Buefjorden is the next major fjord system north of Sognefjord. The fjord extends about 9 nautical miles from the North Sea into mainland Norway, splitting into three branches, from south to north: Afjorden, Skifjorden, and Vilnesfjorden. We visited all three in our continued detailed exploration of the Norwegian coast.

The weather seemed to transition from fall to winter while we were there. We entered with vibrant fall colors and near the end of our tour, recieved first Norwegian snowfall on Dirona. And we also rode through several large storms, bringing winds to 67 knots. In between, we explored by tender and hiked ashore.

Below are highlights from November 11th through 20th, 2020. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

11/12/2020

Sorefjorden Anchorage Position: 61°11.04’N, 5°18.09’E Our anchorage at the head of Sorefjorden, a brandh off Hyllestadfjorden, in 97 ft (30 m) on 330 ft (101 m) of rode.

Tender Position: 61°10.96’N, 5°18.47’E The tender tied ashore at the head of Sorefjorden for a hike up Katlenova.

Katlenova Position: 61°11.05’N, 5°18.09’E Dirona moored beneath 872-ft (266m) Katlenova at the head of Sorefjorden.

Risnesnipa Position: 61°10.97’N, 5°18.50’E View from the trail up Katlenova south across Hyllestadfjorden to Risnesnipa that the Havorn crashed into.

Katlenova Summit Position: 61°10.84’N, 5°17.49’E A windy day atop 872-ft (266m) Katlenova.

Sorefjorden Position: 61°11.24’N, 5°16.73’E View southeast from 872-ft (266m) Katlenova to Dirona moored at the head of Sorefjorden.

11/13/2020

Skifjorden Anchorage Position: 61°14.80’N, 5°6.38’E Our anchorage in Skifjorden in 76 ft (23 m) on 300 ft (91 m) of rode. We considered anchoring at the head, but found this location next to a high cliff more appealing.

Tender Ride Position: 61°13.91’N, 5°5.91’E Out exploring Skifjorden in the tender. The temperature is around 58°F (14° C), so not too cold.

Kringlevagen Position: 61°13.64’N, 5°1.37’E Wooden boat moored below traditional boathouses in Kringlevagen just outside Skifjorden.

Perches Position: 61°14.31’N, 5°5.72’E Typical Norwegian day beacons, called perches, consisting of a steel pipe mounted on a rock with a topmark pointing to the side the perch should be passed on. We’ll be passing between them in the tender.

Teigesata Position: 61°14.80’N, 5°6.37’E Dirona anchored beneath 1446-ft (441m) Teigesata in Skifjorden.

11/14/2020

Entering Bygdevagen Position: 61°15.19’N, 5°0.47’E Running the narrow reef-edge channel into Bygdevagen.

Waves Position: 61°14.35’N, 5°1.52’E Westerly waves crashing into the rocks behind us just outside the entrance to Bygdevagen.

Vagsvagen Anchorage Position: 61°16.10’N, 5°1.48’E Our anchorage in Vagsvagen in 52 ft (15 m) on 200 ft (61 m) of rode.

11/15/2020

Atlantic Storms Position: 61°15.71’N, 4°58.58’E It’s not a good time to be crossing the Atlantic with three low-pressure systems out there. Fastnet Rock will be seeing 51-knot winds on Thursday. This isn’t even close to as bad as it gets there, but is still pretty strong.

Lutelandet Offshore Position: 61°14.64’N, 4°59.01’E Equipment at Lutelandet Offshore, specializing in inspection, repair, maintenance and decommissioning of oil and gas platforms and windmill construction and support. They are in the process of a massive development that will cover most of the island of Lutelandet and will include a 1738x446x69-ft (530x136x21m) drydock, the largest in Europe. Norway appears to have an amazingly healthy marine construction and maintenance industry and seems to really encourage companies to establish in less-populated locations.

Awash Position: 61°15.57’N, 4°56.66’E Dangerous rock, barely awash, off the northeast corner of the island of Lutelandet.

Folsundet Position: 61°15.70’N, 4°57.15’E Running close to the starboard shore as we pass through a tight channel between islets and hazards in the channel Folsundet along the north end of the island Lutelandet.

Korssund Anchorage Position: 61°15.70’N, 4°58.58’E Our anchorage near the town of Korssund in 100 ft (30 m) on 300 ft (91 m) of rode.

Korssund Position: 61°15.30’N, 4°59.36’E Passing through a narrow and shallow marked small-boat channel, with the marina at the town of Korssund visible in the distance. The Norwegian coast is complex, but typically very well-marked, sometimes even channels barely suitable for our tender.

Korssundholet Position: 61°15.16’N, 4°59.44’E Looking back to the 26-ft (8m) bridge over Korssundholet that we just passed under in the tender. With a strong southerly wind blowing, the seas are picking up a bit in this more exposed section of the coast.

Dam Position: 61°16.20’N, 4°58.60’E In looking at the charts, we were hoping we might be able to get the tender through this channel into the lake Stroka, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Alden Position: 61°16.74’N, 4°58.36’E Looking northwest to the island of Alden, jutting nearly straight up 1,575 ft (480m) above sea level. Hiking the trail to the top reportedly yields fabulous 360-degree views.

Happy Hour Position: 61°15.70’N, 4°58.56’E In a heavy rainfall, we turned on our deck lights and underwater lights for Happy Hour in the cockpit. The lights reflected off the rain so well in the dark that it made the raindrops look huge and we felt as if we were sitting underneath a waterfall. Wild!

11/16/2020

Stad Weather Position: 61°17.86’N, 5°1.15’E Stad, a headland on Norway’s southwest coast, is one of 24 areas listed in the Norwegian Coastal Pilot as likely to have rough seas in certain wind and tide conditions. Stad is considered the worst and is so notorious for dangerous conditions that an escort service is provided for small boats and funds have been approved to build the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel through the headland. We’ll be rounding Stad in the next week or so, so have been monitoring the weather. It’s definitely not a good time anytime soon, with 55-knot gusts forecast over the next few days.

Lammetu Bridge Position: 61°16.13’N, 4°58.46’E This truck stopped to watch us pass under the bridge to the island of Lammetu. With a clearance of 32 ft (10m), Dirona‘s approaching with 30-ft (9.14m) air draft must have looked “interesting”.

Feet to Spare Position: 61°16.17’N, 4°58.45’E Passing under bridge to the island of Lammetu. Two feet to spare sure doesn’t look like much.

Dryer Vent Position: 61°19.38’N, 5°8.45’E The dryer vent works well and stays clear over long periods of time. But in cold, damp weather it will occasionally plug up. If we don’t check up on it, this will catch us by surprise and we’ll only notice the blockage when the dryer becomes less effective at drying clothes. This is what caused the dryer’s single-use thermal fuse to blow a few years back. We’ve let it get pretty jammed up this time.

Flekkefjorden Position: 61°20.19’N, 5°18.52’E Cruising Flekkefjorden on a wonderfully calm and clear day.

Red Cross Nordic UWC Position: 61°19.95’N, 5°19.79’E The Red Cross Nordic United World Center is one of 18 schools and colleges worldwide focused on educating young people to be champions of peace and tolerance.

Boat House Position: 61°19.85’N, 5°19.82’E Boat house and autumn colours reflecting into the still waters of Flekkefjorden. We really enjoyed our cruise along the waterway.

Flekkefjorden Anchorage Position: 61°18.83’N, 5°20.95’E Our anchorage at the head of Flekkefjorden in 40 ft (12 m) on 200 ft (61 m) of rode.

Lunch Position: 61°18.84’N, 5°20.95’E The temperature is 50°F (10°C), but with the clear and sunny weather it was just warm enough for lunch outside.

Rapids Position: 61°18.63’N, 5°20.68’E Rapids from the lake Flosjoen mark the limit of our tender exploration to the head of Flekkefjorden.

Litlevikholmen Position: 61°20.07’N, 5°19.89’E Wooden bridge to the islet Litlevikholmen from the Red Cross Nordic UWC campus.

Low Clearance Position: 61°20.08’N, 5°19.87’E The tender just barely fit under the Litlevikholmen bridge.

Grounding Position: 61°19.32’N, 5°20.25’E On the tender, we have a chartplotter, but it’s only effective when we look at it :). Here you can see the stripe left by an unhappy Honda on a rock.

IPAs Position: 61°18.84’N, 5°20.93’E One of the many things we like about Norway is the wide variety of IPA (India Pale Ale) beers brewed here. Here are five from Norway and one from the UK to choose from for tonight’s Happy Hour. We’re even started to pronounce it as they do here: eepa, rather than I-P-A as in North America.

11/17/2020

Dalsfjord Bridge Position: 61°21.98’N, 5°22.87’E The 1,716 ft (523 metres) Dalsfjord Bridge, completed in 2013, with the waterfall Laukelandsfossen visible in the distance.

Fossedalselva Position: 61°22.98’N, 5°24.26’E Waterfall from the river Fossedalselva on the north shore of Dalsfjorden after heavy overnight rain.

Laukelandsfossen Position: 61°23.04’N, 5°25.44’E Dramatic Laukelandsfossen in Dalsfjorden has a drop of 445ft (135m).

Svealand Position: 61°22.38’N, 5°38.33’E The local freighter Svealand docked at the town of Bygstad.

Svaesundet Position: 61°22.38’N, 5°38.52’E Passing through the narrow channel Svaesundet in Dalsfjorden.

Kviteneset Anchorage Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.81’E Our anchorage in Kviteneset at the head of Dalsfjorden in 85 ft (26 m) on 300 ft (91 m) of rode.

Osfossen Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.82’E The waterfall Osfossen flowing into Kviteneset at the head of Dalsfjorden. The waterfall contains Norway’s oldest salmon ladder, built in 1850, that brings the fish up 38ft (11.5m) into the dammed Guala river.

Washing Windows Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.81’E Washing salt spray off the pilothouse windows.

Night Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.81’E The lights of Bygstad viewed from our anchorage in Kviteneset.

11/19/2020

Storm Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.91’E A major storm system is passing along the Norwegian coast over the next couple of days. We’re in a good anchorage for it at the head of Dalsfjorden with excellent holding and plenty of swing room.

67 Knots Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.94’E The winds have settled for now, but blew to 67 knots last night as the first part of storm system passed through. We’re expecting more winds later in the day.

Temperature Drop Position: 61°22.00’N, 5°39.86’E The temperature dropped from50°F (10°C) to 36°F (2°C) in 12 hours as the storm system passes through.

Hail Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.93’E Last night’s heavy rainfalls turned to hail with the falling temperature.

Spares Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.90’E Accessing the box of smaller Northern Lights spares for our wing engine and generator. At the center of the picture is the target of our search, a donut-shaped current transformer.

Current Transformer Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.92’E The original 11-year-old generator current transformer (CT), used to read generator output, has been damaged by vibration with the windings exposed. We have redundant sources of this data, so we weren’t in a rush to replace this part, and it was just reading low rather than failed entirely. But any CT with exposed windings needs to be replaced.

CT Installed Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.92’E The Current Transformer (CT) was replaced due to vibration wearing through the side of the 11 year old part we had been using since new. We replaced it with a new part, tested the new configuration with a Fluke meter on the generator output and found the Wavenet reading to still be 2A low. It looks like the damaged part is still functioning since we’re getting the same reading with a new part. The old one had exposed wiring so it did need to be replaced but we still have the low output reading. We tried artificially raising the turns ratio from the correct 75:5 to 80:5 and it then read 0.9A low. We then changed to 85:5 and got +0.3. This is the closest we can get so we left the CT turn ratio at 85:5 and it’s quite accurate up and down the range.

Vent Covers Position: 61°21.99’N, 5°39.87’E When the weather is colder, we cover the engine room vents with canvas covers to keep the engine room warmer. It makes the engine room a nicer place to work and also reduces cooling to the rest of the house.

Ballast Failure Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.91’E The fluorescent light over the hydraulic reservoir in the lazarette failed. Changing the bulb didn’t fix it, but changing the electronic ballast corrected the problem.

60 knots Position: 61°21.99’N, 5°39.94’E The winds are picking back up again and we’re seeing gusts to 60 knots at the head of Dalsfjorden (see tell-tale on the wind speed gauge at upper right).

Snow Falling Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.93’E Later in the day, the hail gave way to snow. This is our first Norwegian snowfall in Dirona.

Fresh Snow Position: 61°22.02’N, 5°39.97’E Fresh snow in the mountains around our anchorage at the head of Dalsfjorden.

11/20/2020

Osfossen Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.90’E The waterfall Osfossen swollen with water and filling the air with spray following the heavy precipitation of the past couple of days.

Hatches Frozen Position: 61°22.01’N, 5°39.91’E The temperature is above freezing at 37°F (3°C) now, but did dip to freezing yesterday, and the bow locker latches are frozen. Here James is preying one open with a screwdriver.

Bygstad Position: 61°22.28’N, 5°39.34’E The town of Bygstad with fresh snow on the mountains behind, viewed as we depart the anchorage in Kviteneset at the head of Dalsfjorden.

Laukelandsfossen Position: 61°22.86’N, 5°25.40’E Laukelandsfossen looked spectacular when we passed it on the way in, but even more so in a fresh coating of snow.

Davik Position: 61°19.52’N, 5°4.32’E The ferry Davik exiting the narrow channel Olssundet, south of Askvoll, as we approach.

11400 Hours Position: 61°19.75’N, 5°4.18’E We just reached 11,400 trouble-free hours on our reliable John Deere 6068AFM75 main engine. Nothing runs like a Deere!

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.