MV Dirona travel digest for Sunnhordland 2020

Position: 59°24.60'N, 5°16.22'E

A quiet scene in Haugesund as we depart at 5am. Haugesund is a stop we always enjoy, but considerably more outside the height of the boating season.

Position: 59°24.78'N, 5°15.93'E

Approaching the Hasseloy Bridge as we depart Haugesund heading north.

Position: 59°25.23'N, 5°15.39'E

The Normand Ocean ship that we saw standing off yesterday was moored at subsea service provider DeepOcean's main facility in Haugesund.

Position: 59°25.24'N, 5°14.87'E

A new azipod, likely for one of the offshore supply vessels.

Position: 59°31.40'N, 5°13.19'E

Unique modern view cabins under construction just north of the border between the counties of Rogaland to the south and Vestland to the north.

Position: 59°31.63'N, 5°13.29'E

Ryvarden lighthouse, built in 1849, is still active but also is a cultural center and museum. The light shines from dusk to dawn between 1 July until 10 June each year. For the six weeks starting June 10th, the midnight sun is bright enough that no light is needed overnight.

Position: 59°39.03'N, 5°23.93'E

We considered anchoring at Lammavagen, but several boats already were inside and it looked more interesting on the chart than in person.

Position: 59°41.78'N, 5°18.86'E

A brief squall bringing heavy rain as we transit Soroyvagen towards the anchorage at Karihavet.

Position: 59°41.50'N, 5°19.36'E

We found a great anchorage at Karihavet near Moster, in an ideal location to explore the area by tender.

Position: 59°44.66'N, 5°14.61'E

Entering the one-mile (1.7km) Kulleseid Canal, completed in 1856.

Position: 59°44.45'N, 5°13.98'E

Remains of the bascule bridge across the Kulleseid Canal, completed in 1932. The existing fixed bridge, with a clearance of (12.5m), was built in 1972.

Position: 59°44.27'N, 5°13.44'E

Wooden guard rails along the narrow western entrance to the Kulleseid Canal.

Position: 59°44.58'N, 5°14.16'E

Popular glass-enclosed restaurant at the Kulleseid Canal Marina. The docks, out of the picture to the right, have space for nearly fifty boats.

Position: 59°43.79'N, 5°20.05'E

Boats passing through the Royksund Canal at Batahaugen. Dirona easily could pass under the 11.5m bridge, but the canal itself is barely deep enough for our 2.1m draft with only 3m of water in most places.

Position: 59°42.94'N, 5°23.17'E

The huge gantry crane at the Kvaerner shipyard on the island Stord is visible for miles throughout the area. The facility was a leading shipyard until the 1970s, then changed focus to the oil and gas industry. The crane stands 377ft (115m) high, is 501 ft (153m) wide and has a lifting capacity of 1,050 tonnes.

Position: 59°42.00'N, 5°23.08'E

The tender tied off at the Mosterhamn guest harbour for a walk through the town.

Position: 59°42.07'N, 5°22.91'E

According to Norse legend, the first Christian church was established on this site in Norway in 995. The current structure is much newer, dating from the 1100s. :-)

Position: 59°42.15'N, 5°22.94'E

View to from the top of the hill Vetahaugen. Our tender is moored, but not quite visible, at far right near the blue-hulled boat with the white house.

Position: 59°42.15'N, 5°22.94'E

Stone cross, unveiled by King Hakon VII in 1924 on the the 900th anniversary of the Christian court being established at Mosterhamn.

Position: 59°42.13'N, 5°22.98'E

The Moster Amfi, built from an old limestone mine in the 1980s, is considered one of Europe's most beautiful outdoor amphitheaters. Kaare Svaboe recommended we pass through Royksund Canal and visit the amphitheatre at Moster, and we really enjoyed both.

Position: 59°42.11'N, 5°22.96'E

The "King's Stone", signed by King Olav V, King Harald and Queen Sonja, is believed to be where the first Christian laws were read in 1024.

Position: 59°42.14'N, 5°23.08'E

Passing through the tunnel to Gruveparken, a large disused mine that local residents have turned into an outdoor recreation area.

Position: 59°42.15'N, 5°23.25'E

Old mining cart and railway, with part of the Gruveparken recreation area visible behind.

Position: 59°42.08'N, 5°23.05'E

A house cat in the sun at Mosterhamn getting cleaned up for the evening.

Position: 59°42.07'N, 5°23.04'E

Looking southeast past beautiful wooden boats moored at Mosterhamn.

Position: 59°41.51'N, 5°19.35'E

James blowing out the candle on his birthday cake. He's not admitting the age, but we're certain the candles wouldn't have fit.

Position: 59°41.50'N, 5°19.33'E

A beautiful clear day in the anchorage at Karihavet, perfect for hiking to the top of 1555 ft (474m) Siggjo, visible in the distance.

Position: 59°44.77'N, 5°19.05'E

The tender moored against rocks at the head of Havikvagen for our hike up Siggjo.

Position: 59°45.46'N, 5°18.98'E

Jennifer at the trailhead for the Siggjo hike, wearing the new hiking pants we picked up at Haugesund. We generally try to avoid having too much specialized equipment, but have been finding jeans uncomfortable to hike in, particularly in hot or rainy weather. The hiking pants are lightweight, comfortable and breathable, yet surprisingly warm in cold winds. And while not waterproof, they are reasonably water-resistant and are ideal both for hiking and touring around in the tender.

Position: 59°45.18'N, 5°18.36'E

One of several footbridges on the hike up Siggjo, this one at 765ft (233m).

Position: 59°45.09'N, 5°18.16'E

Enjoying the northeast view at 1105 ft (336 m) toward the island of Stord from a footbridge on the trail up Siggjo.

Position: 59°45.00'N, 5°17.97'E

The view southeast at 1519ft (463m) along another footbridge on the trail up Siggjo.

Position: 59°44.87'N, 5°17.73'E

A picnic lunch looking south from the summit of 1555 ft (474m) Siggjo on a fabulously clear day.

Position: 59°44.87'N, 5°17.73'E

Panoramic view south from the summit of Siggjo. Dirona is moored in the islands at roughly center of the picture, the Royksund Canal we pass through en route to Mosterhamn is to the left, and the entrance to the Kulleseid Canal is just out of the view at right (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°44.87'N, 5°17.73'E

View from Siggjo to the Kvaerner Shipyard and their 377ft (115m) high gantry crane.

Position: 59°44.87'N, 5°17.73'E

Looking east across the island of Stord to the Hardanger region of mainland Norway with the Folgefonna glaciers visible in the distance. We'll be gradually getting closer to Folgefonna as we cruise through Hardangerfjord and its approaches. Barely visible at the left on Stord is the television tower on the 2,375ft (724m) mountain Kattnakken, that likely will be our next hike destination.

Position: 59°44.88'N, 5°17.64'E

The panoramic view west from the summit of Siggjo. Our anchorage at Karihavet is just out of the picture on the left, and the Kulleseid Canal we went through in the tender yesterday is at center (click image for a larger view). Norway sure is beautiful, both at mountain top and sea level. We feel very lucky to be here.

Position: 59°41.51'N, 5°19.35'E

Back at Dirona, Emil Pederson and friends stopped by to say chat, and offered us some freshly caught crab. They didn't have to ask twice. We love fresh crab, but it's been ages since we caught some ourselves.

Position: 59°41.83'N, 5°24.14'E

Sunrise as we get underway from the anchorage at Karihavet.

Position: 59°42.49'N, 5°25.44'E

The 3,274 ft (998m) Bomla suspension bridge has a main span 1,893 ft (577 m) and connects the islands of Stord and Bomla. It is part of the Triangle Link consisting of three bridges that connect both islands with mainland Norway.

Position: 59°45.23'N, 5°30.12'E

Equinor's Njord A floating production platform at the Kvaerner Shipyard for a complete upgrade. Few structures could make Kvaerner's massive 377ft (115m) high gantry crane look normal-sized.

Position: 59°45.23'N, 5°30.12'E

The 1980s-era accommodation platform from Amaco's Vallhall oil platform at the Kvaerner Shipyard for recycling. Amaco Norway (now Aker BP) started production in 1982 at the Vallhall and Hodd fields and by 2017 had extracted over one billion barrels of oil equivalents, over three times what was anticipated, with another 500 million barrels possible.

Position: 59°45.15'N, 5°29.99'E

We're not sure the purpose of these huge pieces of equipment at the Kvaerner yard.

Position: 59°48.78'N, 5°39.55'E

Seimens charging station for the electric ferries on the run between Ranavik (pictured) and Skjersholmane.

Position: 59°48.42'N, 5°40.59'E

We found a beautiful anchorage at Morkavegen with views east to the mainland mountains (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 59°48.85'N, 5°31.85'E

The tender tied off at Rommetveit on the island of Stord for a hike up to the TV tower at Kattnakken.

Position: 59°48.99'N, 5°31.19'E

Our goal of Kattnakken looks a long way away. It's about 7 miles (11 km) to the top from the water, and we've only covered about a mile so far.

Position: 59°49.03'N, 5°30.36'E

Walking along a forest road towards Kattnakken.

Position: 59°49.24'N, 5°30.36'E

A substantial water pipe running along the road we were walking.

Position: 59°50.32'N, 5°29.13'E

The recently-built Stord Municipal Water Supply building about halfway to Kattnakken from Rommetveit.

Position: 59°50.98'N, 5°28.91'E

After an hour and a half of walking, we're only a couple of miles away now.

Position: 59°51.60'N, 5°29.33'E

The parking lot at Heio, where several trails begin. It only 1.5 miles to Kattnakken from here, instead of 7 miles from the water.

Position: 59°51.68'N, 5°29.32'E

Finally at the trailhead for the hike up Kattnakken. Given it's a highlighted hike for the area, there was surprisingly no information about the trail on the board.

Position: 59°51.81'N, 5°29.06'E

In 2016, Nepalese sherpas built these beautiful steps that lead partway up to Kattnakken.

Position: 59°52.39'N, 5°29.70'E

A picnic lunch with a fabulous view east from 2,375ft (724m) Kattnakken.

Position: 59°52.39'N, 5°29.70'E

Ferry departing Stord at Jektavik 2,375ft (724m) below us atop Kattnakken.

Position: 59°52.33'N, 5°29.51'E

Paraglider floating above Kattnakken.

Position: 59°52.39'N, 5°29.70'E

A closer view to the Folgefonna glaciers that we saw yesterday from Siggjo.

Position: 59°52.39'N, 5°29.70'E

We'll be making a loop of the hike and taking the TV tower maintenance road back down.

Position: 59°52.42'N, 5°29.54'E

Looking east to the summit of 1555 ft (474m) Siggjo that we hiked up yesterday.

Position: 59°52.42'N, 5°29.54'E

The huge TV tower on Kattnakken, completed in 1969, is visible for miles.

Position: 59°51.84'N, 5°29.41'E

At the bottom of the Sherpa steps along the maintenance road from Kattnakken. We'd started on the hike at another trailhead, and joined the Sherpa steps partway up.

Position: 59°48.88'N, 5°31.75'E

Back at Rommetveit, 6 hours and 14 miles (25km) since we first arrived this morning. The swimming beach there is popular on this warm and sunny day.

Position: 59°48.85'N, 5°31.85'E

The LPG-powered Fjordline ferry Bergensfjord passing Rommetveit en route to Stavanger from Bergen.

Position: 59°48.83'N, 5°32.57'E

Looking back to Kattnakken on the tender ride back to Dirona. The view from the top was spectacular.

Position: 59°48.42'N, 5°40.34'E

We have the anchorage at Morkavegen all to ourselves, but just around the corner is the popular municipal guest harbour. A second guest dock in this harbour also is overflowing.

Position: 59°48.42'N, 5°40.60'E

Hopeful swans looking for a handout. Judging by their confident approach, the pickings are good in this area.

Position: 59°48.43'N, 5°40.60'E

A delicious fresh crab feast courtesy of Emil Pederson and friends. Spitfire is leaning in, ready to mooch.

Position: 59°48.42'N, 5°40.59'E

Wonderfully calm morning looking east at dawn from the anchorage at Morkavegen.

Position: 59°49.63'N, 5°47.20'E

The tender tied off at the Valen pier for our hike up to Mjelkhaug.

Position: 59°49.63'N, 5°47.20'E

At the Valen pier, where we tied off the tender.

Position: 59°50.02'N, 5°47.58'E

At the trailhead to Mjelkhaug, about a half-hour walk from the tender.

Position: 59°50.02'N, 5°47.58'E

Mjelkhaug is the farthest destination with several view points along the way, allowing shorter hike with a loop if desired. We'll be heading up the north arm, then back on the south arm of the loop.

Position: 59°50.66'N, 5°47.60'E

View to the TV tower on Stord from the trail to Mjelkhaug at altitude 1573 ft (479 m).

Position: 59°50.70'N, 5°47.66'E

An impressive view east from a bluff at 1641 ft (500 m).

Position: 59°50.85'N, 5°47.88'E

Looking east at an altitude of 1837 ft (560 m) from Nordfjellet en route to Mjelkhaug. Dirona is just visible as a white speck amongs the islands at the upper left of the picture (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°50.85'N, 5°47.88'E

The massive Hydro Husnes aluminum smelter stretches nearly halfway across the picture.

Position: 59°50.97'N, 5°48.25'E

Crossing a boulder-strewn meadow at altitude 1779 ft (542 m), halfway to 3,300ft (1005m) Mjelkhaug, visible in the background. We found an alternate marked trail that allow us to walk a full loop nearly all the way to the summit with minimal retracing of our steps.

Position: 59°51.68'N, 5°50.07'E

Taking a break at altitude 2740 ft (835 m).

Position: 59°51.86'N, 5°50.88'E

At the summit of 3,300ft (1005m) Mjelkhaug, with the Folgefonna glaciers visible in the background. We're getting closer to them on each hike.

Position: 59°51.83'N, 5°50.87'E

A picnic lunch with a view at the summit of Mjelkhaug.

Position: 59°51.83'N, 5°50.87'E

The landscape up here is dotted with small lakes, with the huge interior mountains visible beyond.

Position: 59°51.41'N, 5°50.08'E

The landscape is full of striking rock formations as we descend from Mjelkhaug on the eastern arm of the loop.

Position: 59°51.01'N, 5°49.40'E

The cairn marking the viewpoint at Vardhaugen at altitude 2462 ft (750 m).

Position: 59°51.01'N, 5°49.40'E

Looking down to the mountain cabin at Vardhaugselet from Vardhaugen.

Position: 59°51.00'N, 5°49.14'E

The beautiful interior of the cabin at Vardhaugselet, maintained by the Norwegian Trekking Association for public use.

Position: 59°50.36'N, 5°48.43'E

Another Norwegian Trekking Association cabin at Olderbotn at altitude 1256 ft (383 m).

Position: 59°50.36'N, 5°48.43'E

Inside the cabin at Olderbotn. The Norwegian Trekking Association really does a wonderful job with these mountain cabins.

Position: 59°50.38'N, 5°48.38'E

Descending through forest at 1250 ft (381 m).

Position: 59°48.41'N, 5°40.58'E

Escaping the "blistering" Norwegian sun under a patio umbrella. Jokes aside, we're still really hot from our 7-hour hike up Mjelkhaug and southern Norway is experiencing near-record temperatures. It's currently 80°F (26.7°C). Even heat-loving Spitfire is enjoying the shade.

Position: 59°48.43'N, 5°40.60'E

An ultra calm evening in the anchorage at Morkavegen (clockwise from top left: looking forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 59°47.77'N, 5°47.51'E

Passing the Halsnoy Dock AS shipyard as we head south towards Skanevikfjorden from the anchorage at Morkavegen. Industry is spread all throughout the country in Norway, rather than concentrated at the larger centers. This likely is one of the contributing factors to the population being spread throughout the country. In similar places we've been, such as the west coast of Canada, the population and industry is highly concentrated at the larger southern centers with relatively little along the coast farther north.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.30'E

After a quick 8-mile run (if you stop in every beautiful location, you won't go far in Norway), we anchored for the night in a lovely cove off the island of Toftekalven with a great view east into into Skanevikfjorden. This is the view to the anchorage (clockwise from top left: looking forward, aft, starboard and port). The Skanevikfjorden view is at bottom right.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.29'E

Breakfast outdoors on a warm and clear morning. Spitfire is in the mooching position, but when food looks unlikely, he dozes off sitting up in the sun.

Position: 59°45.21'N, 5°50.27'E

At anchor in Toftekalven, with Skanevikfjorden visible behind, as we set off on a tour in the tender.

Position: 59°47.01'N, 5°54.29'E

Cavotec Automated Mooring System being installed at Utaker. We first saw this system in use on the ferry from Helsinki to Tallin and were impressed with how efficient and safe they were compared to having people handle lines.

Position: 59°48.87'N, 5°57.70'E

The view to the head of Matersfjorden. The fjord is one of the wettest in the country and in 2005 received 8.8 inches (223 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours, the second highest ever recorded in Norway.

Position: 59°51.36'N, 5°59.50'E

4,087ft (1246m) Ulvanosa soaring above the head of Matersfjorden.

Position: 59°50.75'N, 5°58.80'E

Norwegians are not afraid of a long power run. We frequently see long power spans like this one, running a kilometer across Matersfjorden.

Position: 59°50.73'N, 5°59.01'E

The tailrace from the 230MW Blafalli Vik power plant at the head of Matersfjorden. The water was turbulent, but not nearly as much as at Sonna.

Position: 59°50.64'N, 5°59.06'E

The tender moored at Vik for a short walk to the lake Opstveitvatnet for a picnic lunch.

Position: 59°50.63'N, 5°59.10'E

The 230MW Blafalli Vik power station is built inside the mountain and not visible from the outside, as are most modern Norwegian power stations. We chanced to walk by when the tunnel door was opening and got a view inside. We would love to tour one of these plants.

Position: 59°50.76'N, 5°59.23'E

View to the lake Opstveitvatnet, a short distance from the tender, where we plan to have a picnic.

Position: 59°50.77'N, 5°59.22'E

High-voltate switch gear delivering power from the Blafalli Vik power station.

Position: 59°50.81'N, 5°59.33'E

We found a great spot for lunch at the edge of the lake Opstveitvatnet above the flow control gate of the Blafalli Vik power station.

Position: 59°50.81'N, 5°59.33'E

When we arrived first arrived, the flow control gates were closed and the run-off area dry. But shortly after we sat down for our picnic, we heard clicking and whirring in the small cabin beside us and below us the sluice gate opened. Cool!

Position: 59°49.70'N, 6°14.74'E

After exploring Matersfjorden, we ran the tender up 20-mile-long (32km) Akrafjorden, famous for the Langfossen waterfall. This is a small waterfall along the way formed from the river Markhuselva.

Position: 59°51.02'N, 6°20.53'E

Spectacular Langfossen waterfall was rated as one of the best in the world in the World Waterfall Database. The waterfall gushes into the Akrafjorden from 2,008ft (612m) above, with a vertical drop of 400ft (122m). We'd visited on our previous trip to Norway, but big waterfalls never get old for us.

Position: 59°51.17'N, 6°20.34'E

Langfossen is the star of the show in Akrafjorden, but the rest of the scenery is pretty impressive as well. This is looking towards the head near Langfossen.

Position: 59°47.35'N, 6°10.56'E

The fish carrier Aqua Maloy picking up fish at a farm in Akrafjorden. The ship was delivered to Mowi last in December of 2019 and is the second of six identical well-boats (large interior tank for transporting live fish) the company has ordered. The fish farm industry in Norway seems to be thriving.

Position: 59°47.20'N, 6°9.44'E

Trolljuv bridge, strung 377ft (115m) above the water, is a rare direct tunnel-to-tunnel suspension bridge. Thrill-seekers can bungee jump from it with Strikkhopp og Sant AS.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.29'E

After a 50-mile run today, the tender fuel gauge was reading empty when we got back to Dirona. We always carry an extra 1.25 gallons, so weren't at risk of running out, and were curious how far we could go on a single tank. Fifty miles at planing speed is a pretty good range.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.29'E

View to Skanevikfjorden from the anchorage at Toftekalven on a calm evening.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.27'E

Two of the bolts holding our swimstep staples in place had fallen out, so we replaced then with spares. That's the last of our spares, so we'll need to source some new ones.

Position: 59°45.22'N, 5°50.27'E

Drilling through the disk drive from an old laptop for safe discarding without risk of anyone being able to resurrect the data.

Position: 59°45.23'N, 5°50.27'E

Performing our 31st oil change on the generator at 6,903 hours. It's been running beautifully since replacing the cylinder head.

Position: 59°38.74'N, 5°54.13'E

Breakfast outside on an ultra calm morning shortly after arriving at the anchorage in Vagen off Etnefjorden.

Position: 59°38.75'N, 5°54.14'E

Spitfire taking in the view of the anchorage at Vagen.

Position: 59°36.99'N, 5°47.32'E

Passing a dock-full of lumber ready for shipping at Basnes in Olsfjorden while out on a tender tour of the area.

Position: 59°36.31'N, 5°46.50'E

The jackup rig West Epsilon moored off the Westcon shipyard near the head of Olsfjorden. The 256.5 x 296 x 35-foot rig stands of legs 541 feet high and has a maximum water depth of 400ft and a maximum drilling depth of 30,000ft. It has been operating in the North Sea since 1992 and is currently in storage at Westcon.

Position: 59°36.31'N, 5°46.23'E

The 278ft (85 m) fish carrier Ronja Strand, one of many Ronja ships we've seen in Norway and Scotland, in the drydock at Westcon shipyard.

Position: 59°36.32'N, 5°46.21'E

Close-up of the articulating rudder, ducted propeller and stern thruster on the Ronja Strand.

Position: 59°36.41'N, 5°46.24'E

The survey ship Artemis Odyssey at the Westcon shipyard in Olsfjorden.

Position: 59°36.32'N, 5°46.13'E

A very large Bruce anchor, a popular choice for anchoring oil rigs, ashore at the Westcon shipyard.

Position: 59°36.25'N, 5°46.03'E

The oil rig Scarabeo 8 at the Westcon yard for maintenance where it was originally built. The semi-submersible rig was one of the most advanced oil rigs when completed in 2012, with a drilling depth of 9,850ft (3,000m).

Position: 59°36.22'N, 5°45.82'E

The oil rig Polar Pioneer at the Westcon yard. The rig circumnavigated in 2014-2016, starting at Westcon, then to Singapore and on to Alaska for an assignment, then to Seattle and back to Westcon via South America. While in Seattle, it was targeted by environmental protesters known as 'kayaktivists', who tried to stop it docking because it was being used to explore for oil offshore Alaska. The rig has not had an assignment since 2017 when Shell canceled a contract and currently is scheduled to go into scrap, but a company is considering purchasing it to use as an offshore fish-farm.

Position: 59°54.56'N, 5°40.73'E

View in the distance to the TV tower on Kattnakken, where we hiked about a week ago, while underway for the anchorage at Sandsoya.

Position: 60°0.25'N, 5°42.55'E

Anchored at the island of Sandsoya off Tysnes, with 2,385ft (727m) Hovlandsnuten in the background. We'll be hiking up to the summit shortly.

Position: 60°0.33'N, 5°41.71'E

The tender moored at Tveit for the hike up Hovlandsnuten.

Position: 60°1.32'N, 5°41.17'E

The trailhead at Skaret for the hike up Hovlandsnuten, about a half-hour walk from the tender at altitude 514 ft (156 m).

Position: 60°1.34'N, 5°41.12'E

Our destination, the summit of 2,385ft (727m) Hovlandsnuten, from partway along the trail.

Position: 60°1.30'N, 5°40.96'E

Waterfall spilling down a cliff along the trail up Hovlandsnuten.

Position: 60°1.30'N, 5°40.43'E

Those glaciers moved some really big rocks.

Position: 60°1.27'N, 5°40.15'E

Enjoying the view across the lake Vasstolstjodno, complete with a Summer Fun boat.

Position: 60°1.05'N, 5°40.10'E

Pulling ourselves up some of the steeper parts of the trail up Hovlandsnuten.

Position: 60°1.03'N, 5°40.12'E

The view north across the island of Tysnes from altitude 1723 ft (525 m).

Position: 60°0.89'N, 5°40.63'E

At the summit of 2,385ft (727m) Hovlandsnuten. The hike was short, only 1:20 from the trailhead and 1:45 from the tender, but a little tiring since we gained so much altitude in a short distance.

Position: 60°0.89'N, 5°40.64'E

Lunch with a spectacular view east on the summit of Hovlandsnuten. Dirona is the small white dot anchored in the islands below, directly to James left. The bright white strip atop the mountains at far left is the Folgefonna glaciers visible that we've been getting closer to on each hike.

Position: 60°0.89'N, 5°40.64'E

The Hardangerfjord Express underway from Bergen to Rosendal in Hardangerfjord.

Position: 60°0.90'N, 5°40.65'E

View to Tveit from the summit of Hovlandsnuten. Dirona is anchored among the island group just left of center and the tender is on the dock to the right of center.

Position: 60°0.92'N, 5°40.62'E

Panoramic view north across Tysnes from the summit of Hovlandsnuten (click image for a larger view). Our anchorage is just barely in sight on the right and the Folgefonna glaciers are prominent slightly right of center (click image for a larger view).

Position: 60°0.92'N, 5°40.61'E

Mountain cabins on Tysnes as we hike from Hovlandsnuten towards the radio tower atop 2,467ft (752m) Tysnessata.

Position: 60°0.67'N, 5°39.45'E

Radio tower at the summit of 2,467ft (752m) Tysnessata.

Position: 60°0.67'N, 5°39.45'E

Looking back to the summit of Hovlandsnuten from Tysnessata. The hike is incredibly popular, with a constant stream of people arriving while we were there.

Position: 60°0.34'N, 5°40.50'E

Two trails lead up to Hovlandsnuten, with similar distance from our tender. So we came down the other way, past the mountain cabins at Svinadalen.

Position: 59°59.66'N, 5°40.91'E

Another John Deere sighting in the wild. Nothing runs like a Deere!

Position: 60°0.35'N, 5°41.59'E

We loved seeing this bale wrapper in action. The machine works the field until it has a bale-full of product, then the back opens and the bale is rotated while the plastic wrap holders on either swing out and wrap the bale. When wrapped enough times, the bale is ejected, the lid closes and the next bale is started.

Position: 60°0.36'N, 5°41.59'E

After the bale was dropped, another tractor picked it up and carried it away.

Position: 60°0.27'N, 5°42.52'E

Evening calm in the anchorage at Sandsoya (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 60°0.26'N, 5°42.55'E

Dirona aglow in the early morning light, moored beneath Hovlandsnuten that we hiked up yesterday.

Position: 59°58.55'N, 5°46.58'E

A stable, high-speed tender is an excellent complement to a low-speed trawler. Rather than having to select an anchorage based on proximity to a hike or other feature, we can pick the nicest anchorage in the area and run the tender for miles to reach a destination. Here we are running about ten miles from our anchorage beneath Hovlandsnuten in the island of Tysnes, visible in the background, to Rosendal on the Norwegian mainland.

Position: 59°59.15'N, 5°56.97'E

Beautiful calm morning at Kalvansundet near Rosendal. We had considered anchoring here for the hike up Melderskin, but expected there would likely be a few other boats there and space would be a little tight for the amount of scope we prefer to have out. And several boats were anchored here already.

Position: 59°59.21'N, 6°0.33'E

The Hardangerfjord Express boat moored at Rosendal. While atop Hovlandsnuten yesterday, we saw this vessel underway from Bergen.

Position: 59°59.81'N, 6°0.98'E

Our destination, 4678-ft (1426m) Melderskin.

Position: 59°59.82'N, 6°1.00'E

A 35-minute walk brought us from the tender to the Melderskin trailhead at altitude 481 ft (146 m). "Only" 4,197 ft (1280m) to go :). With an average grade of 26% over a 3-mile (4.8km) hike, the trail is rated "extra demanding", the most difficult we've done on this trip. The average return trip takes 7 hours, so we've gotten an early start and are at the trailhead just after 8am. We're expecting another hot day, and it's already quite warm out.

Position: 60°0.01'N, 6°1.54'E

View back to Rosendal from 839 ft (255 m) on the trail up to Melderskin.

Position: 60°0.01'N, 6°1.54'E

Beautiful Rosendal is a popular destination and the guest harbour is quite full on this mid-August weekend. We had trouble even finding a spot for the tender.

Position: 60°0.03'N, 6°1.88'E

Almost every trail we'd hiked on so far in Norway is through pasture land. Typically we see lots of sheep, but today we passed a curious cow.

Position: 60°0.04'N, 6°2.28'E

Taking a break and enjoying the view at 1604 ft (489 m). Only 3074ft (937m) to go.

Position: 60°0.02'N, 6°2.74'E

Crossing the the western boundary of Folgefonna National Park, a 210 square mile (545 sq km) reserve encompassing the Folgefonna glaciers that we've been seeing from a distance on our past few hikes. We'll be seeing a lot more of the glaciers over the next few weeks.

Position: 59°59.94'N, 6°2.84'E

View to the island of Snilstveitoy at center, with Kvinnheradsfjorden beyond, from altitude 2894 ft (882 m). The anchorage we passed through, at Kalvasundet, is between Snilstveitoy and low-lying Kalvahaugen to the right, and the island of Tysnes where Dirona is anchored is in the distance on the right beyond a couple of closer islands.

Position: 60°0.13'N, 6°3.35'E

Panoramic view to Kvinnheradsfjorden from 3590 ft (1094 m) (click image for a larger view). We're getting closer, only 1088ft (332m) to go.

Position: 60°0.40'N, 6°3.84'E

Walking across boulders towards snow at Holo, a flat meadow area below the summit of Melderskin.

Position: 60°0.37'N, 6°4.96'E

Looking east from summit of 4678-ft (1426m) Melderskin with the Southern Folgefonna visible at left. The cairn was erected in 1913 by a group who made their base camp at Holo just below the summit.

Position: 60°0.38'N, 6°4.98'E

A picnic lunch at the summit of Melderskin with a spectacular view east to the Southern Folgefonna glacier. No hint of the setting is visible until reaching the summit, when this spectacular scene bursts into view. It's just amazing, and definitely worth the effort of the hike.

Position: 60°0.38'N, 6°4.98'E

Panoramic view looking east from the summit of Melderskin. The Southern Folgefonna glacier is at center (click image for a larger view). What an amazing place.

Position: 60°0.38'N, 6°4.98'E

A pair of hikers crossing the snow far below us.

Position: 60°0.40'N, 6°4.95'E

The hike to Melderskin, although challenging, is incredibly popular. A constant stream of hikers arrived as we ate lunch.

Position: 60°0.42'N, 6°4.81'E

View to Dirona, anchored at the island of Tysnes ten miles away (and three miles down), from the summit of Melderskin.

Position: 60°0.41'N, 6°4.77'E

Southern Norway still is experiencing a heatwave and it's quite hot at the top, even at 4678-ft (1426m) up. Most of the other hikers are wearing shorts paired with light tops or no shirt at all.

Position: 60°0.41'N, 6°4.25'E

A series of at least eight visible Norwegian Trekking Association red 'T's marking the trail (click image for a larger view). It's hard to get lost on a marked Norwegian trail.

Position: 60°0.43'N, 6°4.09'E

Taking a look at the snow on the meadow Helo as we descend. It seems pretty wild to be hiking past snow in August.

Position: 59°59.95'N, 6°2.83'E

Descending from Melderskin on steps beautifully-built by Nepalese sherpas in 2015.

Position: 59°59.62'N, 6°1.28'E

This wonderful yard en route between the Melderskin trailhead and Rosendal has it's own bridge and paddle wheel.

Position: 59°59.23'N, 6°1.16'E

The Baroniet Rosendal is a 17th-century manor house converted into a popular museum with a notable rose garden. In the distance behind, the river Laurdalselva drains from Melderskin.

Position: 59°59.16'N, 6°0.56'E

Street art by famous Norwegian artist Gaute Haugland in Rosendal. In 2018, the town hosted the first edition of the Hardangerfjord Street Art Festival.

Position: 59°59.17'N, 6°0.50'E

More street art in Rosendal by Gaute Haugland. If we return to Rosendal, we'll have to hunt down some of his other work.

Position: 59°59.02'N, 5°59.94'E

The luxury ship SeaDream II moored off Rosendal. This is the only cruise ship we've seen operating so far in Norway on our return trip.

Position: 59°58.90'N, 5°59.87'E

We've just crossed 200 hours on our "new" tender.

Position: 60°0.29'N, 5°42.53'E

We survived Melderskin, but James' hiking boots didn't. We bought new boots two years ago during our previous trip to Norway, and the tread in his boots is coming apart. They're still wearable, but we'll be in the market for a replacement pair.

Position: 60°0.29'N, 5°42.53'E

View to 4678-ft (1426m) Melderskin, ten miles away, from our anchorage at the island of Tysnes. It's hard to believe we were actually at the summit earlier today.

Position: 60°0.29'N, 5°42.56'E

An engine seldom "just get better"—close to never—but our generator was leaking vast amounts of oil from the rear main oil seal prior to the cylinder head replacement. And then a strange thing happened. After replacing cylinder head, the rear main oil seal leak went from intolerable to moderate. We were relieved and decided to defer the job until we had more time this winter. And then, about 150 hours back, it stopped leaking entirely!

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Position: 60°0.29'N, 5°42.52'E

We're about 30 miles south of Bergen and are seeing lots of large power boats in the area. This baby produced a wake that puts some ocean storms to shame :).

Position: 59°56.60'N, 5°37.63'E

Out on a tender tour of the Husnesfjorden we passed the large guest harbour of Onar Hamn just south of our anchorage.

Position: 59°56.51'N, 5°37.43'E

A common construction technique in Norway is to blast a wall away to open up space and then use the resulting rock to create additional land.

Position: 59°52.69'N, 5°35.75'E

Scenic 702-ft (214m) Laukhammarsato above the waterway Laukhammarsundet.

Position: 59°52.60'N, 5°35.89'E

Navigation mark hung off the wall along in Laukhammarsundet.

Position: 59°52.61'N, 5°44.25'E

Thousands of miles of high-tension power lines cross over and under Norwegian waters.

Position: 59°52.64'N, 5°44.23'E

Light on the point Hagarnsnes. In the background is 3,300ft (1005m) Mjelkhaug that we climbed a week ago.

Position: 59°52.73'N, 5°45.39'E

The massive Hydro Husnes aluminum smelter that we viewed from 3,300ft (1005m) Mjelkhaug a week ago. Hydro Husnes is the third-largest aluminum producer in the country by annual production.

Position: 59°52.63'N, 5°46.23'E

Stacks of extrusion ingots at Hydro Husnes, likely sized for sea shipment in containers. Extrusion is the process of forcing aluminum through a shaped opening in a die to form a specific shape. The ingots are then used in various markets such as manufacturing and consumer products.

Position: 59°52.74'N, 5°46.37'E

Dozens of these containers were on the grounds outside Hydro Husnes. The outsides were heavily reinforced, with an inner liner full of square-shaped holes. We're not sure what these are used for.

Position: 59°52.47'N, 5°46.00'E

Stacks of T-ingots at Hydro Husnes, used by customers who will re-melt the aluminum to make their own products.

Position: 59°52.46'N, 5°46.02'E

The T-ingots were made in Russia, so likely Hydro Husnes has purchased them to re-melt and create other end-products.

Position: 59°55.81'N, 5°47.94'E

View to Melderskin that we climbed yesterday from the scenic passage Storsunde leading towards Rosendal.

Position: 59°56.04'N, 5°49.74'E

The Hagland Carrier off Uskedal with a load of logs.

Position: 59°57.31'N, 5°51.37'E

Passing through a narrow and shallow small boat passage between the islands of Skorpo and Eidsvikoy.

Position: 60°0.71'N, 5°49.05'E

Lifeboats for the cruise ship Celebrity Beyond at the Palfinger manufacturing plant in Olve on the island of Tysnes. The ship is currently under construction and is scheduled for launch in the fall of 2021. A sister-ship, the Celebrity Apex, was scheduled to start operations in April of 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Position: 60°0.24'N, 5°42.58'E

Looking north to Dirona moored at the beautiful anchorage at the island of Sandsoya off Tysnes.

Position: 60°0.27'N, 5°42.53'E

Sunset over Hovlandsnuten from the anchorage at Sandsoya.

Position: 60°1.33'N, 5°42.92'E

A final view to 2,385ft (727m) Hovlandsnuten, the backdrop for our anchorage of the past three nights at the island Sandsoya off Tysnes.

Position: 60°2.84'N, 5°42.35'E

Heading north under the bridge across the narrow and scenic channel Lukksund. We passed through here in 2018 on our way south from Bergen towards Stavanger.

Position: 60°3.75'N, 5°42.32'E

We eventually plan to spend some time in Odda at the end of Hardangerfjord to do several hikes, including to the famous Trolltunga. But the weather isn't looking great for the next week, so we'll spend some time nearer to the mouth of the fjord until the outlook improves.

Position: 60°4.39'N, 5°39.64'E

Running the intimate channel Synninga into our intended anchorage of Gripnesvagen at the north end of the island of Tysnes.

Position: 60°4.09'N, 5°39.89'E

Looking west from the beautiful anchorage at sheltered Gripnesvagen on an ultra-calm morning.

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.89'E

We've not used the boat deck table for ages, so decided to put it into use again to have lunch up top in the warm weather with a great all-around view to the anchorage.

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.88'E

We like the stack-side storage location for our two large Polyform fenders, but find it a bit of a job to wrestle them into place and attach a ratchet strap. So we devised a hanging system for them where we clip each fender to a carabiner suspended from a fold-down stack step. This makes them much easier to manage, and lifting them gives a little more space for working around the tender.

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.87'E

Spitfire is a bit of a mimic and has learned to hug back with his paws around James' neck.

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.87'E

Evening calm in the anchorage at Gripnesvagen (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.87'E

Spectacular orange sunset at Gripnesvagen.

Position: 60°4.22'N, 5°45.29'E

About to pass under the Grunnesund Bridge on a tender tour of Lygrespollen.

Position: 60°4.13'N, 5°45.57'E

A few houses in the town of Sundvor on the north shore of Lygrespollen, reflected into still waters.

Position: 60°3.89'N, 5°48.65'E

As we passed these swans, they swam towards us with wings lifted threateningly and chased us surprisingly quickly. We suspect they don't want us near their nest or perhaps young.

Position: 60°5.50'N, 5°50.00'E

Near-perfect reflections in the ultra-calm head of Lygrespollen.

Position: 60°4.69'N, 5°48.56'E

Running the tender through the narrow and shallow channel between the island of Munkholmen and the mainland.

Position: 60°4.20'N, 5°45.39'E

Sundvor Church, at the mouth of Lygrespollen, was bult in 1927.

Position: 60°4.04'N, 5°39.89'E

Dusk in the calm and sheltered anchorage at Gripnesvagen. The winds have been unusually calm for the past few days.

Position: 60°3.19'N, 5°37.61'E

The tender tied off at Humlevik for an early-morning hike up Tysnessata. We're taking advantage of the clear weather forecast for the view hike, as we expect cloudy skies this afternoon.

Position: 60°2.95'N, 5°37.30'E

Our destination, 2467-ft (752m) Tysnessata, from partway to the trailhead.

Position: 60°1.96'N, 5°37.15'E

At the Tysnessata trailhead, about half-hour's walk from the tender, with a 753 ft (229 m) altitude gain.

Position: 60°1.62'N, 5°37.56'E

Taking a break and enjoying the view from 1732 ft (528 m), about halfway to the top of 2467-ft (752m) Tysnessata from the trailhead. The trail is short at only 1.1 miles (1.9km), but steep, with an average grade of 28%.

Position: 60°1.60'N, 5°36.89'E

Enjoying the spectacular view from the summit of 2467-ft (752m) Tysnessata. We reached the summit about an hour from the trailhead and 1.5 hours from the tender.

Position: 60°1.60'N, 5°36.88'E

The sweeping panoramic view from the summit of 2467-ft (752m) Tysnessata (click image for a larger view). Longtime blog reader and Bergen resident Tronde Saetre, who has been giving us lots of excellent local travel advice, recommended the hike and we really enjoyed it.

Position: 60°1.60'N, 5°36.88'E

Looking west from the summit of Tysnessata to the TV tower on 2,375ft (724m) Kattnakken, that we hiked up ten days ago.

Position: 60°1.60'N, 5°36.88'E

View from the summit of Tysnessata to Dirona anchored at Gripnesvagen.

Position: 60°1.61'N, 5°36.88'E

Bjornafjorden, north of Tysnes, viewed from the summit of Tysnessata.

Position: 60°4.35'N, 5°38.45'E

Beautiful summer cabin with 270° views on Koloya as we pass through Koloysundet on the way back to Dirona.

Position: 60°1.10'N, 5°25.78'E

Irene Johansen sent us this picture taken from their porch of Dirona anchored in Gripnesvagen with Tysnessata visible in the distance.

Position: 60°4.23'N, 5°39.82'E

Returning back out through Synninga from the anchorage at Gripnesvagen. We'd really enjoyed our stay there, but other adventures beckon.

Position: 60°1.11'N, 5°25.76'E

Lunch on the "newly-reopened" boat deck in the anchorage at Ersvaervagen.

Position: 60°1.12'N, 5°25.76'E

While we were having lunch, Spitfire was roaming around on the boat deck. We heard him yowl and rushed over just as he pulled himself back up onto the boat deck from the eyebrow bimini. You can see the widely-spaced claw marks where he'd tried to stop his slide. We're lucky he didn't fall all the way.

Position: 60°1.10'N, 5°25.77'E

Dawn looking east from the anchorage at Ersvaervagen. The days are getting shorter now—it's 5:40 and barely light out.

Position: 60°0.09'N, 5°23.22'E

All our charts show a 16m clearance for this bridge across Arabladsundet from Tysnes to Klinkholmen. The Norwegian charts have so far been amazingly accurate—this is the first obvious error we've encountered.

Position: 60°0.09'N, 5°23.22'E

These two bridges from Klinkholmen to the island of Sundaholmen (left) and across to Reksteren also are charted as 16m. We'll take the left one :).

Position: 59°59.60'N, 5°20.19'E

The hybrid ferry Lysoy on the busy Halhjem-Sandvikvag route.

Position: 59°57.28'N, 5°17.14'E

The boxy-shaped workboat Seifjord at a fishfarm off the island of Fonno. Blog reader Trond Saetre told us this widespread design is due to licensing restrictions. An under-15m license is easier to get and far more common, so many boats are built just under 15m and then as tall and as wide as they can possibly make them.

Position: 59°56.98'N, 5°17.45'E

A proliferation of AIS targets off the island of Fonna was two tugs helping the fish carrier Seihav into position at a fish farm. Several other workboats were in the vicinity, including the workboat Seifjord.

Position: 59°55.62'N, 5°18.19'E

Looking across the shipyard at Fitjar on the island of Stord to a wind farm on the west coast of Tysnes.

Position: 59°55.36'N, 5°15.66'E

Entering the narrow and shallow channel into the anchorage at Pilapollen. The cove looked sheltered and protected, ideal for the big winds we are expecting. But swing room was a little restricted, especially with a municipal dock jutting out from the north shore. So we decided to look for another place.

Position: 59°54.40'N, 5°16.30'E

Our video, "Preparing Dirona for the North Atlantic Crossing," just crossed a half-million views. It's by far our most popular, and the rest are at https://www.youtube.com/user/mvdirona.

Position: 59°54.21'N, 5°16.38'E

We found a sheltered and roomy anchorage in the Eldoy islands and set out on a tender tour of the area.

Position: 59°55.02'N, 5°17.46'E

Two boats on the hard at the boatyard Ole Kvernenes boat yard in the town of Kalvied just outside of Fitjar.

Position: 59°55.47'N, 5°18.75'E

The FMV shipyard dominates the skyline at Fitjar. We'd noticed their welcoming sign on the way past towards Pilapollen and came back in the tender for a closer look.

Position: 59°55.54'N, 5°18.91'E

The 272ft (83m) hybrid fish carrier Hordagut at the FMV shipyard. The hull was built in Turkey and the ship is being fitted out here in Norway. The main engine was recently started for the first time on June 22.

Position: 59°55.53'N, 5°18.94'E

The Kystverket (Norwegian Coastal Administration) hybrid ship, OV Hekkingen, was built at FMV shipyard along with award-winning sistership OV Ryvingen.

Position: 59°54.40'N, 5°16.31'E

Enjoying lunch in the cockpit in the Eldoy islands before a weather system hits.

Position: 59°54.41'N, 5°16.33'E

The expected weather system arrived last night. We recorded gusts to 38 knots overnight in the sheltered Eldoy islands.

Position: 59°54.41'N, 5°16.34'E

We annually test our SeaFire automatic fire control system installed in the engine room. Here you can see the indicator lights that trigger when the SeaFire system detects fire although, in this case, it's just our manually triggering the system at the fire bottle to test warning lights and engine shutdown. The "Fire" light is red, signaling that the engine room fire control system has triggered. The "SeaFir" light at bottom right is red, signaling that the engine room fire control system has triggered. The large "Chk" light at bottom left is also set red by this. Because the generator was running and was shut down by the SeaFire test, the "Gen" indicator light near bottom center is also showing red. For the same reason, the "Wing" light at bottom right is showing orange. Unrelated, the satellite Internet system (KVH V7hts) is showing blue (near bottom left) because it's not currently running.

The indicators are helpful, but the most important is that all engines shut down as soon as the fire system detects fire. This ensures that when the fire suppression chemicals are released into the engine room they stay in there and suppress the fire, rather than being quickly consumed by a running engine and pushed out the exhaust pipe.

The next part of the test is to press the override button on the SeaFire system and ensure that the engines can now all be restarted. Finally, the fire control system is hooked back up and restarted which re-arms it.

Position: 59°54.39'N, 5°16.35'E

After a day of big winds, conditions are wonderfully calm in the Eldoy islands.

Position: 59°54.38'N, 5°16.34'E

A family of swans arrived, demanding a handout. We complied.

Position: 59°54.41'N, 5°16.02'E

View to Dirona in the Eldoy islands as we set out on a tender tour through the myriad islands and complex waterways in the area.

Position: 59°55.19'N, 5°14.17'E

Colorful summer cabins in the sheltered cove Litleholmen at the northern end of the island of Ivarsoy.

Position: 59°54.98'N, 5°15.18'E

Footbridge over the narrow gap between near-connected Engesund and Skatholmen.

Position: 59°53.66'N, 5°16.86'E

The modern development of Port Steingard at the Krako islands. At left is one of five planned stolpehus (post houses), evoking traditional Norsk houses built on posts. The smaller buildings on the right are designed after the overnight cabins local fishers used when the grounds were more than a day's travel away by sail and oar.

Position: 59°53.66'N, 5°16.84'E

Beautiful view home overlooking Port Steingard.

Position: 59°53.63'N, 5°16.98'E

This building at Port Steingard houses the microbrewery En Liten Ol, a cafe and a gift shop. All appeared to be closed, likely due to the pandemic. Not going into restaurants and bars hasn't been a big deal, but in normal times we would have loved to stop in for a pint on the deck.

Position: 59°53.65'N, 5°17.02'E

The Port Steingard development includes a beautifully-built small boat canal connecting Hellandsfjorden to Steingardseidosen.

Position: 59°53.92'N, 5°17.68'E

Active rapids where the large lake Storavatnet drains into Hellandsfjorden. A small footbridge crosses the waterway, with a dam just visible beyond.

Position: 59°53.81'N, 5°17.43'E

We loved this modern hilltop home, with its fabulous 360-degree view over Hellandsfjorden and Steingardseidosen.

Position: 59°54.09'N, 5°13.99'E

Large old-style ship's lifeboat moored at a property at the south end of Ivarsoy. It's been there long enough to show up on the satellite imagery.

Position: 59°54.36'N, 5°16.37'E

The wind farm on Tysenes lit up with a beam of sunshine.

Position: 59°54.36'N, 5°16.35'E

Our tender tour of Stokksund ended in a downpour, but the reward was this beautiful rainbow over the anchorage at the Eldoy islands.

Position: 59°58.93'N, 5°20.10'E

We were amazed to watch as not one, but two ferries landed in tiny cove Sandvikvagen on the north end of Stord. The space looks even more restricted on the satellite imagery. The captains really have to work for a living on this one.

Position: 59°58.17'N, 5°22.82'E

After yesterday's downpour, we're seeing waterfalls everywhere as we run Langenuen between Stord and Tysnes.

Position: 59°54.60'N, 5°30.43'E

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Position: 59°54.60'N, 5°30.43'E

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Position: 59°52.77'N, 5°35.52'E

Waterfall from the Loype river on Skorpo, at the scenic channel Laukhammarsundet that we toured through by tender a week ago.

Position: 60°2.26'N, 5°54.71'E

View to 4678-ft (1426m) Melderskin that we hiked a week ago. It seems hard to believe that we actually were way up at the top of that mountain.

Position: 60°2.26'N, 5°54.71'E

Anchored for the night at Hatlestrand, with great views north and south into Hardangerfjord.

Position: 60°2.26'N, 5°54.74'E

The engine room fire control system will shut down all engines when it releases the fire fighting chemicals into the engine room. This is important because, otherwise, a running engine will quickly ingest all the fire control chemicals before they have had time to suppress the fire. We test the fire control system annually to ensure it operates as designed.

Both the wing and generator electronic engine control systems were installed to operate correctly when signaled by the fire control systems, but here James is adding support so that the fire control system triggering will interrupt the wing and generator emergency stop circuit. This approach requires no logic or settings to be enabled—it just works. It's a better approach to positive shutdown, but does require that a wire be run from each engine controller in the engine room up to the fire control system in the pilot house. We decided it was worth the work so we made the change.

Position: 60°2.27'N, 5°54.72'E

Once a year we drain off a small portion of fuel from the fuel transfer filter to check for water. Any fuel moved to the supply tank or the day tank has to pass first through the transfer filter so, if there is water, it usually shows up here first. But it's also possible that it could accumulate in the supply tank.

At least once a year we run the transfer pump for a few minutes, drawing from and returning to the supply tank. This ensures the transfer filter captures any water that might have accumulated in the supply tanks. We then then check for water anywhere in the system by taking a fuel sample from the transfer filter. We drain a 1/4 cup of fuel, check for water, then pour it back into the fuel tanks. What we find is that modern fuel supplies are remarkably good. In more than 20 years of boating we have seen serious water problems only once on our previous boat and the fuel filters easily filtered it out. In more than 10 years of using this current boat, we have only found water twice and never more than a few ounces.

Position: 60°2.26'N, 5°54.71'E

Since leaving Seattle in 2012, James has often resorted to what we call a "software developer cut," where I, a software developer, cut his hair. I usually get my hair cut professionally, but we're often away from civilization for extended periods, so cutting my own bangs is sometimes the best we can do. With the pandemic, it's been a while since I've had a professional cut. So I finally decided I also "needed" a software developer cut and asked James to trim the back of my hair. He did OK, but I don't see him retiring on his newly-found skills :-).

Position: 60°2.25'N, 5°54.74'E

Calm conditions at Hatlestrand, looking south towards Rosendal. 4678-ft (1426m) Melderskin is on the left, the summit hidden in clouds.

Position: 60°3.13'N, 5°57.78'E

The Viking Norsafe Academy at Arsnes on the east side of Hardangerfjord is one of three Viking maritime safety training facilities. The Danish company Viking acquired the Norwegian lifeboat builder Norsafe in 2018.

Position: 60°3.76'N, 5°59.54'E

Ferry underway from Arsnes with a waterfall high on the cliff beyond.

Position: 60°5.38'N, 6°4.15'E

The Aenes Church was built around 1200. The wals are 4.6ft (1.4m) thick, which partly explains how it has stood for so long.

Position: 60°5.81'N, 6°6.51'E

Light on the peninsula at Aenes with the mountains of Maurangsfjorden visible beyond.

Position: 60°6.12'N, 6°9.95'E

Spectacular Furebergsfossen flowing into Maurangsfjorden. The waterfall is over 500ft (150m) high, about 325ft (98m) of which is pictured. At 230ft (70m) wide, it is among the widest waterfalls in Norway.

Position: 60°7.13'N, 6°16.03'E

Moored at Sundal for a couple of nights to explore the area by tender and hike up to get our closest view yet to the Folgefonna glaciers.

Position: 60°7.21'N, 6°16.00'E

Looking back from the tender to our berth at Sundal with the Bondhusbrea Glacier, an offshoot of the Folgefonna glaciers, visible in the background. We plan to hike up to the glacier tomorrow.

Position: 60°9.03'N, 6°16.80'E

Mountains and waterfall reflected in still waters, looking towards the head of Nodrepollen, the northern of two arms that branch off the head of Maurangsfjorden. The Tveltelva river waterfall is on the left and the Reppafossen is at center and right.

Position: 60°9.72'N, 6°17.07'E

Waterfall from the river Tveltelva flowing into the head of Nodrepollen.

Position: 60°9.75'N, 6°17.04'E

The top of the waterfall Reppafossen flowing down from 2,300ft (700m) into Nodrepollen.

Position: 60°9.70'N, 6°17.26'E

The town of Flatebo beneath 1,200m mountains at the head of Nodrepollen.

Position: 60°7.65'N, 6°18.23'E

Looking down Austrepollen, the southern of the two arms branching off the head of Maurangsfjorden.

Position: 60°7.65'N, 6°18.85'E

Tailrace from the 250MW Mauranger power plant at the head of Austrepollen.

Position: 60°7.67'N, 6°18.85'E

3,500ft (1,085m) Ripelsatta, slightly right of center, amid other cone-shaped peaks along the north side of Austrepollen.

Position: 60°6.03'N, 6°10.05'E

View from the tender to the Furebergsfossen we passed earlier today in Dirona en route to Sundal.

Position: 60°6.03'N, 6°10.14'E

Jennifer taking in the Furebergsfossen from ashore at the base of the falls.

Position: 60°6.02'N, 6°10.14'E

The tremendous flow from the waterfall Furebergsfossen.

Position: 60°6.78'N, 6°13.75'E

The 470 kW Kroka Power Plant building on the south shore of Maurangsfjorden is designed to look like a cabin, complete with lace curtains and photograph frames on the windowsill.

Position: 60°7.05'N, 6°16.12'E

Returning to Dirona, we took a walk through Sundal along the river Bondhuselva that flows through the town and into Maurangsfjorden. The outlet is right off our stern.

Position: 60°6.97'N, 6°16.06'E

Looking west across aquaculture in Sundal with Maurangsfjorden visible in the background. The guest harbour is hidden behind the the cement structure at left.

Position: 60°6.92'N, 6°16.08'E

A Dalen 2054 log splitter in Sundal. With an 8-ton splitting force, the fully hydraulic machine can split a log in 2.7 seconds. It runs off a tractor PTO and requires as little as 40HP.

Position: 60°6.91'N, 6°16.06'E

A bale wrapper in Sundal, a simpler version of the one we saw in Tveit.

Position: 60°6.98'N, 6°16.11'E

Crossing a footbridge over the river Bondhuselva.

Position: 60°7.13'N, 6°16.34'E

View south to Sundal and our berth. The RV campground that we're moored in front of was at least half-full when we arrived, but is nearly empty mid-afternoon. By evening, it had filled up again.

Position: 60°7.14'N, 6°16.04'E

Close-up to Bondhusbrea Glacier from the boat deck while moored at Sundal. The weather looks good for a hike up there tomorrow.

Position: 60°7.14'N, 6°16.04'E

Happy hour on the boat deck at Sundal with a view to beautiful Maurangsfjorden.

Position: 60°6.68'N, 6°16.16'E

Looking back to Maurangsfjorden on an early-morning start to the hike up Fonnabu.

Position: 60°6.59'N, 6°16.26'E

Three hikes lead towards the Folgefonna glaciers. We'll be taking the left fork, 6.8 miles (11km) to the glacier's plateau at 4,757ft (1,453m) Fonnabu, estimated at 5 hours one-way. The other two trails are easier hikes, one to the lake Bondhusvatnet, and the other to below the Bondhusbrea Glacier that we can see from our berth in Sundal.

Position: 60°6.59'N, 6°16.26'E

Our destination, (1,453m) Fonnabu, is beyond those mountains in the distance. We've got a ways to go.

Position: 60°6.07'N, 6°16.85'E

The shared path between the several hikes is wide and beautifully maintained. The path follows an old road to the lake Bondhusvatnet built in 1863 to transport fallen ice from the the Bondhusbrea Glacier for export. The ice was carried across Bondhusvatnet in large rowboats, than horses transported it to the pier. The enterprise was not successful as the melt was too great before the ice reached its destination, and the road became mainly a tourist route.

Position: 60°6.05'N, 6°16.86'E

View to the river Bondhuselva from a bridge en route.

Position: 60°5.61'N, 6°17.79'E

We've left the common path and at 928 ft (283 m) are at the start of a historic tourist route, Keiserstien, that leads up and over the glacier plateau. The road was completed in 1890 to carry tourists up an over the glacier between Sundal and Odda on horse-drawn carriages and sleighs.

Position: 60°5.32'N, 6°18.26'E

At altitude 2029 ft (618 m) near the top of the series of switchbacks shown in the Keiserstien photograph. In 2007, the old path was renovated to its original width as far as the first set of cabins we'll encounter. The walking is easy, but is still tiring due to the steepness.

Position: 60°5.33'N, 6°18.27'E

View to the lake Bondhusvatnet with two waterfalls flowing down 500m cliffs along the west side. It's a wonderfully calm, clear day and the Krokelva waterfall on the right is reflected almost perfectly in the lake surface.

Position: 60°5.18'N, 6°18.41'E

Taking a break by the trekking cabins of Gardshammerstolen. We're now at altitude 2456 ft (748 m), about halfway to Fonnabu from Dirona by both distance and altitude.

Position: 60°5.18'N, 6°18.41'E

View back to Sundal from the cabins at Gardshammerstolen.

Position: 60°5.23'N, 6°18.72'E

We were in short-sleeves up to Gardshammerstolen, but the temperature is much colder up here with the sun still behind the mountains. So we're continuing from the cabins wearing coats and gloves. It's not often in one day that you can be wearing a T-shirt and sweating profusely, and an half-hour later be wearing many layers of coat and gloves, and within an hour be back to T-shirts again.

Position: 60°5.29'N, 6°18.84'E

Reflections in still waters at the lake Botnavatnet at altitude 2755 ft (840 m).

Position: 60°5.83'N, 6°19.32'E

At altitude 3,487 ft (1,063 m), we're now above the lake Krokavatnet sitting at 2600ft (794m) that feeds the northern waterfall flowing into the lake Bondhusvatnet

Position: 60°5.78'N, 6°19.46'E

Looking down from altitude 3,735 ft (1,138 m) to the trail beside lake Botnavatnet that we walked about 40 minutes earlier.

Position: 60°5.62'N, 6°20.07'E

A first view to the cabin at Breidablikk on the ridge in the distance, slightly right of center (click image for larger view).

Position: 60°5.52'N, 6°20.35'E

The trail crosses a narrow section of ice coated in a thin layer of water that was so slippery Jennifer just crawled across.

Position: 60°5.46'N, 6°20.40'E

Climbing stone steps at altitude 4,083 ft (1,244 m) on the final stretch to the cabin at Breidablikk.

Position: 60°5.46'N, 6°20.59'E

Norwegian Trekking Association cabin and old sleigh at altitude 4333ft (1321m). We're getting close to Fonnabu now. Only an hour more to go along a ridge with little more altitude gain.

Position: 60°5.46'N, 6°20.59'E

View to the Breidablikkbrea glacier, an offshoot of the Folgefonna glaciers, from Breidablikk. We'll be walking alongside and above it to Fonnabu.

Position: 60°4.98'N, 6°20.68'E

At the summit of 4,767ft (1,453m) Fonnanuten, the highest point on our hike. We'll descend slightly from here to the cabins at Fonnabu.

Position: 60°4.98'N, 6°20.68'E

Our destination of the cabins at Fonnabu, in the far distance near the end of the point, with the southern Folgefonna glacier in the background. After getting closer and closer to the glacier on each hike, we were super-excited to finally be right there.

Position: 60°4.71'N, 6°20.77'E

The scenery between Breidablikk and Fonnabu was particularly impressive, with mountain lakes filled with melting snow.

Position: 60°4.61'N, 6°20.84'E

One of several beautiful modern cabins at Fonnabu. Unlike most of our other hikes, nobody else was here when we were and we only saw two other pairs of hikers the entire way up and one more group on the way back down.

Position: 60°4.61'N, 6°20.84'E

Panoramic view east to the southern Folgefonna glacier across two more of the Fonnabu cabins. Some people hike up to Fonnabu, spend the night and return back down. But another popular option is to cross the glacier to a cabin on the other side and then down to Odda at the head of Hardangerfjord on the third day.

Position: 60°4.51'N, 6°20.91'E

We really wanted to get closer to the glacier, so continued south from Fonnabu. This is looking back to the huts as we went beyond them. It's just amazingly beautiful up here.

Position: 60°4.48'N, 6°21.06'E

Enjoying the view to the edge of the glacier.

Position: 60°4.41'N, 6°21.02'E

A picnic lunch with a view to the Folgefonna glacier. We're really loving being up here.

Position: 60°4.27'N, 6°21.12'E

Walking out onto the Folgefonna glacier was the highlight of our hike to Fonnabu. It was a challenging hike, at 8 total miles (12km) one-way from Dirona with an altitude gain of 4,767ft (1,453m), but very much worth the effort.