MV Dirona travel digest for Sognefjord 2020

Position: 61°0.21'N, 5°10.69'E

Calm waters looking towards the entry channel from the anchorage at Nordgulvagen shortly after sunrise.

Position: 60°58.58'N, 5°4.89'E

Beautiful fall colours just outside the town of Eivindvik.

Position: 60°58.73'N, 5°4.61'E

Passing through the village of Eivindvik, the administrative center for the region. It's also a major travel terminus—we've seen several fast ferries there on AIS.

Position: 60°59.14'N, 5°2.06'E

Cable ferry crossing the narrow channel northwest of the town of Eivindvik as we're underway for Sognefjord.

Position: 61°1.63'N, 5°1.03'E

The fast ferry Tyrving en route to Bergen at 32 knots.

Position: 61°1.96'N, 5°1.04'E

Right behind the Tyrving came the fast ferry Vingtor, also running at 32 knots to Bergen. Norway has an astonishing number of ferries of all shapes and sizes.

Position: 61°1.47'N, 5°1.03'E

Spitfire doesn't like other boats getting too close and became quite concerned as the two fast ferries approached.

Position: 61°4.03'N, 5°3.48'E

The winds picked up from calm this morning to reaching gusts of 42 knots, shown on the wind graph and the telltale on the wind speed gauge, both at upper right (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°4.46'N, 5°18.95'E

We're now in Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway. The fjord is 110 nautical miles long and has a maximum depth of 4,291 ft (1,308 m). The area we're passing over is close to the deepest at 4,063 feet.

Position: 61°9.06'N, 5°37.18'E

Our anchorage off the village of Aven in 101 ft (31m) with 335 ft (102m) of rode and excellent holding.

Position: 61°9.10'N, 5°37.21'E

Happy hour in the cockpit anchored off the village of Aven. At 55°F (12.7°C) the temperature is fine to be outside, but we're tucked up against the house to escape the gusty winds.

Position: 61°8.13'N, 5°57.03'E

Jennifer wearing a headlamp while working on deck during a 5:40am pre-dawn departure from the anchorage at Aven. The rain and heavy winds are a little annoying, but rare, and anyway, it's all part of the adventure.

Position: 61°8.14'N, 5°57.28'E

Rain-fed flow from the river Strandselva descending from 1,000-meter cliffs along the south shore of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°4.19'N, 6°19.82'E

A dusting of snow on the 1,200-meter mountains above Finnafjorden, an arm of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°2.95'N, 6°18.32'E

Nordhavn featured Dirona in a back-cover ad in this month's Power & Motoryacht magazine. Thanks to several blog readers who sent us a copy. The picture of Dirona was taken at remote and historic St. Kilda. Lying 40nm west of the Outer Hebrides, the islands are the first Scottish UNESCO World-Heritage Site and Scotland’s only Natural World Heritage site.

Position: 61°2.94'N, 6°18.33'E

Heading down Finnafjorden towards the village of Finnen with the waterfall from the river Skjemmedalselvi on the right

Position: 61°2.94'N, 6°18.31'E

Our anchorage in Finnafjorden in 100 ft (30m) on 260 ft (80m) of rode.

Position: 61°2.95'N, 6°18.31'E

Dirona anchored in Finnafjorden off the Skjemmedalselvi waterfall.

Position: 61°2.95'N, 6°18.30'E

The village of Finnen with snow-dusted mountains above the lake-like head of Finnafjorden beyond.

Position: 61°2.94'N, 6°18.33'E

Evening view to our beautiful anchorage in Finnafjorden. The winds and rain have stopped, yielding wonderful reflections.

Position: 61°2.94'N, 6°18.32'E

Daylight saving time in Norway ended last night and the sun set at 4:50 today. Happy Hour will now be in the dark for the next few months, but it's still fun.

Position: 61°2.95'N, 6°18.31'E

As we were enjoying Happy Hour in the cockpit, a fast-moving boat with a bright spotlight appeared. It was a ferry heading to the village of Finnen. The vessel stopped briefly and was soon back underway. It was fun watching a high-speed ferry operating at night so close by.

Position: 61°2.37'N, 6°17.59'E

Reflections in the spectacular lake-like head of Finnafjorden on a morning tender tour.

Position: 61°2.23'N, 6°16.23'E

At the head of Finnafjorden the old farm at Finnabotnen has been converted into an ultra-secluded hotel with some great hikes in the surrounding mountains.

Position: 61°2.36'N, 6°16.63'E

Waterfalls flowing down 4,000ft (1,200m) snow-dusted cliffs. We'll have to return in the summer and hike the trails above the fjord.

Position: 61°12.41'N, 6°32.81'E

The majestic Sognefjord scenery around the historic Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand has attracted many rich and famous guests, including Royalty, prime ministers, and film stars.

Position: 61°17.74'N, 6°33.46'E

Our anchorage in Esefjorden in 51 ft (17 m) on 200ft (61 m) of rode.

Position: 61°13.00'N, 6°30.36'E

Dirona anchored beneath 4,200-ft (1300m) snow-dusted mountains in Esefjorden off Balestrand.

Position: 61°13.02'N, 6°30.33'E

Out for a tender tour of Esefjorden and Vetlefjorden.

Position: 61°16.75'N, 6°33.85'E

Fall colors surrounding the waterfall from the river Stolsskreda in Vetlefjorden.

Position: 61°17.91'N, 6°33.60'E

The village of Ulvastad at the head of Vetlefjorden. With so many settlements throughout the coast, it's hard to believe the country's entire population is only 5.3 million.

Position: 61°17.43'N, 6°33.37'E

The vehicle carrier's Porgy (closest) and Asian Emperor med-moored at Vetlefjorden during the economic downturn. The storage location looks new, with recent construction to build shore-attachments and supply power. The 650-ft (200m) vessels among the few things that don't look miniscule in the scale of the fjords. These ships stand out for miles and look very out of place.

Position: 61°16.30'N, 6°31.15'E

Spectacular reflections in Svaerajforden, an arm of Vetlefjorden.

Position: 61°12.64'N, 6°32.25'E

The striking sculpture Beacon for Travelers by Balestrand artist Geir Hjetland at the guest harbour of his hometown.

Position: 61°12.98'N, 6°30.32'E

We've used up all the fuel in our 4 1.25-gallon and 5-gallon tank, so it's time to refill them from the big 29-gallon deck tanks. We've been using the tender a ton on this trip and are really going through the gasoline.

Position: 61°12.98'N, 6°30.30'E

Tranquil dusk scene from the anchorage at Esefjorden off Balestrand.

Position: 61°12.99'N, 6°30.31'E

Sunrise on a calm morning from the anchorage at Balestrand.

Position: 61°12.62'N, 6°32.21'E

The tender mooored at Balestrand guest harbour for a hike up Raudmelen.

Position: 61°12.33'N, 6°31.65'E

Wonderfully crafted mailbox shelter in Balestrand.

Position: 61°12.34'N, 6°31.45'E

At the trailhead for 3188-ft (972m) Raudmelen, the leftmost trail in red on the signboard (click image for a larger view). Like most Norwegian towns, Balestrand has an extensive and well-developed trail network that residents use heavily.

Position: 61°12.47'N, 6°30.98'E

A fantastic view over Balestrand and up Sognefjord from the Orrabenken viewpoint on the trail to Raudmelen.

Position: 61°12.46'N, 6°30.86'E

Walking across a boardwalk at altitude 1306 ft (398 m). The temperature is in the low 40s F (4-5°C), but we've gotten so warm from hiking that we've stripped our top layer down to just a T-shirt. There's a thin layer of ice on the wood, and so staying on the boards is a challenge.

Position: 61°12.41'N, 6°30.49'E

A mother and daughter team from Balestrand enjoying the view from a brand new bench that they told us was just installed the day before. We could still smell the fresh pine. They hike up to the Salastolen viewpoint every other day and about weekly to the top.

Position: 61°12.32'N, 6°29.87'E

A hobbit's second breakfast at altitude 1924 ft (586 m) at the Burasi viewpoint with spectacular snow-tipped peaks all around. What an amazing hike so far, and we haven't even reached the top yet.

Position: 61°11.91'N, 6°29.51'E

The trail to Raudmelen is very popular with the locals, and well-built with large stone steps. At altitude 2554 ft (778 m) we're getting above the snow line.

Position: 61°11.90'N, 6°29.48'E

A ubiquitous red 'T' marking a DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) trail. Dirona is anchored in the bay beyond, just out of sight to the right.

Position: 61°11.81'N, 6°29.24'E

The stones used to build the stairs on the trails to Raudmelen are airlifted in by helicopter. Air transit for stones seems a bit unusual, but helicopters are used extensively in many Norwegian construction projects.

Position: 61°11.75'N, 6°29.10'E

Nearing the summit of Raudmelen at altitude 3139 ft (956 m). The trail is covered in snow now, but still pretty easy to follow and not very slippery to walk on. The modern cabin visible at the summit was built as part of contest for student architects.

Position: 61°11.70'N, 6°29.01'E

At the snowy summit of 3188-ft (972m) Raudmelen looking east up Sognefjord.

Position: 61°11.71'N, 6°29.01'E

The panoramic view east from the summit of 3188-ft (972m) Raudmelen (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°11.72'N, 6°29.06'E

Lunch inside the beautiful day cabin atop Raudmelen, with a picture-window view east into Sognefjord.

Position: 61°11.71'N, 6°28.74'E

We climbed to Raudmelen on a trail along the northeast flank and are descending along the south side. Based on the footprints in the snow, this trail down was less-followed than the one we'd taken to the top and a little more difficult to find in the snow. But the ut.no app also showed the trail and we could see where we were on GPS, so had little difficulty following it.

Position: 61°11.71'N, 6°28.74'E

As we descended on the new trail, we got a great fiew to Vetlefjorden, in the distance at right, that we'd explored in the tender yesterday. Dirona at anchor is the small white at roughly center of the picture (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°11.70'N, 6°28.12'E

Finger boards and red arrows at altitude 3120 ft (951 m) indicating distances to various waypoints. We've just come from Raudmelen and are heading towards Kalbakk.

Position: 61°11.65'N, 6°28.31'E

Snow-covered slope west of Raudmelen.

Position: 61°11.62'N, 6°28.36'E

This trail also had large stepping stones in many of the steep parts. They were a little slippery with the snow, and we were careful stepping down.

Position: 61°11.51'N, 6°28.37'E

At altitude 2452 ft (747 m) the snow is thinning as we descend into the valley at Kalbakk.

Position: 61°11.38'N, 6°28.94'E

Walking across a series of snow-covered boardwalks towards the trekking cabin at Kalbakk. We just descended down the ridge at right. The scenery is just spectacular.

Position: 61°11.35'N, 6°29.34'E

The rustic trekker's cabin at Kalbakk at altitude 2176 ft (663 m).

Position: 61°11.35'N, 6°29.27'E

The wonderfully-crafted pine-enclosed self-composting toilet at Kalbakk.

Position: 61°12.14'N, 6°31.06'E

Enjoying the view from a bench on a bridge across the river Fjerestadgrovi, one of several bridges we crossed on the return route.

Position: 61°12.45'N, 6°31.96'E

European hedgehog foraging in Balestrad. It seemed unconcerned with us being nearby—whatever it was eating must be pretty tasty.

Position: 61°12.47'N, 6°32.06'E

St. Olaf's Church in Balestrand was built in 1897 following the design of medieval wooden Scandanavian stave churches.

Position: 61°12.68'N, 6°32.17'E

As we returned in the tender to Dirona, dozens of schoolchildren were afloat or in the process of launching boats into the bay. 3188-ft (972m) Raudmelen that we just hiked is roughly at center of the picture in the distance.

Position: 61°12.99'N, 6°30.28'E

Fabulous moonrise over Balestrand at dusk.

Position: 61°12.98'N, 6°30.29'E

When we were in Sweden last year, Olle Skold stopped by for a visit with the 3D printed model of Dirona he was working on. We’ve kept in touch as he’s continued to evolve the model. He added lights a few weeks ago and now has the model floating in a bathtub with the tender on the boat deck. It looks fantastic.

You can see a wider variety of his work and get in touch with Olle at http://depronized.com/.

Position: 61°12.98'N, 6°30.31'E

Pallet of parts and equipment being shipped by sea freight to us in Norway.

Position: 61°12.98'N, 6°30.32'E

We're very happy with our forward spotlight upgrade, but wanted the beam to be a little wider. Here James is up the stack to tilt two of the four light bars more outboard to give a wider beam. We now have a much wider beam forward that seems just as bright.

Position: 61°11.41'N, 6°36.50'E

The ferry between Hella and Vangsnes crossing in front of us as we depart Balestrand for Flam.

Position: 61°2.49'N, 7°1.79'E

The Fyssafossen drops roughly 655 ft (200 m) into Aurlandsfjorden.

Position: 60°58.40'N, 7°5.06'E

The all-electric Legacy of the Fjords tour boat was delivered this year and is a sistership to the Vision of The Fjords and Future of The Fjords that we saw in Flam when we visited in 2018. Steep zig-zagging mountain paths inspired their distinctive hull design.

Position: 60°57.29'N, 7°7.25'E

The village of Undredal, nestled beneath 5,200ft (1,500m) mountains along Aurlandsfjorden.

Position: 60°51.86'N, 7°7.37'E

Approaching the village of Flam on an ultra-calm day. We'd spent several days at Flam in 2018, and had recently driven past on our trip to Torsby, Sweden and were excited to return.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

Dirona moored on a strong dock at Flam with 2 16-amp shorepower connections, and water available.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.19'E

Views to Flam from Dirona (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

Looking across our berth in Flam down Aurlandsfjorden, a branch of Sognefjord, from the restaurant at the Flam Marina hotel. What a spectacular place for a meal.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

At Posten (post office) to pickup some more food for Spitfire. We feed him Hill's Kidney Care, which is generally not available in local stores. Mail order is very convenient for visiting boaters in Norway, because the standard delivery option is post-office pickup. So we can just order something to be delivered to the town we'll be visiting and then pick it up when we arrive.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

The post office is inside the local grocery store, and we picked up a few supplies while we were there, including some Flam-brewed Aegir beer.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

We brought our groceries back to the boat using the store's grocery cart, then offloaded some garbage before returning the cart.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

At the Aegir Brewery on the outskirts of Flam. The town is a lot quieter than last time we were here due to the pandemic. Normally we'd have stopped in the Aegir Brewpub in town for lunch, but their hours are restricted now, and we'd not likely go inside even if they were open today. We really like their beer though, and picked up some at the grocery store earlier today.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

Another John Deere in the wilds.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.19'E

Fall colors looking down into Flam from a path above our berth. On the dock is the Future of the Fjords, sistership to th Legacy of the Fjords we saw underway earlier today.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

Dirona, at center, moored at the Flam Marina hotel (click image for a larger view). The lights are just starting to come up at dusk and it's simply beautiful. We're really enjoying our return visit to Flam.

Position: 60°51.67'N, 7°7.20'E

Blog reader Michel Pottier spotted Dirona on the webcam of Vision of the Fjords, moored in front of us at Flam.

Position: 60°51.78'N, 7°6.80'E

Flamsbana (the Flam Railway) is considered one of the world's most scenic railway trips. We took the trip last time were in Flam in 2018 on recommendation of longtime blog reader Jacques Vuyeand. We really enjoyed it, and wanted to take it again this time to see more mountain snow. From watching the trains and talking to the ticket office, ridership was very low right due to the pandemic, so we decided to take a small risk. It felt pretty safe, as we had almost the entire coach to ourselves. It was our first trip on public transportation since departing Antwerp back in March, and we really enjoyed the ride.

Position: 60°46.28'N, 7°6.10'E

Rallarvegen Road climbs Myrdal Mountain through an amazing 21 switchbacks beside a beautiful waterfall up to Myrdal station, visible at upper center. It is now a popular recreational route where people take the train from Flam to and walk or cycle back down.

The road was built in the early 1900s as a service road during railway construction. The railway itself climbs Myrdal Mountain to the left of the road, through three switchbacks and the two tunnels. A covered section of the train tracks is visible directly to the left of the waterfall.

Position: 60°44.87'N, 7°8.16'E

The train stops for a few minutes at Kjosfoss Station, created only so tourists can view the waterfall Kjosfossen. The flow of the falls was much stronger than last time we were here in the early spring. During the summer, train passengers are treated to singing and dancing by a performer wearing in a light flowing gown. She wisely didn't perform on this cold day, and there weren't many tourists to see it anyway.

Position: 60°44.10'N, 7°7.37'E

The train between Bergen and Oslo passing through Myrdal Station at the end of the Flamsbana run.

Position: 60°51.82'N, 7°7.14'E

The Hinnoy, one of several Norwegian navy minesweepers vessels, arrived into Flam today. In addition to a speed advantage, the ship's catamaran design reduces its magnetic and acoustic signatures and dampens the impact of an exploding mine. The vessel carries two ROVs used for detecting mines, and divers experienced in mine clearing. The ship was in town to help in the search for a missing person, possibly lost along the waterway.

Position: 60°59.35'N, 7°4.10'E

Looking up Naeroyfjord as we are underway from Flam to Laerdal. The fjord was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005 for being among the most scenically outstanding in the world. We visited by tender from Flam on our 2018 trip.

Position: 61°7.99'N, 7°20.13'E

Ferry approaching the dock at Mannheller. No surface road is on this side—the route runs directly into a the 1.8-mile (2.9km) Amlatunnelen, visible just left of the ferry.

Position: 61°6.22'N, 7°27.50'E

Our anchorage at Laerdal in 100 ft (30 m) on 300ft (91 m) of rode.

Position: 61°6.20'N, 7°27.50'E

Dirona moored in Laerdalsfjorden, viewed looking north across the fjord.

Position: 61°6.05'N, 7°27.85'E

Our tender moored at the guest dock in Laerdal for a hike ashore, with Dirona at anchor visible in the distance.

Position: 61°6.04'N, 7°27.90'E

A few notes from Kjempeviseslatten on a plaque near the guest dock at Laerdal. Kjempeviseslatten is the most famous work of Harald Saeverud, one of the most significant Norwegian composers of the mid-1900s. Written in 1943, the title refers to the resistance movement during the Nazi occupation of Norway. Saeverud was inspired to compose the piece while standing in this area on a trip to Laerdal.

Position: 61°5.92'N, 7°28.20'E

Laerdal has a fairly large marina, packed with boats. Many Norwegians lift their boats out of the water and store them indoors for the winter, but most boats appear to be left in the water during the winter in this area.

Position: 61°6.09'N, 7°28.45'E

Reading some information signs on Sognefjorden and the hiking in the area en route to the trail for Hedlerstegen. The temperature is 43° F (6°C), so we're pretty bundled up.

Position: 61°6.12'N, 7°28.54'E

Looking down Laerdalsfjorden from a bridge across the river Laerdalselvi. Dirona is just visible at left.

Position: 61°6.29'N, 7°29.17'E

Small toy tucked away in a shelf along the trail up Hedlerstegen.

Position: 61°6.34'N, 7°29.16'E

One of several fabulous views into the valley Laerdalen from the trial to Hedlerstegen. The trail is quite sheer in places, with climbing chains to grab onto.

Position: 61°6.39'N, 7°29.24'E

Large crevice formed by massive falling rocks. We've gotten warm from the hike and are now down to only T-shirts for a top layer.

Position: 61°6.60'N, 7°29.67'E

Descending a steep section on a loop trail down the other side of Hedlerstegen. The area is criss-crossed with well-marked and well-maintained trails.

Position: 61°6.50'N, 7°30.17'E

Dramatic Stodnafossen burst into view when we turned around after our descent. It looks particularly beautiful with the vibrant fall colours.

Position: 61°6.28'N, 7°30.68'E

The farms in the area had elaborate covers on posts that could be rolled out, presumably to protect the crop from frost damage.

Position: 61°6.07'N, 7°29.43'E

Inspecting the insructions for cable car that crosses the river Laerdalselvi. The instructions are in Norwegian, but the transport seemed to be for public use without charge.

Position: 61°5.88'N, 7°28.75'E

Laerdal is known for its beautiful old town, Old Laedalsoyri, with 161 protected buildings, some dating from the mid 1700s.

Position: 61°5.90'N, 7°28.67'E

It's October 31st today, and we saw a few Hallowe'en decorations while walking around Laedalsoyri.

Position: 61°6.18'N, 7°27.50'E

Fall colours behind Dirona moored in Laerdalsfjorden.

Position: 61°6.25'N, 7°27.49'E

Jennifer's favourite meal of steak and a big red, this one a Barolo, to celebrate her birthday.

Position: 61°6.23'N, 7°27.47'E

We celebrated Jennifer's birthday a few years ago with a concert in her birthplace of Manchester. We continued that tradition today with a concert by Pearl Jam, a band we really like. Seemingly for just one day, today, Pearl Jam released their astounding 1992 MTV Unplugged concert on YouTube. Eddie Vedder gave an electrifying performance, starting out subdued and becoming increasingly more untamed as the concert progressed. It was a most memorable birthday for Jennifer.

Position: 61°6.24'N, 7°27.49'E

The winds are calm now, but overnight we saw gusts to 49 knots in the anchorage at Laerdal.

Position: 61°6.24'N, 7°27.49'E

During last night's storm, with gusts to 49 knots, the tender aft dock line parted. The surprising thing is the bitter end had already become tangled in the prop so, when the line between the cleat and the tender broke, the tender ended up still attached at the stern to the prop. Given the outboard prop is up out of the water, conditions must have been super rough. Of course, the bow was still tied too.

Position: 61°6.24'N, 7°27.49'E

Creating a new aft dock line for the tender to replace the one that parted in last night's storm.

Position: 61°6.24'N, 7°27.48'E

This morning the freezer drawer temperature in our Sub Zero 700TCI was above freezing and items had begun to thaw. Losing our freezer right now would be a major problem, especially since the fridge model no longer is made and the dimensions are very non-standard. It turned out the freezer drawer light switch was stuck on when the drawer was closed. Even though the freezer was still working, the heat from the bulb was enough to bring the temperature above freezing. Just unscrewing the light fixed that. We fixed the switch, but decided to remove the bulbs as they not critical and this is a pretty nasty failure mode.

Position: 61°6.06'N, 7°27.84'E

We ran our bikes ashore in the tender to ride out to the old ferry dock at Revsnes, at the mouth of Laerdalsfjorden.

Position: 61°6.18'N, 7°27.41'E

We'll be following the old coastal road, now a pedestrian and bike route, that wraps around the edge of the cliff to the right of the more modern car tunnel.

Position: 61°6.79'N, 7°23.51'E

Passing under an extensive rockslide protection structure on the road to Revsnes. Rockslides are common on this road—we saw several recent slides, and pavement damage from older ones.

Position: 61°7.27'N, 7°19.85'E

The portion of the road we've been following is car-accessible, but not beyond this point. The road only leads to the old ferry dock and is now closed to automobile traffic.

Position: 61°7.38'N, 7°19.23'E

We really enjoyed the ride out to Revsnes, particularly with the fall leaves.

Position: 61°7.59'N, 7°18.42'E

This very recent landslide had blocked part of the road.

Position: 61°8.82'N, 7°14.84'E

A picnic lunch with a wonderful view across Sognefjord from the old ferry dock at Revsnes at the mouth of Laerdalsfjorden. It's great to have James' bike back functional again after replacing the chain and derailleur hanger.

Position: 61°6.18'N, 7°25.34'E

The river Erdalselvi flowing down into Laerdalsfjorden a short distance north of Laerdal as we return from the cycling trip to Revsnes. Judging by the size of the embankment, the flow must be quite heavy during the spring run-off.

Position: 61°8.02'N, 7°23.19'E

The two ferries on the Mannheller-Fodnes run. Norway has an amazing number of ferries.

Position: 61°8.75'N, 7°22.17'E

Looking towards the mouth of Ardalsfjorden, an arm of Sognefjord, across the lighthouse at Fodness.

Position: 61°17.17'N, 7°19.38'E

The Ornes Boatyard specializes in aluminum and traditional wood boat construction and repair.

Position: 61°25.30'N, 7°28.20'E

A large tree in the water in near the head of Sognefjord. We've seen relatively little debris in the water in all our world travels, and nothing even remotely close to what we'd see in our home waters of the Pacific Northwest where we've sometimes had to literally push logs out of the way. But, this is a big one.

Position: 61°29.54'N, 7°35.45'E

Approaching the town of Skjolden, at the extreme end of Sognefjord, with the waterfall 590ft (180m) waterfall Asafossen prominent in the background.

Position: 61°29.55'N, 7°35.55'E

Our anchorage at Skjolden in 129 ft (39 m) on 325 ft (99 m) of rode.

Position: 61°29.54'N, 7°35.56'E

The town of Skjolden, at the head of Sognefjord, aglow at dusk. We're really enjoying the winter lights as the Norwegian days get shorter.

Position: 61°29.52'N, 7°35.77'E

The metal sculpture Jonsok by Wisconsin artist Kati Casida at Skjolden symbolizes the bond between Norwegians and their family members who emigrated to America. The sculpture stands at the extreme head of 110-nm Sognefjord, the longest, and deepest, fjord in Norway.

Position: 61°29.47'N, 7°36.00'E

Signpost for the Sengaberget ("View Point") trail in Skjolden, our first November hike in Norway.

Position: 61°29.47'N, 7°36.00'E

Nearly every Norwegian fjord town seems to have a Pelton Wheel displayed out front. Designed in the late 19th-century, the wheel was commonly used in Norway to generate hydro power.

Position: 61°29.61'N, 7°36.74'E

View from the Sengaberget trail to Skjolden along the river Eidselvi at the head of Sognefjord. Dirona is visible at anchor on the right.

Position: 61°29.57'N, 7°36.87'E

Descending on a spur trail back to Skjolden from the Sengaberget view point.

Position: 61°29.50'N, 7°36.98'E

Stopping to enjoy the view of the lake Eidsvatnet on the return back to Skjolden.

Position: 61°29.44'N, 7°36.02'E

Almost every Norwegian town seems to have a compact and well-stocked grocery store, and we often stop in to keep our provisions topped up. We always carry with us a LOQI tote bag that we picked up in Delft, NL. The lightweight bag stows away compactly in a matching zippered case, yet has a large carrying capacity and is surprisingly strong.

Position: 61°29.46'N, 7°35.96'E

A picture in Skjolden of a Norwegian road in wintertime. Those snow banks are amazingly high. Fortunately this is a ways inland from where we are.

Position: 61°29.57'N, 7°35.60'E

It was just warm enough, at 50°F (10°C) and light wind, to have lunch outside

Position: 61°29.56'N, 7°35.57'E

Sunset from the anchorage off Skjolden at the head of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°28.21'N, 7°33.39'E

Underway in the dark at 6am from Skjolden with our forward spotlight punching through the night.

Position: 61°27.12'N, 7°31.13'E

When we're underway in the colder weather, we run the temperature up to 80°F (26°C) in the master and guest staterooms to keep everything as dry as possible and decrease the likelihood of mold developing. Our hydronic heating system is plumbed to use heat from either the diesel boiler or the main engine, so it's almost free heat when the engine is running.

Position: 61°12.65'N, 7°37.12'E

Underway in Ardalsfjorden, a branch near the head of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°13.36'N, 7°39.91'E

We'd considered anchoring off Ardalstangen, but the bay was fairly open and the only place with sufficient swing room for the depth was right off the commercial port.

Position: 61°13.58'N, 7°39.92'E

The south end of Ofredal Tunnel near Ardalstangen. The 1.4-mile (2.2 km) tunnel has a grade of 15.5% or 6:1, and is considered the steepest in the world. The access roads were completed before the tunnel was constructed in the 1990s when the tunnel was halfway completed a miscalculation was discovered in that the tunnel would end 30 meters below the road at the other end at a constant grade. The problem was rectified by increasing the grade to 15.5% for the last half to allow the tunnel to meet the road.

Position: 61°9.37'N, 7°20.29'E

The ferry Ullensvang arriving into Manheller from Fodnes. This is another Norwegian tunnel-to-ferry connection where the ferry dock leads directly to a tunnel.

Position: 61°9.41'N, 7°18.89'E

The 5,823 ft (1,775 m) mountain Bleia rises from waters almost 3,300ft (1,000m) deep, making it the highest mountain in Norway if the Sognefjord was empty of water.

Position: 61°10.89'N, 7°14.93'E

Our anchorage at Kaupanger in 117 ft (35 m) on 330 ft (100 m) of rode.

Position: 61°10.88'N, 7°14.94'E

The ferry Aurland departing Kaupanger with 5,823 ft (1,775 m) Bleia in the background, viewed from our anchorage.

Position: 61°10.86'N, 7°14.87'E

The town of Kaupanger aglow with winter lights.

Position: 61°10.58'N, 7°15.00'E

Jennifer finishing the deck work after raising anchor as we depart the anchorage at Kaupanger. With the days getting colder, she's started wearing her Mustang 2175 to keep warm during morning deck work.

Position: 61°10.94'N, 7°1.84'E

Waterfall from the river Fardalselvi gushing into Sogndalsfjorden, an arm of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°13.49'N, 7°6.81'E

Approaching the bridge across Sogndalsfjorden at the village of Sogndalsfjora, population 2,000.

Position: 61°13.85'N, 7°7.20'E

Passing under the Sogndalsfjora Bridge across Sogndalsfjorden, a branch of Sognefjord. The bridge has a clearance of 42 ft (13m), plenty for our 30-ft (9.1m) air draft. But it sure looks tight.

Position: 61°15.77'N, 7°10.07'E

Our anchorage at the head of Sogndalsfjorden in 66 ft (20 m) on 300 ft (91 m) of rode

Position: 61°15.77'N, 7°10.08'E

One of the arms in our dishwasher basket corroded and broke off.

Position: 61°15.78'N, 7°10.08'E

We have a media filter in front of our water maker prefilter. The media filter is essentially a small sand filter very siimilar to that used on swimming pools. It's super effective. In plankton rich waters, water maker prefilters can need to be replaced or cleaned weekly and sometimes as often as daily. With the media filter, we only change the prefilter annually when we change the carbon flush filter. The media filter has pressure gauges showing when it needs to be cleaned, but we find it can go a very long time without building much back-pressure, so we just schedule the media filter for back-flushing monthly.

Cleaning the filter is quick and easy process. We reverse the valves, then run the booster pump, which runs seawater through the filter in the opposite direction, cleaning it. Here you can see the brown flush water coming out at the start of the flush cycle. We run the booster pump until the outflow water is clear, then shut it down and restore the valves to the forward flow.

Position: 61°15.78'N, 7°10.08'E

The tender batteries were due for a biannual test. The primary battery (pictured) tested bad but operative at 114 CCA (cold-cranking amps) on a design spec of 240, the backup we keep in the tender was bad and inoperative at 34 CCA on a spec of 175, and the spare was ok at 175 CCA on a spec of 240. Looks like we have a battery purchase in our future.

Position: 61°15.78'N, 7°10.08'E

Based on the results of our tender battery test, we replaced the primary battery with the spare, made the primary be backup on the tender, and moved the backup on board as a spare and will replace it as soon as possible.

Position: 61°15.14'N, 7°10.10'E

Tying off the tender at the head of Sogndalsfjorden to convenient post for a hike ashore.

Position: 61°15.19'N, 7°10.23'E

At the trailhead for a hike up 1968-ft (600m) Helgasete at the head of Sogndalsfjorden.

Position: 61°15.52'N, 7°10.70'E

Steps along the trail to Helgasete, with the ubiquitous Norwegian Trekking Association red 'T' marking the way.

Position: 61°15.58'N, 7°10.77'E

View to Dirona anchored at the head of Sogndalsfjorden from the trail to Helgasete.

Position: 61°15.58'N, 7°10.79'E

Enjoying the flow from the river Sagelvi from the bridge across. Dirona is just visible at anchor at roughly the center of the picture (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°15.91'N, 7°11.11'E

Old mountain farm building at Dal with a waterfall just visible through the trees in the background.

Position: 61°16.05'N, 7°11.55'E

Crossing a creek on the trail to Helgasete. We started the hike all bundled up, but have warmed up from the hike and now are down to T-shirts on top.

Position: 61°16.28'N, 7°12.31'E

A picnic lunch at 1968-ft (600m) Helgasete looking southwest across a group of cabins with Sognefjord just visible in the distance. We've got all our layers back on again once we stopped moving.

Position: 61°16.27'N, 7°12.30'E

The temperature felt a little cold at Helgasete and this thermometer reading 7°C (°F) confirmed it.

Position: 61°16.23'N, 7°12.01'E

Crossing a small footbridge over a creek on an alternate route back down from Helgasete.

Position: 61°15.55'N, 7°10.75'E

Kicking up the fall leaves on the trail from Helgasete.

Position: 61°14.08'N, 7°7.37'E

The striking Sogndalsfjora Bridge reflecting into still waters as we depart Sogndalsfjorden on a calm morning.

Position: 61°13.89'N, 7°7.26'E

The lights of Sogndalsfjora around 7am. The sun won't rise for another couple of hours.

Position: 61°7.48'N, 6°30.70'E

James striking the boat yoga pose "inverted bilge position" to access one of the hydronic heater units. Here we are correcting a broken wire between the aft fan head and the forward fan head in the guest stateroom. We replaced the wire, and left the broken old wire in place.

Position: 61°9.80'N, 6°0.17'E

The 30k-knot catamaran car ferry Tansoy underway in Sognefjord.

Position: 61°12.76'N, 6°4.51'E

Dirona on the dock at Hoyanger, with a 16-amp shorepower connection and water available.

Position: 61°12.75'N, 6°4.57'E

Low clouds drifting behind brightly-painted boathouses on a calm evening at Hoyanger.

Position: 61°12.74'N, 6°4.61'E

Our berth on the guest dock at the Hoyanger Batforening marina at the head of Hoyangsfjord with a great view to town and down-fjord.

Position: 61°12.76'N, 6°4.50'E

The morning view to Hoyanger from our berth at the Hoyanger Batforening marina. Today we'll be climbing the stairs alongside a penstock that runs up the mountain just beyond the silos at left.

Position: 61°12.93'N, 6°4.49'E

Cat walk in Hoyanger. Somebody loves their kitty.

Position: 61°13.04'N, 6°4.43'E

Crossing the river Eiriksdalskloven flowing through Hoyanger.

Position: 61°13.19'N, 6°4.33'E

The Hoyanger Industry Museum details the history of the Hoyanger district from agricultural settlement to industrial center. Too bad it's closed for the winter, the photos online show it packed with interesting displays, particularly on the extensive hydro power generation in the area.

Position: 61°13.18'N, 6°3.80'E

At the Trappene ("the stairs") trailhead to walk up the stairs beside an early 19th-century penstock.

Position: 61°13.18'N, 6°3.80'E

1,268 steps lead up the penstock, just visible at left, to a height of 1,200ft (360m) over a 1,300ft (400m) run. That's an incredibly steep 78% grade.

Position: 61°13.22'N, 6°3.74'E

The stairs are labeled every 100 steps. We're a third of the way up here at 400 out of 1,268 at an altitude of 486 ft (148 m).

Position: 61°13.24'N, 6°3.71'E

The view down to the head of Hoyangsfjord from altitude 605 ft (184 m) on the Trappene. Dirona is visible on the dock at the top of the picture, directly above James' head (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°13.30'N, 6°3.63'E

The penstock passes through a tunnel at altitude 922 ft (281 m), about 1000 steps up. Hoyanger is way, way below us now.

Position: 61°13.35'N, 6°3.57'E

Nearing the top of the Trappene at 1200 steps. Only 68 left to go!

Position: 61°13.38'N, 6°3.50'E

A happy Jennifer, sporting a Halifax Mooseheads shirt, at the top of the Trappene. Dirona is just visible at the far side in the distance (click image for a larger view). With the temperature at 50°F, (10°C) we started the day all bundled up in hats, gloves and warm winter coats, but got so warm on the stairs up that we were down to T-shirts by the time we reached the top. We really enjoyed the walk up the stairs, particularly the great views, the tunnel and being so close to the historic penstock.

Position: 61°13.38'N, 6°3.51'E

Major penstocks criss-cross the Hoyanger area. Over the course of the day we counted at least ten. At the top of the stairs, the one we'd been following continued on and passed under another at right angles.

Position: 61°13.21'N, 6°2.83'E

From the top of the Trappene, we followed a marked trail west to the dam Grimsosen where we would hike up to 2880ft (878m) Toppenhytta. Here we are stopping for a break with a great view into the Dalsdalen valley behind Hoyanger. Dirona is visible at upper right (click image for a larger view).

Position: 61°13.21'N, 6°2.83'E

Dirona moored at the Hoyanger Batforening marina at the head of Hoyangsfjord, viewed from the trail between the Trappene and the dam Grimsosen.

Position: 61°13.24'N, 6°2.53'E

At the base of the Grimsosen Dam, originally built in the early 1900s.

Position: 61°13.22'N, 6°2.45'E

Crossing the top of the Grimsosen Dam to reach the trail up Toppenhytta.

Position: 61°13.03'N, 6°1.93'E

The view north across the lake Bergsvatnet with the Grimsosen Dam we just crossed on the right and the Dalsdalen valley visible in the distance beyond.

Position: 61°12.37'N, 6°1.43'E

Cairn at the summit of 2880ft (878m) Toppenhytta. It's a lot colder and windier up here, so we're back to wearing multiple layers.

Position: 61°12.41'N, 6°1.47'E

Lunch at Toppenhytta with a view northeast towards the across the Dalsdalen valley.

Position: 61°12.37'N, 6°1.42'E

The intersection of Sognefjord and Hoyangsfjord viewed from 2880ft (878m) Toppenhytta.

Position: 61°12.82'N, 6°1.61'E

Scenic mountain lakes on the trail down from Toppenhytta.

Position: 61°13.68'N, 6°2.75'E

To create a loop, we took the main road to return back to Hoyanger. Here we are passing the chair lifts for the Siplo Skisenter. No snow yet, but it's coming.

Position: 61°13.62'N, 6°2.75'E

Enjoying the view from a bench overlooking Siplovatnet, another dammed lake in Hoyanger's extensive hydropower network.

Position: 61°13.55'N, 6°4.11'E

The road down the steep mountain to Hoyanger passed through a series of hairpin with frequent large gaps in the guard rails. We think the gaps were for pushing snow off the edge, but if you made a mistake a drove a car through there, you'd have an awful long time to think about it before coming to rest.

Position: 61°13.58'N, 6°4.26'E

A car negotiating one of the many the hairpin turns on the road from Hoyanger.

Position: 61°13.10'N, 6°4.60'E

Hoyanger Church, opened in 1960. At right is the striking sculpture Toleranse by Hoyanger artist Geir Hjetland, who specializes in aluminum.

Position: 61°12.89'N, 6°4.48'E

Looking back to the penstock we just walked beside along the Trappene, just left of the silos at center. It felt as steep as it looks.

Position: 61°12.76'N, 6°4.51'E

Dusk at Hoyanger Batforening marina in Sognefjord with the lights of Hoyanger beyond.

Position: 61°5.84'N, 5°50.02'E

As we ran south in the dark into Fuglsetfjorden, a branch of Sognefjord, we could see the lights of two fish farms. Their individual pens showed up clearly on the radar. We've been really happy with our 2010 Furuno NavNet 3D installation. The radar quality in particular is such a huge step up from the earlier generation of Raymarine that we installed on our previous boat in 1999. Doubtless the current decade-newer technology is even better, but the resolution and performance of the Furuno DRS25 remains impressive to us.

Position: 61°4.26'N, 5°48.30'E

Our lunch anchorage at the head of Fuglsetfjorden in 39 ft (12 m) on 200 ft (61 m) of rode.

Position: 61°4.25'N, 5°48.30'E

Views to Fuglsetfjorden from our anchorage (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 61°4.25'N, 5°48.30'E

Our Northern Lights 12kW generator has been running wonderfully since the replacing the cylinder head 628 hours ago. At 7,370 hours it doesn't smoke, doesn't consume oil and can hold exactly the same load today as it did when delivered 11 years ago. Here it's producing 39 amps at 1760 RPM, running along at a comfortable 187°F (86°C), as it usually does.

Position: 61°5.89'N, 5°49.89'E

As we were entering Fuglsetfjorden in the dark this morning, an ARPA (automatic radar plotting aid) target that we couldn't spot visually had us a bit concerned. We slowed and put on our big forward spotlight and side floodlights, but there was absolutely nothing in the area. We later realized that what we were seeing was the radar reflection off the power line crossing the fjord.

In this screenshot taken on our way back out, you can see the target is tracking from left to right, across our path, with a 64-yard estimated CPA (closest point of approach) shown at right. And if you look closely at the picture, you can see the target is tracking along the marked power line.

Position: 61°3.63'N, 5°40.75'E

Our anchorage off Oystrebo at the head of Fuglsetfjorden, a branch of Sognefjord, in 39 ft (12 m) on 200 ft (61 m) of rode.

Position: 61°3.63'N, 5°40.75'E

The village of Oystrebo and 2358-ft (719m) Skraa reflecting into still waters at the head of Fuglsetfjorden, a branch of Sognefjord.

Position: 61°5.06'N, 5°35.81'E

The charted anchor lines for this fish farm, marked with buoys, extend nearly 1.5 miles from the farm. That's a surprisingly long distance.

Position: 61°8.04'N, 5°11.82'E

Approaching Lifjorden with the 2550-ft (777m) Lifjell mountain plateau prominent beyond.

Position: 61°8.14'N, 5°11.79'E

The processing portion of a fairly substantial surface mine in Listraumen, the entrance channel to Lifjorden. Norway has an amazing amount of industry spread throughout the country.

Position: 61°8.67'N, 5°11.80'E

The water depth in Listraumen is 14ft (4.2m), plenty for Dirona's 6.6ft (2.1m) draught. But the water is so clear that the bottom appears disconcertingly close to the surface.

Position: 61°8.71'N, 5°11.79'E

The current in Listraumen was flowing several knots against us as we entered. At 1100 RPM we were making only 2.8 knots where normally we'd be doing 5.6.

Position: 61°8.88'N, 5°12.87'E

Our anchorage in Lifjorden at the mouth of Sognefjord, in 111 ft (34 m) on 350 ft (107 m) of rode.

Position: 61°8.87'N, 5°12.87'E

Views to Lifjorden from our anchorage (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).

Position: 61°8.87'N, 5°12.84'E

Time for the annual clean and lubrication of the windlass top end.

Position: 61°8.88'N, 5°12.87'E

Dirona at anchor on an ultra-calm day in Lifjorden.

Position: 61°8.88'N, 5°12.87'E

James out in the tender with the Lifjell mountain plateau beyond, reflected almost perfectly into the still waters of Lifjorden.

Position: 61°8.86'N, 5°12.86'E

Performing the 33rd oil change, and the 5th this year, on our Northern Lights 12kW generator. We've been really winding on the hours this year at 1,161 so far.

Position: 61°8.86'N, 5°12.86'E

Seals sunning on the rocks behind our anchorage at Lifjorden. We could hear them barking all morning.

Position: 61°8.88'N, 5°11.00'E

The tender moored on the dock at Risnes for a hike ashore.

Position: 61°8.96'N, 5°10.44'E

Memorial at Risnes commemorating the 1936 crash of the post and passenger plane Havorn. All seven on board died in Norway's first fatal civil aviation accident. The cause was classified as a "controlled flight into terrain", where the crew didn't realize they were off course in a thick fog and flew the aircraft directly into Risnesnipa, visible in the background.

Position: 61°9.00'N, 5°10.43'E

While we were at the Havorn Memorial, a group of aggressive goats charged up the hill behind us, seemingly wanting us out of there. We took the hint and left, and "the leader" followed us quite a way down the hill until we were a good distance away. Their job done, the "posse" departed as quickly as they'd arrived. We were reminded of the field of aggressive bulls we'd inadvertently crossed through in Ireland in 2017.

Position: 61°9.04'N, 5°10.31'E

At the trailhead for a hike beneath Risnesnipa. The area is full of excellent marked trails, but we need more hours of daylight to make most of them. We'll have to return in the summer.

Position: 61°9.14'N, 5°9.98'E

View to southeast to Lifjorden from the trail beneath Risnesnipa. Dirona is anchored just out of the picture on the left and the channel we entered through, Listraumen, is visible at upper left with the white patch of the mine we passed prominent.

Position: 61°9.40'N, 5°10.68'E

At an intersection of several trails in the Lifjell mountain plateau area. We've just come from Stolen/Haugane and will descend on Ekrestein (not visible) to make a loop. The other trails lead up higher to the plateau.

Position: 61°9.34'N, 5°10.70'E

On the way down the trail back to Risnes, we're not sure if this is a big step or just short legs :).

Position: 61°8.82'N, 5°10.49'E

Current in Ytre Listraumen as we tour of the area by tender after our hike. The marked channel is easily passed in small boats, and appears passable in Dirona as well, but is a little tight and shallow for our tastes with the current.