MV Dirona travel digest for Southern Norway 2021


Show Southern Norway 2021 travel log map Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.

On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at //mvdirona.com/maps/LocationCurrent.html.


   

1/10/2021: Indre Steinsundet
Approaching the bridge over the channel Indre Steinsundet at Hardbakke at 6am. The channel is relatively narrow with several unmarked hazards, and bends at the bridge, so it was nice to be reasonably familiar with the route after passing through in the tender yesterday.
1/10/2021: Indre Steinsundet Bridge
Passing under the bridge over Indre Steinsundet.
1/10/2021: Fish Farm
The individual pens of this fish farm off the island of Hille show up remarkably well on RADAR.
1/10/2021: Mjomnesundbrua
Snow falling as we pass under the bridge Mjomnesundbrua.
1/10/2021: Kilstraumen
Approaching Kilstraumen, near where we met the high-speed ferry Solundir in the video Traffic in Kilstraumen Narrows.
1/10/2021: Gasoline
We stopped again at Kilstraumen to top up our gasoline supply. We're still using the tender a ton despite the colder weather.
1/10/2021: Dog Island
The metal sculpture of a dog on Hundeskjeret (loosely translates to "Dog Island") is a famous landmark in the scenic channel Alvaestraumen.
1/10/2021: Alvaestraumen
Wonderful winter scene reflecting into still waters in the channel Alvaestraumen not far from Bergen.
1/10/2021: Vesteralen
The Vesteralen, one of seven Hurtigruten ships currently in storage at Bergen due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
1/10/2021: Bergen
Bergen is a beautiful city, and even more so with a layer of fresh snow.
1/10/2021: Bergen Moorage
Our berth at Vagen Harbour in Bergen, with 2 16-amp shorepower outlets available. The freshwater supply is turned off for the winter.
1/10/2021: Bergen Views
Views from our berth at Vagen Harbour in Bergen (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).
1/10/2021: Furuno BBDS1
Our Furuno DFF1 fish finder that we use as a depth sounder failed recently. Of the two likely components at fault, replacing the computer module is much easier than the transducer, because the latter requires lifting the boat out of the water. The Furuno DFF1 no longer is in production, so we ordered a computer module for the compatible Furuno BBDS1 from the local Furuno dealer. Frode Skaar of Bergen startup Invy generously accepted delivery for us, and just dropped it off at the boat tonight.
1/11/2021: Fueling
Taking on 1,394 gallons (5277 L) of diesel from Oljeleveranddoren. We used the for the first time on our previous visit to Bergen and were again impressed with their responsiveness, flexibility, service and price.
1/11/2021: Engine Oil
Oljeleveranddoren also delivered 4x 20 L pails of Shell Rotella R4 L 15w40 (ACEA E9) and took away our waste oil. They are great to work with.
1/11/2021: Vagen
Dirona moored at Vagen in Bergen on a beautifully clear day. The red bow of the Hurtigruten coastal ferry Nordnorge is visible at left.
1/11/2021: Shopping
Stocking up our beer and wine supply in Bergen.
1/11/2021: Fish Finder
Today we installed a new Furuno BBDS1 to replace our faulty DFF1. It corrected all the depth sounder problems: it's now reading depth, the signal is far stronger, and as a bonus, the water temperature is now reading correctly again as well. We were expecting that the transducer was likely at fault for the temperature problem, so solving them both with the single replacement was nice.
1/11/2021: Meny
Buying a second cartful of groceries at the nearby Meny, our favourite Norwegian grocery store chain.
1/11/2021: Nordnorge
Stian Opedal sent us this photo of Dirona moored in snowy Bergen off the bow of the Hurtigruten Nordnorge.
1/11/2021: Repacking
Repacking the produce in freshness-preserving green bags to extend their life and reduce on-board garbage.
1/11/2021: Vagen
The lights around Vagen in Bergen reflecting into still waters.
1/12/2021: Meny
Our third grocery shopping trip, this one to another Meny that for some reason has a better selection of coffee than the one closest to the boat.
1/12/2021: Lille Lungegardsvannet
Ducks swimming in an unfrozen portion of the lake Lille Lungegardsvannet, with a Christmas tree standing where the fountain flows in the summer.
1/12/2021: Groceries 3
Jennifer returning with our third load of groceries. We buy produce and bread at smaller towns along the way, but are stocking up on staples, meats, and wine in Bergen.
1/12/2021: Groceries 4
Returning from our fourth and final Bergen grocery trip with our folding cart.
1/12/2021: Shoe Grippers
We'd mentioned to Frode Skaar of Invy how slippery some of the trails on our hikes had been and he recommended we try some shoe grippers. These rubber devices have spikes in the bottom and fit over footwear to provide traction on ice, sort of like studded tires for your feet. Despite living for years in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Ottawa, we'd never heard of them. But, wow, they really work. Picture here are Kahtoola NANOspikes.
1/12/2021: Powdered Wasabi
One recipe we make frequently is Seared Wasabi-Glazed Salmon. We were running low on the powdered Wasabi the recipe calls for, and normally buy powdered Wasabi in 25-gram tins. We've been unable to find it locally, so were excited to find it in Bergern. However, the smallest bag was 1kg, or roughly 40 times larger than our normal purchase size. This should last a few months :).
1/13/2021: Shoe Grippers
Testing out our new shoe grippers, Kahtoola NANOspikes on a hike to the top of Mt. Floyen. The grippers work astoundingly well on even the slipperiest ice. We're really impressed.
1/13/2021: Skaters
Ice skaters on the pond next to the old Skansen Fire Station.
1/13/2021: Floibanen
Floibanen, the furnicular railway to the top of Mt. Floyen. We rode it when we were here in 2018.
1/13/2021: Fjellveien
It was a fabulous clear day to be out for a hike in snow-covered Bergen. This is the view looking back down the path Fjellveien, as popular in the winter as it is in the summer.
1/13/2021: Mt Floyen
Enjoying a hot chocolate and the view from the top of Mt. Floyen. We weren't the only ones who had the same idea of coming up here—it was really busy.
1/13/2021: Lille Lungegardsvannet
View to the lake Lille Lungegardsvannet in central Bergen from Mt. Floyen.
1/13/2021: Vagen
Looking down into Vagen and beyond from Mt. Floyen. Five of the seven Hurtigruten ships stored in Bergen are visible to Jennifer's right.
1/13/2021: Dirona
A glimpse of Dirona moored in Vagen from Mt. Floyen.
1/13/2021: Sledders and Skiers
The whole area around Mt. Floyen was fill of people enjoying the sunny winter day, many on sleds or skis.
1/13/2021: Snow Cat
Our cat Spitfire decidedly does not like cold weather, but snow seems to be no concern for this Bergen native.
1/13/2021: Happy Hour
Happy Hour in Bergen with the temperature just above freezing.
1/14/2021: Skansen Fire Station
The old Skansen Fire Station viewed on a pre-sunrise walk into the hills of northeast Bergen.
1/14/2021: Floibanen
Train heading up to Mt. Floyen on the furnicular railway Floibanen.
1/14/2021: Bergen
A snowy Bergen in the early morning, taken from a construction site on the road Fjellien. What a fabulous view that house will have (click image for a larger view). Dirona, not visible, is moored in Vagen at upper right.
1/14/2021: Statsraad Lehmkuhl
The shchooner Statsraad Lehmkuhl moored in Bergen harbour. We chatted with the crew a bit, who earlier in the week had stopped by to talk at Dirona.
1/14/2021: Nosefo
Liferaft in the pool at maritime training center Nosefo in Bergen. We participated in similar training last summer at the Aland Maritime Safety Center.
1/14/2021: Dumping Snow
An easy solution to accumulating snow piles in the city.
1/14/2021: Hot Chocolate
Enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and a treat after our morning walk.
1/14/2021: Digging
James digging out our shorepower cables in preparation for our departure tomorrow morning. The streets and sidewalks were plowed after the recent snowfall, burying the cables. Sections were underwater for a period, and that has since frozen, so chipping them out is a lengthy process.
1/14/2021: Mt. Floyen
View to Mt. Floyen northeast of Bergen harbour on an evening walk.
1/14/2021: Dirona
Dirona moored in front of historic Bryggen in Bergen.
1/14/2021: Vagen
View to Vagen from the mouth of the harbour.
1/14/2021: Seawater Pool
We were wondering the source of all the voices and steam as we passed behind the Bergen Aquarium. It was the Nordnes seawater pool. The majority of the patrons were enjoying the heated pool, but we saw quite a few take a dip in the harbour. Brrrrrr!
1/15/2021: Power Cords
Our power cords were so cold on leaving Bergen they were difficult to coil. Dropping them in the engine room for a half-hour or so warmed them up and made them more supple again.
1/15/2021: Thawing Hatch
The temperatures was below freezing last night and the forward hatch where we keep our ground tackle gear froze shut. Pouring a bucket of hot water over the lid thawed it enough to open.
1/15/2021: Austevoll Anchorage
Our anchorage in the Austevoll Archipelago in 95 ft (29m) on 300 ft (91m) of rode.
1/15/2021: Crane Piston
The crane extension was seized when we tried to drop the tender today. It appears that it was frozen and the system was unable to break the ice with the weight of the tender also resisting it. We lowered the tender back to the deck and the extension then broke free.

While working on the this, we noticed the extension block on the boom where the hydraulic piston rod connects to the extension was loose. We removed the block from the extension and unbolted the hydraulic extension cylinder to allow he block plate to be turned. We then removed the two machine screws that hold the extension block to the extension block mounting plate, cleaned them, applied Loctite and tightened them back up. We reattached everything and all fasteners now are now tight and it's functioning properly. We really rely on the crane, so it's great to see it working well again.
1/15/2021: Greasing Boom
A weakness of the original Steelhead ES1500 crane was the crane extension friction surfaces. The early versions of this crane shipped with aluminum-on-aluminum friction surfaces. This works very poorly and failed almost right away, where the aluminum at the interface balls up due to friction and once that starts, it accelerates quickly. Our initial fix was to grind off all the rough surfaces to return both sides to smooth aluminum on aluminum. We then greased the crane extension friction surface and between that and being careful to not operate the extension mechanism when the crane is horizontal. The grease is the key part of the solution, but only operating the extension mechanism when the crane is near vertical (lower loads) or is not loaded at all really helps as well. This fix lasted for 6 more years.

In 2018 we re-manufactured the crane and machined the friction surfaces down to make space for a glue-in synthetic friction surface. This works well, but we still grease the surface once a year to reduce the risk of damage to the friction surface. Here's we're greasing the surface on schedule.
1/15/2021: Dirona
Dirona at anchor on a calm and clear day in the Austevoll Archipelago.
1/15/2021: New Mittens
Our hands and feet had been getting a little cold on some of our longer tender trips, so we bought some warmer socks and new mittens on our recent trip to Bergen. The new mittens are gigantic and as warm as they look.
1/15/2021: Footbridge
Passing under a footbridge over a small boat channel on a tender exploration of the Austevoll Archipelago.
1/15/2021: Dronspollen
Reflections in the still waters of Dronspollen on the east side of the island of Dronen.
1/15/2021: Waterfront House
A spectacular modern waterfront home perched on the southern tip of the island of Bjanesoya.
1/15/2021: Ice
Fairly thick ice forming at the southern end of Heiamarkpollen in the Austevoll Archipelago.
1/15/2021: Dam
An old dam at Fleskaryggsundet in the Austevoll Archipelago.
1/15/2021: Skandi Ships
We keep coming across offshore supply vessels tucked away throughout Norway with the oil industry downturn.
1/16/2021: Admiralen
The fast ferry Admiralen passing through the Austevoll Archipelago near sunrise.
1/17/2021: Stolmasundet Bridge
Approaching the Stolmasundet Bridge between the islands of Stolmen and Selbjorn on the Norwegian outer coast. The clearance looks tight, but its 98 feet (30m).
1/17/2021: 45 knots
The winds were gusting to 45 knots as we crossed Selbjornsfjorden, kicking up the seas. We were both pitching and rolling (at left, near bottom) over 15°.
1/17/2021: Lusapollen Anchorage
Our anchorage in Lusapollen in 64 ft (20m) on 180 ft (55m) of rode. The narrow and shallow entry channel to the basin required care to navigate in the dark, but we're now snug inside.
1/18/2021: Battery Temperature
Our Maretron system flagged excess battery temperature. They're not unsafely high at 110°F, but that's higher than we normally see. It hasn't repeated since, so may have been a transient measurement problem.
1/19/2021: Anchor Fouled
The anchor was fouled in a cable when we raised it this morning. A charted cable does run along west shore in Lusapollen, but it was 200ft (60m) from where we dropped anchor (and newer charts show it even further away). Perhaps this is an older cable, or it had been dragged off position.

We hooked the cable with our Ultra trip hook, lowered the anchor away from the cable, then dropped the cable off the hook and were free in minutes.
1/19/2021: Trip Hook
We've not used our Ultra trip hook much, but it's come in super-handy on several occasions like this, such as when we snagged a logging cable in Teakerne Arm, BC. We hook the fouling item with the trip hook, then secure the line in Jennifer's left hand on deck. Then we can lower the anchor out of the way as the hook holds the fouling item. And finally, we pull the line in Jennifer's right hand to release the item from the hook.
1/19/2021: Surface Cable
Most charted cables run along the seabed. This one runs along the water surface—you can just see it crossing between the two islets in front of the no anchoring sign.
1/19/2021: Admiralen
The fast ferry Admiralen, that we saw a few days earlier in the Austevoll Archipelago, underway in Stokksund.
1/19/2021: Rubbestadneset Anchorage
Our anchorage in the islets north of Rubbestadneset, in 90 ft (27m) on 300 ft (91m) of rode.
1/20/2021: Lammavagen Anchorage
Our anchorage in Lammavagen in 43 ft (13m) on 200 ft (61m) of rode. We'd considered anchoring here on our way north, but several boats already were inside.
1/20/2021: Pantry Latch
Replacing the latch on the lower pantry slide-out in the galley. We've gone through at least a dozen of these latches over the life of the boat. Fortunately they are easy to replace.
1/20/2021: Bell Housing Plug
Last summer, we replaced the generator cylinder head. Prior to top end service, the rear main oil seal was leaking very badly. So badly that, with the front cover off, it would spray oil all the way to the wing engine. The weird thing is once we changed the cylinder head, the oil leak completely stopped. Our theory is that the bad #3 exhaust valve meant that the #3 cylinder wasn't firing, so the diesel injected into the cylinder was leaking past the pistons into the sump. This oil dilution was causing our tired rear main oil seal to leak fairly badly. With a new cylinder head and an oil change the oil leak was completely stopped.

After nearly 1,000 hours, the engine has returned to having a nuisance rear main oil seal leak. Just enough that it dribbles out the magnet RPM pickup hole in the bell housing over the course of about 20 hours but it's otherwise not annoying. The engine doesn't need oil top ups and, other than the oil dribbling from this one location, the only evidence of oil leak is the oil diaper under the engine does pick up oil.

We hate oil leaking down the side of the engine, so we replaced the plastic plug that is placed in the magnet pickup hole (on engines not equipped with a magnetic pickup) with a plastic plug equipped with an O-ring. With this nice-looking little addition, the engine stays nice and clean. It's a simple solution to avoid an annoying oil leaking onto the outside of the engine and and the rear main leaks so little that we'll not change it until it starts to leak measurable amounts of oil or is making a mess.
1/21/2021: 954mb
Another storm system is on the way. The barometer has been plummeting and now is down to 954mb, and the winds (tell-tale on wind gauge at top row near right) have been gusting to 41 kts.
1/22/2021: Spin Class
One of Spitfire's pastimes underway is to unravel the toilet paper roll. Apparently he's not alone. Thanks to blog reader Ronald Hellmann for sending this our way.
1/22/2021: Haugesund Berth
Our berth in Haugesund with 2 16-amp shorepower outlets available. The water is shut off for the winter, but we carry 415 gallons (1,571 L) so that's rarely an issue.
1/22/2021: Risoy Bridge
Dirona moored at Haugesund beneath the Risoy Bridge.
1/22/2021: Haugesund Views
Views from our berth Haugesund (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).
1/22/2021: Happy Hour
Happy hour in the cockpit in Haugesund. The temperature is 45°F (7.2°C), so not that cold.
1/23/2021: Simen & Martin
Blog readers Simen Ytre-Arne (left) and Martin Venaas drove up from Stavanger to say hello. They work at Zelo, a B2B service that helps management reach and engage with employees. Martin found us initially through James' work blog before coming across mvdirona.com as well. We had a great time talking technology and boating.
1/23/2021: Dusk
Dusk viewed from our berth in Haugesund.
1/24/2021: Royksund Bridge
Approaching the Royksund Bridge about 8nm out of Haugesund. The bridge has a 43-ft (13m) clearance, but the channel is narrow, with shallows on either side.
1/24/2021: Royksund Boat Club
No ice was on the south side of Royksund Bridge, but the surface was frozen between the channel on the north side and the Royksund Boat Club to starboard.
1/24/2021: Ice
Ice covered most of the surface as we proceeded south into Forresfjorden. Most of it was reasonably thin and not hard to break through, but we did pass a few fairly thick pieces.
1/24/2021: Closer Than We Like
As we were passing south through Skudenesfjorden, the tanker Bergen Viking also was heading south, behind us to starboard (our track is in pink and the Bergen Viking's is blue). The ship then made a 45° turn to port, putting them on a collision course. When the CPA (closest point of approach) reached five minutes and the Bergen Viking still was on a collision course, we hailed the ship on VHF radio. We got no response from the first two radio calls, and couldn't understand the response on the next two.

We eventually flashed our sidelights five times as a danger signal and announced on the radio that we would make an emergency course change to avoid the collision. As we initiated our course change, the Bergen Viking turned harder than we've ever seen an oil tanker turn. It's surprisingly nimble for an oil tanker. The radio hail or flashing lights might have worked.

On the screenshot you can see where the Bergen Viking made the initial turn to port, and where it was when we first attempted radio contact. Then you can see its eventual hard turn to port to avoid the collision, and then straightening out back on course again.
1/24/2021: Bergen Viking
The Bergen Viking passing behind us after a close-quarters encounter. When it made its evasive turn, it was remarkably heeled over to starboard. It's rare to see a large ship heeled over that far.
1/24/2021: Vollsoy
The ferry Vollsoy exiting the narrow channel from the island of Kvitsoy as we enter.
1/24/2021: Ydstebohamn
The village of Ydstebohamn with the Kvitsoy Lighthouse prominent behind, viewed as we are underway to our anchorage.
1/24/2021: Kvitsoy Anchorage
Our anchorage at the island of Kvistoy in 40 ft (12m) on 175 ft (53m) of rode.
1/24/2021: Modern Home
Beautiful modern home, with huge panes of glass, viewed from the tender.
1/24/2021: Entry Channel
Narrow entry channel leading to the village of Ydstebohamn.
1/24/2021: Tender
The tender tied off at the Kvitstoy guest harbour for a walk ashore.
1/24/2021: Path to Lighthouse
Walking the path to the Kvitsoy Lighthouse. Then path likely dates from the lighthouse construction in 1829.
1/24/2021: Kvitsoy Lighthouse
Replica of the original Kvitsoy Lighthouse, erected in 1700, a bucket light that could be raised about 20 ft (6m) of the ground.
1/24/2021: View from Lighthouse
The view south across the village of Ydstebohamn from the base of the Kvitsoy Lighthouse.
1/24/2021: Artillery Group Stavanger North
Kvitsoy was the location of one of 130 coastal defense batteries the occupying Germans built during World War II. Together with batteries at Fjoloy and Randaberg, the battery here formed Artillery Group Stavanger North, headquarted on Kvitsoy.
1/24/2021: Battery
Ruins of a gun emplacement from the World War II German coastal defense battery in Kvitsoy.
1/24/2021: Exposed Coast
Windswept coast, with frozen puddles, on the exposed outer coast of Kvitsoy. This place must really see some weather in big North Sea storms.
1/24/2021: Fenceposts
Traditional fenceposts made of stone—not many trees grow on windswept Kvitsoy.
1/24/2021: Kvitsoy VTS
Looking across the village of Ydstebohamn to the tall tower supporting radar for the Kvitsoy VTS (Vessel Traffic Service, with their office at top right.
1/24/2021: Low Building
An unusual building the basically just a roof, right at the water line.
1/24/2021: Cross
This stone cross on Kvitsoy dates to 800–1050 AD. Its origins are unknown, possibly it was erected in the 900s by English missionaries, or by Viking chiefs in 1016.
1/24/2021: Low Bridge
In the tender, we worked our way through shallows in a channel at the northeast corner of Kvistoy and then barely made it under this bridge.
1/24/2021: Dusk
Dusk view to our anchorage at Kvitsoy.
1/25/2021: Moored Ships
Diverting course to pass behind the Pola Varvara as we approach a group of tankers moored offshore. We aim to make course changes early, so they don't need to be as large, but in this case we were passing just in front of the ship on its existing course. They turned slightly to port, and we would still pass safely in front, but it was closer than we liked so we chose to take their stern.
1/25/2021: Entering Nordragabet
Entering Nordragabet towards the town of Egersund.
1/25/2021: Nordragabet Anchorage
Our anchorage at Nordragabet in 41ft (12 m) on 175ft (53m) of rode.
1/25/2021: Dirona
Dirona moored in Nordragabet on a calm and sunny day.
1/25/2021: Bundled Up
Bundled up in our Mustang suits for a tender exploration of the area. With the temperature at 35°F (1.7°C) we're warm and comfortable.
1/25/2021: Havbris
The cargo ship Havbris entering Nordragabet through the channel we passed through earlier.
1/25/2021: Gyarhavn
A layer of ice on the small bay Gyarhavn along the north side of Nordragabet.
1/25/2021: Hellvik
The village of Hellvik, just outside the mouth of Nordragabet, is a popular location for summer homes.
1/25/2021: Eigeroy Lighthouse
The Eigeroy Lighthouse on the exposed North Sea coast was established in 1854. The light has a 1st order Fresnel lens and is visible for 19 nautical miles.
1/25/2021: Seksarvagen
Traditional Norwegian boathouses in the channel Seksarvagen on the island of Ytstebrod. The sheltered waters and easy access to sea make the area ideal for a summer home, particularly for those who like to fish.
1/25/2021: Net
Large net washed ashore in Lovagen. Catching that in our prop at sea would be a real disaster.
1/25/2021: Nautasundet
The low and narrow bridge across the channek Nautasundet. We weren't sure we could pass through as the charts show the channel as drying, and the bridge is so low no clearance is provided. But we had just enough water to make it through.
1/25/2021: Nordragabet Anchorage
Our anchorage at Nordragabet with the cargo ship Havbris we watched enter earlier moored in the distance.
1/25/2021: Happy Hour
Happy hour in Nordragabet with the lights of Egersund beyond. Although the days are getting longer and we're no longer starting Happy Hour in the dark, the temperature isn't getting any warmer. Tonight it's 34°F (1.1°C).
1/26/2021: Ice on Snubber
The temperature fell below freezing to 29°F (-1.6°C) last night, and surface ice froze around the snubber.
1/26/2021: Dawn
Dawn as we get underway from the anchorage at Nordragabet shortly before 9am.
1/26/2021: Eiffel Tower
Egersund's "little Eiffel Tower", a communications tower atop the hill Varberg.
1/26/2021: Egersund Energy Hub
Training tower at Egersund Energy Hub, a "centre for renewable energy and green tech".
1/26/2021: Path Through Ice
Looking back to our path through the light surface ice south of the Egersund Energy Hub.
1/26/2021: Storeknut
As we proceeded south, the fishing vessel Storeknut was slowly working east across the channel with multiple lines attached to shore behind the ship. The appeared to be stretching out net lines as they reeled them onto the vessel. We waited for about ten minutes to stay out of their way until the ship began to work back towards the dock again.
1/26/2021: Lines
AS WE PASS IN FRONT OF STOREKNUT, you can see the lines extending from the stern to shore.
1/26/2021: Egersund Net
Egersund Net has been making fish farming nets since the early 1970s and is currently a leading European supplier with operations along the Norwegian coast. This is their huge manufacturing facility at Egersund.
1/26/2021: Thicker Ice
The ice got thicker as we continued through Egersund. Our pilot guide describes Egersund as "ice free during normal winters", so we likely are seeing colder temperatures than normal.
1/26/2021: Navy Vessels
Two ex-Norwegian Navy minesweepers moored at Egersund. After being stripped of all military gear, the ships were sold to private buyers for about $300,000 USD each.
1/26/2021: Vibberodden Lighthouse
The Vibberodden Lighthouse station at the entrance to Egersund harbour was completed in 1855. The original light was replaced byt the current one in 1977.
1/26/2021: Lygre
Entering the narrow and shallow channel to the bay Lygre to look for a potential anchorage.
1/26/2021: Iced In
Lygre was almost completely iced in, so we left in search of an ice-free anchorage (or at least not too thick).
1/26/2021: View Home
Beautiful modern view home along the coast east of Egersund.
1/26/2021: Rekefjord Stone
The huge Rekefjord Stone quarry. The company is a European supplier of stone and aggregates for buildings, roads, and and offshore construction.
1/26/2021: Cleft
Distinctive cleft in the cliff at the head of Jossingfjord.
1/26/2021: Eagles
A pair of eagles perched on the rocks at the entrance to Rasvagen on the island of Hidra.
1/26/2021: Ito Rasvag
Entering the narrow channel into Ito Rasvag. It was a lovely town inside and would have been a great anchorage, but buoys in the middle restricted swing room and the small marina there was iced in.
1/26/2021: Andabeloy Anchorage
Our anchorage off the village of Andabeloy in 101ft (31m) on 300ft (91m) of rode. Finding an anchorage with all the ice everywhere was getting challenging, but we eventually found a spot we liked, but the loose ice chunks around us were still quite thick.
1/26/2021: Andabeloy Views
View to the anchorage at Andabeloy (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port). It's a bit of an unusual anchorage, in that we're surrounded by loose ice. But we loved the setting and found the ice a real adventure.
1/26/2021: Dusk
Dusk looking to the village of Andabeloy from our ice-filled anchorage. It's really beautiful.
1/27/2021: Lista Lighthouse
The Lista Lighthouse sits at the most southwestern point of mainland Norway. The tower originally was built in 1836, and was rebuilt in 1853.
1/27/2021: Loshavn
The wooden buildings in the town of Loshavn are considered to be the best-preserved along the the southern Norway coast. The town had about 200 residents in 1856, but now most of the buildings are vacation homes or hotels.
1/27/2021: Channel
Approaching the extremely narrow and winding channel at Loshavn. The channel is well-marked, but depths are about 10 ft in places, with shallows close by on either side. We barely fit.
1/27/2021: Sondre Katland Lighthouse
The Sondre Katland Lighthouse to our southeast was completed in 1878.
1/27/2021: Ice
The entrance to the Farsund guest harbour was blocked by ice, but we could see clear water beyond. Our pilot guide describes Farsund as "ice free", with no "during normal winters" caveat, so we must be seeing unusually cold temperatures. Two recent paths through the ice were evident, and we seleted one that looked from a distance to be mostly clear but with loose chunks. But it turned out to the larger chunks were actually frozen into 2-inch-thick ice. We pushed through, but did scrape some paint off the bow.
1/27/2021: Lundevagen
The bay Lundevagen, east of the Farsund guest harbour completely frozen in.
1/27/2021: Seagulls
There's an unusual sight, at least for us: seagulls standing on the frozen water as we navigate past.
1/27/2021: Farsund
Moored at the Farsund guest harbour. As you can see, the harbour area is clear and ice free.
1/27/2021: Posten
At the Posten (post office) to pick-up some winter boots we'd ordered while in Haugesund.
1/27/2021: Winter Boots
Jennifer trying out her new Baffin Snogoose winter boots (with Baffin Impact for James). They are super warm—we're really happy with them. And since we're both Canadian, we like the fact that Baffin is too.
1/27/2021: Samuelsen and Garbo
Monument to Farsund native Frank Samuelsen and fellow American-Norwegian George Harbo, who in 1896 became the first people to row across the North Atlantic. Their record of 55 days from New York to the Isles of Scilly, UK was eventually broken 114 years later, but by a team of four.
1/27/2021: FFS Amaranth
We were planning to just pick up our boots, have a quick look around and then leave, in case we the ice got thicker. But as we were walking along the harbour, the FFS Amaranth arrived through the path we'd just taken. We went spoke to the crew who told us that three tugs were based at the head of the harbour and they frequently came and went. So we felt more comfortable staying since the harbour is clear and the tugs were opening up the channel multiple times per week.
1/27/2021: Dirona
Dirona moored at east side of the Farsund guest harbour. The post office where we picked up our boots is in the white building behind—it would be difficult to find a more convenient pickup point.
1/27/2021: Farsund Berth
Our berth on the west side of the Farsund guest harbour with 2 16-amp shorepowers connections available (the water is shut off for the winter). We moved over here because no power was available on the east side. And this side is both more private and has a better view to the harbourside buildings where we initially moored.
1/27/2021: Farsund Views
View to Farsund from our berth in the guest harbour (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port). The tug FFS Amaranth has left and the FFS Atlas arrived and now is visible behind us in the distance at top right. It's a wonderful berth and is so private it feels like an anchorage.
1/27/2021: Moonrise
Moonrise at dusk over Farsund and the east side guest harbour docks where we initially moored. What a beautiful town.
1/27/2021: Happy Hour
Happy hour at Farsund with the tug FFS Atlas moored in the background. We enjoy watching the FFS tugs coming and going from their home port berth behind us. The temperature is right at freezing and, since we have power, we can run our patio heater for "free" heat. We're really loving it here.
1/28/2021: Dawn
Dawn from our berth in the Farsund guest harbour. The weather has been wonderfully clear and calm the past few days. This really is an incredibly nice place to spend a few weeks.
1/28/2021: FFS Tugs
All three FFS tugs back in their berth. There is only space along the dock for two ships, so when all three are back in town, they raft up.
1/28/2021: 21.7 Degrees
The temperature has been steadily falling over the past few days and it's a chilly 21.7°F (-5.7°C).
1/28/2021: Missing Paint
In pushing through the ice to reach Farsund yesterday, we scraped the bottom paint off the bow. There's no other obvious damage that we can see from this distance.
1/28/2021: Stairs
Steeply-sloped Farsund is full of stairs leading up the hills—we kept finding more each time we were out on a walk around town.
1/28/2021: Guest Harbour
View to the Farsund guest harbour from part way up the hill Varbak.
1/28/2021: Hawk
Two of the Farsund FFS tugs assisting the 742-ft (226m) Hawk, one of the five largest semi-submersible heavy lift vessels in the world. Here the Hawk is carrying two ships, the 282-ft (86m) Ramform Viking and the 328-ft (100 m) CGG Alize (not visible behind the Ramform Viking). It took us a second to figure out what was going on with Ramform Viking mounted perpendicular to the Hawk.
1/28/2021: Goats
One of several goats that live up in the park atop the hill Varbak behind the Farsund guest harbour.
1/28/2021: Lyngdalsfjorden
Ice covering much of the surface in Lyngdalsfjorden inland and northeast of Farsund, seen from the Varbak viewpoint.
1/28/2021: Krossnessundet
Solid ice in Krossnessundet inland and northwest of Farsund. It appears thicker than in Lyngdalsfjorden.
1/28/2021: Mollehaugen
World War II memorial atop Mollehaugen (the Mill Hill) in central Farsund.
1/28/2021: Floating Rocks
As the ice thickens, kids experiment with what it will hold.
1/28/2021:
The Ramform Viking heading to sea aboard the lift ship Hawk. What an unusual sight.
1/28/2021: Dirona
Dirona moored at the Farsund guest harbour. You can see how steep the hill is behind where we were walking earlier today.
1/28/2021: Farsund Sailing Association
Not much sailing is going to happen at the Farsund Sailing Association anytime soon.
1/28/2021: Lauervik Marina
Ice surrounding Lauervik marina, west of the Farsund guest harbour in Lundevagen.
1/28/2021: Modern Home
Farsund, and Norway in general, is full of fabulous modern homes built in style we really like. Here is another one under construction in the hills above Farsund.
1/28/2021: Dusk
Dusk at Happy Hour, viewed from our berth at the Farsund guest harbour.
1/29/2021: Farsund Views
Another calm and clear morning in Farsund, viewed from our berth in the guest harbour (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port). The water surface in the marina beside us, at bottom right, is just starting to freeze very slightly.
1/29/2021: Happy Hour
Happy Hour in Farsund with the temperature slightly above freezing. What a beautiful place—we're really enjoying our stay.
1/30/2021: Snow
A light dusting of snow over the boat and docks in Farsund this morning. We sure are enjoying the winter here in Norway.
1/30/2021: Theis
On a walk to the old highway Boensbakken, we stopped to watch as the workboat Theis broke out of several-inch-thick ice in Krossnessundet. The skipper worked back and forth several times, churning up huge chunks of ice, until finally he had broken enough ice to get away from the dock. And proceeding the next half-mile took more than 30 minutes. The Theis took some damage on the way out, and it would be close to impossible for us to get out in ice close to this thick.
1/30/2021: Picnic
The temperature is just below freezing as this family is enjoying a picnic by the lake Mosvolltjonn. Cold weather doesn't keep Norwegians inside.
1/30/2021: Trails
A choice of trails in the parklands west of the lake Mosvolltjonn. We're heading to the right, en route to the old highway Boensbakken
1/30/2021: Krossnessundet
Looking from the head of a very frozen and snow-covered Krossnessundet.
1/30/2021: Trailhead
At the start of the Boensbakken trail, just over an hour's walk from Farsund. The trail runs along the old 1904 highway between Farsund and Heard that originally was a railway line and was later converted into a drivable road.
1/30/2021: Swan
As we stopped to take a few pictures of the lake Straumen, a swan charged over and delivered a serious hissing. We guess only swans are allowed to swim in this area.
1/30/2021: Suttevikpollen
Overlooking snow-covered Suttevikpollen from the old highway guardrails made of rock and metal pipe. This part of the highway still is vehicle-accessible to reach several houses along the lake.
1/30/2021: Boensbakken
The most dramatic and interesting parts of the old highway Boensbakken are where it runs right along a cliff edge as it climbs up to a mountain pass. This section is closed to automobile traffic and open for walkers and cyclists only.
1/30/2021: Icicles
Beautiful icicles along the old highway Boensbakken. We really enjoyed the walk here.
1/30/2021: Framvaren
Taking in the view to the snow-covered lake Framvaren from the old highway Boensbakken. We were surprised to see a little open water still, at right, but most of it was frozen.
1/30/2021: Fallen Ice
Several sections of the road were covered with chunks of ice that had fallen from high above. We were very cautious, and quiet, when we passed these areas.
1/30/2021: Kjerringdalen
At the end of Boensbakken, we continued on the modern road to Kjerringdalen where the tunnel that replaced the old highway starts. We had a slim hope that we might be able to return to Farsund through the tunnel rather than go back the way we came. But, as expected, the tunnel is open only to vehicular traffic.
1/30/2021: Skating
Skaters on the lake Mosvolltjonn as we return to the Farsund area. We still have our ice skates from living in Toronto in the 1980s, but haven't used them since. Perhaps we'll have an opportunity here.
1/30/2021: Dusk
Dusk overlooking the Farsund guest harbour, seen from the Varbak viewpoint. The days are getting longer with dusk at 4:30pm.
2/1/2021: Morning Calm
Another calm morning in Farsund, with more snow on the way (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).
2/1/2021: Groceries
Grocery shopping in the snow, a first for us on Dirona.
2/1/2021: Snowing
Dirona at the Farsund guest harbour with snow falling and not a hint of wind.
2/1/2021: Walk
Out for a late afternoon walk in the fresh snow along a new path we found up the hill behind the guest harbour. We're really liking the Baffin boots—they are super warm and have great traction.
2/1/2021: Dirona
Dirona moored in snowy Farsund. A little more ice, now covered with snow, has built up in the guest harbour in the foreground.
2/1/2021: Dusk
Dusk looking across to our berth at the Farsund guest harbour.
2/2/2021: Ice
The temperature is getting colder and was 26.7°F (-2.9°C) overnight. More surface ice is forming in the outer harbour and big chunks broken by the tugs coming and going occasionally float past.
2/3/2021: Ice Filling In
With another night of below-freezing temperatures, a light surface ice is starting to form in the inner harbour now too.
2/3/2021: Politi
The Politi (police) came by today to check on our status. They were under the impression that we'd just arrived in the country and were concerned about COVID risk, but were satisfied when we showed them James' passport stamp from Stavanger.
2/3/2021: Pallet Delivery
Late last year, we'd arranged with GAC Logistics Norway to ship a pallet of parts from the US to Norway. The pallet was delayed several weeks by COVID-related issues, but arrived into Bergen a couple of days ago and here regional transport is dropping it off.
2/3/2021: Unpacking Pallet
James heading back to Dirona with the first load of parts as we unpack the pallet.
2/3/2021: New HVACs
In an unlikely happenstance, both the master stateroom and the guest stateroom HVAC systems independently failed at around the same time. Then the pilot house system has been having trouble making heat in cooler climates, so we decided to replace all three since they are 11-year-old units. We're really looking forward to seeing those systems working again. Also in the pallet were two replacement Headhunter water pumps, a new EPIRB, some generator oil filters and other miscellaneous items.
2/3/2021: Replacing HVACs
This afternoon we started replacing the faulty HVAC units with the new units that arrived today in the pallet from the US. We started late in the day and just will do the master stateroom today and should be able to do the other two tomorrow.

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2/4/2021: Ice
The temperature is 21°F (-6°C) this morning and the surface ice around us is thickening. We can still punch through the ice with a boat hook, but only just. It looks to be about two inches thick.
2/4/2021: Channel
There's getting to be a fair bit of ice between us and the channel the FFS tugs make on their way in and out of port.
2/4/2021: Frozen In
We're getting close to frozen in today when the water was completely ice-free two days ago. It's not yet thick, but it sure happened fast.
2/5/2021: 20F
We're going to experience about a week of temperatures well below freezing. This morning it is a chilly 20°F (-6.7°C) outside (top row, center).
2/5/2021: Antifreeze Leak
This morning we replaced one of the clamps on the keel cooler fittings under the main engine. The one originally installed was too large and, fully tightened, it wasn’t tight enough. In this colder weather, its begun to leak quite a bit. We've probably leaked a half-gallon of antifreeze. The leak was serious enough when cold and not under pressure that we wouldn't be able to operate the engine for long at full temperature when the cooling system is pressurized.

The picture was taken looking aft underneath the engine from the starboard front corner. Working by feel with only one hand and Jennifer guiding, James somehow managed to get a new clamp around the hose, connect it back up, and properly tighten it.
2/5/2021: Working by Feel
James stretched out on the engine room floor to reach underneath and install a new hose clamp to stop the antifreeze leak.
2/5/2021: Another Leak
After correcting the coolant leak, we pressure-tested the system to 25 PSI (5 PSI over standard operating pressure) and found another small leak around the heat exchangers in the lazarette near the water heater.
2/5/2021: Heat Exchangers
We have two heat exchangers that transfer heat between the main engine cooling system and the diesel boiler hot water system. This means that we never have to operate the boiler when underway, and instead get full heat "for free" from the main engine. It also allows the furnace system to heat the engine, which is much better for the engine when starting in cold weather, and has the wonderful side effect that heating the engine makes for a Spitfire-approved nice toasty engine room. So if we need to do work in sub-freezing climates, we get to do so in a comfortable environment.

We found a small leak at one of the hose clamps and corrected that by tightening all the clamps.
2/5/2021: Keel Cooler Hoses
After having corrected two leaks on the main engine cooling system, we again pressure tested the system to 25 PSI (5 PSI over standard operating pressure) and found yet another leak. We think what is happening is, in this unusually cold weather, clamps that were previous barely tight enough now are starting to leak.

This picture shows the coolant connections to the main engine keel cooler. The top hose has a high-quality clamp that's properly sized. On the hose below are two low-quality clamps that are insufficiently tight and yet suffering from being overtightened. These clamps just aren't good enough for this application.

We replaced the two lower clamps with a properly-sized Banjo clamp. We really love Banjo clamps. They are able to deliver enormous force when needed, and they deliver a nice even pressure over a large surface area and don't cut into the hose. We again repeated the now-familiar process of pressure-testing the cooling system after fixing the "last" leak. This time it tested out well, held pressure for 30 minutes, and there were no leaks.

The next day, we were amazed to find a main engine coolant leak on our daily engine room check. This time we tightened all clamps on all engines and, yet again, pressure-tested the main engine successfully. We then ran the main engine through a warm-up cycle, checking for any other leaks. It’s strange that it's never leaked and then suddenly has four leaks in two days. We suspect it's due the cold weather—the air temperature is 20-25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) and we’re surrounded by ice.
2/5/2021: Tool Roll
We've had the beige tool roll, at right, in use for about 6 months now and we really like it. Whenever we need to do some work, we can grab it by the handle and all our commonly-used metric wrenches are available for immediate use. Here James is loading SAE-sized wrenches into a second tool roll that came from the US with our pallet.
2/5/2021: Ice Chunks
There's a reasonably strong tidal current through Farsund, and big chunks of ice broken by the tugs farther out often come in with the tide.
2/5/2021: Ice Off Bow
The ice is now getting quite thick around Dirona. This is the Farsund guest harbour dock directly in front of the boat.
2/5/2021: Speaker Drivers
Replacing the tweeters in two of our Definitive Audio Mythos speakers with new ones that arrived from the US in our pallet delivery.
2/5/2021: Dusk
Dusk from the our berth in Farsund, surrounded by surface ice.
2/6/2021: Dripping Water
This morning we noticed some water dripping from a headliner above the galley sink. Dropping the headliner revealed this huge void space that forms the outside bulkhead of the stairs to the flybridge (the two pipes are supply lines for the air horns). Condensed water that had frozen on the inside was melting in the heat of the sun and running down the sides. Annoying, but at least it wasn't a burst pipe. We heated and dried the area, then place some rags to catch any future runoff until the weather warms up.
2/7/2021: 65 knots
A big storm passed through the area last night, bringing 65-knot winds. Normally we'd feel the wind moving the boat as the lines tightened and loosened against the dock, but because of the ice, the boat didn't move at all.
2/7/2021: Spitfire
Spitfire hasn't wanted to go outside for days with the cold weather, but today he really wanted out. He ended up being more interested in the camera than Farsund.
2/7/2021: Standing on the Ice
After watching a few people walking on the ice, we carefully stood on it ourselves. There's a picture we never though we'd take: standing on the ice in front of Dirona frozen place.
2/7/2021: Snow Cat
28°F (-2.2°C) temperatures don't chase the Norwegian cats inside. We saw this one while on an afternoon walk around the Kjorestad locality directly west of Farsund.
2/7/2021: Danefjell
View to the commercial docks in Lundevagen, southeast of Farsund, from the hill Danefjell.
2/7/2021: Seismic Survey Ships
A row of five seismic survey ships in storage at Farsund during the oil industry slowdown.
2/7/2021: Fur Coat
Another Norwegian cat out enjoying the "warm" and sunny weather. That thick fur coat seem to be ideal for this climate.
2/7/2021: Trollkirka
View across from the hill Trollkirka to the waters outside Farsund. The guest harbour where we are moored is beyond the frame at upper left. We entered Farsund to the right of the smallest islet roughly at center—there's definitely no clear path for us to leave anytime soon.
2/7/2021: Dirona
Dirona firmly iced in at the Farsund guest harbour. The ice surrounding the boat is now 5-6 inches thick.
2/7/2021: Ice Slabs
Several-inch-thick slabs of ice broken off and pushed up onto the solid ice by the FFS tugs as the come and go from the port.
2/7/2021: Superstructure Ice
The FFS tugs have been returning to port recently with a thick coating of ice on the superstructure. This is caused by storm conditions in freezing weather, where the saltwater hitting the superstructure is freezing before it drains. This can be destabilizing to a vessel if the ice gets thick and heavy enough.
2/8/2021: Swapping Position
The FFS tugs Amaranth and Athos rotating in place while tied together, viewed from our aft deck. The inside boat needed to leave, so rather than move both boats, they left the outside boat tied on, released from shore, rotated in place, and pushed the previously outside boat back up against the dock to be tied off.

The clear section of water visible in the foreground is from a huge slab of ice that the tugs detached as they spun. The distance between us and the clear channel now is less, but it's still pretty much impossible for us to reach it.
2/8/2021: Dirona
Dirona still iced in at Farsund, viewed on a late afternoon walk around town.
2/8/2021: Dusk
Dusk views from our berth in the Farsund guest harbour (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port). The temperature has increased slightly to 30°F (-1.1° C), but the ice is just as thick and extensive, if not more so.
2/9/2021: FFS Athos
FFS Athos returning to Farsund. We really enjoy watching the tugs come and go.
2/9/2021: Ice
Thick slabs of ice broken by the tug FFS Athos returning to Farsund. As the tugs come and go, they break huge slabs if ice that flow back in behind the tug and refreeze, producing these large ice pieces that jut up at odd angles. It's all very unusual and exciting for us, and we're enjoying our stay in Farsund, but we do feel a tad concerned we might be trapped here for a month or more.
2/10/2021: Sunrise
Golden sunrise over Farsund this morning as the skies have cleared and the winds have settled.
2/10/2021: Grey Water Tank
The grey water tank TLM100 sensor (the small black circle at right secured with five bolts) was reading full (86 gallons) when it contained about 10 gallons. We attempted to remove the sensor, but the original installer didn’t put threads in the tank cover. Instead, they put bolts through with nuts on the other side, making it very difficult to service. Removing the TankWatch4 sensor opened the visible hole and we were able to reach underneath the TLM100 to clean it. The sensor does appear to be working now. If it fails again, likely we'll need to replace the sensor.
2/10/2021: Guest Harbour
View to the still firmly-frozen Farsund guest harbour as we set out for a walk on a clear and sunny day.
2/10/2021: Bricks
Kids have been tossing bricks onto the ice in the Farsund inner harbour. The bricks warm up in the sun and, depending on how long they've been there, sink into different depths. You can see this ice is much thicker than a brick.
2/10/2021: Nordsundet
View from the road bridge connecting Farsund with the Havik locality to the channel Nordsundet leading into Lyngdalsfjorden. Although the tidal range here is only about a foot, the fjord is large enough that a surprising amount of current flows through Nordsundet and the adjacent Farsund harbour, keeping both relatively ice-free.
2/10/2021: Ice Sculpture
Natural "ice sculpture" in the lawn of a house in the Havik locality.
2/10/2021: Walking
Enjoying a walk in the snow on a beautiful sunny day.
2/10/2021: Havikbukta
Snow-covered ice in the bay Havikbukta directly east of Farsund. We really enjoyed our walk through the snow to Havik.
2/10/2021: Old Road
Standing on a portion of the old road, built to hug the cliff, with the new bridge-supported road at left.
2/10/2021: Footprints
Footprints on the snow-covered ice. That looks a little shaky for walking on to us, but it looks like they made it.
2/10/2021: Dirona
Frode Skaar of Invy in Bergen sent us this photo a friend of his took of Dirona stuck in the ice. We're told that these are unusually cold conditions for Farsund and that it's rare for ice to form in the harbour like this.
2/10/2021: Happy Hour
Happy Hour at the Farsund guest harbour. Despite the cold temperatures and being frozen in place, we're really having a great time here.
2/11/2021: Sunrise
Another beautiful Farsund sunrise.
2/11/2021: Tug-Made Channel
Big chunks of ice in the tug-made channel through the ice colored pink in the morning sun.
2/11/2021: Power Draw
Dirona is a 60Hz boat, so we charge the batteries with the local 50Hz shorepower source and run all house loads off an inverter (for details see A More Flexible Power System for Dirona). We have no trouble consuming 2 16-amp power sources in the winter, especially with our reverse-cycle units back in operation. The 240V inverter load is at center left and the draw from the two shorepower sources is at right. They are all nearly consistently at max over the past 12 hours.
2/12/2021: 19.1F
The temperature dropped to 19.1°F (-7.2°C) this morning, the coldest that we've ever seen on Dirona. The boat has been doing remarkably well in the below-freezing temperatures, with the only evidence of damage being to a forward deck faucet. During the build, we specified extra insulation above the headliners to reduce heat loss, but we otherwise haven't made any substantive changes to manage freezing temperatures.

Fortunately all the freshwater pipe Nordhavn installed are PEX, which don't tend to rupture when frozen. The video Copper vs Pex vs SharkBite - Freeze Testing does an excellent comparison of various freshwater pipe material in freezing conditions.
2/12/2021: FFS Athos
The tug FFS Athos heading past Dirona, still frozen in the ice. OK, there are some advantages to steel hulls :).
2/12/2021: Walking on Ice
More and more, people are out walking on the ice in the Farsund guest harbour. We've stood on it when holding on to shore, but still don't have the courage to walk right out on it.
2/12/2021: Bulker
A small bulker arrived into Farsund tonight to fuel the tugs.
2/13/2021: 19.5F
The temperature remains well below freezing at 19.5°F (-6.9°C) today. This will not help our ice problem. Dirona is rock-solid in the ice and doesn't go up and down with tides, or shift with swell or wind. It's just as though it's on a foundation.
2/14/2021: Sunrise
We sure have been getting some beautiful sunrises in Farsund. We were expecting to have a lot more snow and storms while in Norway over the winter, but the weather has been surprisingly clear and calm much of the time.
2/14/2021: 37.8F
The cold snap appears to be over and temperature jumped up 18° today from yesterday's low of 19.1°F (-7.2°C) to above freezing at 37.8°F (3.2°C).
2/14/2021: Pearl Jam
One of our favourite bands, Pearl Jam, temporarily made available a stream of their iconic 2018 Seattle hometown concerts that we watched as part of our Valentine's Day celebration. The group put in a fabulous show, playing 36 songs over nearly three hours. We particularly enjoyed cameo appearances from other local grunge band members, such as Soundgarden's talented lead guitarist Kim Thayil.
2/15/2021: Snow
A light snow fell overnight in Farsund and everything was hushed and white this morning.
2/15/2021: Testing Ice
With the temperatures above freezing, the ice is obviously melting. It looked slushy behind the boat, so we tested it with a boat hook. It's most definitely not slushy and remains very thick. Looking down cracks in the ice, it still appears to be 5-6 inches thick.
2/15/2021: HVAC Outflow
The HVAC outflow is melting the ice off the port stern. If it keeps melting at this rate, we'll be free by May :-).
2/15/2021: Farsund Guest Harbour
We're out on an afternoon walk to enjoy today's fresh snowfall. This is the view across the Farsund guest harbour.
2/15/2021: Path
Following yet another newly-discovered path up to the hill behind the Farsund guest harbour.
2/15/2021: Theis
The workboat Theis, that we watched break out of the ice in Krossnessundet a couple of weeks ago, moored at the Farsund inner harbour surrounded by large sheets of ice.
2/15/2021: Dirona
The ice is melting and breaking up with the warmer weather, but Dirona remains firmly frozen in place and the ice is still quite thick.
2/15/2021: Happy Hour
Happy Hour in Farsund. Since we were all bundled up for our walk, we didn't bother putting on the Mustang suits. All the new winter gear we bought has been working out super well, and we're loving the Baffin boots we picked up here in Farsund.
2/16/2021: Farsund Views
Morning view from our berth at the Farsund guest harbour (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port). The ice still is thick around is, but definitely is starting to melt. It's looking much better behind us in particular.
2/16/2021: Heat Exchanger Zincs
We replaced the hydraulic system heat exchanger zincs. These were completely gone, so we upped the frequency to 16 weeks between changes.
2/16/2021: Antifreeze
Here we are removing the antifreeze from the wing engine in order to change the thermostat. This is a simple little trick. It's not possible to get a sufficiently large container underneath the drain cock on the wing engine because of the proximity of the batteries. So years ago we installed a very long hose that we just unroll, drop in a bucket, drain the antifreeze and then roll the hose back up and tuck it away. This makes a slow and/or messy job quick and easy.
2/16/2021: Wing Thermostat
Replacing the wing engine thermostat with a spare. The wing engine wouldn't get warmer than 160°F (71°C) and it's been like that for several weeks. It now warms to 176°F (80°C) in near-freezing outside temperatures.
2/16/2021: Thermostat and Gasket
The old wing engine thermostat and gasket. The thermostat is stuck in the open position after eleven years of use.
2/16/2021: Groceries
Another load of groceries coming back in the snow.
2/16/2021: Sorlandets Dyreklinikk
Snow falling At Sorlandets Dyreklinikk (veterinarian) in Farsund where we took Spitfire for his rabies and standard vaccination shots.
2/16/2021: Spitfire
Returning from the Sorlandets Dyreklinikk (veterinarian) with Spitfire. The temperature is 37°F (2.8°C) and the clinic is about a half-hour walk from the boat, so we put extra insulation in his carry bag and wrapped the whole bag up in a heavy blanket. 17-year-old Spitfire didn't seem to mind the temperature, but he objected vociferously to the bouncy ride in places where we had to cross piles of shoveled or plowed snow that had refrozen.
2/16/2021: Ice Breaking Up
The ice continues to break up behind us as the temperature stays above freezing.
2/16/2021: Guest Dock
The big piece of ice behind us detached from the dock this afternoon. This is the first time in at least ten days we've seen clear water directly off the stern. That piece is 5-6 inches thick, so we're still a ways from getting out, but things definitely are heading in the right direction.
2/17/2021: Cockpit Shower Head
We found a water leak at the starboard aft corner of the lazarette and discovered the cockpit shower head has suffered freeze damage. We must have not gotten all the water out of it before temperatures dropped below freezing. We have a new part on order.
2/17/2021: Engine Wash
The air temperature has fallen back down to just below freezing, which will not help our frozen-in-ice situation. But the water temperature is much warmer at 45°F (7°C). In seeing how well the HVAC outflow melted the ice around the boat, we came up with what we think is an innovative way to work a boat out of ice without damage. Here the ice is still more than 4 inches thick, but we're exploiting the fact that the water below the ice surface is, of course, warmer than freezing. So we put the engine in gear and you can see the warm water is cutting away the ice like a flame thrower. This is the result after only eight minutes.
2/17/2021: Melting Progress
By moving the rudder, we were able to direct the engine wash to different parts of the ice behind us and after forty minutes had melted a substantial amount of it.
2/17/2021: FFS Amaranth
Earlier in the week James met with John Nilsen, the CEO of FFS Marine, who operates the tugs that moor beside the Farsund guest harbour. We explained we were stuck in the ice and asked if it would be possible to have one of the passing tugs break a section free behind us. He said sure, but the captain would have to make the final decision on the safety of the job when the tugs returned back into harbour later in the week. This is the FFS Amaranth easing into the ice behind Dirona. If you look carefully, you can see a crack starting to spread in the ice from the aft corner of the tug. And you can also see the tug has thrown lots of water on top of the ice as well, which speeds melting.
2/17/2021: Clear Water
After the FFS Amaranth broke free and washed down some of the ice behind us, we now have a navigable path to the tug berth. The captain warned us that the ice was still very thick in the outer harbour and didn't recommend leaving right away. He expected the ice to be all gone by the end of the upcoming weekend, so we'll give it more time.
2/18/2021: Morning Ice
Yesterday we and the tug FFS Amaranth soaked down the ice behind us with engine wash and opened a path to the tug berth (visible at upper right). This morning the ice forward and beside us still is quite thick, but the water behind remains mostly clear. The large floe at upper right ran parallel to the dock last night, but has detached in front of us (upper left) and twisted back onto the dock with the current. The air temperature is 45°F (7.2°C) this morning, so the ice should continue to melt.
2/19/2021: Morning Ice
After several days of above-freezing temperatures, and two days after soaking down the ice with engine wash, the ice situation has improved markedly. The ice no longer is solid in front and to port (upper and lower left) and the large piece behind us is shrinking (upper right). The marina beside us (bottom right) still is fairly frozen in, but it's melting too.
2/19/2021: Subduction
In a process similar to tectonic plate subduction, two ice floes slowly collided next to us, with one being pushed up over top of the other as currents shift. Because these chunks of ice are quite large, and some still as thick as four inches, once they get moving, they can hit the hull of our boat fairly hard. In the next picture, you can see the resulting damage from ice in motion.
2/19/2021: Ladder Torn Off
The ice in motion tore off one of the ladders opposite our berth.
2/19/2021: Farsund Guest Harbour
View across the Farsund guest harbour on a walk up the hill behind. The ice situation has really improved in the main fairway, but the marina beside us still is quite frozen in.
2/19/2021: Ice Melting
The view to sea from the Varbak viewpoint in Farsund. The ice situation is much improved compared to a week ago.
2/19/2021: Rederiet Hotel
One of several large ship models in the Farsund Rederiet Hotel.
2/19/2021: Lyngdalsfjorden
We were considering touring through Lyngdalsfjorden after departing Farsund, but it remains firmly frozen and likely won't thaw for days, if not weeks. That trip is not going to happen.
2/19/2021: Dock Damage
Down the dock from our berth, the ice tore free this wooden dock section.
2/19/2021: Evening Ice
The ice situation continues to improve as night falls. There were a few times during our stay in Farsund that we were starting to worry that we were going to be iced in for many weeks, but overall its been fun and all part of the adventure.
2/20/2021: Morning Ice
The ice situation has again improved overnight, with the pieces behind us (top right) and to port (bottom left) much smaller now.
2/20/2021: Evening Ice
The ice diminished dramatically during the course of the day. The water behind us (top right) and to port (bottom left) is now mostly clear and the pieces in the marina (bottom right) are much smaller.
2/21/2021: Temperatures
Salt water freezes at 28.4°F (-2°C), so it's not surprising that we were surrounded in ice once the air temperature fell to the mid-20°F (-4C°) range. What we did find surprising is that relatively warm 45°F (7°C) water will still freeze at the surface in colder temperatures. We would have thought that the water would conduct heat so much better than air that the entire water column would have to cool before ice formed on the surface. But, as long as the water isn't moving quickly and mixing, the cold air temperature wins.

When the ice formed a few weeks back, the water temperatures four feet below the surface where our depth-and-temperature transducer is mounted was way above freezing at 45°F. In fact, the water temperature hasn't changed the entire time we have been in Farsund. When the air temperatures got down into the mid-20°F range, ice formed on the surface and thickened quickly, even though the water temperatures was still 45°F four feet below the surface. Today, the water is still 45°F but now the air is 45°F as well (top center) and the ice is disappearing as quickly as it originally formed.
2/21/2021: Afternoon Ice
The ice has completely gone on all sides except for the marina to starboard, and its melting quickly there too. It's hard to believe that a week ago we were surrounded by ice 4-6 inches thick and that we couldn't stab a boat hook through. The ice melted as quickly as it initially formed.
2/21/2021: Ship Departing
Other than the FFS tugs, we haven't seen much ship traffic in the area since we arrived in Farsund. This is the Finnish-registered cargo ship Misana departing the commercial docks in Lundevagen to our southeast.
2/21/2021: Pork Tacos
Lime-cilantro pork tacos for dinner at Taqueria Dirona.
2/23/2021: Ice-Free Farsund
For the first time since we've arrived in Farsund a month ago, no ice is visible in any of our cameras (clockwise from top left: forward, aft, starboard and port).
2/23/2021: Faucet Cap
We saw temperatures down to 19°F (-7.2°C), which is far colder than we've seen in the past in this boat. So we were a bit uneasy about how the plumbing would do. Overall, we did pretty well. Fortunately all the freshwater pipe Nordhavn installed are PEX, which don't tend to rupture when frozen (the video Copper vs Pex vs SharkBite - Freeze Testing does an excellent comparison of various freshwater pipe material in freezing conditions).

The cockpit shower showerhead was damaged by us not draining it fully and we found the faucets have an interesting fault mode that is avoidable. What we learned is if the faucets freeze in their normal closed position, the faucet itself doesn't break, but the rubber o-ring that seals it can be damaged by freezing. A surprisingly effective solution is to cap off the faucet and then open it fully. With that solution, we went through a hard freeze cycle with no damage to the capped faucets whatsoever. We didn't have a cap, so we improvised by replacing the gasket in a quick disconnect fitting with a circular seal.
2/23/2021: Faucet Replacement
Our cap saved the bow freshwater faucet, but we didn't cap the saltwater one. It developed a leak and needed replacing.
2/23/2021: Replacing Faucet
Here we are accessing the hose connection underneath the bow faucet to tighten the new one in place. Once again, Nordhavn has designed for repairs in the field and accessing the connections involved just pulling down a ceiling panel in the guest stateroom.
2/23/2021: Happy Hour
Our final happy hour in Farsund on a foggy evening with the temperature at at 44.6°F (7°C). We really enjoyed our month-long stay here and Farsund will be a memorable part of our worldwide adventure.
2/24/2021: Departing Farsund
Looking back to our berth in Farsund as we get underway for Scotland.
2/24/2021: Waves
Conditions were a little rough as we approached the edge of the North Sea after departing Farsund.
2/24/2021: Loshavn Anchorage
Our anchorage in Loshavn in 44 ft (13 m) on 200 ft (61 m) of rode. With the northerly direction of the waves, a fair bit of swell reached the anchorage, but it was otherwise a very nice spot.
2/25/2021: Pitch and Roll
Conditions remain rough as we head north up the southwest Norwegian coast. Our average pitch is 9.7° and roll is 10.9° (numeric display near lower left and graphs slightly left of center).
2/25/2021: Breakers
Waves crashing into the shore just south of Egersund.
2/25/2021: Dirona
Geir Ove sent is this picture of Dirona passing his house in Egersund.
2/25/2021: Nordragabet Anchorage
Our anchorage in Nordragabet in 22ft (7 m) on 46ft of rode. We're just a bit east of where we anchored last time here in late January.
2/25/2021: Logs
Logs ready to ship from Egersund, viewed on a tender tour of the area.
2/25/2021: Eiffel Tower
Egersund's "little Eiffel Tower", a communications tower atop the hill Varberg.
2/25/2021: Hymek
Hymke of Egersund specializes in custom steel structures and mechanical, electrical and hydaulic products for the energy, maritime and land-based industries.
2/25/2021: Linda
Linda, an aluminum sculpture of a woman by Finnish artist Hannu T. Konttinen, standing in the Lindoy gap between Lindoya and Bradbenken.
2/25/2021: Redningsselskapet
The Redningsselskapet (rescue service) vessel Kristian Gerhard Jebsen, named after a Norwegian shipbuilder, moored in Vagen. Jebsen founded Gearbulk, an international shipping company that operates the world's largest fleet of open hatch gantry and semi-open jib craned vessels.
2/25/2021: Modern Houses
Beautiful modern homes overlooking Vagen in Egersund.
2/25/2021: Slettebovatnet
The outflow from the lake Slettebovatnet pouring into the head of Vagen.
2/25/2021: Storasen
The hill Storasen above Tengsvagen, a small bay just east of our anchorage, looks like a popular hiking destination judging by the well-worn trail below it.
2/25/2021: Grass
Throughout Egersund, the water surface was covered with grass that was building up pretty deep in places.
2/25/2021: Fotlandsvatnet
The flow from the lake Fotlandsvatnet into the bay Tengsvagen.
2/25/2021: Ice
We were hoping to be able to return back out from Tengsvagen through Bjonnbasen on the west side of the island of Kjeoya, but ice blocked the way. It must have been quite thick to not have melted yet with days of above-freezing weather.
2/25/2021: Afternoon Sun
The afternoon sun lighting up the hills above our anchorage at Nordragabet.
2/26/2021: Happy Hour
Enjoying our final happy hour in Norway before crossing the North Sea.
2/26/2021: Moonrise
Moonrise over the anchorage at Nordragabet.