Liveaboard and wintering in the Blatic / Norway

[Tim Good]

We are spending the summer of 2016 cruising Scotland and Norway but it will be a bit of a rush so we are toying with the idea of spending a winter frozen in up one of the Fjords in Norway as a bit of an adventure. Has anyone done anything like this and can provide any advice other that the obvious heating issues.

 

[Hipchick]

Well I haven't done that but I think provisioning is key, and water. Think about the what ifs if you really are frozen in and isolated. There's a reason all those Scandinavians go south in the winter. It's dark.

 

[temptress]

We are spending the summer of 2016 cruising Scotland and Norway but it will be a bit of a rush so we are toying with the idea of spending a winter frozen in up one of the Fjords in Norway as a bit of an adventure. Has anyone done anything like this and can provide any advice other that the obvious heating issues.

I spent 2 winters in Norway living onboard - don't have time to respond in detail just now but some notes:

Get the boat into a bubble bath marina berth so she stays afloat
Overwintering in a Fjord - you will have severe ice issues over the winter, access will be difficult and in the 'melt you will likely have severe boat damage.

It is possible and I enjoyed it. I spent both winters afloat (the 3rd winter I took the boat out and rented an apartment) in a marina berth with bubbles keeping me afloat

Consider this carefully - -40C on-board can be very unpleasant. OTOH in the west coast you may not even have snow!

 

[ribrage]

We are spending the summer of 2016 cruising Scotland and Norway but it will be a bit of a rush so we are toying with the idea of spending a winter frozen in up one of the Fjords in Norway as a bit of an adventure. Has anyone done anything like this and can provide any advice other that the obvious heating issues.

Ive worked in the Arctic a couple of times - winter is seriously depressing as the sun never rises above the horizon - temps we saw down to - 37 and we still have to launch for cable repairs in a 30 ft boat - bear skin thermals and survival suits for 8 hours a day , I try and avoid it , threatened to quit last time I was there and got sent to Australia to "warm up" as he laughingly put it.

some pics here:

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/blown-away/index.php?show=gallery&aid=24165


Take a look at this blog , more extreme than youll get but plenty of advice on equipment and tactics etc

http://iron-bark.blogspot.fr/p/iron-barks-travels.html

 

[bitbaltic]

Hmmm.

Even as far south as Copenhagen the vast, vast majority of boats are taken out of the water in the autumn as the sea freezes in the harbour most winters.

As said above considerable planning required if you want to consider staying in, let alone living aboard while doing so.

Cheers

 

[Old Thady]

Scandinavia is cold and expensive. Why not overwinter in a warmer and cheaper place? You can spend the money you've saved in living costs to have the boat trucked up to northern Europe at the start of summer.

 

[martyn78]

Having spent 2 winters in Sweden I have no constructive advice BUT an observation.......
You must want your bumps felt!!!!!!!

 

[roblpm]

We are spending the summer of 2016 cruising Scotland and Norway but it will be a bit of a rush so we are toying with the idea of spending a winter frozen in up one of the Fjords in Norway as a bit of an adventure. Has anyone done anything like this and can provide any advice other that the obvious heating issues.

Where do you live normally?

I've been in some proper cold weather in North America and tbh the weather probably wouldn't worry me.

However I moved from London to Edinburgh 10 years ago and even this far South the lack of light is pretty bad. I don't think you know how its going to affect you until you try. But when I retire I will be spending the winter further south, not for the heat but for the daylight. 7 hours daylight on the shortest day in Edinburgh. I wouldn't want to spend winter further North!!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Concerning temperatures; as long as there is water round the hull, the temperature CAN'T drop below freezing ( a few degrees below zero for sea-water). Of course, air temperatures may well be very low, but a boat that is afloat - even if the surface is frozen - will be warmer than the same boat ashore. For most of us, the ice would have to be a foot or more thick before the hull wasn't mainly in contact with water.

The point about damage during the thaw is a good one, though.

The Norwegians regard brewing and distilling their own hooch as a national sport. Given their winters (and the price of shop booze!), it's probably necessary!

 

[Tim Good]

Thanks all. The concerns of discomfort, cost or alternatives of being in a nice place are of no concern given that the purpose of doing it is to first experience it and secondly to gain knowledge for potential future trips to places more remote. After all mountaineering is not a pleasant thing in itself usually but the experiences and the elation of overcoming it are worth it.

 

[Woodlouse]

As mentioned don't actually try to freeze yourself in since that's liable to lead to ice damage. On a fibreglass hull it's unlikely to be worse that a few scratches or maybe a gouge but still. The other thing to consider is the skin fittings. You'll need to use some and if they freeze they can fracture and sink you but the temperature you need to keep the boat at to love should stop that being an issue. Otherwise just stay warm. I know people who have done it in and around Oslo.