Arrived at the airfield full of energy and optimism, to find the group all gathered in the hangar with the towplane, oozing av disappointment and looking glum.
On inspection, a small crack had been found in one of its four cylinder heads. So, no towplane, no flying. Much discussion as to where another part could be found, but no conclusion. Summary by the chief: “It doesn’t help to be irritated, and no one knows how long the repair will take”. I managed to say a few words in appreciation of their welcome and their hospitality, and a strong wish to come back again when they can fly again.So, pack away the aircraft and all the clobber, close down and disperse. Thankyou all you nice people!
Back to boat, and eat lunch. Pause to decide what and when to do next. If the forecast is correct, and the wind blows from the east later today, we will sail back to Harstad and collect the chart waiting there. Next goal is Tromsø.
Talk about lucky. Since we got here, there have only been wispy clouds and 24 hour sun. Yesterday, saturday, was spent at the Salangen Seilflyklubb, Elvesness airfield. This was my goal for the summer, eased by starting from Ålesund instead of Åsgårdstrand, and I sure am pleased to be here. AND I got a ride in a sailplane. Jeay!
Salangen Seilflyklubb is a small group of enthusiaster, 12 present yesterday. The club owns one two seater, a “Blanik”, and two single seaters, and a few other single seaters privately owned.
The grass airstrip lies 6Km as the crow flies east of Sjøvegan, beside an idyllic lake at the west end of the runway. (Don’t undershoot on landing). The club rents the end of several enormous hangars, relics of byegone days of official activity. The very first activity here, and only the second aircraft activity in Norway is commemorated in this monument. Note the aircraft, a Bleriot no less! That dates it.
The club is run very much on a cooperative basis, and the headquarters are simpe, but effective. This was the first day of activity this season, so there was lots to do. All qualified pilots had to have a confirmatory two-seater flight, before the pupils, three, before me, so I came at the end of a long day, when the air had largely settled. Magic, as always, at the feeling at take-off, after a rushing, bouncing ride when suddenly all is smooth. Towed up to 600 meters, back over Sjøvegan, where I could see my tiny toy boat, and then calm. What a sight! Green valleys, with snaking rivers, dotted farms, dark woods lying up the sides of snow-capped mountains. My P1 let me have a bit of a stir, but when we did hit the hint of thermic lift, he took over and tried. We didn’t really climb, but just reduced sink a bit.
Didn’t take any pics from the air. Had decided to concentrate on the fact that I was flying again. Pics on next flight. The chairman, Bjørn, who very kindly picked me up and drove me home, he’s beside the monument, (6 Km turned out to be 13 on the road, so I gave up on the intention to bicycle), says I am very welcome to stay as long as I like and have as many flights as there is space for. What an offer! So I shall remain for a few days, since the forecast is for continued fine weather. Fantastic!
Today sunday, activity starts after church time (there is an active chapel at the other end of the runway), so maybe I won’t get a flight today. I shall concentrate on my task, which has been to collect the tow rope after it has been dropped. Lots of walking on fairly bumpy grass, makes for very good knee-therapy. Take more to drink with me today!
It all started so promising. Forecast. Sunshine. Cloudless sky. Northwesterly breeze. Up mainsail in the harbour, turn around and unfurl the foresail, sail out of the harbour and stop the engine. That must be the shortest enginerun this year. For about an hour all was quite perfect. Got the windpilot working, (should be a short video here, but all attempts to upload it have failed, sorry!), and could at last stop the autopilot. Bliss!
Then the clouds started to appear, and then they crept down the mountainsides, and then the wind changed in both direction and strength. Waves increasing, very choppy. Now almost closehauled. Much spray. Wet. Stow windpilot. Steer self. More wind. Reef main. Even more wind. Second reef. Roll in foresail to half size. Still doing over six knots. View now of waves and spray only. Good things, digital maps and GPS, aren’t they? Found waypoint at the end of a fjord and turned into it. Wind and waves now aft and just as strong. Rolypoly. Next waypoint at a steep mountainside and turned again. Waves tamed. Wind still following us. View returns. Under a bridge. Turned west into broad fjord, with mountains all around, and no-cloud sunshine. Very comforting and warming. Wind now very fickle, sometimes ahead, sometimes aft, sometimes not at all. Engine helped. Even the gulls tumbled about. Last turn into a broad, much more friendly fjord, almost a very large bay, and sail to Sjøvegan. Stow sails. Where is the guest harbour? Charts and chartplotter no help. Google Earth showed a long wall where the portside pole marker should have been. And Lo! behind the wall, a long pontoon. No other boats. Tie up.
Best day’s sailing so far, with all the variations. Time to relax. Food. Snooze.
After sunday’s relaxing day, contact was made with the local Raymarine office, and after some discussion, young Sondre came on board with a large backpack full of tools and instruments. He started by finding out that his vintage instrument, (new one away for calibration), for measuring antenne performance was very underperforming, and had to give that up. Next was to change several suspect plugs which might have got wet and corroded. Coupled up the new VHF antenne, which was installed while in Bodø, directly to the VHF radio, and communication with Coastal Radio North was “loud and clear” over both local and distant transmitters. Checked again with the mast-head antenne connected. Again good. So maybe I don’t have to get up to the top of the mast to fix problems there. Whooppee!. Step 1 success. Next, Sondre used my MacBook to download the latest AIS software. That took time and amusement, because he had never used a Mac before and his rapid fingers took several wrong navigations. Installed the software, and coupled the new, now checked antenne directly to the AIS unit. Switched on, and almost immediately there was Josin on MarineTraffic. Step 2 success. Then coupled up the splitter, which divides the antenne signal between VHF and AIS. Definitely worse performance. Discussion. Phone call to office for advice. (local dialect, rapid, difficult to follow, but definitely derogatory remarks about splitters in general, and no upgrade available). Conclusion: Cut out the splitter and have dedicated antenne to AIS and VHF radio. Logical. Simpler. Probably more reliable too. So Sondre, most helpful, returned to the office from a probably-cured Josin, and a happier skipper. First test was today, when we puttered round to the other end of this comprehensive harbour,
to fill up with diesel, and back. Logg recorded 2,3 nm. MarineTraffic followed us every step of the way. Most encouraging!
We will have to come back to Harstad in a few days to collect new map software for the chartplotter, which couldn’t be downloaded, but had to come by mail.
Yesterday, tuesday, Laundry day. Facilities are in the back of the quayside restaurant, (fish and chips place), but opens at 11. Vintage machines which had to be fed with tokens, (available at the counter), very noisy, but reasonably effective. Cabin full of hanging not-quite-dry washing rest of the day.
Dug out the bicycle yesterday and went for an explore and a bit of shopping at the Marina. Shopping unsuccessful, but pedalling good. Harstad is a mixture of old and shabby and new and bright. Lots of building activity. Enormous new shopping center down by the marina, which has had the inevitable effect of bleeding the center of the town for shops. Harstad still has managed to maintain its center square, with restaurants and hairdressers and coffeshops with their chairs (with encouraging rugs), and tables in the sunshine.
Weather still brightly sunny, but with a chilly north-easterly wind. Forecast for tomorrow is for a gentle westerly, which should waft us eastwards to the next stop, Sjøvegan. Sailplane club there. Trip in sailplane organised, (as eager passenger, hopefully allowed a stir).
Nordskot to Skutvik wasn’t very interesting. Frustrating because, whichever way Josin pointed, the wind was always against, even when the prevailing wind blew across the fjord and mountains. No sailing, again! Skutvik wasn’t open yet. Very quiet. An early night.
Early morning strong sunshine had me up early, before 6. Clear water had me tempted, but I resisted. (11,5 degrees). Forecast good for sailing later, so, through the pre-voyage list, and away before 8.
Investigated a Plan B place on the way, bak Hopøya, perfectly sheltered bay, narrow entrance. To be remembered. Pos 68 08,0N 15 24.5E.
Tried to take a panoramic pic of the “Lofoten Vegg”, but succeeded in only a normal one. Still a long way away though.
Then, as the day got warmer, yes a good deal warmer, and the northerly wind died away, strange sights appeared, in mirages:
Just south of Lødingen, on the west side of the fjord, “nine sisters” basked in the sun: (beats Nordland’s famous Seven!).
Then in to Lødingen. Not very inspiring, and as it was still only about two o’clock, and that the promised southerly wind had started to waft its way, I decided to carry on, with Harstad as a distant goal, and several possible stopping places on the way.
We motor-sailed, then sailed, most of 10 nm up the gradually-narrowing fjord, until it turned east, into Tjeldsund, whereupon the wind turned east too. These fjordwinds. Never reliable and friendly. No wonder almost all pleasure boats are motor. Tjeldsund is relatively narrow, (for a fjord), and also relatively shallow in places, so there are strong currents. We had experienced a gentle following current up the previous fjord, and as the tide hadn’t changed, expected a following current here too. But No! suddenly 2 to 2,5 knots against. Good to have a powerful engine. The current isn’t constant, it swirls and swerves, making for exciting steering, (autopilot couldn’t quite cope). Then wind aft again, but not quite enough to stop the engine. Fjord turned north again, and equally unexpectedly a strong following current rushed us along. I do not understand! Tides is trikky! Then into open waters, and round small islands and in to Harstad harbour. Enormous. Where’s the guest harbour? Just wait a while, as it is evening, and maybe another boat knows where. Yes. We followed. Lots of space, even for a saturday evening, Parties on cruisers. Fishing men on the quayside. Bicycles and prams on the promenade. Fast ferry arriving and disgorging the last passengers of the day. Restaurant at the end of the pontoon. Why not? Fish and chips. Good too!. Back to boat and straight to bed. Zonk asleep.
Long day. Much to see and experience. 12 hours on the move, and nearly 70 nautical miles. Maybe a personal day-best.
Took it easy today. Domestics. Office work. Almost drizzly weather. No walk, no sightseeing. Touristinfo office shut. Excellent Thai takeaway on the quayside. Tomorrow will visit the local Raymarine experts, to get help with my erratic AIS and others.
Sleep now. Do I dream of a sleeping mountainVampire, or of a creeping monster with enormous white teeth?
Yet another northerly wind day, cloudy start, sunny later, a little sailing, much motoring, therefore sightseeing. A detour to a PlanB place opened up a perfect anchorage, clear green water over a sandy bottom, and a beach. Position noted.
Onward through islands, mountains to the east, then when nearly to Nordskot, this:
Apen
A remarkable, overhanging colossus, locally called “The Ape”. A closer look:
Then in to sleepy Nordskot, a sunbathed bay, few houses, lots of boats, and a local shop, 10 to 16 on alternate days out of season. Facilities also in the shop, so showers etc only on alternate days. The Ape not so visible from here.
Nordskot
Last time I was here, the local “pub”, (old harbour building), was full to bursting to hear a summer-local lady describe her ascent of Mt Everest.
We were moored to the seaward side of the main pontoon, the north wind creating chuckling little waves against the hull. Pleasant, until in the night, something making waves rushed past causing Josin to dance and bang against the pontoon, waking me up. This had compensations. I was able to follow the “sunset” and “sunrise” of the midnight sun, last seen climbing the sky at 4 o’clock. Magic! Woke again before 6, all in the shadow of the protective mountain.
“Han ser ikke soli som lenge søv”. Where have I got that from? Shortly after 6, the sun climbed over the mountain to this:
Breakfast time now. Dip in the oggin? No way, water temp only 9 degrees. Where to today?. Probably Skutvik. Plan to be in Harstad on sunday evening. AIS expertise in Harstad monday.
I wrote this yesterday evening, and thought I had posted it, but it just dissappeared, so I will try and recreate it.
Taken at about 21:45. Not really sunset either. If the clouds do not shut it out, the sun is shining when I go to bed, and when I wake up. Eyeshade very needed!
In an earlier incarnation, (it must have been a less intelligent one), documentation of solutions was not a priority. I could remember it all, right? Ha! So I spent just as much time finding out which cable was which and where it went, as it took to install the new antenne and create a better layout. The feared acrobatic rummaging about in the cockpit lockers to find old cables and install new ones turned out to be not so strenuous after all, and I experienced a bit of physiotherapy too. The knees survived. Extracted and used the bicycle too, to go to to the boatbits shops again. You always need some other bracket, or connector or somesuch. Bodø has excellent bicycle tracks. The sun shone and the wind blew, so going one way was a pleasure.
New cables have legible tags on both ends, so Josin is now VHF legal. We can proceed on our way. Not so sure about the AIS and MarineTraffic though. Tomorrow will tell.
Not much to report, except that sunshine was brilliant, visibility was phenomenal, wind was 15 kt against, and the air was cold, about 10 degrees. So here are som pictures of mountains which I hope will entertain. If you squint in the third one, you can just see the Lofoten Wall on the horizon, about 75 Km away. No they are not clouds, they are snow covered mountains.
We are now moored to a buoy in a little bay, in an island group just west of Kjerringøy. After the hustle and bustle of Bodø, I preferred a bit of P&Q, and here it is. As we came in, a heron rose from its fishing spot, and flapped majestically away in front. A little further in, an eagle was disturbed from its tree perch fairly close by and it flapped hurriedly away over the ridge. Then, when Josin was securely attached to the buoy, a cuckoo reckoned we were not a threat, and welcomed us. Magic. The sunshine is very enticing, but the breeze is still very chilly, so an attempt to soak up some sun in the cockpit was quickly over.
You will maybe have noticed that post number 13 is missing. Well, it got written yesterday evening after a long day’s fixing, had a beautiful sunny picture of Bodø in the late sunlight, and I thought I had published it, but no, it just somehow disappeared. Frustrating. I will continue to try and find it, and send it. Or re-write it.
Still trying to get the AIS and MarineTraffic to work. Not sure what to try next.
It appears that these tracking Apps are not all equally effective. Following a tipoff, I installed MyShipTracking this morning, and it found Josin immediately. MarineTraffic still not finding us. In future I will monitor both Apps and compare.
Meanwhile, the sun is trying to break through the clouds, and hopefully dry us out. Then install antenne properly, then go. (Oops, fill diesel, then go). North. Kjerringøy neste?
Its been a grey day, wet at times, blowing all the time, so the hood on the anorak wouldn’t stay put. Nevertheless……
Where to start the hunt? Much googling had turned up several possibilities, but the most promising being the actual Coastal Radio North offices here in Bodø. They would surely know. It took several circuits of a very large modern building to find the right entrance. Help from a native had pointed one out to me with a lift, and “one of the upper floors”. Into the lift. Read list, 6th floor, easy! Push button for floor 6. No movement. Try again. No. Voice operated? Try. Still no. (Have you seen the Youtube video of the two well-accented Scots in a voice-operated lift? Priceless!). Then I noticed a numberkeypad. Obviously only for the initiated. Outside again. New circuit. Another, more helpful,, showed me. Correct. Lift, friendly this time. 6th floor, correct offices. Door locked. Ring mobile number. “I’m at the door, can I come in”. (She showed me where the doorbell button was, on the other wall). Cringe.
“I have VHF problems, (explanation, head nods), and I’m looking for an expert who can find them, whom could you recommend?” Very tall man appears, with nearly empty, brown coated, coffeecup. “Here is your man, Radio Inspection Himself”. New explanations, questions, answers. Arnold says “Well, I could come and have a look myself, but I cannot do any sort of repair work, not my job”. Wow! Yes please!! Office. Details, of boat, VHF, calling sign, antenne configuration. Picks up a small case and marches out to lift and car. Thankyou, in the rain.
Josin is Ok for my height, 1,8 m, but Arnold had to bend. Setup explained. Arnold opens case, places an instrument on the table and connects wires to Josin’s antenna wires. Pushes buttons. “Not much here”. More button pushing. Test VHF conversation with the nice voice on the 6th floor. “Very strong signal here in the harbour, don’t really need an antenne”. More tests, with distant transmitters up the coast. Deadly silence. Simple conclusion: Mast antenne’s connection probably wet, partial short circuit.
Test the reserve antenne on the pushpit, aft. Nothing. Josin is now officially antenne-less. So: Where can I buy a new one? “Electro, its on my way”. Amazing service. And then he gave me two Coastal Radio mugs.
(I sincerely regretted not having brewed a thermos earlier). “No thanks, I’d better get on”. Having dropped me off he headed back towards town.” On my way”, indeed! Kindness itself. Thankyou Arnold!
Electro, Kenneth, equally helpful, piled antenne-things onto the counter. Very posh and comprehensive. Unfortunately it was not compatible with what is already on the boat, so we regretfully had to agree that it was a no-sale, so far. If I couldn’t source something compatible, I’ll be back. “OK. Any time, here’s my card”.
Electro is a good step out of town. My Apple watch indicates I have walked 6,9 Km today. Yes probably, and it was windy, anorak hood uncooperative, and rainy. Very good exercise though. Back to the other shop, which didn’t have a suitable fender on saturday. But it did have a very suitable antenne, with a very long lead on it. Bingo! Wave plastic. Back to boat. Retire, rather weary, for a dry-out and coffee and lunch.
Mounted new antenne on pushpit bracket, routed the cable temporarily through the hatch and connected up. Test. – Coast radio north, coast radio north, this is Josin, Josin, on channel 16. “Loud and clear”. – Thankyou. Josin out. Phew! At least Josin is now legal, but with a reduced range, due to the low placement of the antenne. Not looking forward to re-routing the cable. Need to empty the cockpit lockers, and descend and squirm and twist and reach. And then get out again. Knees permitting. Rain must stop first. Thankful pause.
But our position via AIS on MarineTraffic does not show. Gnashing of teeth. Must be another problem. Another day.
Josin's 2025 cruise 