Month: May 2023

By Fi

Our heater had broken, so the whole way from somewhere where it broke (can’t remember but it was out for over a week) to Bodø we had to either be plugged into power, or run the generator each afternoon. We really wanted our diesel heater back. Thinking Bodø would be a great place to do this, we spent our first day there wandering from boat service place to boat service place asking if they did Webasto. No, everyone has an Eberspaecher here, but try the car service place. And sure enough, a quick phone call and our part was ordered. One problem solved, now we needed to install it.

But not before picking up our brand new autopilot (read crew) – Adrian’s brother Rohan!

Excited to share our journey, we first up take him straight from his overnight train from Oslo, to the car servicing place to pick up our heater part, then spend the next 6 hours stuck in the depths of the stern trying to figure out how to get all the pieces of the broken part out of the heater. Ro was relaxed about it all, and took the opportunity to unpack and take the edge off the jetlag from his big trip from Brisbane in Australia.

The sensor in the heater had basically disintegrated, but also welded itself inside the heater. Ro and Fi take time out to provision while Adrian swears at the heater for a while. After a few more hours, and some, shall we say, encouragement, the bits and pieces of the broken sensor finally let go, and we can fit the new sensor and hold our breath as the heater starts, and makes all the right noises again. Right, we can go. Whilst its late Spring here in north Norway, its cold.

The next day, we do some tidying up and secure the boat ready for sailing. We only planned to go 5 miles to an island called Landegode. Due to the light winds, we potter along at 3 knots and it takes us a couple of hours. Its a good light intro to sailing Away, and we anchor up for the night, to enjoy the katabatic winds in the anchorage.

Ro and Adrian brave the weather and go for an explore onshore after we anchor. Fi takes the opportunity for a quick and much needed nap after all that sailing.

The next day, Fi and Adrian plan for a more lively sail, aiming for Røst at the very south of the Lofoten Islands. Alas, the winds had other plans, and after some bumpy upwind sailing, we decide that perhaps Å, a little further north would be nice, plus the sailing would get more comfortable.

The winds are good, and we have 1 reef in the main and the full genoa out most of the time, except when it really picked up and the staysail came out.

Usually, you can see the islands already, however the day is grey and cloudy.

As the day passes by, we keep thinking we see glimpses of something peeking through the low clouds. Eventually, the snowcapped mountains of Lofoten show their faces and welcome us in.

Eventually, the small fishing village of Å comes into view.
Unfortunately, when we arrive, we see that the guest pier has been removed, and there was no where for Away to go, so a quick replan results in a short trip around the corner to Sørvågen.

This is the first of many encounters with the drying stockfish here in Lofoten. They are not salted or cured, rather the fish are cleaned and hung up to dry and the climate takes care of the rest. The perfect temperatures, bit of snow, sun, rain and wind make for perfectly dried fish.

We decide the next day to take a hike.
We walk past some puppies (sorry no photos) and up to the first lake, where we take some trail head, and then another trail head, up through some bush bashing to eventually get to the actual trail head and trail up to the next lake, and the next, and then a hill.

What a stunning walk. However as with all these adventures, we need to move on. We plan that evening a trip a few miles east to a town called Reine.
We leave the next morning at a reasonable time.

Adrian predicted that once the Arctic circle was entered, the waters would be teeming with life, and sure enough, we see seals, orcas and whales as we sail to Reine.

Reine has been a trading village since 1793 and about 300 people currently live here. We can see the popular mountain of Reinebringen as we sail towards the coastline. We dock Away at Reine, and begin to plan our next adventures which will of course involve a good hike up Reinebringen.

The next day we pack up the backpacks, and the dog, and begin the ascent up Reinebringen. Sherpas have built these stairs to make it easier and safer for hikers as there were a few accidents with rock falls previously. It is good money for the Sherpas, and Norway gets good stairs. 1,978 in this case to be precise.

We reach what appears to be almost the top, and Adrian taps out. No more exposure for him. Ro asks Fi – further up? Fi says “YES!” so off we go, unempathetically leaving Adrian to his heights issues.

We wander back into town, and find more drying stockfish and reflect on our journey up the mountain. We also have a delicious meal at the local restaurant of whale ceviche and cod tongues.

The next day, we plan to head off to an anchorage and hoping for less katabatic winds this time. We find one anchorage, but there were 2 boats already anchored and therefore = FULL. So we motor around to our second choice which was empty and we drop anchor in Straumøya.

It was a beautiful spot to stop and Adrian and Ro take the opportunity to go for another walk in the hills before dinner (which was roast chicken and potatoes – on anchor – thank you massive battery bank and induction cooking).

But after a good sleep, we knew that more adventures could be had, so Fi weighed anchor, pulling off 10kgs of kelp as she went, and we headed out to a town called Ballstad. If there was going to be no wind, perhaps we could camp somewhere?

Absolutely there could be camping! But not before we make our newest crew member do the docking in Ballstad.

Safely docked, and Away’s deepest cupboards raided for the camping gear, we loaded up and headed out for a hike and some sleeping in the hills. Fi laments not having purchased the doggy backpack so Bernie could be of use.

At our beautiful spot for the evening, it was a little windy, but not so bad, but it did bring the chill with it. We collect snow for water and spend some time filtering it, before cooking our soup and freeze dried meals. We’re super happy to have such a comfortable and spectacular spot.

The next morning, Bernie asks politely for Fi to get up so that we can eat, and then go for another hike down the hill to town. It is Norwegian National Day so there are celebrations to watch including a parade, and children throwing things at cans.

We get to town, and walk and walk trying to catch up to the parade who seemed to be getting further and further in front of us. No matter, we eventually found them at the local school and admired the traditional dress of the area, and ate a hot dog and cake.

National Day or Constitution Day celebrates the signing of the constitution on the 17th of May 1814, declaring Norway to be an independent kingdom. It is typically centred around the children, and the local school will organise a march and music and food. This day also represents an opportunity for people to wear the traditional dress of the area in Norway where they live.

Back to the boat, we needed to “decamp” ourselves, so showers were had, unpacking and drying gear was done, a cup of tea and a bit of a sit and chat.
And planning, there is always planning. The next day we would brave the wobbly waves for Henningsvær, another cute fishing village.

Off we go! 20-25 knots on a broad reach and we get 9 knots of speed, averaging about 7. We hand steer as the waves keep spinning us as the autopilot can’t keep up. We do this for a few hours, before bravely dropping sail in the swell, and turning into port.

Tied up safely at the dock, we take a breath as it was pretty rolly out there. Our neighbour asks how it was, and agreed that it would have been rolly. The harbour is surrounded by old fisherman’s cabins come restaurants, shops and galleries. It is also home to an interesting football field right on the water.

Fi manages to find a nice restaurant and sauna, so we partake in both. Finally, we are VIKINGS as we brave the less than 5 degree celsius water to cool off during the hot hot sauna. After sauna, its a fish dinner and a great sleep. So Viking. As an addendum to this, we replace our transducer and it is telling us the water is -1 degree celcius – hmmmm.

After a breakfast of the best cinnamon buns in Lofoten, it is here that Ro is no longer Away. He heads off into the grey gloom for more adventures traveling home to Brisbane. Away is now just the 3 of us, planning for some more adventures and hoping for some more wild camping. Having Ro on board has inspired us!

We had enjoyed some time in the fjords, but now we needed to push north to Bodø where we were meeting our new crew member.

We left Geiranger and were soon scooting north inside the skerries trying our best to dodge the snow and sleet showers.

Our favourite Norwegian website that showed detailed information about expected wave heights, promised more boisterous conditions between the skerries and a little cross wave excitement before getting into our next harbour. We weren’t disappointed, and in increasingly uncomfortable wave conditions we altered course and scurried in behind some skerries for protection. There was no protection for the last short open water dash to the harbour at Bud, but the waves were more comfortable all being from one direction.

We left Bud and wriggled through some skerries before heading out to open water and sailing up the coast passing the active port of Kristiansund and arriving at our quiet island anchorage.

The next day we motor sailed north until the wind filled in. A luxury cruise boat heading for the Russian border passed by, and then all of a sudden a ferry popped out of a nearby harbour, the captain set a collision course with us and then went below for a nice cup of tea.

We passed a coast guard vessel loitering in a bay reminiscent of the highway patrol cars we see in Australia beside the road waiting for speeding motorists. We were doing 8 knots but hadn’t seen any speed restrictions so we were surprised when it pulled out and followed us. It eventually caught and passed us and gave us a friendly wave.

A short distance ahead the Coast Guard vessel stopped, turned side on and Fi joked that they were going to board us. Sure enough, out came the RIB and a friendly young man requested to board us. As well as giving Bernie a scratch he had also asked to look at our passports. He noted he was out of his depth as he had never seen an Australian passport or temporary residency card before, but Bernie was chuffed to have a visitor mid passage and took the opportunity to do a massive poo and 2 wee wees at the bow.

It took a few phone calls to local authorities until we found the right person to confirm our legal status in Norway.

We found a sheltered little harbour called Revsnes which seemed ideal to sit out some stronger winds. The presence of a selection of large cruising boats showed it was a popular wintering location for cruisers. The next day we rested, chatted to our neighbouring Amel Super Maramu, and sniffed around the dock for bits of crab and fresh seagull poop.

The wind gods were on our side again and we had an easy sail north to the tiny harbour of Vingsand. About 9pm we were surprised to see another yacht entering the harbour which, apart from the mad Australians, was home to a small fleet of fishing and pleasure craft. Even more surprising we recognised the yacht as one that had arrived in Geiranger as we were leaving. A little snooping uncovered it was a Polish yacht named ‘Freyr’ that offered passages onboard.

When we left the next morning we noted Freyr were half an hour behind us, so it was clearly a race. Today we squeezed out from the wave protection of the skerries and into oceans swells. It was a little unnerving at first as the swells pilled up on the shelving sea bed near the skerries, and then equally delightful as Away stretched out on a long reach up the coast with constant wind speed and direction for a change.

Approaching Rørvik the channel narrowed and the shipping obeyed the first law of maritime engagement: a tanker approached from behind, a cargo vessel altered course to collide with us, and a tug decided to overtake all three vessels as a large fishing boat came the other way.

Rørvik was an ideal overnight stop and the next morning we were Away. Freyr, who had arrived later in the previous evening, were a little late to the start. We headed out to sea to get a reaching angle up the coast and we soon travelling over 7 knots in a one sided contest. A navy frigate passed going in the other direction but seemed to have got the message about our passports being ok.

We were headed for the famous mountain with a hole in it: Torghatten.

The next day Freyr arrived as we booted up and headed for the famous hole.

We leave with Freyr and head north. They stop for the night at the bright lights of Brønnøysund and the hardened Away team tack north in a freshening evening breeze towards Forvik.

The next day had motoring winds and puttered north on dead calm seas passing the seven sisters.

The day ended at the little marina at Herøy.

Herøy had a flower shop on the other side of the island. The mighty Bromptons were pressed into service for a lovely ride to the most eclectic ‘flower shop’ we have ever visited. Inside little staircases led to balconies with arm chairs, or down to a grotto filled with candles passing sculptures, wall hangings, plants and ornaments.

With little wind we left Herøy and motored another 20 miles north to Tomma for the night. We later read the entry in our second cruising guide which warned of somewhat limited draft next to the floating dock. Bemused fisher folk watched in wide eyed bemusement as 17 tons of black post modern aluminium silently crossed the bay, navigated the perilously shallow water and tied up to the dock. For some reason they didn’t help us dock.

Leaving Tomma we knew that a good following wind and almost unlimited daylight meant Bodø was an achievable target for the day. But first we made a special detour to pass the stunning Arctic circle monument. Reaching the arctic circle had crept on us. It was never a goal, but it seems if you keep raising the sails and pointing north you will eventually pass this imaginary line.

The freshening wind was behind us and the daylight showing no signs of decline so we pushed on toward Bodø. Two hours from Bodø the wind jumps from 20-25 knots to 35 knots and a little reefing was required to keep things under control. We almost make it into Bodø when the wind dropped off and we motored the last hour into the dock.

At Bodø we recover from the long trip north, search for parts for the heater and keep an eye out for our new crew member.

Geiranger, the UNSECO protected, waterfall adorned, cruise ship visited fjord was calling.

We left the lovely island of Sandsøyaon a still morning, and motored into the Storfjorden, and onward towards Geiranger Fjord. An overnight stop at Ikornnes promised hot tubs and cafes, but delivered neither. The mad Australians were on the first cruising boat of the year and the soon-to-become-familiar older chap appeared and moved a water hose onto the dock and checked there was still power available for us. Hot tubs and cafes would remain a luxury to look forward to in the much anticipated ‘season’.

The next day we motored into a crisp windless morning, that became a troll breathing howling head wind and promptly returned to a windless meander. We noted that Stranda was the last real supply center before entering Geiranger. We made a slow pass of the dock and Fi took a giant leap for the Away crew onto the dock and completed a quick restock before we started the final leg into Geiranger.

After motoring all day, with one failed attempt at sailing, we arrived in Geiranger in the evening. Marveling at the massive cruise ship buoys, we were hoping, given how close they were to the dock, that the ships wouldn’t be visiting anytime soon.

With perfect weather in Geiranger, we decided to stay for a few days, and enjoy the local hikes.

First activity was a hike to a waterfall where you can walk behind the falling water, after ascending the steps built by Sherpas from Nepal. We found out that a lot of steps had been placed in Norway by Sherpas with their amazing ability to traverse heights, and carry incredibly heavy things. Being employed in Norway provides the Sherpas with a much higher income than in Nepal, and Norway get safer hikes for their tourists. Win, win. So up the stairs we climb, until we inevitably arrive at the snow line.

The waterfall, much like the waterfall in Flam, didn’t have a lot of water falling this time of year, so we sat and enjoyed some snacks, and made the trek back down. Oh and back to the little cafe with the yummy pizzas and soup.

After a day of relaxing, cleaning and doing boat jobs, we decided to tackle another of the famous hikes in the area. It involved us getting in the dingy with the big engine on, and blurting around the corner of the fjord to a small dock cut into the rock. From here it was a basically vertical hike up to the farm perched on the side of the fjord called Skageflå. Its a beautiful farm, and used to be the most profitable in the area. Now it has been restored to reflect its hey day.

Navigating down carefully with Bernie, we get back to our dingy and check out this waterfall of course.

We’d heard from one of our followers that we should be careful of the rock falls around Geiranger. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the worlds most monitored mountain face is in the fjord, as it is threatening to collapse, fall into the fjord and create a devasting 80m tsunami that would obliterate the local towns, including Geiranger where we were ‘safely’ tied up. This last happened in 1934 when a rock fall caused a 60m high wave that killed 40 people. So naturally, we decided to watch the Norwegian disaster movie called “The Wave” that dramatised a future rock fall event, just to freak ourselves out.

The next day, we chose to leave the fjord, and went past the threatening mountain face of Åkerneset and marveled at the number of monitoring stations on the side.

Our overnight stop, Stordal, famous for its furniture industry was closed in preparation for the forthcoming Easter break. Google claimed the residents were all at their ski lodges reading mystery novels, so after a quiet evening we headed on to Ålesund.

Arriving in Ålesund in the evening, after the odd sleet storm, we were excited to explore this beautiful city.

The place was burned down in the early 1900s and has been rebuilt in Art Deco style and it shows. Its a lovely town and we enjoyed a walk up the local hill with two million people from a couple of cruise ships in port to get some spectacular views across the sea.

We met the amazing team from “In The Same Boat”, a wonderful organisation that clears rubbish from the coast line of Norway (https://www.inthesameboat.eco/). You can volunteer on their sailboats and help to clear the worlds oceans of plastic. We were inspired, and at our first stop out of Ålesund we picked up a bunch of plastic, and notified them of the littered beach so they can go there with their team and do a more thorough job than we had time to do.

Our last night in Ålesund, we went out for a lovely dinner at one of the local hotels and watched the snow dump down from the roof top restaurant, and then clear to reveal the beautiful coast.

Next time we start the push north towards Bodø, the arctic, and our new crew member.