ChrisE
Well-Known Member
Lymington to Stavanger in easy stages.
Left Lym on Saturday with the intention of going to Ipswich for departure in two weeks, returned to Lym after 1/2 hour with engine problems caused by airlock. This was sorted out in time to leave next weekend. Got as far as Eastbourne, in S6 gusting 7 where we stayed for another week, not much fancying a night in the seas that were being kicked up. So come Whit Friday we really start. Rob joins as crew for crossing and we leave Eastbourne, Saturday morning, to sail directly to Bergen.
Out into the Channel to be met with a W6 that got up to W7 gusting well into 8, with a forecast drop in wind forecast nipped into Ramsgate for the night. Rafting up with good fun in 30 knots of off raft breeze. After 2 attempts went in at 5 knots straight at what turned out to be brand new HR42 with nervous US owner leaping abt a bit. Came alongside, hard into reverse and Brunton prop stops boat in its own length, fenders just kiss, perfect apart from nearly propelling Liz and Rob over side. Lines grabbed by others who thought that it was going to be a definite T-bone, thee of little faith. Funny smell emits from nervous owner.
Phoned Met Office for personal forecast. Day 1 calm, day 2 NW10-15 dropping to nothing, day 3 NW10-15, dropping to nothing, day 4 calm, rising to NE 20 in evening. Got plenty of diesel have we? Delighted with forecast off we trot next morning.
Well at least day 1 was right and was beginning to work out how long we'd be stuck in North Sea whilst waiting for the wind to fill in as we had about 50 hours diesel on board for an 80-100 hour trip.
Needn't have worried about lack of wind, day 1 ends with a bit of breeze that died in the night, nice sail and green flash. Start seeing oil rigs, inc one under tow. Day 2 starts calm, more oil rigs, one fishing vessel and loads of traffic going to Holland, etc. Day 2 pm wind kicks in from NW pipes up to 20 knots fairly quickly then up to 25 gusting 28 where it stays for the next 2 days. Dark thoughts about where to stick forecaster. Rival Spirit handles the conditions better than her crew, in the event we had to slow the old girl down after proceeding for 3-4 hours at 7knots plus and falling off one too many waves. We found that by bearing off a bit and slowing to about 6 knots we could sleep and eat albeit fitfully.
At end of day 3 decided that we ought to make land asap 'cos we're all feed up with the idea of a fourth night out in that crap, so head for Mandal, nearest part of Norway. Start of day 4, see Norw. fishing boat tethered by front end to purse net I guess, however did cause some fun 'cos we were going to go in front of it like you do with trawlers, lesson learnt there.
Day 4 evening saw land ho and used chartplotter to get us into harbour which was situated at the back of 2-3 mile long estuary with the odd isolated rocky bit to keep us amused. We tried to check in with customs there and found that the station had been closed. So next day we went onto Egersund (a gem set in a small fjord system) to check in. People extremely friendly and helpful all round. Rob leaves at this point to go onto Oslo to meet a college chum. Came into Stavanger on Friday evening as the Oriana was coming out which was rather fun, got a good snap of her with sun on flank against a cloudy backdrop
Stavanger town centre proved to be an interesting place, we stayed on the town quay on Friday, rafted up to a NZ yot. The place really rocks and with 24 hr daylight the party went on until 3am.
After a tense Saturday when we didn't know where we going to leave Rival Spirit for six weeks until 6:30 in the evening with flights booked out the next day we found a berth in Stavanger, or Sandnes to be precise (a town about 7miles out), thanks to the Rune of the Sandnes forening (Norwegian for YC).
Caught the ferry, a 4 hour ride on a fast cat, from Stavanger up to Bergen. A really interesting trip through loads of islands and pitstops at little villages en route. Caught flight back to Gatwick with 5 minutes to spare.
Beer still at king's ransom prices about £10 a pint, diesel is about 40p a litre so not quite as cheap as red but not as bad as road.
We're really forward to part two which is three weeks cruising going North in late July/ early August.
Have a couple of snaps to post once I've worked out how to do it (again, doh!)
Left Lym on Saturday with the intention of going to Ipswich for departure in two weeks, returned to Lym after 1/2 hour with engine problems caused by airlock. This was sorted out in time to leave next weekend. Got as far as Eastbourne, in S6 gusting 7 where we stayed for another week, not much fancying a night in the seas that were being kicked up. So come Whit Friday we really start. Rob joins as crew for crossing and we leave Eastbourne, Saturday morning, to sail directly to Bergen.
Out into the Channel to be met with a W6 that got up to W7 gusting well into 8, with a forecast drop in wind forecast nipped into Ramsgate for the night. Rafting up with good fun in 30 knots of off raft breeze. After 2 attempts went in at 5 knots straight at what turned out to be brand new HR42 with nervous US owner leaping abt a bit. Came alongside, hard into reverse and Brunton prop stops boat in its own length, fenders just kiss, perfect apart from nearly propelling Liz and Rob over side. Lines grabbed by others who thought that it was going to be a definite T-bone, thee of little faith. Funny smell emits from nervous owner.
Phoned Met Office for personal forecast. Day 1 calm, day 2 NW10-15 dropping to nothing, day 3 NW10-15, dropping to nothing, day 4 calm, rising to NE 20 in evening. Got plenty of diesel have we? Delighted with forecast off we trot next morning.
Well at least day 1 was right and was beginning to work out how long we'd be stuck in North Sea whilst waiting for the wind to fill in as we had about 50 hours diesel on board for an 80-100 hour trip.
Needn't have worried about lack of wind, day 1 ends with a bit of breeze that died in the night, nice sail and green flash. Start seeing oil rigs, inc one under tow. Day 2 starts calm, more oil rigs, one fishing vessel and loads of traffic going to Holland, etc. Day 2 pm wind kicks in from NW pipes up to 20 knots fairly quickly then up to 25 gusting 28 where it stays for the next 2 days. Dark thoughts about where to stick forecaster. Rival Spirit handles the conditions better than her crew, in the event we had to slow the old girl down after proceeding for 3-4 hours at 7knots plus and falling off one too many waves. We found that by bearing off a bit and slowing to about 6 knots we could sleep and eat albeit fitfully.
At end of day 3 decided that we ought to make land asap 'cos we're all feed up with the idea of a fourth night out in that crap, so head for Mandal, nearest part of Norway. Start of day 4, see Norw. fishing boat tethered by front end to purse net I guess, however did cause some fun 'cos we were going to go in front of it like you do with trawlers, lesson learnt there.
Day 4 evening saw land ho and used chartplotter to get us into harbour which was situated at the back of 2-3 mile long estuary with the odd isolated rocky bit to keep us amused. We tried to check in with customs there and found that the station had been closed. So next day we went onto Egersund (a gem set in a small fjord system) to check in. People extremely friendly and helpful all round. Rob leaves at this point to go onto Oslo to meet a college chum. Came into Stavanger on Friday evening as the Oriana was coming out which was rather fun, got a good snap of her with sun on flank against a cloudy backdrop
Stavanger town centre proved to be an interesting place, we stayed on the town quay on Friday, rafted up to a NZ yot. The place really rocks and with 24 hr daylight the party went on until 3am.
After a tense Saturday when we didn't know where we going to leave Rival Spirit for six weeks until 6:30 in the evening with flights booked out the next day we found a berth in Stavanger, or Sandnes to be precise (a town about 7miles out), thanks to the Rune of the Sandnes forening (Norwegian for YC).
Caught the ferry, a 4 hour ride on a fast cat, from Stavanger up to Bergen. A really interesting trip through loads of islands and pitstops at little villages en route. Caught flight back to Gatwick with 5 minutes to spare.
Beer still at king's ransom prices about £10 a pint, diesel is about 40p a litre so not quite as cheap as red but not as bad as road.
We're really forward to part two which is three weeks cruising going North in late July/ early August.
Have a couple of snaps to post once I've worked out how to do it (again, doh!)
