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Bergen to Rönnäng (Sweden) Tuesday 7 August - Bergen to Bekkjarvik, 60N0.44, 5E12.21, 28NMA BEAUTIFUL DAY, BEST SINCE LEAVING NARVIK The travel brochure photographers will be busy today! Visited the Hanseatic Museum, housed in an original unheated and unlit wooden building (due to fire risk, the whole area was burnt down in 1702 from which these date) on the waterfront where apprentices slept two to a bunk in "cupboards", and another building near the church used as dining halls for hot meals. The main export from Norway was dried fish. A fine collection of city seals included a C17th one from Ipswich. Left 1200 under the two fine suspension bridges to take the interesting route south through narrow sounds. We had planned to go round the outside of the Lerøy island complex (as evidently used by Canon Aish who marked the charts indelibly) but seeing the locals take the direct but tortuous route through them did the same. Then crossed the Kors Fjord which provides a safe seaward approach to Bergen, and another direct route between Huftarøy and lesser islands to Bekkjarvik which had been recommended by a Bergen-based yachtsman. This is a delightful harbour reminding us of some Cornish ones but much better sheltered. A chorus was rehearsing songs, including some in English, for a concert in an open-sided warehouse on the waterfront. A surprise was to find a shopping mall on the waterfront, with excellent showers for boaters, also a 300-year old hotel, one of a chain built to allow merchant seamen to rest, but now very smart. Wednesday 8 August - Bekkjarvik to Mosterhamn, 59N42.0, 5E23.1, and Langevågen, 59N36.13, 5E12.56, 30NM Glorious start to morning but barometer falling rapidly. Crossed Selbjørs Fjord to a shortcut between islands to join the Nyliea Sound. This is joined by another sound to become the Stokk Sound, but is basically one 15NM sound going SSW. Passed under another bridge on which lamp posts were still being errected; one of the hazards of using old charts especially if you have a tall mast. Then turned into Mosterhamn, another tiny but well-sheltered harbour mainly used to visit Mosterhamn Church, thought to be the oldest in Norway where the original missionaries from Ireland landed around 1000 years ago. Nearby there is an amphitheatre used to stage religious plays and, carved into rock, a series of tableaux depicting the transition from paganism to Christianity. The guide, who the group Norwegian group generously allowed to speak in English, maintains a set tempo so the lighting automatically follows her talk, making a very effective presentation. After two hours left Mosterhamn for a direct SW passage across the Bømla Fjord into Langevågen, a small fjord making an excellent and sheltered natural harbour. Thursday 9 August - Langevågen to Haugesund, 59N24.9, 5E14.0, 14NM and Kopervik, 59N17.05, 5E15.8, 10NM Awoke to an angry red sky and gale warning on Navtex. However being then calm left at 0745 to cross the Bomerlen where we had favourable stream adding at least a knot but also aggravating to the swell. Used mizzen to reduce roll. Exposed coast, but with many small boats fishing close to the rocky coastline, for 7NM to Haugesund. Haugesund was getting ready for a jazz festival at the weekend and motor boats were up to 9 deep already. Berthed against motor boat off two mackerel boats (they tow a thousand or so hooks) which were very difficult to cross! Bought some chandlery supplies and The Times. It being very noisy we continued to Kopervik, a well sheltered harbour on the W side of the sound, to weather the gale which began after lunch. Bright red sunset. A Swedish yacht we'd met in Bergen came and borrowed a drill bit! Friday 10 August - Kopervik to Alverstad (bokn Sound), 59N13.21, 5E 27.48, 7NM Kopervik is on the same Latitude as Utsira, that little circular island off-shore that defines the S and N limits of the sea areas of N and S Utsira respectively. Both areas were coupled this morning with "NW6, locally 7 at first, showers, mainly good" so we decided at least to delay our start and instead cycled across Karmøy to Aakrahamn from where we photographed Utsira. The 10km crossing was on special cycle paths, at one place leaving the main road to meander between rocky outcrops, woodland and meadows. Kopervik is remarkable in that the shower and washing machine facilities are free, so we made good use of these! Left at 1600 to cross from Karm Sundet to a little sound between Vestre Bokn and Austre Bokn islands, were there was still a strong N wind blowing down, so entered a tiny little private harbour south of the new bridge at Averstad where we found a free space (everyone is in Haugasund for the jazz festival!). Saturday 11 August - Alvestad to Stavanger, 58N58.24, 5E43.76, 19NM As planned we managed to reach Stavanger on our wedding anniversary to have dinner in the famous Skagen restaurant. We were pleased that they gave us iced water in large glasses without reluctance, wine would have almost doubled our bill! We are now in open water around Norway's south coast with awful swell and little wind, using the mizzen to reduce roll. Tied up in the Vägen which is close to the cathedral, PO, museums and old town, but were advised by a local that it gets very noisy here and to go into the yacht harbour beside the high level bridge ½NM by water. Welcomed by a yacht broker to use his pontoon free. Climbed up to the very high bridge to catch a No.2 bus to the cathedral. They go every 10 minutes and are extremely fast around bends, you really have to hang on hard! After our dinner it was pouring so not in fact noisy, but a bus was waiting. Sunday 12 August - Stavanger to Tananger, 58N55.97, 5E34.56, 14NM Late start after late night, so glad of short passage. This showed us how uncomfortable our eastward passages were likely to be. Tananger is very quiet after Stavanger and a well sheltered harbour. Not charged, and free showers! Pleasant evening walk with some rare sunshine. Monday 13 August - Tananger to Egersund, 58N27.19, 6E0.04, 40NM We had been highly recommended by Norwegians to stay here. Unfortunately fog came down and although the beauty of the western entrance could be imagined it couldn't be photographed! Glad to be overtaken by a trawler who knew every bend. The river joining it in Egersund creates an outgoing stream in both entrances. A local railway winds its way past this sound, briefly emerging from a tunnel onto an embankment when a two-car local went by, looking very out of place. Egersund was our most expensive marina to date, NOK100 incl. electricity. Shower 20. Clothes wash and dry NOK50. Entry to the WC/Shower rooms charged NOK10! Pleasant town with attractive shops but fog and drizzle didn't show it off to its best. Tuesday 14 August - Egersund to Listrahamn, 58N6.03, 5E34.95 and Mandal, 58N1.43, 7E27.20, 66NM in total As we left a local warned us about the fog (<½NM visibility) but waypoints had been carefully entered and checked, and our radar is pretty efficient. Outside it cleared but the swell was horrid. Our engine has been using a lot of oil, all (?) ending up in the bilge so we turned into Listrahamn, a tiny fishing harbour within a large and now semiderelict harbour. A local on the quay gave me a lift to a garage to buy oil, and I changed the filter, inserting the this as tight as I could by hand. Hot lunch from kiosk where the youngsters just buy (expensive) chips; they hadn't any fish! Left after 2 hours to endure more rolling and calculated we would just reach Mandal before dark. This we did, but were shocked to find the entrance light not working. Our Swedish friends who had left Egersund just after us were quick to help us with lines as we had not been aware of the strong current through the pontoons. We found the expensive marina "closed" for the season, and uncharged, but the electricity and lights were still working! The Mandalsalon is one of Norway's best salmon rivers. Wednesday 15 August - Mandal to Lillesand, 58N14.83, 8E 22.75, 42NM 148NM in last three days, good going for us! Left in drizzle with 1NM visibility but the day improved to reasonable sunshine and reached 24C. Wind allowed two bouts of sailing, of fully 3 and 5 minutes, but helped the engine a bit. After two days of relative calm the swell is at last subsiding. As we made final approach into Lillesand I noticed the 80m hilltop in cloud and shortly after tying up the visibility fell to less than 100m and we could hear a large ship coming in and sounding at intervals, there presumably still being many almost stationery fishing boats in its way. Eventually a 10,000 tonne ore carrier appeared through the fog and came alongside a jetty close to our pontoon! This finally dispersed to give a clear night. Huge blocks of ? processed iron are being lifted off the ship and moved with an articulated fork lift truck, looking very dangerous! Hope it won't go on all night as the truck sounds off when reversing. Today we ran out of the chart cover loaned by Barry Woodhouse (and collected as we entered Norway from Russia) and changed to the Båtsportkarts loaned by Robin Guilleret, making an interesting comparison. The DNK charts were very large and folded into four. With much use some charts were almost indecipherable along the creases and completely so at the centre. The little Båstsportkart are kept pristine in clear plastic folders but cover a small area, so today we used four, with in one case "negative overlap". i.e. a 0.5' gap hopefully rock-free! This makes route planning more difficult. Thank you those who have expressed pleasure in reading these reports, we never know whether they just get deleted unread! The discipline means that I end up with a pre-typed log. Thursday 16 August - Lillesand to Arendal, 58N27.39, 8E 45.85, 24NM The hill behind the church is still invisible, but visibility out at sea 1½NM. Raised main before leaving in expectation of southerly force 6 forecast at midnight for Skagerrak to find a force 3/4 NE headwind! This and the accompanying sea reduced our speed made good to about 3 knots at cruising revs, and there appeared to be a foul stream of about 1 knot. The sun shone weakly through altostratus, portending something no doubt! Around 1430 rain appeared from the south, with a dark sky, and soon caught up with us to give a deluge and lightning strikes to sea or islands. Using the rain clutter control on the radar left almost nothing, and visibility fell to <½NM for a passage passing islets (polite name for rocks) at about ¼NM, so these loomed out of the fog causing one to turn away and loose one's track; quite a alarming hour until the rain cleared. Fortunately the rain flattened the sea so at least it became smooth. Very thankful to get into the shelter of the Arendal Sound. We learnt later that Arendal lost its electricity for a while and two cars were blown off a bridge in the "storm", according to a newspaper headline. The guest harbour overnight charge is NOK190 or 250 if they have to collect it from you, a clever ruse, but the day is free so we over-nighted on the pontoon of an ice cream kiosk across the sound. Here we met someone working on his boat whose home and office were within a few minutes walk! He took us to his office to get the Coastal Waters Forecast from the Internet but we had a power cut as this was printing! Friday 17 August - "Galebound" in Arendal Wind whined through our rigging all night, but a glorious sunny morning. Our friend brought round a print of the Internet forecast, SW 6, 7 for a time, waveheight 2-3m, so we decided to stay put and crossed back to the Guest Harbour to do maintenance (and buy the Daily Telegraph!). CA members David and Susie came in on Saltwhistle III having returned from Venezuela on a round-the-world cruise to get a defective stern repaired by Halberg-Rassey; had a jolly story swapping session on board. Returned to our free overnight mooring at Arendal Marina. Dag and Anne Sunde invited us to their home for a delicious ice-cream and strawberry supper, so we had a most sociable day! Their house overlooks the sound in both directions, their garden is glaciated rock. Dag's office and boat are both within 3 minutes walk; some people have an enchanted life! Saturday 18 August - Arendal to Stavern, 58N59.94, 10E2.51, 55NM Forecast SW3-4 backing E, mostly dry. Left at 0630 to breakfast under way in the tranquillity of the sound; beautifully wooded after the bridge. Very light wind at sea at first but increased to give us a fast run necessitating hand-steering. Gybed round the Muleberget buoy which clears a 1½NM patch of shoal water, to go North into Stavern, which lies at the mouth of the Larviksfjorded. Found a very jolly town decorated with busy lizzie flowers in full bloom in full holiday mood helped by glorious sun. Just made the supermarket before it closed at 1800. Delightful walk through army camp/military museum, past bathing beach to a stone pyramid (most conspicuous on entry) bearing names of over 7000 merchant seaman killed in WW2. Good viewpoint from which Margo did quick painting in failing light. Sunday 19 August - Stavern to Sandøsund (Krukhamn), 49N4.95, 10E27.20, 16NM and Fredrikstad, 59N12.89, 10E55.79, 13NM Good view of Larvik in distance after leaving Stavern. Eastwards off rock-strewn shallows extending 1NM out to sea to round south of Tjøme and enter Sandøsund which is good starting point to cross exposed Oslo Fjord. Saw black smoke in North and heard it was boat on fire. Two men were rescued from sea by the local pilot launch. After lunch crossed the fjord with ten yachts in sight. Rounded Strømangen headland to Fredrikstadt on River Glomma (longest in Scandinavia) which divides in the town to flow SW into Oslo Fjord at 0.5kt and SE at 2kt into the indreleia. Moored on river quay in N of town. Bridge opens 06, 09, 12, 15, 18, 21 and opted for 0900 tomorrow. "English" Pub, Sir Winston's House and many jolly waterside restaurants. Massive brick cathedral built 1875. Walked over bridge to old houses and horse paddocks, believing this to be the Old Town, but saw this in the morning as we passed it. Monday 20 August - Fredrikstad to Vikerhavn, 59N2.15, 10E57.0, 12NM and Havstensund, 59N45.42, 10E10.73, 18NM Drizzly morning. Bought hot bread before bridge opening at 9. Shortly joined main river the stream giving us 8 knots over the ground for a while! Called in at Norway's most southerly practical harbour in Oslo Fjord E side, to say a nostalgic goodbye, but no facilities or nearby shops. Lowered the Norwegian courtesy flag as we crossed the frontier. Then south into the Bothuslan area to take "indreliea" (skaggard in Swedish) route. Called at Resö Marina but decided Havstennsund would be more fun and saw a Red Ensign! Tim and Heidi were here in their Isle of Man registered yacht Excess, and we agreed to do a dinner together. Margo made omellets and Heidi a super pudding. Filled up with self-service diesel, bought charts and food, all from the same till with Visa; excellent chandlery cum grocery. Tuesday 21 August - Havstensund to Hamburgsund, 58N33.07, 11E16.21, 12NM We noted a sharp contrast between Norway and Sweden, despite separation of only a few miles. The high speed motor yachts with their excessive wash have given way to peacefully sailing yachts, many actually under sail! The cardinal buoys have become slender spars with cones instead of just yellow and black markings. There are wind farms not needed in Norway richly provided with hydroelectric power. There are no bridges between islands, hence much less road traffic. In Norway Hamburgsund would have been dominated by a high concrete bridge. A Norwegian had joked that they would spend millions on a tunnel and bridge to reach an island so that the sole inhabitant could hire a van to move out! Having given up the idea of going to Oslo and after some days of good progress we now have time in hand and agreed to same destination as Excess. Put in waypoints for today but later relied entirely on Mark 1 eyeball as we weaved around islands and rocks. Hamburgsund is a delightful village overlooked by the church on a hill across the sound. Used the free chain ferry to visit the church, also an excellent viewpoint for Margo's painting. Wednesday 22 August - Hamburgsund to Smögen, 58N21.20, 11E13.44, NM and Fiskebäckskil, 58N14.61, 11E27.71, 26NM Route through glaciated pink granite islands (further south these become grey) without vegetation, and Sotekanalen. This partly natural canal has a swing bridge; called it on Ch16 as directed, also by foghorn (--.. going south) without response but on rounding bend it was already swinging so we had no wait. Called in at Smögen, a village with long guest quays on both sides of a narrow sound, still busy with visitors. All shops had 50% sales, Margo buying seaboots (none my size!) and a top. We needed a bank but the nearest was Kungsham and we decided to carry on; luckily most shops took Norwegian notes at par or Visa. Arrived at Fiskebäckskil, and moored bows-on alongside Excess. Fortunately we were yelled at not to anchor (the sign said this too) and picked up a slimey rope, which is attached to a ground chain, to make fast to the stern. We'd seen the church and windmill as we approached and visited both. We were fortunate that Jan John-Henrik happened to be by the locked mill. He fetched the key from his father's house; his father is organizing a 250,000Kr appeal for restoration so my 20Kr donation should buy a few nails. No windows but took a flash picture. A wooden drive shaft comes down from the gear in the cap and is directly coupled with an iron extension to the mill-stone. Thursday 23 August - Fiskebäckskil to Lysikil, 58N16.17, 11E26.25, 1.5NM and Kladesholmen, 57N56.25, 11E32.23, 23NM First crossed over to Lyskil whose church bells we had heard over the water last night, to get Swedish money. The town is dominated by 1901 church with spire 63m high which is 95m above sea level. Then south past Gullholmen, tightly packed with uniform white houses, and Mollörsund with marina. Finally an open water stretch to Kladesholmen where Heidi was standing on the rock pointing to us the narrow entrance we were trying to identify! Tim's car was here and he is kindly returning all our borrowed charts to Newcastle. They invited us to excellent dinner to which we contributed crisps and dip, and a good vodka! Friday 24 August - in Kladesholmen Tim took us by car to meet the people who will lay up Babaji in Rönnäng. Also met engineer who will trace the oil leak. There is also an instrument mechanic who might diagnose my VDO wind speed fault. This place produces nearly half Sweden's pickled herring, an industry started in the late 1800's. Saturday 25 August - Kladesholmen to Marstrand, 57N53.06, 11E35.19, 5 NM Carlsens Fortress on Marstend was clearly visible from the start, gradually changing from a black silhouette to a massive stone building. Berthed bows-on to guest pontoon from stern buoy, using our quick-release mooring device for the first time this year. Straight up to the fortress lest it closed early, and spent two hours walking through secret passages dimly lit with blue lamps, climbing hundreds of stairs, visiting cells where life prisoners has seen out their days in iron shackles, and getting a splendid view from the tower. It was garrisoned to protect the Swedish fleet up to 1882, imprisoning 232 by 1854 when prisoners were dispersed. Construction began in 1658. We were nearly imprisoned for we could not find our way out! Finally we found the inconspicuous arch over its exit. Next we visited the mainland side of Marstrand by cable ferry, expecting shops, but in fact there is nothing worth crossing for, the busy ferry existing to take people to the island. All the shops had 50% reductions, Margo finding an additional reduction on shorts and a shirt! Excess had followed us over from Kladesholmen, hoping to carry on to Denmark, and were pleased with their bargains. Sunday 26 August - Marstand to Åstol, 57N55.42, 11E35.18, 3NM A delightful island whose well-sheltered east facing harbour almost divides into two. It is entirely surrounded by wooden quay with areas of guest places on N and S sides. The little hill gives splendid view of Marstand and other islands. Moored alongside café where we had home-made cakes in the sun. Here we met a ferryman; there are 7 of them to run the ferry to the mainland and St. Dyrön. He later spoke to the schoolmaster who asked us if we would talk to the 10-12 year olds tomorrow for their English lesson! Agreed to do this at 9. That evening we had a gale warning. Monday 27 August - Åstol to Rönnäng, 57N 55.42, 11E43.57, 1NM! Margo really enjoyed teaching again! Their knowledge of English was very variable due to their spread of ages, and they were rather shy asking us their pre-prepared questions. They had 12 children in this class, all with their decorated names below their desks and hooks to hold their rucksacs. School hours were 0820 to 1400. The school was given a playing field by filling in a bay from spoil when the water main from the mainland was buried. He told us a lovely story: "Good Morning America" arranged to do a live television broadcast from four widely separated towns in Sweden, including Marstand. The boatman hired to ferry their equipment to Marstrand said Åstol was much nicer, so Anders Alander, Schoolmaster and Övärd (island "chief") did the1 minute broadcast. Subsequently an American was being relocated to Gothenburg and asked if it were near Åstol! We also met a single-handed sailor who looked a very young 80! He had been a long-distance skater on the Swedish lakes, carrying a little ladder in case the ice broke! He came on board and bought our book! A most enjoyable visit! In case the gale got serious we decided we should cross to Rönnäng, where we are laying-up, and left in quite a blow. To my horror we must have got a polythene bag around the prop and had no drive but mercifully it responded to forward/astern changes and freed itself before we were blown onto moored boats. The passenger ferry terminal was shown on the chart to have guest spaces, but there was no room except in a corner where we had to spend the night abeam to wind and sea, with seven fenders squashing and protesting. "Climbed" the local hill which had been provided with some 300 steps and gave a splendid view of the archipelago in unusually good visibility. Presumably this visibility portended a weather change for after a spectacular deep red sunset we had a thunderstorm with torrential rain, the first here for 8 weeks. Anders called on us en route to a staff meeting, the Åstol school being part of Rönnäng school. Tuesday 28 August - in Rönnäng A local suggested we moved into a fishing boats berth, since it was away, and we were much more comfortable facing wind and sea and getting some shelter from the ferry jetty. Although very windy it was 20°C and we went for a swim off a beautifully clean bathing beach, and had a cycle ride. Gale warnings continued on the Navtex but by evening it was much quieter. A spare day doing some maintenance including trying to find the fault in the anemometer; the local electrician called round but had nothing very useful to suggest; will ask VDO for diagnostic routine on return home. Confirmed that we would be craned-out tomorrow at 1200 and will then live on board up a ladder until Saturday morning. Data We travelled 1545NM from Narvik according to the GPS. ©Raymond Glaister 2001 October 2001 |
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