The end of the Norwegian Dream & Tall Ships in Stavanger

Thursday 28^th July 2011 – The Tall Ships Races 2011, Stavanger

As planned we cycled into Stavanger from Tananger just under 9 miles each way, on another chilly grey day!  However, the Vagen (harbour) area of Stavanger was looking very colourful and the largest of the Tall Ships – all sailing training vessels – looked quite majestic, some were still arriving and being pushed into place by tugs, mostly they had arrived yesterday and were safely tied up.  There was no space in the harbour for any cruise ships, although one was anchored off.  Stavanger lends itself to these events as there are miles of harbour walls all joined

together in a V-shape curving round the corner to a further town marina just before the Petroleum Museum.  The quay sides were full of stalls selling all sorts of things from fast food, cheese and meats, sweets to clothing etc.  Entertainment was to be found at a number of places including a jazz group, solo musicians and street entertainers.  We walked all around and found the ‘Offshore Scout’ and ‘Ocean Scout’ sail training vessels from Colchester both of whom we saw at Sail Amsterdam last year and in 2009 at Turku in Finland.  We have sent them photos in the past and it was nice to be invited aboard and given a very welcome mug of tea.

A good English sounding Tall Ship!

For anyone who is not aware of ‘The Tall Ship Races’ I quote “they are organised to give youngsters from 15 – 25 years an opportunity to muster on board sailing ships, participate in friendly racing, learn basic seamanship and, perhaps most importantly, to develop long lasting friendships across nationalities, religions and backgrounds.

Flowers outside Stavanger Cathedrak

Before we cycled back to Tananger we visited the Cathedral where people were leaving flowers, candles, soft toys etc outside the church in mourning for the dead from the car bomb in Oslo and the shooting on the Island of  Utoya, of all those young people last Friday.  Tours of the Cathedral had been suspended for the week and there were notices asking for silent remembrance of the dead.

Once back on the boat we tidied up and made ready for long sea passages over the next couple of days, weather permitting.

Friday 29^th July 2011 – Return to Tananger!

Pontoon at Tananger

We left Tananger as planned at 5 am, hoping that the Norwegian Forecast would prove more reliable than the BBC shipping forecast for the area – South Utsire and Fisher which is closest to us which was giving gales.  In the harbour we had a northwest 4, however, once we were outside the moles the wind quickly increased to Beaufort force 5 - 6 and then we were seeing 7’s, so after half an hour we turned round and returned to our berth in Tananger, I was very grateful to find a man walking his dog along the pontoon at 6 am who caught our ropes as we were blowing off!

Although we were confined to barracks so to speak, we had the first really sunny day for what seems like weeks, so James took the opportunity to carry on polishing the boat and then vacuumed it throughout.  With water and electricity it was a good opportunity to catch up with some washing as the wind and sun dried it all quickly.

The late afternoon saw us at the local supermarket trying to spend our lose change, stocking up on some items.

Saturday 30^th July 2011 – our last full day in Norway

Lillehavn - another free wall!

We were up again for a 5 am departure as least the shipping forecast did not have any gale warnings for the area.  The first part of the day as we motor sailed south we had north west 4-5-6’s, James said he saw the occasional 7, I had returned to bed by then, but it was certainly a rather rolly sea with long lolloping waves, although this improved as the day went along and the wind dropped down during the afternoon, so that the sail was eventually rolled up.  We sailed south down the coast and just past the most southerly part of Norway for our last night before leaving.  We are in the small holiday harbour of Lillehavn, which is rather pretty with lots of families on holiday here.

Our thoughts have been going back a year to Jeremy and Lucy’s wedding and of course it is Jeremy’s 28th Birthday today, so we were have spoken to him on the phone and have said that their first anniversary dinner is on us!

We have now had 85 days in Norway and have covered 2,416 nm since our arrival in Egersund on 6^th May and we almost got to 69 degrees north; we had 34 days within the Arctic Circle where we sailed / motored 625 nm.  We have had mixed weather, not nearly enough sun and the last fortnight has been rather indifferent with quite a lot of rain.  The water temperature has just reached what I call my minimum requirements but it is really too late tonight to have a swim, so I think my only plunge in and out will remain at the Trollfjord after my walk up a mountain, I shall now hope to find time for some swimming in Denmark as long as there are not too many horrid red or blue jelly fish with long tentacles, there are lots of red ones here.

Tomorrow we plan another early start to cover the 85 nm or so to Thyboron and then through the Limfjord to the Baltic and down the east coast of Jutland, hopefully to meet old friends on the Island of Als, before heading to Germany and the Kiel Canal and then back through Holland.  From now on we will be relying of free WIFI for Internet access, as our Norwegian data card will cease to work.  

Distance motor sailed: 105 nm