Norway/Sweden

thedoc

thedoc

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Hi,
Is there anyone out there who has info on Norway/ west Sweden destinations? My boat is currently in Arisaig and I am still damp from this weekends sail in the grey murk to Inverie, Mallaig and back. The plan is to sail it to the Orkneys next summer and then to Norway or west Sweden. I will need to overwinter it there and would appreciate advice on best places/ recommendations etc.
Sailing being full of variables, I dont know where my initial landfall will be, is it possible to turn up and sort out overwintering on arrival or do I need to get organised in advance? What are the likely costs for the winter on average?
Thanks in advance.
 
I left my boat at Bergen Sailing Club for ten days earlier in the year. It is very sheltered, excellent facilities and close(15GBPs) taxi to the airport.

When I was there I explored the possibility of leaving the boat there for the winter: no problem, about 600GBPs (or it may have been 400GBPs) in the water for a 26ft boat. The man that runs the place, like everyone in Norway speaks excellent English


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They have a huge shed but I suspect it may fill with members' boats in the winter.


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I'm sure there are plenty of other places to leave a boat over there, in or out of the water, outside or in. I suspect the further north you were and the further from the bigger cities the cheaper it would be.

There is a winter ice problem in Olso Fjord that those who leave their boats in over the winter solve by "bubbling" the water around the boat. The west coast, to quite a way north, of Norway is ice free through the winter.

Hope this helps with the plans.
 
Falkenberg. Plenty of room. £40 to haul, £90 for the whole six month winter, £40 launch back in the water, £170 for the six month summer. RyanAir in Gothenberg (City airport)
 
thedoc said:
Hi,
Is there anyone out there who has info on Norway/ west Sweden destinations? ............... I dont know where my initial landfall will be, is it possible to turn up and sort out overwintering on arrival or do I need to get organised in advance? What are the likely costs for the winter on average?
Thanks in advance.
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We cruised Norway in 2004 and again in 2005 and had considered overwintering there.
In Oslo, out of reach of the relatively warm Atlantic airstreams, we learned that the upper fjords freeze over and the local boats are either lifted out and covered or all rafted-up within floating booms and the 'lagoons' kept stirred by compressed air to prevent total freeze-up. Sounded expensive!
The Bergen place looked good, the climate much like ours and people very helpful, but space was at a premium then.
North of the Arctic Circle it seems that most come out:
At Tromso we met one young lady skipper who winters her boat at Harstad, nearby, where the practice was to lift out to a hole in the ground, remove mast, tarpaulin and lash down: it seems the boats are safe from storm winds, soon under a couple of metres of snow and snug until April. We did not wait to see that.
At Bodo, in May, we met 'Dovekie' just refitting after hibernation there: they might be able to advise, if you PM them.
At a guess, the Trondheim area might be a good bet: Lots of keen sailors there, and relatively sheltered.
Good hunting!
 
Because there are so many boatbuilders on the island of Orust (about 50 kms north of Gothenberg on the Swedish West Coast) you are spoilt for choice on wintering under cover, but you need to organise it well in advance. Najad, Malo, Hallberg Rassy are just a few who I know offer such a service, and I don't think it costs fortunes, especially as the pound is quite strong against the Swedish currency at the moment. In general terms, sailing in Swedish coastal waters is far safer than Norway due to much better buoyage, and with so many rocks around, that is important!
 
We spent a couple of seasons in Norway and over wintered there. If it is where you plan to leave your boat there are plenty of locations (we left ours in Aalesund, 400 N of Bergen). Unless you have the luxury of unlimited time, you need to arrange in advance, we wrongly assumed that it would be like France and other marina rich destinations and we could just poll up and leave the boat. We managed to find a place in Stavanger but only at the last moment 12 hours before the flight home, not an experience I'd recommend...

Try a PM to viking of this parish, he's a Brit who lives in Aelesund, he's a really helpful guy and welcomes contact from cruising sailors.
 
Hi. Just back from the UK. Been with a friend planning to sail over next summer. We do over winter visiting boats from all parts. Boats are left in the water. We have little ice and little snow but we have our workboat go round breaking it up if any ice settles. Visiting boats take members berthes (owned) who have taken theirs out for the winter. So visitors must be flexible about length of stay. So we my move boats around but its not usual to do so. Electrics and water are on hand. And I can keep a friendly eye on any boats I know about. Its not done as a business, more as a favour and at cost.
 
norway/sweden

Thanks everybody for all the info. I now have plenty to go on during the winter planning.
 
If you declare that you wish to stay longer the one year because your touring. You will probably get an extension or even open end stay. Norwegian customs (Toll) seem now to understand that it takes more then a one season to see Norway.
 
Did somebody post a thread on this some time ago? I would greatly appreciate whoever it was that gave guidance on the best places to sail and crossings, etc, to post it again if possible. Norway is a stunning coast and country but I'd never thought of sailing in Sweden. That could be an adventure.Information o either would be superb.
 
jpcarter30 said:
I'd never thought of sailing in Sweden. That could be an adventure.
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Briefly, the sailing around the islands outside Gothenburg all the way to the Norwegian border is superb.

South of Gothenberg is open coast but with plenty of marinas and harbours. The sailing can be lumpy because of the lee coast from the prevailing SW winds.

The girls in Halmstad are reputed to be the best in Sweden. However it would not be time wasted, for the visitor to practise saying NO politely but firmly.

Many Swedes South of Gothenberg sail to Denmark for their vacation. Shallow protected water, good but expensive (compared to Sweden) marinas. Water is warmer for swimming because it is shallow.

Getting weather forecasts by radio is a problem for me in Denmark. They are in Danish but unlike the Swedish forecasts they do not seem to follow a formula so it often happens that I can try to listen to their forecast and it ends before I have realised that the info has been transmitted and I missed it. Internet weather (for me) is the only way. Also, dare I say it, the girls are not as pretty.
 
I agree that forecasts are harder in Denmark, and it is usually easier to get them from the harbour office, given that a 24 hour forecast will usually be enough. The Danish weather service has a good reputation, and gives forecasts for the North Sea as well.

Swedish forecasts are amongst the easiest to pick up and are announced on Ch 16. The relevant working channel can most easily be found by scanning, and the forecast, first in Swedish, then English, follows navigational warnings. Winds are given in mps, and it is a good opportunity to test one's understanding of the language. (Polish forecasts are somewhat similar)
 
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