Chichester to Norway

[IDAMAY]

Hi to all here,

We are on an extended cruise from Chichester to Norway and today are in Grimstad, Southern Norway. We have been brought here by our Trader 42, Ocean Star. It is a **** of a long way but a fantastic experience and what a cruising ground when you get here! We plan to return via western Sweden and Denmark and hope that our experiences may be of interest to others. Encouraged by one or two other "Forumites," rather than posting zillions of photos here, we have started a Blog which can be found at:

http://www.oceanstarblog.co.uk

We hope it may be of interest and perhaps some encouragement that reasonably ambitious cruising is still possible despite the economic climate. We would also love to get some feedback on the Blog. Is it interesting and/or useful? How might it be improved?

Thanks and good boating to all.

Richard and Elvia.

 

[Powersalt]

Interesting and informative. Wish I could have the time to enjoy cruising like that.

 

[IDAMAY]

Interesting and informative. Wish I could have the time to enjoy cruising like that.

Thanks. Retirement definitely has its plus sides!

Richard.

 

[wipe_out]

Looks like an absolutely awesome trip..

Great idea with the blog..

Only comment would be to resize your photos.. Clicking on them to view the larger one pulls up a massive image.. These will chew into your web space and data allowances.. Something like "easy thumbnails" (http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/) which is free will work.. I would suggest a setting of 1024x768 pixels for this application.. The good thing is by default it makes a new image with tn_ in front of the file name to use so you still have the large original..

 

[Harpsden]

Thank you - really interesting to read.

Whose charts and pilotage books have you found to be the most useful?

 

[maybh1]

Many thanks


Both myself and my husband read and enjoyed it thoroughly

We have done a fair bit of it in our Trader 44 over the years and often discuss getting up as far as Norway when time allows

May
Xx

 

[IDAMAY]

Looks like an absolutely awesome trip..

Great idea with the blog..

Only comment would be to resize your photos.. Clicking on them to view the larger one pulls up a massive image.. These will chew into your web space and data allowances.. Something like "easy thumbnails" (http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/) which is free will work.. I would suggest a setting of 1024x768 pixels for this application.. The good thing is by default it makes a new image with tn_ in front of the file name to use so you still have the large original..

Many thanks for the idea. We will try it but it may test our computer skills!

 

[IDAMAY]

Thank you - really interesting to read.

Whose charts and pilotage books have you found to be the most useful?

We are using The RCC Pilotage Foundation "Norway" by Judy Lomax, the Sjokart Atlas for Norge Sorlandet (South Norway) published by Nautical Publications, Eckernforde and a local book - Havnboka, Skagerak, a harbour and anchorage guide in Norwegian with good photos and chartlets and, of course, the appropriate Navionics Gold Card! Although German, the Sjokart Atlas is based on Norwegian Hydrographic Office data. For other areas we also have the Norwegian Batsport charts based on the same data. There are other local publications but they are in Norwegian and tend to be very expensive if purchased here. We also take knowledge from local boaters and sailors wherever possible. They are friendly and very helpful!

 

[skpt]

very interesting blog. thank you

 

[Divemaster1]

Great to see that somwone is visiting my home country.... however, by turning East, South East from where you made landfall in Norway, you miss out on the most scenic cruising grounds. these are found on the Western coastline of Norway.... I'd advise anyone that make the desicion to go to Norway, to head West, North West and cross up to Stavanger basin of Ryfylke, then head up towards Bergen, via Bømlo.... (both areas representing hundreds of NM of idyllic cruising and he secluded anchorages)... then to crossover to Shetland etc., for the return journey down the West Coast of Scotland... Not dishing South and SE Norway, nor Sweden etc... but from a boating experience perspective, the fjords of West coast norway, knocks the socks off SE Norway... all IMHO of course, but is from one who have covered most of it...

 

[Simon391088]

Hi,

That makes a great read! It's always nice to read a good real life boat adventure when it's raining outside and the boat's hundreds of miles away!

Keep it going,

Simon

 

[lisilou]

Great blog and yes...inspiring. Good job.
L

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

V interesting blog. How about some info on the boat, why you chose it for these travels and how you fitted it out for liveaboarding? Did you always have in mind inland cruising as well as offshore cruising?

 

[stillwaters]

We are using The RCC Pilotage Foundation "Norway" by Judy Lomax, the Sjokart Atlas for Norge Sorlandet (South Norway) published by Nautical Publications, Eckernforde and a local book - Havnboka, Skagerak, a harbour and anchorage guide in Norwegian with good photos and chartlets and, of course, the appropriate Navionics Gold Card!


Having recently bought the Imray's RCC Pilotage "The Baltic Sea",which covers the coastlines and a number of the inland waterways of all 10 Baltic countries (so not Norway),would thoroughly recommend it for anyone planning on going in that direction. Unsurprisingly,Amazon seemed to offer the best price.

 

[paul salliss]

Just wanted to thank you for such an interesting post, one day I would love to be in a position to have built up the required level of experience to be able to take on a trip like that , good luck to you and thanks again

 

[IDAMAY]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback. Sorry I have been away for a bit. We have either been at anchor or in places with poor WIFI. It is still very intermittent here so making it difficult to update the Blog. We have quite a bit more in the pipeline.

Alf - having done your suggested cruise in reverse in a Sealine 420 in 2000, I agree with your comments but we haven't done this coast at all and never any part of Sweden. Also I am told from fairly reliable sources that the weather is better down here. As a frequent visitor to Bergen, I can confrim it rains a lot there!

Deleted User - I will add some further comment on our reasons for choice when I can. Basically, though we were long term Sealine owners, having had eight from 195 to T47 over a long period but converted to semi displacement for greater internal volume for a given length and better fuel consumption provided you are prepared to go slow for most of the time. "Ditch crawling" capability was just a side benefit. We had previously done the Stand Maast Route in the T47. It sometimes collected unfavourable comment for its low speed wash in the North Friesian canals but I wouldn't have changed it for that reason!

Great boating to all wherever you may be!

Richard.