Saturday - Aker Brygge Oslo party pictures

Akershus Castle and Fortress across from Aker Brygge

Party Sail

BlackHawk and Jane

Tore and Nina

Liza and Jenica

Blackhawk & Jamie played for Oslo at Herbern Marina Restaurant on Saturday. More dancing, singing, laughing,...

More Party pictures from Oslo - Drobak Week

Assorted party pictures from Friday dock party at Oscarborg - Drobak.

Oslo/Drobak Party

With more than a week past the party, I finally have found internet at the local Tourism office in Heiligenhafen, Germany. We are on our way back to Amsterdam, heading to the Kiel Canal.

But, to catch up, I will try to get you some pictures of our Oslo Event. 2-wks ago, Friday party on the dock at Oscarborg, across from Drobak. Got the local Norweigen dancing after they figured out the gas power blender was nothing to fear.

I haven't even got to the Saturday party. Internet is slow. More later...Watch for the Saturday party, the Sunday House party, and beyond!

Kristine

Oslo at last!

On Kosta with Ola and his wonderful family.

Finally, the Kiel Canal!

Scrabble Challange on

Without going into much detail, (because I have so many days to catch up) I will share some pictures that will take you from Amsterdam (actually Ijmuiden - Seaport marina) all the way to Oslo. After meeting up with the boat upon their Friday, July 24th arrival at Ijmuiden, working boat repairs into the 2-3 day layover, and setting sail with the new crew, the 6 of us set off for a wonderful tour of Kiel Canal, (Germany), Marstal Aero, Samso, Anholt (Denmark), to Goteborg and Kosta (Sweden, Norway)and then Drobak and Oslo (Norway).

Koster Island Rendezvous with Ola

Visit to Anholt island (part of Denmark) was short and sweet. Crowded harbor - although a terrific dock/rafting off a couple of boats - beautiful sand beach and one restaurant. Had a fish dinner and the crew played Danish Scrabble. Back to sea at ten in the evening as the sun dipped below the horizon. Nice sailing conditions to Goteburg in Sweden. Interestingly as we sailed overnight in winds of maybe 20 knots, a hundred miles north and our future location of the Koster Islands on the swedish/norwegian border were being slammed by 55 to 65 knot winds and seas of 30 feet. A number of ships sunk including a Russian cargo ship with oil. Oslo fjord was a mess - gale winds and high seas - glad we were not a little early.

Stayed the day in Goteburg. Strolled the downtown, went to a nice fish restautant and used the fine - but no hot water - showers at the marina. Cold water definitely gets the blood moving.

Set out early on Monday morning along the Swedish coast. Lots of granite!

Arrived early evening at the Koster Islands - no winds of 55 maybe 15 and met with Ola and family. Ola was one of the original Natural, Ltd founders and now owner of a fabulous cottage on North Koster Island. Daughters Olivia (12), Sophia (9) and son William (6) plus wife Lisa joined the party. Nothing like a group of children to increase the group entropy. Olivia, Sandra and William now have Grateful Red hats and we know that Norwegian schools start in one week, four days and a few hours.

Will leave early on Tuesday for Oslo fjord.

Ken

ps -pic is the Grateful Logo painted on the Horta wharf. Very nice painting done by the Horta to amsterdam crew. kj

On the sea again

Having so much fun been lax on the blog updates. The boat repairs went well at Amsterdam – both the Horta to Amsterdam and the Amsterdam to Oslo crews – kicked in. Robbert, the Harken dealer at Ijmuden and his racing cohort Dennis (Dennis owns a boat manufacturing company, makes and sells 30 boats a year, why he spent a sunny Saturday epoxying on the Grateful Red?? Must be a sailor!). Had the forestay ready by Monday evening. We were at the fuel dock 9:00 pm but ……. Winds in the marina were 25+ decided to leave early the next morning and it was beautiful at 0600. We averaged over seven knots an hour sailing thirty plus hours arriving at the Kiel canal about eight at night the next day. The first overnight for this crew. Managed to get in the canal and motor about twenty kilometers before the canal closed for pleasure boat traffic. We slipped into an anchorage – all the dolphins were full – so we anchored off.

Motored the last 70 kilometers of the canal the next morning through the German countryside – out the East end lock (no s only a lock) by noon. Windy, very windy on the east end – we sailed jib alone at six knots on a sunny day to the Danish island of Aero – Marstal port. Arrived in the evening and rafted off of a Gran Soleil owned by a Danish couple. Stayed the day in Aero biking to Eroskobing – a very old (did I mention an old city) city that was having their annual Jazz festival. Great fun, had the local micro ale beer and visited the “bottle museum” having the collection of ships in a bottle by Bottle Peter (he made over a 1000 ships in a bottle – can be kinda of boring here in the winter?).

Headed back to sea on Friday evening for an overnight to Anholt Island on the way to Goteburg, Sweden. Winds were low – lots of motoring, many cargo tankers and commercial ships, a couple of bridges to duck under – by morning were less then half way to Anholt and low on fuel. Stopped at the Island of Samso for fuel and pastry. Another rather crowded Danish harbor. While the winds to Anfolt were low the direction was perfect for the spinnaker. A new crew learning experience.