Gateway to the fiordlands of Norway

South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Tue 4 Jun 2019 22:06
Early Sunday morning June 2 we departed Gothenburgh bound for Haugesund on the Norwegian Vestland (250Nm). Still in a rather unstable weathersituation it looked like an acceptable 48hr weatherwindow and if not taking this chance we would have had to wait another week.
The route stretches north of Skagen (on the top of Denmark) and out on Skagerack (the northeastern part of the North Sea),rounding the southern part of Norway,passing Stavanger (center for the Norwegian oil industry) before reaching Haugesund and the protection of the Vestland archipelago. Initially circumstances were favourable with calm seas and good speed,but coming out on Skagerack wind and seaway deteriorated with 28kts of beamwinds and steep seas. Countercurrents heading for Lindesnes on the southern tip of Norway slowed us down when crossing Skagerack during the night and when reaching the Norwegian coast we were first met by an hour of heavy thunder followed by some hours of dense fog.
After having met these various weathercircumstances we came into the Vestland archipelago late at night and at sunset made landfall in Haugesund,this beautiful gateway to the fiordlands. During this passage Dora Mac came up with no problems what so ever and after 700Nm of cruising open sea we are now at the start of cruising Europes most breathtaking and beautiful coastline.
Picture from Dora Mac tied up below Maritime Hotel,Haugesund .

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