin well enough to wait.
It was well into the evening by the time we were raised to clamber-out height, and I sallied forth in search of bread. Coop shop was huge, everything I needed, and bread choices innumerable, including sourdough. Returned to Josin. FIVE thick slices with plenty of butter, some jam. That was dinner for the day!

Pics taken at high tide, still clamber-height from Josin.

Next morning, woke to overcast, low clouds, with the chance of rain. What to do? When you can only just see the other side of the fjord, there’s not much to enthral, so I decided to retrace my floating steps and seek more open waters.

The Sognefjord. Balestrand at the right hand end of the pic, anchorage, Fløholm, red arrow, at the left hand end. Very secluded spot, except if the wind blows from the southeast.
It took nine hours of motoring, some with, some against, wind and current. Rather boring, as I’d seen it all better before, but an audiobook helped.

Better boating (sailing) weather tomorrow? Southerly wind forecast. See where it can blow us.

Alls well
AnchoredJohn

From Dingja into the Sognefjord.

Sunday was church-quiet under low grey skies and drizzle. No hurry. Snooze again after breakfast, then wait. Not even the German fishing tourists were busy. But the weather gradually cleared leaving a flat calm sea and no wind. At around mid day the shop opened its doors and the place gradually woke up.
So I set a short route and we left after lunch, for motor, and we entered the Sognefjord proper.
Just round the corner we anchored up in a well-sheltered small bay with a few summer cottages, one in use.
Another sailboat approached, he’d probably seen Josin on the AIS, and came in looking for a place, but had to back out as there wasn’t room for two. He chose the next-door bay.

Next morning was still calm after a very quiet night, so we motored out into the fjord and headed east. Not a breath of wind but gradually a very fine day.

Sognefjord is listed as the longest and largest fjord in Norway, (probably deepest too, Josin’s sounder went blank), and I was duly impressed. It is huge. 2 to 3 nautical miles wide, high mountains on both sides and stretching into the middle distance. Seems rather featureless actually. One feels ant-tiny in comparison, and progress seems pathetically slow. Very little traffic.

By going closer to the shore, small, isolated farms appeared, looking very green after the first spring mowing.

Occasionally the wind blew gently, and the genoa got rolled out to take advantage, but it never lasted very long. Fickle winds in the fjords if they are not blowing straight in, or out.

We arrived in Ortnevik in time for tea. Primitive pontoon with no tie-up points.
Very quiet and not a soul. I wandered to explore and found the local shop, behind the ferry terminal, (open except when closed), it was open. Chatted with the manager, a teenager, probably on a summer job, and stocked up on some of the items I lacked. The while she sat at the till, with her boyfriend sitting beside her reading aloud from a thick book. Unusual.

It is now tuesday morning and promises to be a sunny day, (good for tourists), but no wind to speak of, so we will motor eastward onwards into the fjord. Goal is Balestrand, a very glamorous tourist-y place. I shall visit only to find bread, preferably sourdough. Then videre to Leikanger.

Alls well,
SogneJohn.

Kari goes ashore in Strusshamn.

Yesterday, tuesday 1 july, was a mixed day, some good, some less good. We arranged to meet Kari’s daughter Hanne and her partner Sander for a restaurant meal in Bergen, prior to Kari travelling home to Sandefjord, by several busses.
Packing didn’t take long, as Kari knew that space on Josin was restricted, and one bag, quite voluminous, and surprisingly heavy, was enough.
Then a taxi to the bus terminal and bus to Bergen.

Note the crutches hanging from a thin blue-and-white rope. Very useful apparently.

We ate Indian, very tasty and quite enough, (no room for pud), but for my ears, equipped with new and much better hearing aids, too much noise. Rather spoiled the possibility for conversation.
Another taxi, via my bus stop to heave me out, to Hanne and Sander’s for the night.
So, this morning, Hanne accompanied Kari to her bus and off she went:

I left Strusshamn after breakfast and motored in to the boat-things shop in Bergen to buy new connection bits, to change out the damaged ones and cure the AIS alarms for good, (I hope), then set off north in glorious sunshine, (Bergen…. amazing!), but with a strong wind on the nose, to find a place to hide from the rain forecast for tomorrow evening and two days.Tonight we are tied up to a mini-jetty on an island where I’ve been before, but not the shelter from the coming wind direction, so we’ll go a bit further tomorrow.

So now I’m back to solo sailing and must start planning, as Shetland is now off. Tomorrow is another day.

Alls well,

SoloJohn