marina or mooring in vicinity of Stavanger / Hogsfjord / Frafjord -suggestions

[pagoda]

I'm in the process of taking a job offer near Stavanger, from next February for a year, perhaps two. My son's first response was to ask when he could do a delivery trip with our yacht for the summer 2014.
I'm tempted, as I could explore the sheltered waters, N, E of Stavanger at week-ends.
There seem to be a few "guest" marinas in and around Stavanger, but little outside? Has anybody had experiences in this part of Norway? I can't find much evidence of people using moorings, but surely they must exist??

thanks, Graeme

 

[jdc]

I'm in the process of taking a job offer near Stavanger, from next February for a year, perhaps two. My son's first response was to ask when he could do a delivery trip with our yacht for the summer 2014.
I'm tempted, as I could explore the sheltered waters, N, E of Stavanger at week-ends.
There seem to be a few "guest" marinas in and around Stavanger, but little outside? Has anybody had experiences in this part of Norway? I can't find much evidence of people using moorings, but surely they must exist??

thanks, Graeme

Gosh - there are thousands of places to go and anchor in just that part of Norway! But moorings are few compared to the UK: I think it's because most Norwegians have smallish motor boats so mostly use marinas. These are cheap compared to UK prices 'tho (but the beer isn't: £8 a pint, and that's gnat's piss).

However why don't you join the CA? I just looked on their web site and there are several reports from nearby, a free pilot book (free to members that is) and an HLR at Bergen. I wholeheartedly encourage you to take your boat to Stavanger or nearby, but watch out for the Norwegian customs rules - they can be a bit vicious: it's not part of the EU so best to check if you'd have to pay Norwegian VAT.

 

[nigel1]

Ten days ago I was in a place called Oelsvaagen (59 36N, 05 45E).
Entered the Fjords from seawards at an area called Sletta (59 29N, 05 09E).
Looked a fantastic sailing area, and from Sletta to Oelsvaagen, must have past a half dozen small marina's)
Quick look at the chart shows that by boat, Stavanger to Oelsvaagen is about 70 miles, with only about 8 of those outside the fjords.
I'd go for it. Best best is to invest in a set of sailing directions for the area

 

[Bilgediver]

Friends of mine always found a berth off Bekhuskaien, Stavanger. Google will show it....SHowers etc inexpensive and near the city . Great sailing area.

 

[pagoda]

Friends of mine always found a berth off Bekhuskaien, Stavanger. Google will show it....SHowers etc inexpensive and near the city . Great sailing area.

Thanks for that, I also found Riska / Hommersåk, not far away. There is great demand for berths, though by UK standards the fees seem reasonable. What would suit me would to be able to find a local who's off cruising elsewhere and would be happy letting his berth for May-August next year. I may have to go and have a look / ask around to get that info.
I'll be rotating back & forth from the UK, but the temptation to take our boat over for the summer season is pretty strong.

Living on board could be much less costly than renting a flat for some of the time..

Lots of jobs could get done!!!

Graeme

 

[Bilgediver]

Thanks for that, I also found Riska / Hommersåk, not far away. There is great demand for berths, though by UK standards the fees seem reasonable. What would suit me would to be able to find a local who's off cruising elsewhere and would be happy letting his berth for May-August next year. I may have to go and have a look / ask around to get that info.
I'll be rotating back & forth from the UK, but the temptation to take our boat over for the summer season is pretty strong.

Living on board could be much less costly than renting a flat for some of the time..

Lots of jobs could get done!!!

Graeme

There is a time limit on the boat being in Norway which may be 12 months. After that Tax becomes due if the boat remains. Check this as it might be longer than 12 months. There is a Norwegian cruising club which can advise on these matters.

 

[pagoda]

There is a time limit on the boat being in Norway which may be 12 months. After that Tax becomes due if the boat remains. Check this as it might be longer than 12 months. There is a Norwegian cruising club which can advise on these matters.

I'm aware there are issues on remaining for longer, but I will almost certainly sail back to Scotland later in the summer. There are such things as "bonded" marinas -or secure onshore compounds where you CAN store a boat for a following season. I wouldn't plan to go down that route at all..

cheers

 

[Talbot]

Several marinas around Stavanger - but the closest are heavily oversubscribed. The large marina on Hunvag See here may be the closest to Stavanger with space.

I would also recomend looking at Tananger Marina see here

 

[Angele]

I'll be rotating back & forth from the UK, but the temptation to take our boat over for the summer season is pretty strong.

I had my first holiday in Norway this Summer. Not sailing, but land-based. West coast, a bit further north than you are talking about - Alesund, Bergen and a couple of fjord-side destinations (Loen and Balestrand). My immediate thought on returning home were "right, when can I take 3 months off work to sail my boat up Norway's west coast?" You lucky thing!

From what I saw, many of the harbours up the fjords will present a bit of a problem for deep keeled yachts. Although the tidal range seems quite small (not much more than 1 metre) I concluded that a number of places would be a problem for my 2.1m draft. I reckoned that 90% of boats over there are shallow draft mobos.

I had a brief PM exchange with Viking (OTP), who recommended the Norwegian Cruising Guide. You can download bits of it from their website as a taster (http://www.norwegiancruisingguide.com/) and, I have to say, it looks excellent.

I have also looked into charts. You have a choice of the Norwegian version of UKHO, or other producers. I reckoned the Kystkart / Kystatlas (depending on how far you are likely to go) look excellent. Also Batsportkart.

 

[pagoda]

Several marinas around Stavanger - but the closest are heavily oversubscribed. The large marina on Hunvag See here may be the closest to Stavanger with space.

I would also recomend looking at Tananger Marina see here

thanks for that.. I could find a website and further info on Tananger, but really nothing beyond the link you supplied about the Hundvag marina. Is it very new? It appears in my 2009 version of Garmin North Atlantic charts? Is it municipal or one of these club/subscription marinas? It looks huge. Tananger would be OK as well, but it's almost under the flight path of Sola airfield -chopper and fixed wing flights at all hours
Having browsed through the variety available- it's a slightly strange mix of almost free municipal tiny harbours, private associations and more or less normal (UK sense= commercial) marinas. Fortunately , boating is almost a mainstream activity in Norway, so some aspects look less horrific cost wise than home. I'll have to go and look at these places and talk to people....

cheers, Graeme

 

[temptress]

...
From what I saw, many of the harbours up the fjords will present a bit of a problem for deep keeled yachts. Although the tidal range seems quite small (not much more than 1 metre) I concluded that a number of places would be a problem for my 2.1m draft. I reckoned that 90% of boats over there are shallow draft mobos.

....

NOT so! Depth is NOT a problem - Snow/ICE/Rain/WIND is! I had my 2.1m Sigma in Norway for 4 years (living onboard for 2 of those). However the sailing season is short June/July and maybe August if lucky. Anchoring is the norm, there are many small harbours you can come get into or just come alongside the rocks (takes some getting used to!).

The Norwegian Cruising guide is in Norwegian and English - very useful. Best way to get a marina berth is to go to the marina and ask - they can usually fit you in. Then bring the boat over.

 

[Divemaster1]

As a MOBO person, just happened to come across this thread about boating in my home town ...

There are a host of council run marinas ... large & small .. The list, addresses and contact details are here : http://www.stavanger.kommune.no/Doc...er i stavanger/Oversikt Båtforeninger SBF.pdf

There are a few private ones as well, but will be more expensive... but guest marinas in Ryfylke (name of the sheltered fjords and islands North & East of the city) are listed here ... http://www.ryfylke.com/en/WHERE-TO-STAY/guest-marinas/

Personally I'd stay away from the ones that accesses out to the North Sea as exits from them can get rough and you'll face an exposed journey until you round Tungenes and get into the more sheltered areas of Ryfylke...

Good luck !!

 

[Angele]

NOT so! Depth is NOT a problem
[snip]
Anchoring is the norm, there are many small harbours you can come get into or just come alongside the rocks (takes some getting used to!).

In Alesund and Bergen I agree (although there were a number of alongside berths where the depth was less than 2.1m at low water in Alesund). However, both of the other places I stayed (up the fjords) - Loen and Balestrand - had less than 2.1m in the "harbours" at low water, as did (most of) the berthing at Vik across the fjord from Balestrand. Yes, I agree that anchoring appeared to be the norm. But, if the OP was assuming that we could take a deep keeled yacht and moor alongside, for easy walk ashore, just anywhere AND STAY THERE OVER LOW WATER ("because everything must be deep mustn't it?") then he could be in for a bit of a surprise up the fjords. Admittedly, my sample size of just 3 fjord harbours is a tiny proportion of the total range of possible destinations, but those three just didn't seem set up for deep keeled yachts - and I took that as an indication of what one might expect elsewhere.

 

[pagoda]

In Alesund and Bergen I agree (although there were a number of alongside berths where the depth was less than 2.1m at low water in Alesund). However, both of the other places I stayed (up the fjords) - Loen and Balestrand - had less than 2.1m in the "harbours" at low water, as did (most of) the berthing at Vik across the fjord from Balestrand. Yes, I agree that anchoring appeared to be the norm. But, if the OP was assuming that we could take a deep keeled yacht and moor alongside, for easy walk ashore, just anywhere AND STAY THERE OVER LOW WATER ("because everything must be deep mustn't it?") then he could be in for a bit of a surprise up the fjords. Admittedly, my sample size of just 3 fjord harbours is a tiny proportion of the total range of possible destinations, but those three just didn't seem set up for deep keeled yachts - and I took that as an indication of what one might expect elsewhere.

I've talked to locals from near home who sailed in Sweden - and described the minimal tide/ anchor / tie up scenario. Nothing remotely like what is done in Scotland usually!

Our boat draws 1.8m so should fit in many marinas without much bother. Out and about cruising we will anchor where we can. On the Scottish or Irish west coast tide is typically 2m to 4m range, so it will be less complicated in many ways.
If in doubt - anchor out

thanks, Graeme

 

[pagoda]

As a MOBO person, just happened to come across this thread about boating in my home town ...

There are a host of council run marinas ... large & small .. The list, addresses and contact details are here : http://www.stavanger.kommune.no/Doc...er i stavanger/Oversikt Båtforeninger SBF.pdf

There are a few private ones as well, but will be more expensive... but guest marinas in Ryfylke (name of the sheltered fjords and islands North & East of the city) are listed here ... http://www.ryfylke.com/en/WHERE-TO-STAY/guest-marinas/

Personally I'd stay away from the ones that accesses out to the North Sea as exits from them can get rough and you'll face an exposed journey until you round Tungenes and get into the more sheltered areas of Ryfylke...

Good luck !!

Thanks for the links. I wouldn't say I ever pick rough weather to go out, but our own home harbour Ardrossan has an exposed exit, and if you have 15Kts Plus SW wind for a while, it's not uncommon to have 2m seas outside. So a short patch of rough exit wouldn't automatically put me off.
Graeme

 

[Angele]

I've talked to locals from near home who sailed in Sweden - and described the minimal tide/ anchor / tie up scenario. Nothing remotely like what is done in Scotland usually!

Our boat draws 1.8m so should fit in many marinas without much bother. Out and about cruising we will anchor where we can. On the Scottish or Irish west coast tide is typically 2m to 4m range, so it will be less complicated in many ways.
If in doubt - anchor out

thanks, Graeme

The tidal range on Norway's west coast is greater than in the Baltic, and increases the further up the west coast you go.

So, whereas the mean spring tidal range near Oslo is around 30cm, in Stavanger it is about 0.5m. Not too much further north (in Norwegian terms), in Bergen, the mean spring range is 1.2m and it starts to matter.

 

[Divemaster1]

Thanks for the links. I wouldn't say I ever pick rough weather to go out, but our own home harbour Ardrossan has an exposed exit, and if you have 15Kts Plus SW wind for a while, it's not uncommon to have 2m seas outside. So a short patch of rough exit wouldn't automatically put me off.
Graeme

Ardrossan is relatively sheltered when compared with the reach of the North Sea and Tananger, Viste etc. Prevailing wind is SE or NW (http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/windstatistic_stavanger_sola.htm)... basically in strong NW or SE's, you will not leave the harbour and the swell will last for days .... this was my cruising ground from the age of six and up to me moving to the UK at the age of 30 ..... so know the area and conditions very well... basically have covered the coastline from Spitsbergen to Oslo.... so have some experience of the area... Great sailing by the way ...

 

[Talbot]

thanks for that.. I could find a website and further info on Tananger, but really nothing beyond the link you supplied about the Hundvag marina. Is it very new? It appears in my 2009 version of Garmin North Atlantic charts? Is it municipal or one of these club/subscription marinas? It looks huge. Tananger would be OK as well, but it's almost under the flight path of Sola airfield -chopper and fixed wing flights at all hours
Having browsed through the variety available- it's a slightly strange mix of almost free municipal tiny harbours, private associations and more or less normal (UK sense= commercial) marinas. Fortunately , boating is almost a mainstream activity in Norway, so some aspects look less horrific cost wise than home. I'll have to go and look at these places and talk to people....

cheers, Graeme

Another one to look at is that at Vestres Åmøy (just north of Stavanger) The only link I can find on the net is to a boat store/repair place at the marina. http://www.garstad.no

I cant answer about costs or who runs which marina as I dont have my boat in Norway, thus have never researched it.

 

[Viking]

Hi I was in Tananger last year (2012) A very nice marina. Yes there are lots of great weekend place in and around the Stavanger area (bay) and easy trips for holidays and longer weekends. Depth: Most ALL ports/marinas are deep water . Ive only came across one berth, in one marina which was not accessable, and thats up here. The Norwegian Cruising Guide as good info also I would suggest joining the Redningsselskapet, the (Norwegian RNLI) they produce, coming with joining package, a 700 marina and anchorage guide for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, worth the joining fee on its own. Oh! rescue here is NOT free! if your not a member.
Berth fees: can be, on small marinas, via 'honesty-boxes'. Fuel: usually 24hr via direct debit card-payment pumps. Charts: Sjøkarts and Båtsportskarts from good book shops and Kartverket. Info: Further info can be got free, from the local Tourist Information Centers. Including local marina chartlets. If you have any questions I might be able to give you more info. You WILL enjoy sailing here!