To leave or when to leave, that is the question...

16.6.2014

Narrow passage through Blindleia

It is always so nice to arrive at an anchorage after you have been in a town.

Emerald green waters

Listening to many people whom we asked, Blindleia (blind alley) is a very narrow, very well marked inshore passage between Lillesand (58º 14.9’N 08º 22.8’E) and Gamle Hellesund. It is supposed to be one of the prettiest spots in southern Norway and according to our pilot book, the hot spot for the Norwegian wealthy. Indeed, the summer houses that go all the way to the water are very pretty, with tiny grass lawns and deck chairs. They all have a boathouse, a mooring buoy or two for a small motor boat (this is after all mostly a motor boat country). Blindleia is crossed by one bridge with a clearance of 19m and sometimes the channel isn’t any wider than two boat widths.

Heavenly peace in Mortensholmen

Our anchorage was an inlet called Mortensholmen (58º 12.5’N 08º 20.3”E) in Blindleia. Fully landlocked. As the season has yet to begin, we were on our own in totally still, dark emerald water right at the end of the inlet in 5m.According to the weather forecast (17.6.2014), we expected another day of good NE-E wind to get us to Mandal (58º 01.4’N 07º 27.3’E).

Getting through Blindleia in good weather and glorious sunshine was an unforgettable experience.

The only tricky stretch was getting out through the rocky fringes around the island of Sandøya (58º  09.1’N 08º15.8’E). Once out of the isolated danger marks area, it was plain sailing towards Mandal. By then the wind had dropped…

Rock or whale?

Since we arrived in Mandal the day before yesterday, the wind has picked up considerably. The barometer has fallen from 1021 to 1008mb. All the weather forecasts differed until yesterday. The Norwegian online forecast (yr.no) predicted a gentle breeze from the NW (it has revised it this morning). The Met Office has predicted gale force winds for the area of South Utsira with gusts up to 46knots. theyr.com the Islandic weather forecast, has predicted NW 7 and Windfinder basically agrees.

The problem, as always is whom to believe. If you always listen to the highest predicted wind, you might never leave. We found a great T-shirt in France with the logo: “Qui écoute trop la météo, reste au bistro”.

Easy Rider in front of the new Culture House in Mandal

Here however the danger is different. Lindesnes and Lista are very notorious headlands. They both have shoals up to two miles offshore where there is a sudden shoaling from 200 to 30m. On top of that there is a current which is west flowing and the wind is predominantly blowing from the W-NW making the waves, even 3M offshore quite huge and according to our RCC Norway pilot book ‘…has a ferocious reputation. It is subject to severe weather which can change suddenly…’.

So, maybe we will stay in the ‘bistro’ after all! Saturday(21.6.2014) seems to be a little bit better although the wind still heading us (W-NW force 4-5). Let’s see, it maybe Monday…