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.
Josin's 2025 cruise 