Hellershamn to Florø

Sometime during the night, somewhere between 0400 and 0500, it started to rain. A few gentle gusts of wind pushed Yuma against the shorelines and rain began to patter on the deck above us and to drip in large pats from the boom and rigging. By the time we had awoken our mirror still anchorage was rippled with just the lightest of breezes and the dimpling of rain drops. The misty rain sifted through the trees and closed off the view out of the anchorage to the north.

After mucking around until midnight sorting out our tying ashore routine we had again slept in. This mornings task was to retrieve the shorelines and sort out how to stow the dinghy. This done, we set off on the motor with little to no wind. We headed off across the Møkalasset and through the narrow passage between Askvoll and Atløyna. Just as we began to cross the mouth of the Strongjorden a breeze picked up and we were able to kill the motor and run on a very broad reach north to the narrows between the islets and skerries that guard the entrance to Florø.

The whole day the clouds hung down to water and it rained softly but steadily. There was some very dramatic scenery to be seen, I’m sure, but we missed it entirely, just the toes of cliffs and steep slopes were visible beneath the grey blanket to hint at what was hidden above. Throughout the day skerries with cute white and red lights or marks would emerge out of the mist, suddenly surprising close, before slipping away again into the mist. Bloody great freighters would do the same thing.

In Florø we tied up in the harbour for visiting yachts and warmed up with a nice long and hot shower.

After this, we explored the dining options in town. The guidebook had promised fresh prawns at the dock, but all Frederieke could find was farmed salmon. Not quite what she had been hoping for. We ended up going to the local pub for a fish and chips and a beer, followed by a brief walk around town before returning to Yuma. Florø used to be a thriving fishing town but now seems to survive, and possibly also thrive, on the farmed salmon business.

If the day had a sad part it was the beginning of a leak in my salopettes. After less than a month of use. Disappointing, Zhik, very disappointing.