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Alden

The weatherforcast for this week was perfect for a sailing trip. After work at Friday we just jumped onboard and went out on the fjord. Our plan was to achor up in a beautiful lagoon north of the island Alden. We are crossing the fjord Stavfjorden, a fjord where it is wind and big waves from the ocean almost every day. This day it was wind from southwest, right on the nose.

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But after 4 hours we came to the lagoon, and it was time to anchor. We haven`t done it for a while so we used some time to make everything perfect. We used the dinghy to put a rope ashore. This is a place in the middle of nowhere, but suddenly we saw two people ashore walking around! We realized they come there by kayak and had a tent on the beach. This is really a beautiful spot but it has to be no wind there (for sailors).

It was too late to go ashore to see the sunset so we decided to stay in the boat and make dinner. The sun went down while we were anchoring, but I took some nice photos from the boat. I made a fishsoup even it was late, and then we went to bed. It was a bit rough night, because it started to blow a little bit more than we expected.

Saturday we wanted to use the dinghy to go ashore. We had a plan to pick some garbage. It is not summer temperature here yet so I took my winterjacket and my hikingboots on. I empty my pocket and took a plasticbag around my phone. (my phone is not waterproof) and luckily I did that… It was my first chance to go onboard in the dinghy and I am a bit clumsy (I am afraid to fall).. It is not necessary to give you all details, but I fall into the water…. Of course I was between the boat and the dinghy so I could climb up in the boat, change clothes and go back in the dinghy. This time I did it in another way and that was perfect. Actually the plasticbag I put around the phone was not wet, but anyway…

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Ashore we picked two large plasticbags with carbage, mostly plastic. This we will bring back to Florø and throw in a container for beach cleaning. We register in a web-page were we have picked it and if it is more to pick there. After two hours cleaning the beach we hoist the anchor and sailed away.

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Dalsfjorden

Our plan was to sail the Dalsfjorden. If you are a sailor, you know that sailing a fjord is not the easiest thing to do, there is no wind or wind right on the nose.. So we had to use the engine almost all the way. First we sailed Flekkefjorden, because we had to go to the United World College. Astor and me are hostfamily for three girls there. They come from Island, Canada and Nepal. There are hostweekends three times before Christmas and three times after Christmas, but because of Covid-19, they have been visiting us only once this year. Then they forgot some stuff we wanted to deliver to them at school. We have been sailing there earlier, it is a very nice, narrow fjord. Anita from Island met us at the quay. It is hostweekend next weekend, but we don`t know if they are coming or not. (update; they can`t visit us next weekend 🙁 )

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After a small stop we continued to Dale. First we sailed under the bridge and to the waterfall Laukelandsfossen. Laukelandsfossen has a drop of 135 meters, and can be 100 meters wide. If you go ashore there is a lagoon, and it is possible to walk behind the waterfall. It was beautiful on a day like this. The mountain with snow behind the waterfall is Blegja, the highest mountain in this area. It is 1305 meter above sealevel.

Dalsfjordbrua (The Dalsfjord Bridge).

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We could have sailed to Bygstad, that is the most inside village, but it startet to be late, again, so we sailed back to Dale, to the guest harbour. On the outside of the guest harbour the electricity didn`t work so we had to try to find someone who could help us out. We found the harbour manager and he could tell us that it was something wrong with the electricity. We had to move the boat closer to ashore and use electricity from the clubhouse. In the clubhouse it was also a washingmachine, dryer, showers and toilets. We used both washingmachine and dryer that evening. In the evening we sat in the boat, ate shrimps and had a glas of wine, and looked at the sunset.

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My boss lives in Dale so we had an appointment with her on Sunday. It is a lot to see in Dale and it is not that far from our hometown, but I have only been driving through Dale. Only once, many years ago, I was there at a consert. We started at the church. Dale Church was build in 1864 and here lays Jakob Sande who died in 1967. He is a very known poet, and for me, specially, the Christmas anthem Det lyser i stille grender is one of my favourites.

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Jakob Sande was born in what was known as grandfathers lounge in his home, Klokkargarden in Dale (the small red house). He grew up in a liberal family, learning the principles of social engagement but also the joy of song and music. His father, Andreas Sande, was town mayor in Dale, and their home was always to villagers who had something to discuss with their mayor. Growing up, Jakob Sande was therefor exposed to the many different facets of his home village. His family was between social classes, and were open and accepted by both ends of the social ladder.

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They have a nice beach in Dale and earlier this week they got a load of sand to make it ready for the summer.

Me and my boss, Marita. In the middle, Vesle Daniel (young Daniel). Jakob Sande wrote about Daniel, he was going out in the big world as a young boy.

Then it was time to sail back home. We hoped for some wind, but no, we had to use the engine. We had a short stop at Fjordlagunen. In a normal season there is a pub in this red building, and nearby it is a cafe. The owner has big plans for the area, and it can be a beautiful place.

There is a long beach and a nice view.

We had a quick lunch with bacon and eggs before we continue up north. Now we got some wind and did hoist up the sails. First the wind came right in front, but when we turned north we got it more from behind.

When we came to Stavfjorden it was unstabel wind. It was quiet in the middle of the fjord, and then suddenly 7 knots of speed.

The Royal Ship came by. It is a long distance and it is not easy to zoom standing in a sailboat.. The ship stayed in Florø for a night and sailed south again. We don`t know it the King and/or the Queen was onboard..

When we came closer to our harbour it was no wind, and it was a beautiful scenary around us.

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We still love to stay in our sailboat! Just looking forward to next time we can hoist the sail!