May, 2015 - NORWAY #1

Our next stop was Norway, a 3 day passage from Helgoland.  We enjoyed a great passage, with 15 - 20 knot winds off the stern quarter virtually all the way.  A Gale forecast  threatened us the last half of the voyage, but held off until we were safely in harbor.  The main excitement was a freighter that claimed to have us on their radar, but still kept on a collision course.  It was misty, with less then 2 miles viability.  When they emerged from the mist I turned on our masthead strobe and they finally changed course.

Our landfall was Tananger, Norway.  We arrived in the middle of the night, sharing the entrance channel with a tug towing two barges, each with a house on it.  I was trying to figure out why I was seeing two houses moving along the shore, when the tug shone a spotlight on them and all was made clear.

Clearing into the country consisted of the Marina/Hotel desk clerk phoning in our names and the boat name.  No passport or boat registration #s or documentation.  We kept all our marina receipts to document our leaving the EU.  This resets the clock running on the 18 months max for the boat to be in the EU without paying the VAT.

Tananger is a industrial port, with a nice small boat harbor on the side.

Our passage was not warm.

Passat II at the dock in Tananger.

Art on the dock.  The flowers a nice touch.

We sign into the country via the Hotel.

Art on the dock.

Hand-some furniture.

"Pls use considerate speed" Fart = Speed in Norwegian..

Our next stop was Bukkoya, a reconstructed viking village.  It was still off season, so we tied up to the only buoy and tied back to the shore (shades of BC anchorages).  As the sun set we walked up to a church on the adjacent hill.  Everything very clean, tidy and well maintained.

Passat II on a buoy.

Viking Dock.

Viking boat house.

Viking homes.

Village fence and gate.

Viking equivalent to the Long House.

Church on the hill.

While motoring north the next day we encountered a Canadian sailboat in the channel.  A rare encounter in these parts.  We spoke via VHF and found that we had mutual cruising friends.  It is a small world.

Canadian boat heading South.

Smile.

Hot water bottle required to stay warm.

We arrive in Bekkjarvik, in part, to enjoy a meal at the award winning Historical Hotel in the harbor.  The meal cost 1,400 Kr (about $250 CDN) and was well worth it.  Our thx to Anna for recommending this stop.