Cruising Norwegian Fjords and Anchoring ?

[SvenG]

I have never cruised our Norwegian neighbors' fjords. They certainly are beautiful but I wonder how difficult it is to anchor in them. I assume the bottom falls off almost as fast as the mountainous shore rises up ? If the bottoms are that steep I assume that the anchoring depth is an issue and also that there is very little bottom cover for an anchor to grab ?

Since we'd like to explore the fjords in a coupe of years I'd like to know if that is even a realistic prospect ?



-Sven

[craigsmith]

You will want to look at getting something like John Harries' Norwegian Cruising Guide - see website for info on the book plus tidbits online:
Attainable Adventure Cruising, Morgan’s Cloud

Fjords and channels can be tricky to anchor in. It is common to use shorelines, either entirely, or to set the anchor on the slope and use several stern lines - this way the anchor is being pulled uphill, in constant tension. Small coves can necessitate lines when there's insufficient swinging room (the norm). Tie points ashore are usually trees and rocks - on the beaten path, it's not uncommon to find mooring bolts drilled into rocks by other boaters. Working out this procedure with the right equipment and crew, especially in ice, to do it safely and properly is important.

See some of our pics from Patagonia and Antarctica here:
Photo Journals - photo reports on selected trips
I haven't been to Norway but I get the impression from the likes of Harries and the Dashews (another online presence to check out, he did Norway a year or so ago - SetSail - hunt through the old postings) that it's a bit less severe than the southern equivalents, with many 'normal' (albeit a bit deeper than you might be used to) anchorages. The terrain is not as simple as you imagine, with only mountain tops disappearing into the water - there are glacial moraines, shoals, shallow valley floors, etc, all of which can form natural harbors.