From Aalesund to Bergen, March 2008

The purpose for this trip was to bring our newly purchased boat, a 2006 Swedish manufactured NIMBUS 350. A 35' beauty with 2 Volvo Penta 6 cylinder diesel engines. This boat will be used for local hire in the Fredrikstad archipelago and will be operating from the summer of 2008.
We could have transported the boat by truck, but a part of the fun was to sail it the whole distance from Kristiansund to Fredrikstad. We choosed the easter of 2008 for our time frame even though this time of the year can present a lot of tough weather along the rough coast of western Norway.

Our first stop was Fosnavaag where we spent the first night onboard. Fosnavaag is a small city south of Aalesund and a base for a lot of commercial fishing and offshore activities. We found a nice spot in the guest harbour and settled for the night just as the sun went down. We were very excited about the coming weather even though the forecast for the coming days was quite promising. But, you never know. The weather can quickly change on this part of the world making huge vawes in a few hours.

We went up before 06:00 am the next morning and after a quick breakfast we were ready for departure. No time to waste. The next stretch on our trip was Stadt. A fearful place and maybe the most dangerous along the Norwegian coast. The history is full of dramatic incidents and the sea bottom is a graveyard for many ship.

We were welcomed with a fantastic weather! Sunshine and 1,5 meter high waves. It couldn't be better!
After the crossing we arrived the fiord leading into Maaloy. The sea was now flat and on this Saturday we were blessed with the most beutiful side from mother nature. We passed the express liner MS Richard With on her way up north while we were docking for and fueling. Maaloy will be the host for the 2008 Tall Ship Races in August 2008 adding a spectacular scenery onto this beutiful place.

Our trip continued to Floro wher our pilot Terje went ashore for returning to Aalesund. It was captain Eivind and myself left onboard to take her to Bergen where I was to be replaced by a new crewmember and then fly back home to Fredrikstad.

The rest of the trip to bergen also went well. The weather continued to be on our side as we cruised the western coast of Sogn & Fiordane known for the longest fiord in Norway. We also passed the famous statue of King Olav which the city of Oslo refused to take due to the position of his arm. The statue is now placed on a cliff north of Bergen. We continued our cruise to Bergen with no toubles of any kind. We were very pleased with the boat and how it performed.

Bergen is captain Eivind's home town and he had very much looked foreward to enter Bergen harbour called Vaage. We arrived in a cloudy afternoon and was surprisingly met by our wives waiting on the dock side. First step of the voyage was done, now the remaiong part was to be done without me as a crew.

Jon Hermansen, March 2008