63 53.01 N, 09 21.10 E

 

We slept in until 9:30 in Rørvik, partly because we rationalised a lay in to

coincide with Norwegian opening hours of around 10 am for coffee shops and internet caffés. A

shower was also planned at the local yacht hut, from the outside just a scruffy portacabin, so on a whim as we rushed into town we

stopped and investigated. Inside did not reflect outside: the showers were spotless and

not coin operated but had a small honestly box for payment, there was a

fully equipped laundry, kitchen, living space with sofa, TV and free

internet. James downloaded the grib files while Fe went back to get towels.

Of course all this meant we could have set off at day-break had we realised

the net was available 50 metres from the boat. That will teach us to lie in!

The final icing on the cake was the under floor heating in the shower

cubicles. Portacabin got thumbs up!

 

Thumbs down to the weather forecast however; Saturday showed force

8/9 from the west which would be right on the nose when we

least needed it. The distance to go was also playing a part in our next

decision as we decided to hug the coast of Norway and get further south

before jumping off. We planned an overnight sail round the outside of all

the skerries south of Rørvik to finish up at the eastern end of the Frøhavet channel around daybreak on

Thursday. We cautiously reversed out of the tight berth we were in (into a

head wind again) in fact James kept her in reverse all the way to the fuel

dock - instructional to see how she handles driving astern. The refuelling

proved awkward as one of the tanks refused to take any more diesel meaning

the breather spattered it down the deck. We also filled up the spares (thank you Peter once again) in case there was an

airlock between the two tanks.

 

We left under the giant road bridge and headed for the skerries marked by

the Kya Lighthouse. There are rocks  all along the channels here again

marked with numerous  sticks with things on the top of them, Norwegian style.

The heading for most of the day was SSW and we were blessed with a

good Force 5 SE wind. The Kya lighthouse to seaward rewarded us with massive white plumes of water hitting the rocks

at it's base and the virga falling gently above it showing an aerial rainbow. Dramatic,

but more was to come; the moon rose gently as Fiona took her first watch

into the beginning of the channel - a full moon and a blue one - the second

such in August and very rare to get two in one calendar month. Engine on

occasionally as we slipped south in the moonlight, but mostly under sail.