Art, lighthouses, whaling and cod liver oil island

 June 7th    Skutvik to Tranøy   

The last meeting of the day went a little over schedule so to save some time so departure was fairly late. To save some time and with open water with no interfering traffic I decided to bake pizza for dinner under way. My oven doesn't really get warm enough for pizza but it's close enough to make a tasty boat baked variant. 

While the dough was rising I had the chance to admire the unique Hamarøyskaftet (613 m) up close from the sea.

As I approached the harbour and was preparing fenders and ropes for docking I saw a dinghy floating away. So I had to try to rescue it. After a couple of attempts I managed to get a towline attached and could return to my docking. With a dinghy awkwardly attached the boat did not behave the way I'm used to. But other than needing som more maneuvering than usual docking went well. 

In Tranøy a whaling boat is lifted onto land and converted to a pub. This day a preserved whaling boat MS Nybræna was docked together with a preserved "normal" fishing boat. Nybræna became known in 1992 when activists trespassed and tried to sink the boat. It was saved and continued on whaling for many years. Today it is touring the coast selling whale meat (Minkywhale) and promoting whaling from the Norwegian whalers point of view.

 After observing the neighbors I took the bike and biked to the lighthouse after which the village is named. The lighthouse was automated in 1986 and depopulated in 1991. Since 1993 however a cafe and lodging has operated in the living quarters and boat hose of the old light house. The light house was listed in 1997. 

The lighthouse has become somewhat famous for the moody light and views of the mountains of Lofoten and Steigen. Today it was to hazy to admire the mountains but the light could be enjoyed.

In 1903 a public pilot service mainly to serve the iron ore ships going to and from Narvik was established in the area  The pilots station was moved to Tranøy in 1907 and was operational there until the late 1950ies. The publicly employed and midle income pilots and boatswains built villas in the village in styles not usual in northern Norway.

Around 2000 the inhabitants of Tranøy raised funds to buy and keep Harald Bodøgaards sculpture "Stjerner som fisker i himmelen" (roughly stars that fish in the sky (or heaven)). This lead to the establishment of a sculpture park owned and financed by the villagers and supporters. Today there are sculptures spread around and just outside the village. 

Like this "Kystkvinner" (Women of the coast) by Ingun Dahlin.

Hamarøy through 5000 years

 June 6th Nordskot - Skutvik

With a breeze blowing the boat towards the dock I needed quite a bit of engine power against the forward spring line to get the bow out enough for me to be able to clear the dock. To ad to that the wind came in the direction I wanted to travel so it became a day of motoring.

Both the islands and mainland have a fair amount of strandflat here so people has made homes (or rather farms) along the waterline all along the route. with the historical mixed economy between fishing and farming that was the norm all along the coast it was natural that small maintenance slipways was established when boat size increased - such as this quaint one at Engeløya.

After tying the boat up for the day I decided on a whim to bike to Ness and got a surplice visit to a area with a long and rich history. The Ness area has been inhabited since the bronze age. It is located at one of the most powerful tidal currents in Europe and the area on the inside have quite an early spring, offering a long growing season and for the latitude rich farming. Together with a portage over the low Uteide it was possible to sail or row through the current and avoid passing the open waters needed to get to and from the Ofoten area otherwise.

In the viking age and in medieval time there Ness was the main base for cheiftains. Most famous is Håkon Raud. During the late Norwegian civil war era duke Skule Bårdsson had sent a war-party of varbelger northwards to get control over the important export of fish. Håkon Raud got message of the war-party ravaging at Leines in Steigen. In very quick order he mobilized a force of seven ships (probably 200 - 500 men) and set sail toward Leines. They arrived at dawn to an unprepared war-party that had stowed their weapons onto one of their ships.   The war-party was killed and by that the main force supporting duke Skule in his quest to replace king Håkon Håkonsson and thus in effect ending the civil war era.

The importance of Ness has since dwindled into a very nice but remote place. With wetlands, tidal basins and small lakes and relative warm climate the area is also of significant location for wildlife (mostly birds) and flora.

And on top you get a nice view of the backside of Hamarøyskaftet - with is quite a characteristic landmark. And a challenge for people inclined to ascend mountains not suited for ascending.

In the search of the perfect spot for midnight sun viewing

 June 5th Bodø - Nordskot    

June 4th is the first day with midnight sun in Bodø and skies was clear so I decided to sail to Nordskot where I had a fabulous sunset in late July last year.

On the way up I had a nice upwind sail. From the weatehrforcast I had calculated that the sail would be easy and on the same tack the entire way. In reality wind direction changes quite much and within half an hour I sailed the same course on both port and starboard tack and back to port tack. 

A bit before I came to the dug channel (very unusual for that to be necessary in Norway) the wind died. So I had to start the engine earlier than the narrowness of the du channel had forced me to anyway. 

At Nordskot there where wind again (unfortunately since it made the boat push against the dock and be unquiet during the night)

Nordskot, or more exact the old trading post at Grøtøya just outside Nordskot, used to be the last stop on the mainland before the fishermen going to Lofoten crossed the open Vestfjorden (when the weather was not ideal). 

The old trading post was owned and run by the same family (Schøning, originally Hartvigsen) between 1690 and 1923 the main islet and building was owned by the Schøning family until 2013. 

But I came for the midnight sun.

Summer in the city

 June 1st - June 4th   

Bodø is infamous for biting winds and rain - they even glazed the Main Street to keep shoppers out of the wind (or rather in from the wind). But this week was warm and almost windless and perfect for strolling the city and enjoying outdoor restaurants.

Nice sunsets too - one of them topped up with a pretty wooden ketch - looking like a Colin Archer - but I didn't get the name and thus I don't know the history of the boat.

Walks on the mole seemed to be a favorite pastime for many - me too. On the mole there where this artwork of stones pierced with holes. Made for testing my skills in hyperlocal focusing.

On Rundholmen, that the mole is connected to, this bench intended for sitting on when slowing down and letting your thoughts mature. It seems like there are bad climate for mature thinking in Bodø though.  

To achieve a virtual goal physically

 May 31st    Inndyr - Bodø

From march 15th to June 15th we have had this hiking contest at work. Where the goal have been to during this period walk enough steps to virtually walk the 726 km length of the railways Nordland line, from Trondheim to Bodø. 

I have been pacing the sailing to the walking to reach Bodø physically with the boat on the same day I reach it virtually in the hiking contest. And today is the day.

After docking felt complied to walk to the railway station to document for my colleagues that I actually reached the end of the line n to only virtually.

Me celebrating reaching the goal.

There should have been a glacier in the background

 May 30th Selsøyvik - Inndyr

More wind today and on a mostly broad reach and for the most smooth sailing. After rounding the point at Kunna just before leaving the Helgaland area the wind became really unpredictable. The base direction was running, but there were several gusts of wind from other directions up to 10 m/s and I had som accidental gybes. Luckily I was saved from rig damage by the boom brake that reduced the speed of the boon when it swung over. And I kept my head well below the boom at all time.

At Inndyr I went for a walk on a path through Øya/Langholmen protection area for costal vegetation.

After leaving the protection area the path passed these semi derelict small farms the I found quite picturesque - unfortunately most of my pictures was out of focus - but these two was at leas acceptable.

Under the virtual omega and into the arctic

May 29th    Nesna - Selsøyvik

A grey and mostly almost windless day. Since I thought that I wasn't going to sail much anyway I decided to go through Aldersundet a detour to the east of the main route between high mountains. 

One of nine (only either operational at a time) transmitters for the US Navy Global Positioning System Omega was located at Bratland in Aldersundet. The antennas for the Bratland transmitter was three 3500 m long wires between the mountains Liatind on the mainland and Aldertind on the island of Aldra.  Before they where dismantled in 2002 the antennas looked really weird on the charts. Powerlines over water usually has a charted height up to maybe 40 or 50 m, but the charted height of the antennas was around 450 m. With the anchors on the mountains being significantly higher.

Even if this farm looks abandoned there are still some farms on the very steep Aldra that is active, both tin he village Aldra toward Aldersundet and Stuvland on the outside. 

After leaving Aldersundet I was able to sail some and after I while I passed the islet Vikingen with its monument marking the arctic circle. It doesn't lie on the circle exactly but is the land close to the main shipping route (where the costal express and cruise ship pass) that is closest.

After arriving ar Selsøyvik I pumped my Advanced Elements kayak and paddled round som of the skerries and islets. 

Really nice, I even saw some seals around 100 m away. But the trip got shorter than planned - I'm really out of shape for this.