Sailing from Oslo to Senja (North Norway) - Advice?

[Skipper Solo]

Hello Mariners! This is my first post to this forum. As the title says, I'm seeking advice regarding a possible trip by sail this spring, from Oslo to Senja in Troms county. I'm relatively un-experienced with such long journeys, and do not know yet whether I will have company on the trip or go solo. Unless an unexpected financial windfall should materialise, the trip will be very low-budget with a minimum number of stops underway. The boat, a Virgo Voyager 23' named Polly Esther built in 1977, has plenty of space for bunker etc. She's no racer, does 3-6 knots in a breeze, maybe 4.5 average. What I primarily wish to know, preferrably from someone who has taken the trip with a similar boat, is how long it will take? Coarse calculations on my part says 25-30 days at an average speed of 4.5 knots - is this way off?

Will start with just that, and add more questions as they arise. These will probably deal with ultra-cheap GPS solutions around OpenCPN, ditto for autopilot (wind rudder?), and maybe even question the general sanity of doing such a thing.

Happy Sailing,
~ Skipper Solo ~4~

[TeddyDiver]

Not been doing this but it's ok.. You know the weather can time to time be quite bad on these areas and can change in few hours, so keep eye on the weather forecasts and stay in close to safe harbours if there's not a really good weather window. Most of the way there's quite good coverage for 3G so you can check yr.no or other online weather services when there's any doupt. Be prepared to do some motoring too it's some times dead calm night time..

[Boatwayupnorth]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Not been doing this but it's ok.. You know the weather can time to time be quite bad on these areas and can change in few hours, so keep eye on the weather forecasts and stay in close to safe harbours if there's not a really good weather window. Most of the way there's quite good coverage for 3G so you can check yr.no or other online weather services when there's any doupt. Be prepared to do some motoring too it's some times dead calm night time..

Teddy, friends of mine used 3 weeks from Stavanger to Tromsø with some stops along the way. I will do the same trip end of June/ first part of July to bring home my new (old) boat.
If you are on the water then, perhaps we can meet up?
Regards
Walter

[Boatwayupnorth]

Apologies, I quoted the wrong post. Skipper Solo, you probably know this, but there are some parts that can be pretty ugly - Stadtlandet, Vestfjorden a.s.o. As Teddy said, weather is important and spring is early season for Senja. If you are going June or July and want to meet up, let me know.
Walter

[TeddyDiver]

Boatwayupnorth, never mind you was answering solo. I'm a bit more northeast from there, Tanafjord-Varanger area, but be glad to see both of you if winds are favourable. Tromsø is nice place, really like it..

[Skipper Solo]

Originally Posted by Boatwayupnorth

Apologies, I quoted the wrong post. Skipper Solo, you probably know this, but there are some parts that can be pretty ugly - Stadtlandet, Vestfjorden a.s.o. As Teddy said, weather is important and spring is early season for Senja. If you are going June or July and want to meet up, let me know.
Walter

That's okay. I'm from up north, have a little boat experience - not sail, though. As an apropos, I have been a fisherman for one season based in Senjahopen, first on our familys small wood fishing vessel "Aurora" (Tresfjord make, 5 HP SABB) fishing for calamari in Mefjorden, then got a berth on "Senjafjord", a nice 70' net/line steel vessel who put her net links on and around Svensgrunnen. One of my tasks was dumping the 2 x 75 kg anchors for each net link, an iffy job. This was wintertime in '85/86, so I know very well what the weather/seas can be like there and hence respect it like nothing else. Doesn't help that one of the last movies I saw was "The Perfect Storm"...

I've described the boat elsewhere, but there's a brochure here: http://homepages.rya-online.net/virg...gobrochure.pdf . I take the seaworthiness of the boat itself for granted, it is the rigging and lack of steering/navigation equiment which has me a bit concerned. The halyards (?) come down at the foot of the mast, and doesn't go back to the cockpit. I guess that's job #1. She's tiller steered, and the tiller has yet to be fitted with a locking mechanism - guess that's trivial. I've been told that a windwane is absolutely crucial - is it? The Windpilot Pacific Light has been used successfully on the Virgo, see Bill's Log: ‘Bumper’ (Polly has the same engine, a Bukh DV10L). There's no genset apart from the Bukh - do I need one, and if so, what?

As you can see, it's a long canvas to bleach so to speak, so I'm not certain there will be enough time and money to get her ready for mid April. Have to think "on a shoestring" without sacrificing security and basic comfort issues. Coupled with my lack of experience in bluewater sailing, the realism of the project seems a mite discouraging in case I have to go solo. There's a forest of "ifs" and "buts".

PS - Whereabouts are you?

[sinbad7]

Skipper Solo..

My first question is, what's your hurry?

1. You have never SAILED before,and that takes some learning.
2. You are badly equipped for a long,single handed journey.
3. Your economy presently prevents you from installing important gear.
4. Same for necessary navigation and safety equipment.

I would instead spend the summer sailing locally,adding what gear and nav. instruments you can and get some EXPERIENCE before setting off on a potentially hazardous,single handed long trip.

You will find some information here about long,coastal sailing trips in Norway: Sailing trips in Norway, page 1, sorted by recent popularity | SpotAdventures

Tore

[atoll]

self steering is important if solo,though most mono hulls will self steer to windward with the tiller balanced.

i recently bought a tiller pilot for £25 on ebay in the uk,somthing like that would be cheap and at least give you the option of self steering,even if it meant running your engine to charge batteries.

the other cheap option is the plastimo windvane.

a small diesel or kerosene heater will also add to much higher comfort level!

happy sailings

[CarinaPDX]

I have only made the trip as far as Bergen, so I have only 2 things to add:

1) There is a lot of beautiful cruising on the way, particularly among the islands between Lillesand and Christiansand, so I would recommend a lot of easy day hops. You can easily spend a week exploring the Stavanger area alone - Lisefjord, Pulpit rock, etc. There is a nice island north of Stavanger which had a monastery on it which made a nice stop. As in life, enjoy the voyage not the destination.

2) The weather on the west coast is not at all the same as Oslo, which I presume you already know. I got rained on a lot in that area - cool and damp is to be expected. On a boat that small I expect you will be exposed to the weather, as opposed to an enclosed dodger or pilot house, so you may wish to spend time in port waiting for fair weather. Unless you are a masochist this trip is going to take some time.

Whatever you do, enjoy the sail.

[symagellan]

Hello Skipper,

i just registered to answer to your post. I consider myself not completely unexperienced - i am a sailing instructor and sailed the norwegian coast 4 times when sailing to Svalbard.

Some thougts:

I strongly support sindbad7's post. The norwegian coast is one of the most beautiful coasts of the world. But, given your experience, your boat and your plans, it has its dangers. Some spots have already been mentioned. The norwegian coast gard has a service for cruisers: they organize convoys for leisure boats on weekends around these spots. You can imagine that they have a good reason for that. I have been round Cape Lindesnes in 6 bft winds and 5 to 6 m waves. Interesting experience in my 49er steel boat. Not sure about my feelings in a boat of 23 feet.

There are consideable tidal streams in the northern part of your route. Any experience in tidal navigation?

We also had some wear and tear on our boat. Think about spare parts.

I sailed the coast short handed - we were two persons on board, so we could get ourselves enough sleep and were able to sail non stop over longer distances . Singlehanded, you have the choice of sailing close to the coast, where you have to care about navigation or sailing off coast, where you will meet considerable traffic. Better to take your time for overnight stops. There are numerous anchorages along the coast. Very good information in the norwegian cruising guide at www.norwegiancruisingguide.com/

Please excuse my english - i am no native speaker as you probaly have noticed. PM me, if you have any further questions.

Fair winds,

Fritz

[Skipper Solo]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

Skipper Solo..

My first question is, what's your hurry?

In short, I'm pinin' - seriously. It's homesickness. And an urgent need for change from my present lifestyle.

1. You have never SAILED before, and that takes some learning.

By capital "sailed" I assume you mean offshore? Correct. I did add the caveat that I planned on bringing along an experienced person (person X for the time being) if the trip is to be realised with an assumption of a successful outcome. As for pottering around in the fjord, I'm proficient. Have had the boat for 3 seasons going on the 4th, and experienced sailors I've sailed with have said I have "the knack". But if something radical should happen, like the mast collapsing or a sail be torn or the engine go bing, I'd certainly be up the proverbial creek.

2. You are badly equipped for a long,single handed journey.
3. Your economy presently prevents you from installing important gear.
4. Same for necessary navigation and safety equipment.

I commented on the SH bit - it's a no-go, in all probability. The economic factor can (must!) change, we're speaking ~4 months here. The investments necessary to procure what's missing isn't that high (around 2-3000 UKP). Won't break the bank.

I would instead spend the summer sailing locally,adding what gear and nav. instruments you can and get some EXPERIENCE before setting off on a potentially hazardous,single handed long trip.

Won't go unless properly equipped. But I can't help thinking that people have launced contraptions more primitive than Polly for millennia, and survived. And sailing within sight of the coast i.e. a couple of nm out would mean that we could seek shelter/harbour long before any unwholesome weather struck us. Anyways, I do have a storm jib...

You will find some information here about long,coastal sailing trips in Norway: Sailing trips in Norway, page 1, sorted by recent popularity | SpotAdventures

Tore

Thank you! Those were useful videos. I don't have a boob tube (TV) so didn't follow a series which went on .no TV awhile ago, "Gutta på tur" (The boys out travelling) which allegedly showed what to expect on such a trip, weathervise. Their boat, an Albin Vega, is quite similar to the Virgo Voyager afaik.

PS: My guesstimate of a 3-4 week trip duration weren't that far off then - can I consider that fact a bit exonerating re. realism?

[sinbad7]

Skipper Solo

Didn't want to discourage you,but you said you had NO sailing experience and no equipment on board. However,from your latest posting it does not look THAT bad.

Just take it easy,don't take ANY chances,and listen regularly to the weather forecast.

Happy Sailing!

Tore

[Skipper Solo]

Originally Posted by atoll

self steering is important if solo,though most mono hulls will self steer to windward with the tiller balanced.

i recently bought a tiller pilot for £25 on ebay in the uk,somthing like that would be cheap and at least give you the option of self steering,even if it meant running your engine to charge batteries.

the other cheap option is the plastimo windvane.

a small diesel or kerosene heater will also add to much higher comfort level!

happy sailings

What do you think of this solution?

Sailing Across the Pacific - Day 46: $3 Self Steering - YouTube

The Virgo is reputed to do not so well very close hauled - would that matter? Have heaps of used bicycle tubes...

Heating - indeed, it's necessary. Cooling too, ideally - Polly's hot as a stove in summer and cold as a witche's wozzit in winter. Shiver to think if I'd have to sail now...

Happy sailing to you to!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Skipper Solo

What do you think of this solution?

The Virgo is reputed to do not so well very close hauled - would that matter? Have heaps of used bicycle tubes...

Heating - indeed, it's necessary. Cooling too, ideally - Polly's hot as a stove in summer and cold as a witche's wozzit in winter. Shiver to think if I'd have to sail now...

Happy sailing to you to!

elastics can and do work,but bear in mind,there is not much to bump into between hawaii and mainland usa!

being off coarse when 5 miles off shore,in a shipping lane and fast asleep thru exhaustion can put you on the beach,thats why big ships call yachts....WAFI'S

if nothing else get a tiller pilot,they are suprisingly economic with power if the sails are trimmed right.
also since you will be makig use of calm periods and motoring,there is nothing worse than hand steering under motor.
that or another crew!
happy sailings

[Skipper Solo]

Originally Posted by atoll

elastics can and do work,but bear in mind,there is not much to bump into between hawaii and mainland usa!

being off coarse when 5 miles off shore,in a shipping lane and fast asleep thru exhaustion can put you on the beach,thats why big ships call yachts....WAFI'S

if nothing else get a tiller pilot,they are suprisingly economic with power if the sails are trimmed right.
also since you will be makig use of calm periods and motoring,there is nothing worse than hand steering under motor.
that or another crew!
happy sailings

I do have an old Simrad tiller AP similar to bit.ly/y23B4f knocking about, but its electricity outlet in the rear of the cockpit well were maced by the geezers who allegedly installed the diesel. Maybe worth to repair and install it, if it still works. Looks sturdy from what I remember but it isn't here; have to take a rather chilly 2 km dinghy trip out to the island Polly's on to study it. Will return with more on this topic once things start to thaw around here.

Can guess what WAFI means, and will naturally attempt to not end up as one!
(Searching a bit...) Er, I was maybe wrong. Is it "Wind Assisted F***ing Idiot? Hah, I have an infernal combustion engine too, so there.