A day of two halves

Moondog
Brian Whitefoot
Fri 16 Jul 2010 17:26
Friday the 16th saw us setting off to Mandal ( 58:20.4N, 007:27.1E), a distance of approx 50 miles. Mandal would be our 'jump point' for the final 400 mile North Sea passage home, and we wanted to get there quickly to maximise the chances of finding a weather window for the crossing.
 
However, this was not a race, and we were determined to take some time to weve down the narrow channels of the Blindleia, between Lillesand and Kristiansand. This stretch is only about 10 miles long but is often described as the most beautiful part of the Norwegian coast, and certainly of the 'inner leads' between the offshore islands and the mainland. So, in bright sunshine we set off and quickly made the start of the Blindleia...literally the 'blind channel'. Indeed, it was difficult to discern any possible route from the charts , without very careful study ( and even then we seemed to be destined to pull the boat over land....). This was one case when it was definitely helpful to see at least a few other boats, and follow them down seemingly dead end channels and then watch them turn sharp right and just disappear between impossibly small gaps. We certainly got within touching distance of the rocks on many occassions.
 
This stretch was achingly beautiful ; in the clear blue sky and sunshine it was almost unreal, with beautiful views down the intersecting channels, and fantastic waterfront 'cottages' for Norway's great and good. Look at the pics and you will get a small taste of what this stretch was like. Go there if you ever have the chance .....you will not regret it.
 
Too soon , the Blindleia was over and we made our way to the fjord leading into Kristiansand, and then bypassed Kristiansand by crossing the fjord and setting off directly along the coast to Mandal. It was at this point that the weather started a steady decline, with increasing wind, then rain, then more wind and rain etc etc. Our original plan was to sail outside most of the islands for a quicker sea route to Mandal, but this was revisited several times as we changed course to seek some shelter from the wind and rain. The final approach to Mandal just got better and better with a very rough sea and large waves as we ran into the shallows at the entrance to the river on which Mandal is situated. Then, joy, as we readied to moor at a fuel dock to top up our tank, it started hailing as well as pouring with rain. By now it was just a question of getting on with it, and we got the fuelling done and then off again down the river to find a pontoon in the town......where some form of pop concert was going on in the torrential rain. 
 
As is normal in these circumstances, as soon as we had tied the boat up and got absolutely and totally drenched, the rain stopped and the day started to improve. Anyway, Mandal was not too bad a place and we found a nice restaraunt and treated ourselves to a good meal and a beer. The restaraunt was very understanding as we hooked into their wi fi and huddled round Berwin's laptop looking at weather files, and as we ate and drank the weather gurus decided that we could go tomorrow. Apparently the bad weather was not too bad, particularly if you ran the weird and wonderful GRIB files fast, so the one bit of bad weather seemed to fly across our route....so we would not be in it for anytime at all ! 
 
So, secure in this knowledge , we had another drink and got an early night, and decided that the best time to set off on our big adventure would be a very civilised noon the following day....time for a decent breakfast.
 
 

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