Spring tour 2021 part 2

 May 14th - 16th Knarrlagsund - Hellandsjøen - Kongensvoll

The spring tour continued with a downwind leg to Hellandsjøen. 

The light wind from the rear starboard quarter gave ample time to hoist and use the genakker. Even though I had the sail mounted backwards and needed help from S/Y Elanthea to get it to fly when doing a really board reach in the end - I still kept up with the fleet.

Well most of it.

The last part into Hellandsjøen is twisty and quite narrow som I replaced the genakker with the jib as its easier to handle. But still most boats sailed almost to the dock.

At Hellabndsjøen the local pub found its ols barbecue barrel and let us us that and provided wine and bear for this so inclined.

And as a last treat we got magic light at the end of the day/early night.

Next leg was back up Trondheimsleia to Kongensvoll. Today this meant tacking upwind. Most boats waited until they where out of the narrow parts and out in Trondheimsleia to hoist their sails, but the other Hanse S/Y Jan Himp and me sailed out made much easier with our selftackers.

Even with one reef in the main I managed to keep up with some of the boats, but the wind coming from over the terrain on land was fluky at times so for several of the boats keeping around the same speed as me luck was probably more important than skills in deciding who came first the the dock.

You don't get the same easy view of the sunset form Kongensvoll but a short walk along the road offered prima vistas. It was raining to and from so I doubt that I would have taken the walk if it hadn't been for us having a exercising campaign at work - but that's often what's needed and this evening the payback was real and direct.

Spring tour 2021 part 1

 May 11th - May 13th Brekstad - Sivertsvika - Knarrlagsund

With the upcoming Ascension weekend it was time to sail to Sivertsvik marina to see if any other sailboats appeared there. 

To my knowledge no announcement was made about any organized tour, but anyhow 20 boats showed up - a lot for a tiny marina.

Myself ended up on the outside of S/Y Elanthea at a spot that was a little to shallow. It turned out that on low tide my rudder was into the bottom mud. By adjusting the boat forward and pulling the stern as much in as possible we managed to get her floating.

On the morning walk in the former Hysnes fort I met this shy guy. From Sivertsvik we sailed to Knarrlagsund. Even if several of us tried to sail from start there where to little wind to get any progress. But around half way somewhere between Garten and Agdenes the wind picked up and we could sail on a close reach in around 7 m/s. Good sailingsconditions form my Hanse and I maxed out at 8.5 knots. Some of us met for a nice dinner (mussels for me please) at the restaurant.

Still cheeky cruising

May 22nd Ansnes - Uthaug

Whilst still not participating in any organised event I was the last boat out of the harbour.  With pleasant winds the sails was set just outside the harbour and due to a beneficial I could keep at the same close hauled angel even when the direction of the fjord was more and more towards the direction the wind originally came from.

Eventually I had to start beating to the wind. But after just two tacks the wind became confused and weak and the trusty Volvo had to be employed to secure some sort of progress. After a short while the wind became unconfused. still weak, but direction had changed allowing for a favourable reach on an almost glassy sea. 

For the destination at Uthaug later in the day gale force winds was forecasted. So in good time before approaching I reefed the main, but the gale didn't materialise (just jet) so a shook the reef out and got a lovely broad reach reaching 8,2 kn of boat speed. In hindsight I should have read the landscape and rereefed before sailing onto Bjugnfjorden that is open in the direction the wind came from -  for there the wind was gale force. Furling sails on an overpowered boat is difficult and doing it singlehanded even more so. Since I normally is running a conservative set up I'm not specially experienced in that manoeuvre either. But after trying different ways with and without engine I was able to furl the main on a somewhat close hauled starboard tack with a loose main sheet. And with the main saved the jib could be furled on a board reach. Luckily the open fjord that allowed for the strong wind also provided plenty of space. 

The final challenge of the day was docking singlehanded on the outside of another boat. Third row from the dock actually and still in a gale. With the dock being windward I would be blown away from the boat I was to dock against in seconds. But I dutifully prepared my four lines on the starboard side as I usually does when coming alongside and the boat I was to dock alongside had prepared fenders. I went in a little faster than I usually does and used more revs stopping the boat AND there where four sailors from the other boats grabbing my lines as soon as they could reach immediately securing them on the relevant cleats. And thus the docking went smooth despite the skippers very high pulse. 

Cheeky spring cruise

May 19th - May 21st (Sørumsand airplane) - Brekstad - Sivertsvik - Ansnes

 

I flew to Brekstad this time. Going through a COVID empty Oslo Airport was quite spooky. An almost empty flight roster for the rest of the day at 17.32 is quite telling for the impact the pandemic have. 

Arriving at the boat and fresh sea air was a relief.

With COVID restriction not allowing organised arrangements we where a group of boats that just happened to meet at Sivertsvik boat club for a long weekend of cruising for Ascension. For me the cheeky cruise started with a short hop inward the fjord in pleasant spring weather.

Even keeping social distance it is possible to have a quite pleasant evening with fellow sailors. Especially when being served a panoramic sunset like this.

The new day the boats set sails in an initially quite vivid southeasterly.

A while after the wind became lighter and lighter. I spent the entire distance from Storfosna to the mouth of Fillfjorden on Hitra trying and not succeeding to set the genakker to keep ut with other boats sailing in the same direction.

At Ansnes several boats met again after a nice sail that included different degrees of engine usage.