Norway

[puddock]

I am looking at taking my boat (Westerly Storm 33) over to Norway next year, for a month, and I am currently looking to collect as much useful info as possible in preparation.
I would probably be looking at departing from Peterhead and am looking to cruise between Stavanger/ Bergen around June/ July.

 

[stav]

Can not help but do you need crew back from there. Could be available for the end of July as long as I can see a bit of Norway....

 

[webcraft]

Might join you

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We originally planned to take Fairwinds to Norway this year but dog and family stuff got in the way. It is still on the cards for next year though.

My first sail on a Vega (sort of a test drive) was as crew on a delivery trip back from Sweden to Peterheid via Denmark and Norway. Took us 71 hours for the 320 miles from Kristiansand to ra Bloo Toon. It's interesting to sail past rigs you have worked on.

- W

 

[michael taylor]

I suggest you head N of Bergen. The area you suggest is more crowded and less scenic than most stretches of the west coast. The coast and islands between Bergen and Ålesund are better if you want to stay in the south of Norway. Anywhere around the Arctic Circle is worthwhile, Lofoten and the area north of that are excellent. Between Tromso and Hammerfest the scenery is on a different scale but the sailing north of Hammerfest is only worth the effort for the satisfaction of reaching Nordkapp.

This is my 4th 'summer' here and thoroughly recommend it.

 

[Dyflin]

.
We originally planned to take Fairwinds to Norway this year but dog and family stuff got in the way. It is still on the cards for next year though.



- W

You had a lucky escape, the weather in the west of Norway has been awful, a complete washout similar to our summer. Not like last year, 30+ degrees, 20 deg in the water in the fjords. Summer to remember

 

[tross]

Take as much spirits, wine and beer that you are allowed - if you think it is expensive here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KenMcCulloch]

If you PM < Bosunof > here, Frank will be a useful source of advice. He is ther just now and plans to keep the boat in Norway over this winter. There's also a very good log of a trip to Lofoten by Martin Edge in a Vancouver 27 on the Port Edgar Yacht Club web pages.

 

[puddock]

You had a lucky escape, the weather in the west of Norway has been awful, a complete washout similar to our summer. Not like last year, 30+ degrees, 20 deg in the water in the fjords. Summer to remember

Tell me about it. Just got back to Stavanger (Randeburg), blowing a hoolie............... Good night to sit at the bar.

 

[Fascadale]

Go for it

We did Stonehaven to the Bergen area this summer then back via Shetland etc.

We were lucky with the weather for the first part of the trip (July), warm and sunny but then we got a bucketful of the standard west Norway weather: about as wet has our west coast but not as cold and windy. Make sure you have a cockpit tent.

The sea was warm enough to comfortably swim in.

Norway is very yacht friendly, plenty of places to tie up, both to pontoons and piers and in wilder places alongside steep to shores.

There is very little tide on the west coast so mooring is easy and there are few tidal gates, even in narrow sounds.

Booze is very expensive so we avoided pubs but took plenty with us. There is no (as far as I know) need to "clear" into Norway so the importation of numerous cans and bottles was not a problem.

The seamarks are good, our admiralty charts do not give enough detail of the shallower areas, there are good Norwegian guides (in Norwegian but with good photos and chartlets) and the cheap Nauticpath chip on my plotter was quite satisfactory.

There are a lot of bridges and overhead power cables around so be certain of your air draught.

In many of the anchorages yachts anchor by the stern and then tie up by the bow to the shore, often by a short warp so that you can just step ashore. (little tide and very sheltered)

Many Norwegian boats are set up for anchoring from the stern

but we just dropped the anchor off the front, then dragged the chain to the back and tied a bight in the chain to the stern then ran a warp out from the bow to the shore. (if you can follow that)

 

[srm]

Just a brief note on tidal ranges on west coast of Norway, the range gradually increases as you go further north, typically minimal south of Stavanger, 1 meter or so Bergen area, 2 metres or so around Aalesund, 3 metres or so Lofoten.
Place names with variations on Strom or Straumen usually indicates strong horizontal streams, which in the south my be wind rather than tide related.

A sublime cruising area, though have only managed mouth of Hardanger Fjord to Lofoten in various trips over a number of years in the 80's.

Well worth the effort of getting there, and weather often better further north. I prefered north of Bergen, though an initial cruise staying south of Stadt will be a good introduction if time is limited. Going inland from Alesund is a good way to see Fjord scenery, but the coastal islands are more varied.

Have fun.

 

[CaptnD]

Not Quite so on the booze

Norway is nice and just as people have said with one exception. The drink. You are not alloud to have more than your duty free limit. 200 fags, 1 ltr spirits 2 bottles of wine per pers. I belive anything over 13% is classed as spirits as well.

So be carefull.

Every so often the police and customs just go for all boats in a port or anchorage indescriminantly. Not often but it does happen. There are cases where Dutch and German boats have been fined £200 for having 5 or 6 bottles on board. If you want a months supply or so then you would technicaly have to have a bonded locker whilst in Norwegain waters.

This year they were stopping nearly all boats at sea comming back from a Norwegain/Danish regatta. Just looking for booze. It really depends as to what their orders are at the time.

That said most people over here nip down to Denmark or Sweden and load up a lot more than the limit.

 

[srm]

That said most people over here nip down to Denmark or Sweden and load up a lot more than the limit.

To say nothing of the summer booze run from west coast to Lerwick !!!!

 

[puddock]

A usual, a barrel full of great information.
Thanks guys.

 

[srm]

If you limit yourself to south of Stadt, and want to see fjord scenery without the long, long, slog of the big fjords I found a nice little fjord. It has all the dramatic scenery, narrows, waterfalls etc but its a day sail in, overnight anchorage shallow enough to swing around the anchor, and a day back out. I used to go in when skippering a charter yacht so people could experience a fjord without miles of motoring.
Look for Dalsfjorden, about 61 degree 20 north, its north of Sognefjord and south of Floroe. The inland end opens out and I used to anchor on the north side, off Kappstad, rather than go through the last narrows.
Have fun.