Lågendelta

Utsikten fra hjemme i Lillehammer

A few photo's

Busy bee's!

So, its been a while! Sorry for the lack of updates but we've been very busy adjusting to our new lives and geting the boat ready for winter.

We're being challenged by the the Norwegian weather conditions and the prospect of the living on board through what will be a cold winter. Our heating system is still a way from being ready and we are already blessed with the beauty and the cold of snow.
We will be back here soon with the finer details of what we've been up to but for now I will leave you with a few pictures of us and our beloved home and a brief update!
I have been studying Norwegian and working these past 6 weeks. Simon also has a new job and is also working very hard with SU.
We have moved to our winter bubble harbour which is fine but feeling a little frustrated with the harbours rules on not letting us use the facilities other than the toilet in the winter. So, as we have no shower on board and only a couple of small, water canisters to enable us water supply in the winter we are feeling like real (dirty) pirates! I have taken to washing my hair over the back of the boat and learning the art of deception for my cleanliness!
We're both learning A LOT about boats ad have never once looked back since embarking on this voyage. We're looking forward to sailing again in the spring (and taking sailing courses, if anyone wants the job of teaching us please send your application ;) We will keep you well feed and fuelled in return! )
We have many plans for the future with the arabesque and hope to become skilful sailors, sailing the open waters and having many wild adventures!

Settling in

The first night we slept soundly and comfortably on the boat. We had breakfast on deck feeling quite pleased with ourselves, then made a start with our long list of 'things to do'. A trip to the marina shop and then on to Oslo. I collected my things from Simon's room while he did a few hours work in town.

I still had some clothes to pick up from Laila's house where i've been living these past 6 months so was considering travelling over there the next morning. The house is in Fagerstrand which is a small place on a peninsula outside Oslo called Nessoden. It takes at least 1 1/2 hours to get there by ferry and bus. I was saying over dinner how nice it would be to just sail there ouselves, seeming as we had a boat, and after considering the good forecast for that night we decided we would do exactly that. A prospect that was very exciting but a little daunting too.

After tidying up inside we practiced some manuvering in the marina and set up a route on the sat nav to get us to Fagerstrand docks. But before we could go anywhere we needed to get some fuel and it was already around 10pm. With the wonders of Simon's mobile internet we found a filling station close by and spent a good while, finding it and filling up, learning many things along the way. It must of been around 11pm, maybe later, when we finally set off, not that that dampened our spirits, we we're on an adrenaline rush and enlightened by our realised dream and the absolute beauty of this night, on the sea, aboard our very own boat.

We had a great time crossing the Oslo Fjords that night, listening to music, drinking tea and even eating a little meal along the way.

It must have been around 1.30am when we arrived, a little tired but very happy, in Fagerstrand. We avoided the reefs ( just) as we headed for a buoy to moor up on for the night. We we're a little unsure of a few things as we moored up and considering we had only had just over a days experience on the boat it wan't suprising. After fiddling around with a few things we headed for bed, although we we're both a bit on edge about our safety.

It was a rockier night than the previous and several times we woke up and had to check we hadn't drifted. Around 6am we we're woken by the boat rocking vigorously side to side and things started falling around us. We both tried to get up out of bed in a bit of a panic getting stuck in our bedroom doorway in the process, which was as funny as it sounds! We secured everything and we're reluctant to go back to bed but after such little sleep decided it would be a good idea. When I got up around 8.30am I opened the hatch to beaming sunshine and blue skies. Making porride and coffee I watched as one of the huge colour line ferries crossed the fjord and after seeing it fade into the distance the boat once again started rocking. Picking up the cups of coffee that we're spilling and trying to hold back breakfast on the stove I realised the ferry had been causing the boat to rock earlier that morning. Feeling better for knowing what had happened we sat on deck eating porridge and drinking coffee feeling totally relaxed in the most peaceful of surroundings.

After I had collected my clothes we set sail back home to Oslo to continue with our many tasks. It was a stunning day, perfect for being out on the water, except for only a little wind, but we had another great trip coping well with the daytime traffic of the main Oslo fjord.

The rest of Friday was spent moving into our more permanent dock and moving out of Simon's room. We didn't get back into the boat until around 1am, both feeling quite tired and on my part quite sore with aching muscles. Still, we climbed into bed happy sleeping a long, cosy and restful sleep.

A long and windy road

Our first sailing trip was wonderfully exiting! We waited and waited until wednesday because the weather forcast was predicting sun, sun, clear sky and a meteor storm at night! When Mads picked us up at the train station in Lier it was a really nice day indeed. The sun was shining, the air was hot and we could feel a promising breeze.

We set out in the sunshine, and started by learning to navigate with the GPS, electronic map and fishfinder onboard. As we headed out into the Fjord we set up the foresail and mainsail and started crossing to sail right up against the wind. We went from side to side on the fjord, once almost sailing into a dock where some people were picnicking and swimming. At least thats what I thought we almost did, but Mads assured us he was in control but he liked sailing closed to land "because it looks really cool". I have to agree on

that!

Suddenly when we rounded a corner, and had learned some sailing skills, the sky began to get darker, and we saw a lightning bolt and heard some thunder in the distance. Yr.no was wrong, despite being a public service, and a storm was building up.

Strategically, I gave away the role of being a captain to Karen, just as the hailstorm blew over us. I almost lost sight of her even if she was just a couple of meters away. Happily it only lasted for about 5 minutes, and the rest of the trip went wonderfully. We docked up in Frognerkilen at around midnight, Mads got picked up by a friend and went home, and we slept our first night on the boat.

The first sail.

Okay, so we've been on our way to Oslo now for around 6 hours and I think we must be just over half way there. I've just come inside to dry off and warm up with a cup of tea after being caught in a summer storm. There was hail pouring and whilst I braved the weather (I did volunteer) Simon put the kettle on for my well deserved drink. We're now cruising along and the weather has cleared, for now. Inside i'm cosy and warm feeling at home already but now with my dry socks and trousers on i'm heading back up on deck to basque in all the beauty around me!

Moving our new home

After the trade was concluded and the contract signed, we celebrated by using our last bit of money on an issue of Yachting Monthly and Practical Boatowner, two cups of coffee... and sat on the docks, looking at the boats, chatting about our own, and avidly reading boatin stuff.

Now, after a an awfully long couple of days, we're ready to sail it home. Mads, the wonderful, now previous boatowner, who sold us the boat proposed to sail it from Lier to Oslo together with us, and give us a little course on the way.

As I finish this post we've allready travelled a distance against the wind by motor and are ready to set sail. You can see our trajectory and follow us on the map under here. We're going from point A to point B (but the seeway, not thee road...) Wish us good luck and lets hope we don't run aground on our first trip!

Vis større kart

You can also follow our position live during the whole trip under here! Leave some comments :)