Everyday blog (hverdagsblogg)

Nearly home!!!

 

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Offisiell utnevnelse av Hedersmannskapsmedlem på S/Y Vilja: Otto Inge Molvær

Vi har hatt gleden av å dele vår ferd rundt Jorda med mer enn 50 medseilere som har vært med Vilja på alt fra dagsseilas til tusenvis av nautiske mil i strekk over åpent hav. Vennskap og hverdag har blitt delt og bygd på en helt enestående måte. (Mange av dem er presentert her: http://www.sailingvilja.no/om-folk-farkost/gjestemannskap/)

Av alle disse kjære mennesker, så har et lite knippe utmerket seg på ymse vis, og følgelig blitt høytidelig utnevnt til Hedersmannskapsmedlem på S/Y Vilja til fanfare og champagne. Når vi nå kun er noen få nautiske mil fra startpunktet for SailingViljas ferd, så har vi gleden av å utnevne et femte Hederskapsmedlem: Vår skipslege og god venn Otto Inge Molvær. Bosatt i Førde i Vestland fylke.

Juryens vurdering:   

Otto er utpreget lesehest, trosmenneske, disiplinert og med stålkondis. Etterrettelig og grundig i all sin framferd.

Ovenfor oss er han «Otto», uansett hvilken vei du leser det. 😉 Tillitsvekkende og profesjonell skipslege, sunnmøringen med det gode gliset og lune kommentaren, stadig med sinnsro og tålmodig trygghet ovenfor Viljas ustyrlige trekløver og deres rutineløse seilehverdag. (Takket være ham så har Vilja overholdt flaggheisingsreglement morgen og kveld i det minste i noen måneder av sin seilas.) Som en fotnote kan dessuten nevnes at Otto er sprek som en fole, men har fødselsattest som beviselig vitner om at han har passert åtti og vel så det! 79 årsdagen ble feiret utenfor Equadors kyst, i frisk seilas på vei til Galapagos.

Først sa han seg villig til å sette sammen et Skipsapotek for oss. Jon Petter hadde trodd at en sunnmøring ville velge ut et smalt utvalg, men den gang ei; mer enn åtti preparater ble anbefalt og anskaffet. Grundighet og ansvarlighet hos Dr. Molvær overgår regional betingede særtrekk. Neste utfordring ble anmodning om å være med på første havstrekk som skipslege og matros. Det resulterte i kryssing av Norskehavet fra Norge via Shetland og Fair Isle til Skottland, dernest den Caledonske kanal og to ukers arbeidsdugnad med båten på slip i Oban i Skottland.

Nå fikk Otto mersmak på havkryssinger og kanalgang. Det resulterte i 3000 flere nautiske mil fra Martinique via Panamakanalen til Galapago. Da stilte han dessuten opp underveis som lege for andre seilerfamilier som var på Jordomseiling via Panamakanalen.

Vår eminente skipslege har tatt seg av akutte henvendelser fra de mest fjerntliggende flekker på Jord og endog fra ute på det åpne hav, til alle døgnets tider og iblant til alt overmål med knappe tidsfrister. Diagnoser har omfattet betennelser i sår med fare for blodforgiftning, rift i hornhinne, allergireaksjoner og oppsvulmede øyeepler, ørebetennelser, innvollsormer av ymse slag, anbefalinger til styrketreningsøvelser (diskret «foreskrevet» etter å ha bivånet Viljas mannskaps manglende sådanne rutiner i hverdagen…), og diverse helseuttalelser ved ulike anledninger, og mye mer. Dr. Molvær har gått døgnvakt i tre år nå, og fortjener vel saktens både et lite fritørn og denne utmerkelse.

Vår skipslege og gode venn har gitt oss en fundamental trygghet som har ligget i botn gjennom hele SailingViljas ferd rundt Jorden. Utnevnelse av Otto Inge Molvær som Hedersmannskap er selvsagt.

GRATULERER & TUSEN HJERTELIG TAKK!

Han føyer seg dermed inn i den eksklusive elitegruppen, som består av følgende eminente individer:

Hedersmannskap på S/Y Vilja:

• Ingrid Bouwer Utne
• Audun Sødal
• Brynhild Reitan
• Geir Ivar Hildrum
• Otto Inge Molvær

Hedersmannskapet skal for øvrig ta Vilja videre mot sin framtidige hjemmehavn Svolvær: Vi gleder oss til seileetappe Trondheim – Jøa siste helga i september, som er øremerket «Hedersmannskapsseilas»!

 

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September 2nd, 2020: Arrival Norway!!!

We have arrived in Norway!

In the early hours of Wednesday September 2^nd Vilja sailed into the beautiful harbor of Ålesund. OMG, how it feels strange, but wonderful. What an adventure we’ve had. And how good it feels to be (nearly) back home.

1122 days have passed since we left Norway from the port of Espevær on August 7^th, 2020! The time in between has been filled with so many miles, moments and memories.

Thank you to family, friends and colleagues for meeting us at the dock in Ålesund and Harøya, making us feel so very welcome and at home. Highly appreciated!

But hey, we’re not quite back where we started from yet though. Trondheim awaits. And after that our future hometown Svolvær in Lofoten. But we’re making some stops on the way:

Yesterday we revisited Myklebost on the island of Harøya to pay tribute to Jon Petter’s roots; the place where his grandfather and mentor Petter Myklebust was born.

Next we’re heading for the island of Hitra, to reunite and share a time-out with dear friends.

ETA Trondheim, Norway will be Monday September 7^th sometime in the late afternoon.

OMG – We-re back in Norway!!!!!!!!

 

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August 10th, 2020: Karen Marie’s first day at school – in Greenland!

We have a school beginner on board Vilja. Karen Marie is our soon-to-be six-year-old, feeling more than ready to start in first grade. We’ve long since realized that we won’t make it to our home port in Norway; Svolvær, in time for her to join her future classmates on their very first day of school. She’ll join them in October.

But life unfolds and things work out in mysterious ways; Karen Marie did get her first day at school. It happened in Qaqortoq in Greenland, the very same town that already had a special place in our hearts as the town of our first landfall after 28 days on Vilja. Through a chain of coincidences, Karen Marie ended up being one of the many eager school starters in the classroom of Class 1B at Tasersuup Atuarfia (Qaqortoq Primary School) on Monday August 10^th. This date and place will forever be Karen Marie’s first day in 1^st Grade in our hearts and family history.

In Greenland the first day of school for the first graders is a big event and celebration in the whole community. It is a day of joint celebration, of giving and sharing.

In the morning all the children assemble at school. Not only the parents join, but also the siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles and more.

The children are then assembled in their classrooms, where they meet their teachers and are given some welcoming gifts such as a text book, a ruler, timetable, and some snacks. School pictures are taken.

In the afternoon the families invite to the Greenlandic tradition of “kaffemik”. This is an “open house” invitation to all friends, family and even “friends of friends” in the community, to come throughout the afternoon to share good food, cakes and coffee in the home, thereby taking part in special life events in a family, whether it be a birthday, confirmation or like today; the first day of school. The guests typically bring presents for the young first grader.

We were invited to come to young Anouik Kielsen’s kaffemik. Anouik is Naja Kielsen’s nephew whom we had met the day before at Sofie and Efraim Tittussen’s home. Naja is their daughter-in-law. (Yes, as we said, a long chain of circumstances…) She had been busy the same day helping her sister prepare for the following day’s celebration: Her nephew Anouik’s first day at school and the “kaffemik” afterwards. As we have a little “school starter” in our crew, we were invited to join at school and the “kaffemik” the next day.

So there we were: After the exciting events at school, we joined Sofie Tittusen and went to Anouik’s kaffemik, held at Anouik’s grandparent’s home.

A special Thank you! to Bibi and Bentia Kielsen for welcoming three (until then) unknown Norwegian sailors, to their (grand)son’s kaffemik. We truly appreciated the hospitality!

In the evening we ourselves got visitors; our kayaking friends Aron, Abel and Paulus and their families.

Aron and his wife Arnamineq had a school beginner of their own; their son Ottonnguaq. They brought a school starter present for Karen Marie.

Oh my, what a day! There is no doubt in Karen Marie’s heart: She has started school, and her first school day was in Qaqortoq in Greenland!

 

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Aug 9th, 2020: Greenland hospitality and delicious cuisine

We returned to Qaqortoq after nearly a week’s sail in the Tunulliarfik Fjord (Eriksfjorden). Qaqortoq will always have a special place in our hearts, since we made our first landfall in Greenland there after having spent 28 days on board Vilja prior to arrival. It is such a nice little town with character and many beautiful spots, and last, but not least some very good people. Two of them are Sofie and Efraim Tittussen.

We first met Efraim in his job as harbor master. It turned out that he and Jon Petter share both the same profession and sense of humor. And of course they are both blessed with lovely wives… ?

Upon our return to the town, Efraim and his wife Sofie came over for a cup of coffee on board Vilja. The day after the couple showed us truly heartwarming Greenland hospitality by inviting us home for Sunday dinner.

We were introduced to the food traditions of Southwest Greenland, with a table abound of delicacies from the ocean. Just look at this “Menu”:

• Narwhal skin and blubber
• Dried capelin (in Norwegian: “lodde”)
• Dried pilot whale (in Norwegian: ”grindhval”)
• Salted pilot whale blubber
• Cured hooded seal blubber (in Norwegian: “klappmyss/ hettesel spekk”) in seal oi
• Freeze-dried halibut (in Norwegian: “frysetørket kveite”)
• Dried cod.

Accompanied with:

• Frozen crowberries
• Home-grown turnips
• Apple chunks
• Frozen blue grapes
• Soy Sauce
• Aromat spice mix

Our favorites were the narwhal skin and the salted pilot whale blubber, sprinkled with Aromat and dipped in soy sauce. But it all tasted delicious, and we ate as if there was no tomorrow. YUM!

After dinner, we had coffee and several kinds of cakes. What a treat!

Another highlight was Sofie letting Ingrid try on her kamiks (traditional sealskin boots worn with the national costume). She even took out their daughter’s national costume from when she was a little girl and let Karen Marie try on the whole outfit. No doubt that the little girl on the following pictures is feeling very proud and beautiful indeed.

What an amazing and authentic Greenland experience. And how nice it was to get to know this nice couple and their family better. We hope to meet the Tittussens again in the future both in Norway and Greenland!

Again we feel it’s the people we meet along our way that makes all the difference on this long voyage around the World.

 

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July 30th and August 8th-10th, 2020: Qayaqing in Qaqortoq

Did you know that there are more than thirty different Greenland kayak rolling techniques? We certainly didn’t. All the more cool to learn one of them properly in Greenland; the country where the kayak was invented and is still in active use.

One evening in Qaqortoq we met Abel, Aron and Paulus. They included us in their kayak training and practice, and even took a big chunk of their time to teach Jon Petter one of the basic rolling techniques. Then, a week later when we returned to Qaqortoq we met the same guys again. This time Karen Marie and Ingrid were invited to try out their «qayaq»s. Karen Marie especially appreciated trying out the “duck support floats” for kids.

So much fun! Thank you to our new qayaq friends in Qaqortoq.

Friendships were made, and a couple of days later we were lucky enough to have their families over for a visit on board Vilja.

So nice to make friends with families whom we share the appreciation of kayaking with. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that we will meet our “qayaqing” friends again in the future for some shared kayak (and sailing and more) fun in Norwegian waters!

 

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August 5th, 2020: Catching fish with our bare hands!

The most extraordinary fishing experience we’ve ever had: Catching fish (Arctic chars, called “røye” in Norwegian) with our bare hands.

Who would’ve dreamt that we would ever try this traditional technique, not to mention succeed at it!?

And to top it all off: The fish were caught at the historical grounds of Brattahlid (Qassiarsuk), in the very river where Erik the Red might have done the same a thousand years before us.

Thank you to our guide and friend David, for making this possible. We’ll never forget it!

 

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01.08.2020: A hike to the great Greenland Glacier!

More than 80 percent of Greenland is covered by ice! While in Narsarsuaq, we made a day’s hike up to the Inland Ice, the World’s largest glacier. Magnificent! And so nice to be out and about, moving again. (The 28 days on board Vilja didn’t do so well for our physical fitness…)

 

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July 26th, 2020: Ashore in Greenland after 28 days on board!

On July 26^th S/Y Vilja reached Greenland, after a week’s sail from Newfoundland.

The first sightings of icebergs as we got close to land in Greenland was a bit eerie and definitely fascinating.

We sail with respect and extra cautiousness in these waters, knowing that not much more than a centimeter of fiberglass separates our dry safety on board from the icy cold, wet and merciless surroundings.

Arriving in Qaqortoq, Greenland feels like arriving into freedom.

OMG, finally we can go ashore again! It’s been four weeks since we last set foot on land. No doubt, the pandemic has a substantial impact on our homewourd journey… We departed from Rhode Island, U.S.A. on June the 28^th. We knew then that Canada would only let us stop to provision and refuel. Maybe it’s just as well that we didn’t know at the time that the weather would force us to stay quarantined on board Vilja in St John’s for 12 days before we could head onwards to Greenland… So four weeks later we are indeed thoroughly quarantined, and we arrive in a country where there are no active COVID-cases. This represents freedom in more than one way.

We have uttered more than many sighs of relief since we arrived. Now we simply enjoy and appreciate life and nature in its simplicity and beauty, not to mentioned feeling safe & free (the pre-COVID «normal», in other words, but no longer taken for granted…)!

 

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7^th – 19^th July 2020: St John’s in Newfoundland: 12 days in COVID19-quarantine

Many people ask us: So what do you do on board when you’re sailing? How do you make time pass? Our answers are always many, and the bottom line is; there’s always something to do, and we’re NEVER bored.

But what if we’re stuck on board the boat without sailing for a couple of weeks?! What then? Well, we’ve tried that again, in our second long COVID19 quarantine (the first one was the 2+ weeks quarantine in Suriname in March-April). The answer is actually pretty much the same: There’s ALWAYS something to do, and we’re NEVER bored. But of course there is a difference in being so near shore: observing land life and meeting people, though at a distance.

Want some more details? Well, here are some images of what we’ve been doing and of people who have made an impact on our 12 days in quarantine in Newfoundland!

We hope and believe that we have made some friends that we take with us onwards in life. We hope to see you in Norway some day soon!

So this was a summary of our 12 days on board Vilja. Although we would’ve love to go ashore, we’re grateful that we were permitted to stop here for provisioning, refueling and to wait until the weather window opened for our sail onwards to Greenland.  And we’re happy to say that our stay here has really been nice, in its own way. It’s not such a bad idea to be forced to stay at home for a couple of weeks. You have time to do the things you’ve kept postponing, and you have time to just relax and be together. And last, but not least: our stay here in St John’s was made special because of the many friendly, generous, smiling, interesting, interested and heartwarm people we’ve met. THANK YOU to every single one who have been part of our time here!

We’ve been on board Vilja for 21 consecutive days now, and still have another 6-7 days to go on our way to Greenland. We’re happy to be able to truthfully say that we’re still enjoying each other’s company. And believe it or not; we haven’t been bored one single minute! ?

And now we sail onwards. Our next port of call is Qaqortoq in the SW of Greenland. We can hardly wait to explore this exotic land of green & ice that we have ahead of us. Expected Time of Arrival: July 25^th/26^th.

All is good on Vilja. We’re heading east for the first time on our SailingVilja journey!

 

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July 10th, 2020: 9 days slo-mo sailing to Canada (arrival July 7th), then some quarantine days, and then probably some more…

We’ve finally reached Newfoundland! We spent 9 days on a passage that could’ve taken us six… The reason? We missed the weather window. What we were left to sail with was either no wind or head winds. On the first half leg was through thick fog, on the second we had many sunny days. All in all this led to many quite unusual sailing activities on board, and also some fantastic moments of natural wonders. We even saw a couple of moonfish(!) more or less “bobbing” on the surface along with Vilja in the windstill. A peculiar sight.

So now we’ve arrived in St John’s. We are under strict COVID19 regulations, and do not have permission to go on land. Everything we need is delivered to us on board. We received diesel, provisions and fresh water on the first day here.

Judi O’Keefe from the Norwegian Consulate came by shortly after our arrival with some items that we had on our wish list, and has since been our helping hand with all sorts of things we need to get done. She’s even brought over cappuccinos, brownies and the nicest surprises for our littlest crew member.

We’ve met some other special people over the first days also, which we’ll tell more about in future updates. Let’s just say for now; the Newfoundlanders have managed to share their hospitality and generosity in an amazing way even in these very adverse conditions (remember; we’re stuck on the boat and nobody’s allowed to get even close to us!). We’re truly grateful and feel we’re gonna have to come back some day in the future to get to know this place and people under normal conditions.

So how long will we stay here? The weather decides. The first week’s weather forecast has only been showing us rougher weather and stronger headwinds than we like to see either upon departure or arrival. So we’ve chosen to wait. In the meantime, we’re getting some maintenance done on the boat, and also simply “hanging out”. Many of the locals stop on the pier and have a chat with us. Some have even offered to run errands for us, help us with laundry or even produce or mend spare parts that we need for the maintenance.

So all is good on Vilja. Just waiting for that weather window…

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June 9th, 2020: We’re where we want to be! (Emerson, New Jersey, U.S.A.)

So I guess that us being where we are right now is a story of following our hearts, whilst putting some brain into it. ?

Time is quite a wondrous thing, life likewise. A wise soul once said: “Life’s what happens to you when you’re busy making plans.” That’s strikingly true. Still we never seize to plan, do we…

Anyway, our plans have been totally tossed around these last few months (as it has for the rest of the World too, I guess). We’ve been fortunate though: Things have worked out, and we’ve even had a remarkably good time not knowing what’s next!

To take a snapshot of monthly status for these last three months:

• 3 months ago (March 9^th, 2020): We left Brazil, thinking that WE ourselves were in charge of our sailing route. We had plans for picking up crew (read: friends and family) on several locations. Planned and confirmed events we  were all looking forward to was sailing up the river to the interior of Suriname, watching the Classic Yacht Regatta in Antigua, an Easter sail to Cuba, a Princess lunch in Disney World, to mention a few. A few days later we were “sealocked” with no country wanting to let us in due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic… The possibilities were so narrowed down that we even considered turning NE to sail straight across the ocean directly to Norway (a 4500 nautical miles non-stop unplanned voyage).

• 2 months ago (April 9^th, 2020): We sailed from Suriname, after 2 weeks quarantine in the Suriname River. The National COVID-19 Coordination Team and the Surinamese authorities had granted S/Y Vilja permission to stop there out of “huminatarian reasons”, to refuel and provision. We did however not feel that it was the right place to stay longer. We needed new upper inner shrouds for Vilja (they had snapped on the sail here), and these we could neither produce or have shipped to Suriname given the prevailing lockdown. We also felt the need to move on towards home. So we set sail for the U.S. Virgin Islands. All possibilities for getting family and friends on board were ruled out by the regulations. All the aforementioned plans to Antigua, Cuba, Florida and more were also cancelled. We started preparing for a return sail via the Azores. At the same time the region of Ingrid’s birthplace in New Jersey, U.S.A. where friends and family live was developing into what was described as the “epicenter for the COVID-19 outbreak”. It seemed like an unlikely stop for our further sail.

• 1 month ago (May 9^th, 2020): We had already spent three weeks in the U.S. Virgin Islands, having had time to rest and reconcile. The ports of the U.S. mainland were opening up, the World had started to “get used to” coping with a pandemic – a new normal was settling, with a World carefully easing regulations. So we made a new and somewhat bold choice: To sail ourselves back on track to our original plan, and head north to the U.S.A. instead of northeast to the Azores. We joined the Salty Dawg Homebound Flotilla, to stay updated on the constantly changing COVID-19 rules and regulations for us sailors, and also get professional weather routing along the way.

• By today, June 9^th of 2020: We’ve sailed the 1900 nautical mile stretch from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The choice of sailing non-stop 14 days across the sea from St Thomas to NJ was made to guarantee that we would be totally quarantined upon meeting our dear friends, especially Finn (90) and Mary Lib (95).

Along the way we made the strategic choice to heave-to in head winds of 30+ knots out at sea rather than go to port and wait it off there (a great and undividedly positive experience by the way!).  We’ve crossed the Gulf stream and rounded Cape Hatteras in excellent conditions (dead calm, had to motor though…). Gale force winds blew us northwards, until finally we the last couple of days sailed at “a walking pace” along New Jersey’s coastline. 4 days ago we sailed up the Hudson River, passing Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, and timely enough also a crowd of more than a thousand people (in these COVID-19 social distancing times…) participating in a “Black Lives Matter” demonstration in Hoboken. We finally anchored on the New Jersey side of the river below the George Washington Bridge, at North Hudson Yacht Club. This would have been Ingrid’s “homeport” of her childhood, when she grew up in Bloomfield, NJ.

And now we are with our dear family friends; the Raae and Bensen families. It is wonderful to see them again and spend time together, even more so knowing that it almost didn’t come to be. We’ve visited my old neighborhood in Bloomfield, and even visited my dear neighbor Mary Lib. So nice to tie the strings from the past to the present. Now Karen Marie also feels she is a part of my American history. Next week we will be visiting my sister Christine and brother Eric, which I truly look forward to.

All I can say is “WOW!”.

So we’re busy making plans again… But this time I think we’re appreciating more than normal being in the present too.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see where we are a month from now?

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May 21^st,, 2020: Thank you, U.S. Virgin Islands!

Thank you to the U.S. Virgin Islands for being a safe haven for us where we have stayed while the entire World – and we ourselves –  were and still are trying to figure out how to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you for letting us enter into your waters and onto your land, and even making us feel welcome. We have felt incredibly lucky!

A special thank you to our new friends, Ingrid Marie and Sophia Widvey, who are USVI residents, though originally from Karmøy, Norway. They have been generous beyond our imagination. You’re amazing, and have “made our day” again and again these past weeks.

We bring so many good memories with us from the five weeks we’ve stayed in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And feel all the more grateful for them, knowing that meanwhile many sailors have had quite challenging times in other places around the World.

Now Team Vilja is ready to sail onwards. We’re homeward bound. Our next stop is 1500 nautical miles NW, where we plan to anchor in the Hudson River, New Jersey, U.S.A.. There we look forward to meeting friends and family that we haven’t seen in what seems to be tooooo long.

We’ve joined the Salty Dawg Homeward Bound Flotilla, and will appreciate receiving professional weather routing from Chris Parker along the way, as well as being tracked and followed up by a shoreside coordinator team. We reckon around 15 boats will be heading from the Caribbean to the U.S. east coast along pretty much the same route and the same time as us. Quite a new experience for us on Vilja, who are used to being “lone sailors” across the seas. It’s actually quite nice to feel like part of a team, especially since the World (at least on land) is so unpredictable and changing in these times of the corona outbreak.

The weather forecasts are showing a bit less wind than we had hoped for. We hope there will be sufficient to fill our sails and take us forward at a steady pace though. And as far as can be predicted; it looks like there isn’t any rough weather expected in quite a while. Should something develop, then we might have to seek shelter in the Chesapeake Bay, Beaufort, or somewhere else south of our destination. We’ll just have to wait and see, or maybe rather sail and see.

Vilja’s on her way again. Next stop: mainland United States of America!

Read more about Vilja’s sail homewards to Norway in a World «put on hold» by the COVID-19 pandemic,  covered by the Norwegian sailing journal «Seilmagasinet»’s website www.seilmagasinet.no. The newest article is here, published May 21st, 2020:

https://www.seilmagasinet.no/ingrid-slungaard-myklebust-koronavirus-sy-vilja/viljas-neste-trekk/694877

(in Norwegian of course, but Google Translate should do the trick should you need some assistance!)

And now a look back at some of the many good moments and memories from our five weeks in the U.S. Virgin Islands:

 

 

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April 12th, 2020: HIP HOORAY! S/Y Vilja and crew have completed our Circimnavigation around the World!

On April 12^th 2020 S/Y Vilja crossed her own wake of February 17^th 2018. That time two years back we were on our way westwards to Tobago. Now we’re heading north towards the U.S. Virgin Islands. And with this we can say: S/Y Vilja and the three of us – Jon Petter, Ingrid & Karen Marie – have completed our sail ALL the way around the World!

So if we should ever philosophize on the question of “How big is our planet really?”, then we have at least one qualified answer on the matter, achieved through experience! ? Because we have sailed every nautical mile of the way, through every single wave, filling Vilja’s sails with every breath (or gust) of wind we were able to catch, to get ourselves all the way around the World.

S/Y Vilja’s Circumnavigation has covered a distance of 30 500 nautical miles, equivalent to 56 500 kilometers. We have stood behind the helm for more than 5 000 hours since we were here last. Not only are we happy: We feel incredibly grateful and humble. And we are proud.

We celebrated on Easter Morning with Champagne breakfast, Easter colored boilt eggs, homemade marzipan eggs from the Easter bunny, and a truly “fantasious” rainbow colored cheesecake.

Everything of course prepared with our chief esthete and youngest sailor in the lead, with her boundless fantasy and her devoted “Support Team” keeping the ship afloat.

Oh, and we even exchanged gifts! To each other’s great surprise, because it had never been spoken about previously. Maybe not surprising. This milestone didn’t come all of a sudden, as a surprise. It’s actually the result of a big team effort.

The gift from Jon Petter to Ingrid: The tail of another long distance traveller of the seas. Acquired after having crossed South Atlantic Ocean, on the islands of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.

The gift from Ingrid to Jon Petter: An artwork made in the shape of a globe, from a solid material that still is closer to Jon Petter’s heart than fiber glass… Crafted on the other side of the World, by Peter Edmonds on Aotea (Great Barrier Island) in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

And finally, a gift also for our youngest circumnavigator; a maori warrior doll, made in what to her is her 2^nd home country; Aotearoa, New Zealand. The maori heritage of that country will forever be an integrated part of her childhood memories, thanks to this circumnavigation that brought us and kept us there for six unforgettable months, throughout the tropical storm season of 2018-2019.

So with this we mark our circumnavigation. Our first one. What the future holds for either of us, no one knows. Maybe more will follow? The World is going nowhere. Where will we go?!

Well, short term: Next stop is the U.S. Virgin Islands. Then we’ll see. ?

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April 9th, 2020: Thank you Suriname, and thank you to a very special woman; our friend Nettie.

Thank you, for keeping us safe when the World is changing faster than we thought possible, in these changing times of the COVID-19 pandaemic.

Thank you for letting us provision, refuel, rest and think. And most of all, thank you for the humanity you have shown us. And a special thanks from all three of us to Nettie Djikstra at the Harbor Resort Domburg, who made all this happen and more, while we were in two weeks of quarantine.

We have given our next move more thought than ever. Should we stay or should we go? We choose to sail on. After all we are homebound for Norway. And we feel the need to get technical spare parts for Vilja, to be extra prepared for the long voyage home. As it is now, we can’t get parts here in Suriname. So we sail to a country where we can; the U.S. Virgin Islands. A package is already shipped there from our expert team at Riggmaster AS in Norway. In it are two custom-made upper inner shrouds to keep as spare parts for Vilja should we need them, and a head gasket for our Fischer Panda generator.

We have experienced one too many times that the borders closed right in front of us, while we were still at sea. That is what happened when we were midway between Brazil and Suriname. Still, we consider it the right choice to move again even though the same can happen. But we build on experience, and have made all preparations we can possibly think of. American, Norwegian and Surinamese Authorities are well informed and understand our situation. We have the chief of the U.S: Virgin Islands Customs and Border Control who is expecting our arrival. So are several sailor friends, a marina and even a Norwegian woman living in the USVI (Another Ingrid. That must mean good charisma, eh?! ?).

And just in case, we are provisioned and prepared for many months at sea, should it for some unexpected reason prove necessary…

So here we go. Our ETA at St Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands is April 16^th. Follow us on the map as we sail across the sea:

http://www.sailingvilja.no/underveis/seilt-rute/

May we have fair winds and open borders!

 

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March 8th, 2020: Good bye Brazil! We’re heading for the Caribbean. Or will we have time for a stop in Suriname?

Waiting for weather isn’t so bad when it’s on the magnificent islands of Fernando de Noronha of Brazil.

But now we HAVE to move on. We’ve been waiting for wind for two weeks now, but still there’s nothing. So now we’re going anyway, hoping to catch every breath Mother Nature takes to our advantage.

Maybe we stop in Suriname, >1500nm NW? Or maybe we head on straight to Barbados, ~2000 nm N? Time will tell. It all depends on how long this passage will take.

Anyhow, we’re definitely getting close to crossing our own track from two years back, thereby completing our circumnavigation.

But first we’ve gotta sail/drift/motor our way through those Doldrums…

We expect to be out on the Big Blue for a couple of weeks, and really look forward to it! This time we’re three on board; Ingrid, Jon Petter & Karen Marie.

Ship a’hoy!

Ps. Interested in reading about our passage across the South Atlantic? Check out our Einar’s (our crew member) everyday blog here: https://blog.einarhansen.me

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January 5^th-11^th, 2020: Week #9 in South Africa. Last minute impressions of South Africa + Getting ready for another Ocean Passage!

Our ninth and last week in South Africa was an intense mix of looking back, being present and getting ready for the future:

Vilja has to be as ready as she can be for the more than 13 000 nautical miles of sailing that remain ahead of us in the coming 7 months. At the same time we still wanted to check off some more things on our bucket list for South Africa. And finally, there are the friends that we are surrounded by here in the harbor; the sailors and people we have shared experiences and built friendships with. After South Africa, we will sail at our own pace and follow different routes. No-one knows when we will meet again, although we’re sure we will meet many of them again, sometime somewhere.

Making the most out of all these matters made for a pretty intense last week in South Africa. There’s so much to be grateful for!

A new crew member has arrived!

Look who’s here!

Einar-Johan and Ingrid were colleagues back in Norway at the governmental energy agency Enova. Einar-Johan is also the mastermind and has done most of the programming work put into creating our website www.sailingvilja.no. We’ve been hoping to get him on board ever since we started our voyage, and now finally it is actually going to happen! Einar-Johan is joining us for the entire passage across the South Atlantic: South Africa- Namibia – St Helena – Ascension – Brazil. AWESOME!

Our minds our now 75 % fixed on starting the long sail we have ahead of us. But first, the results of the remaining 25 %:

Getting some last glimpses of South Africa

Sunday January 5^th: Visiting the museum and former state prison on Robben Island was on our bucket list. We finally made it happen on Sunday.

The visit gave us some insight, and it was quite moving to be on the grounds where Nelson Mandela and many hundred brave fighters for freedom and the abolition of the Apartheid system in South Africa and Namibia spent a big part of their lives.

The message was made even more powerful by having actual “ex-convicts” as guides, sharing not only the history of the prison but their personal experiences and understanding of life on the island and that dark chapter of South African history.

Hanging out in KALK BAY, voted “the coolest neighborhood in the World”.

Forbes has voted Kalk Bay the coolest neighborhood in the world. It was only a 20 minute drive from where we were staying in Simons Town. Of course we had to pay the neighborhood a visit.

One thing I absolutely WILL agree on though is: They have an awesome bookshop there!

A walk to the local waterfall

We walked to the local waterfall in Simons Town. We found only a trickle of water, but it was made up for by the nice surroundings and good company; the crew on S/Y Yonder, Cannelle and Fabian.

Getting the crew ready

It’s not only the boat that has to be ready for the thousands of miles at sea that we have ahead of us. Also the crew have to make sure they’re alright! Ingrid has been struggling with allergies for quite some time, probably against the mildew on board. In January the eyes said “no more!”, when even the eyeballs starting swelling. It was time to go to the doctor! First our very own “ship’s doctor” Otto home in Norway gave his evaluations and advice. Who were again confirmed by the doctor she visited in Simons Town. Now plenty of anti-histamine and antibiotic eyedrops have been prescribed and stored on board. Things are looking better, literally spoken!

Getting the boat ready

And then there’s Vilja. So many big and small things that have been done! Vilja’s looking better than ever!

Saying farewell to sailing friends

Friendships is a unique gift. We have been incredibly lucky to find and feel it grow with some unique people that we have met along the way. So also in South Africa. In Simons Town it was time to say goodbye for now and see you again sometime somewhere.

OFF TO CAPE TOWN!

And then, finally, we were ready to move on to Cape Town. Mission: Check-out of South Africa.

So now we’re heading north to Lüderitz in Namibia, our last stop before we set out on our second Atlantic passage. Ship a’hoy!

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December 29^th, 2019 – January 4^th, 2019: Week #8 in South Africa. Happy New Year! Sharks, gems, climbs, new year salutes and even new crew members!

As we’re getting ready to sail to Namibia (on January 11^th), we just post a quick update from our 8^th week in South Africa. These last couple of weeks in Simons Town have been our “vacation”, as you will see here. It’s been good.

We don’t have time to write many comments (it’s 2pm on Saturday the 11th as I write this, and our sailboat & crew are ready to go!). But hopefully the pics will talk for themselves!

Sunday December 29^th: Shark cage diving in Gansbaai

See more about Xolani’s work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRpSDjbkzEAOn the way home we stopped in Hermanus, the whale capitol of South Africa.

Some more things taken off our «Must do» and «Can do» list. 

Playing on the last day of the year 2019

Happy New Year 2020!

Thursday January 2nd, 2020: A day in Cape Town

Friday January 3^rd: Diving in False Bay

Saturday January 4th: A quiet day in Simons Town. And right before midnight: A new crew member!

Getting ready to go to depart from South Africa, and begin the long travel home.

Our stop in South Africa has been our “vacation”. From now on we’ll be more or less on a constant move to get home to Norway by September 2020. Our 9^th week will be a busy one getting ready to go. More pics from this will follow in a little!

 

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December 22-28, 2019: Week #7 in South Africa. Farewell Indian Ocean, Hello Atlantic, Merry Christmas in Simons Town!

We rounded Cape Agulhas in perfect conditions on Sunday evening, December 22nd.

A time to pause and be grateful

It’s with a sigh of relief that we round the tip of Cape Agulhas and arrive safely in Simons Town. We quote weather router Des Cason, in his description of the coast we’ve just put behind us:

“The coast from Rbay to Cape Town is considered the most lethal in the world 2nd only to the Grand Banks off Nova Scotia for a very good reason. In sustained SW\S 25-30kts over 24-36 hrs period the effects of wind against current results in survival conditions and the number of vessels and yachts lost on the coast due to rogue waves etc is legend.” 

We are truly grateful to have had a great sail all the way. There has been a lot of planning and weeks of waiting for the right weather windows. We send a BIG THANK YOU to our weather router Des Cason, who has given us useful advice and taken the time to explain to us the characteristics of this tricky and potentially treacherous stretch of the coast.

(Note by the way, we will be sailing along the coast of Canada near the Grand Banks off Nova Scotia in June 2020… But we’ll think about that later… Now is now. We’ve put the Eastern coast of South Africa behind us, and even had a good sail. Hooray!)

Home for Christmas!

So now we’ve moved our home to Simons Town, our safe haven for the Christmas holidays and where we will begin 2020, the final year of our 3+ years of circumnavigation.

Peter (Nilssen)’s Yuliya, Sasha and Max came to meet us in Simons Town. And look who Yuliya picked up at the airport on the way to us:

 

Tuesday December 24th – Christmas Eve Morning

Our friends Yuliya and Peter, Sasha and Max, came over on the morning of Christmas Eve for some very important Christmas preparations: The Gingerbread Hous assembly and decorating! As always so much fun, and especially so when done with such excellent teamwork.

Christmas Eve Evening: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And then it was finally Christmas Eve. Sooo nice to have Petter «home» for the holidays.

December 23rd, Christmas Day 

 

Thursday December 26th. A drive to Long Beach and Hout Bay and driving the Chapmans’ Peak Drive

 

Friday December 27th. Enjoying the Winelands and The Franschoek Wine Tram Tour

We spent an entire day exploring the Winelands, and doing the Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour’s «Blue line».  We visited the wineries La Bri, La Bourgogne, Glenwood and Grande Provence.  All were good, some great! We especially appreciated the excellent Fine Food and Wine Experience at the Glenwood Estate. The Wine Blending at Grande Provence was fun, to say the least. And The Kid’s Juice & Chocolate coupling at Le Bri was much appreciated!

 

Saturday December 28th: Morning in Fronchhoek, Afternooon in Cape Town.

We stayed the night in Franschhoek (naturally, concidering yesterday’s wine tasting…), and ha a new kind of tasting experience in the morning in town.

Wow, another unforgettably fun and eventful week; from rounding the Cape Agulhas, getting Petter «home» for Christmas, celebrating Christmas, swimming with penguins on Christmas Day, wine bonanza in the Winelands and finally a taste of Cape Town. We look forward to entering the New Year soon. But before that som shark diving tomorrow and then some more. Just wait and see!

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December 15-21, 2019: Week #6 in South Africa. An awesome week in Mossel Bay. Waiting for weather has never been better!

It was Lonely Planet, followed by this Logo and the following words in capital letters and bold font: “AWAKENING OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT” on the website https://www.humanorigin.co.za/, that led us to make a phone call to book a tour. Who could’ve guessed that this would lead to us 10 days later enjoying our annual gingerbread house baking ritual and the morning of Christmas Eve on board Vilja in Cape Town with these guys:

In between there have been SO many good shared moments of connection, exchanging ideas and sharing thoughts that have struck a chord and awakened interest for more. All the while we’ve shared many big smiles, laughs and enjoyment in seizing the day. Shoulders down and relaxed, but active. Carpe Diem!

So the intention was to book a tour to learn some history of the area. In the previous post from our Week #5 in South Africa we told about how we already on our first day in Mossel Bay – by making arrangements for a tour – ended up with having a birthday surprise celebration for archeologist and 50% Norwegian-blooded Peter Nilssen together with his wife Yuliya on board Vilja. Here’s what happened after that:

Sunday December 15^th: The Point of Human Origins Tour in Mossel Bay

You can’t get much further south on the African continent than Mossel Bay. In 1997 the archeologist Peter Nilssen visited the caves at Pinnacle Point, and realized instantly that he was on a site of archeological interest. It turned out to be more spectacular than he would’ve dared hope for; the findings in Cave 13B (as it is referred to as) date back more than 160,000(!!!) years, making it one of the earliest findings of human origin and behavior in the World! For more information, have a look here: https://www.humanorigin.co.za/blog/

On Monday morning at 08:30AM Peter and Yuliya picked up the two sailing families on S/Y Vilja and S/Y Nimbus for an immensely engaging and interesting Cave Tour at Pinnacle Point.

Monday December 16^th: Fun and inspiration with our new friends in Mossel Bay

On Monday we did the unusual move of going for a short sail in the bay. We’re used to always sailing for days or weeks at a time, so this was an enjoyable change. And all the more fun with Yuliya, Peter & Max (12) on board to share the sail & after-sail with!

Tuesday-Wednesday December 17^th– 18^th  : Lazy Days

Wednesday was another good slow-mo day in Mossel Bay. Mostly spent it writing on an article, doing some repairs on the boat and simply playing. And wadayouknow! – Two charming snowmen suddenly turned up at our “backdoor”.

Thursday December 19^th: Driving the Garden Route and checking out the (not so) wild life

We are truly the lucky ones: Yuliya and Peter lent us their car, and we were able to explore what lies outside walking distance on the Southern end of Africa. We wanted to see some big cats, and we were curious to explore the Garden Route and coastal towns such as Knysna. So we went for a day’s drive together with Molly, Lilly & Avery from S/Y Nimbus.

Cat Confusion at Jukani Wildlife Ranch and Care Centre! (bengal tigers, jaguars & lions in the same neighborhood…)

So what are Bengal tigers, Jaguars and Lions doing in the same neighborhood? Well, that’s what’s called a zoo, isn’t it. But Jukani is a bit different, as it’s a Big Cat Sanctuary. All of their animals are either rescued or donated, and given a second chance to a life at Jukani rather than being put down. The big cats are either confiscated from people keeping let’s say a cheetah or leopard as a pet, or they’ve been donated from shut down zoos that needed to find a new home for their cats.

Still, the visit felt worthwhile, thanks to knowing the fact that these cats are actually saved from the meaningless fate of being put down just ‘cos people didn’t want them anymore.

Thanks also to our knowledgeable guide “X” (which is the short form he uses for his real Xhosa name) who taught us many interesting facts about each of the park’s species, and even gave us this excellent demonstration of his totally cryptic, but cool sounding language Xhosa.

After Jukani we headed on to another sanctuary: Monkeyland. This one felt less like a zoo and more like a walk in the wild. Although the high walls hidden behind the forest makes the mix and density of primates totally unrealistic, but still entertaining.

Friday December 20^th: A South African Braaie at The Nilssen Family’s home

This week in Mossel Bay has truly turned into a week of enjoying time with friends. On Friday evening  we – both the Vilja and the Nimbus families – were invited to Peter & Yuliya for a genuine South African braaie (BBQ). SO nice!

During the evening, Peter popped the question: «Can I join you for the sail to round Cape Agulhas?». The answer was an unanimous YES!

Saturday December 21^st: Getting ready for departure to round the Cape Agulhas.

Or actually, what we spent the day doing was: Strawberry picking, getting lost in a maze and enjoying some last minute time with our Mossel Bay friends. And then, at 11pm, we were ready to set sail.

More or less on the way out of the area, we decided to just take a little walk in the farm’s garden maze. Feeling a bit rushed to get home and prepare for the sail, we didn’t take the time to read the signs and info in front of the maze before we entered into it. An hour of being “totally lost in a maze” later, we finally found our way out. Then we read the sign which pointed out that this isn’t just any small-kiddies’ maze; it’s actually the largest maze in the Southern Hemisphere, no less than 10 km long! Haha, what a crazily fun and untraditional way to get ready to sail! 😉

When we arrived home, Ingrid went for some speed shopping to provision for not only the sail, but for the Christmas holidays thereafter. With a black belt in long-term provisioning, the shopping was done in no time. We didn’t go to the shops again in nearly two weeks. I’ve got to say; I like this lifestyle! (So strange to recall how it could feel like a challenge before, if the shops were closed for an extra day or two during the holidays. Haha, what was that about?!)

Our friend and new crew member, Peter Nilssen, arrived with his “support team” at 9pm. We could’ve rushed to get going, but we saw no reason to. The weather window was good and would be sufficient for us to still take it easy some hours. We decided to rather cherish these last hours we had left in Mossel Bay to share some more time with Yuliya, Sasha and Max. Good choice!

It’s been one week in Mossel Bay, and all we can say is WOW! We’ve made friends and had some good times we’ll cherish forever. THANK YOU!

 

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December 08-14, 2019: Week #5 in South Africa. We sail onwards! From Richards Bay to Mossel Bay.

On December 8^th we eyed a weather window due to open up the next day. After a month now of waiting, this was The Window to get on our way to Cape Town, if we were to have any chance at getting there by Christmas. More than fifteen boats were ready to go. We thought we were one of them, but… wait and see……

Sunday December 8^th – last preparations and new friends!

First, a quick look back to September 2019 in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas: There we met Rick from S/Y Oceans (USA), who had the most awesome boat horn made from a conch shell. Ever since have we on VIlja dreamt of acquiring the same. A couple of months ago, in the remote village of Nosy Mohuko, Madagascar, we finally got hold of a large conch shell. And now, as one of the last preparations before we were ready to leave Richards Bay, Jon Petter took the time to give it a last “touch” and transform it into Vilja’s very own Conch Shell Horn!

New friends!

Last week Karen Marie made friends with some happy, playful kids at the Zululand Yacht Club. This has given som good, giggly moments and lots of fun.

We shared some brief, but nice talks on the pier with the parents, Aneke and Carlos. On Sunday evening the whole family came over for a visit. They surprised us by bringing some South African staples for us to taste; Milk tart, Fruit Dainties, spices and other treats. We truly appreciated this thoughtful gesture, and getting some last minute time to get to know eachother better. Wish we had more time though, and hope to meet up again in the future, sometime somewhere.

Monday Dec 9^th: Ready – Set – Go! Or not?!…

On Monday the weather looked good, and around fifteen boats set off. That is – all except Vilja…

We also left the harbor, but never got the sails up! For some unknown reason the furling system suddenly decided not to work. Now remember, this is the part we had fixed only a few weeks ago here in Richards Bay. After that, it’s been purring like a kitten, sounding all good. This behavior of utter silence (as if no electric connection) was however a new, unknown one. What was wrong?! There was no other alternative than to head back to port, more than a bit frustrated to be left behind.

By nightfall we were ready to go again. We decided to get some sleep first though.

Tuesday December 10^th – A quick reunion with Team Yonder. And then –  we’re off!

We truly believe in Norwegian poet Nils Kjær’s saying:

It’s the delays, the detours and the sidetracks that enrich life.

So also this time, when our delayed departure gave the few extra hours to make this happen: S/Y Yonder sailed in to Richards Bay late Monday evening. In the morning hours on Tuesday we got visitors. So look who’s here!

Wednesday December 11^th – back in focus on here & now

It took but a second from leaving the port, and all the little errands, internet time, and everyday hustle and bustle was left behind. We’re back in focus on here & now.

Thursday December 12^th – We keep on sailing south (but how far can we get?!)

The Agulhas current gave us a boost in the right direction, and a new record was made: 246 nm sailed in one day!  That’s an average of 10.25 knots over a 24 hour period! All we can say is WOW! and YEE-HAW!

So we’re sailing unbelievably fast. The big question is: How far can we get before the weather window shuts again?! The large group of sailboats that left Richards Bay the day before us decided to stop in East London. But we eye a hope to go further. Again, we’re back to the detailed and intense weather routing so typical for this tricky stretch along the East coast of Africa. We receive daily updates from weather router Des Cason.

First, we decided to sail on towards Port Elizabeth. And finally, on Thursday afternoon, we made the somewhat nerve-wrecking decision to keep on sailing towards Mossel Bay. We felt pretty sure we could make it but were sailing more on the margins than we are used to. The main worry was meeting countercurrents or other unforeseen obstacles. We stuck to our decision, though. We needed to keep a speed of >6.6 knots, which we felt rather confident was doable.

Friday December 13^th – St. Lucia Day Celebration, and arrival in Mossel Bay

We’re sailing at >7 knots even without the favorable push of the Agulhas current, thereby increasing the margins and letting us feel more confident that we’ll make it to Mossel Bay by tonight at midnight, when the weather window closes. We lower our shoulders again, and look for alternative entertainment. ‘Cos it ain’t just any day today, it’s St. Lucia Day!

St. Lucia Day (or St. Lucy’s Day) is celebrated in Scandinavia and Italy on December 13^th every year. The celebration is to commemorate Lucia of Syracuse (early 4^th century martyr) whom brought food and aid to persecuted Christians in hiding in the Roman catacombs. According to legend she wore a candlelit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible.

We say it again: Family boats with cruising kids in their crew ain’t like «the average boat»; Just as we a month ago were pretty sure that there weren’t any other boats throwing a grand Halloween celebration during the intense sail from Madagascar to South Africa, this time we’re feeling just as sure that we’re the only ones out here on the Big Blue that are having live lit candles and a St. Lucia procession on board on the afternoon of December 13^th.

We arrived in Mossel Bay On December 13^th at 22:00. Just as we entered the port, we could feel the wind turning from SE to SW… Despite a full port with no real space to tie up, we still couldn’t have had a better welcome to Mossel Bay: Henry and Matt from S/Y Nimbus met us in their dingy and led us to the only possible spot to tie up alongside the commercial wall, while Alfred from Port Control met us there and helped us handle the lines.

Phew, we feel so happy to actually have made it so far as Mossel Bay. Now we’re definitely keeping our hopes up that we may make it to Cape Town for Christmas, and before our son Petter arrives on the 23rd!

Saturday December 14^th – Our first day in Mossel Bay, and an unexpected (birthday) surprise!

Mossel Bay – a place with significant history

We had made no preparations prior to our stop in Mossel Bay, so Lonely Planet gave us some helpful hints. First we learnt that Mossel Bay is known for both extremely old (160 000 years!!!) and some (relatively) “recent” (~500+ yrs) history. To take the latter first – the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas was Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. He entered the Aguada de São Brás (Bay of Saint Blaise, later renamed Mossel Bay) on February 4^th 1488.

We visited the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex on Saturday, and learnt more about the first Europeans that sailed in these waters. A story of special interest, now that we ourselves are sailing in these same waters half a millennium later.

How a string of small coincidences led to a birthday surprise and newfound friendship

It never seizes to amaze us how strings of apparent coincidences add up to some amazing encounters and surprises. In Mossel Bay we had one of those amazing experiences. It started with Lonely Planet’s mentioning of the “Point of Human Origin” Tour that triggered our interest. It stated: «Led by an archeology professor, this fascinating four-hour tour includes a hike to the pinnacle point Caves, where discoveries have shed light on human life from 162,000 years ago.» A quick look at the website www.humanorigin.co.za and a phone call later, not only led to a tour booking for the next day, but to the beginning of a newfound friendship.

Ingrid’s brief talk to Yuliya on the phone and a casual mention of our SailingVilja voyage first triggered the discovery of our mutual interest in sailing, and then the realization that her husband Peter Nilssen (the aforementioned professor, who now “professors” no more, so “only” has the official title Dr. Nilssen) has Norwegian heritage. Peter’s grandfather Daniel Magne Nilssen was a Norwegian whaler from Sandefjord who brought his wife Ragne and two sons (of which Nils Gunnar is Peter’s father) to South Africa in 1948. (Another fun coincidence in the middle of it was to realize that Peter’s full name is Peter John and his sister’s name is Ingrid. Jon Petter & Ingrid, Peter John & Ingrid. Get it?! ?)

To top it all off, it turned out that today (Saturday December 14^th) was Peter’s birthday! On the invitation to surprise him with a birthday coffee & cake on board a Norwegian sailboat who happened to be in their harbor, they accepted. And this is how it ended up with that only a few hours after we had arrived at Mossel Bay, Yuliya and Peter visited us on board for the first time. It wouldn’t be the last, as this was only the good beginning of something great. Just wait and see!

 

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December 01-07, 2019: Week #4 in South Africa

We’ve been four weeks in Richards Bay now, waiting for a weather window to open up, to let us sail on southwards.

Believe it or not; four weeks hasn’t seemed that long. Richards Bay is a good place to be, especially since we’re a whole little community of long-distance sailors “in the same boat” (not literally, but weatherwise). It’s been great to have friends & neighbors from S/Y Nimbus, S/Y Aisling, S/Y Eliana, S/Y Storm Petrel , S/Y Endeavour ++ around. And to a Norwegian sailing family, being in South Africa is exotic and exciting in its own right! Here are some examples:

You know you’re not in Norway when…:

Getting ready for Christmas!

Christmas is right around the corner, and we’re starting to get into the Christmas spirit.

A day full of fun

Sunday became a whole day of fun together with our American friends on S/Y Nimbus.

Taking one thing after the other off “The List”

Jon Petter keeps on working on the boat, taking one thing after the other off “The List”. (All the while also constantly finding new points to add on to it, of course, but still…).

Ingrid has put a good chunk of time into writing another article, this time a “Christmas Hello” for the little, local newspaper in her home town Meråker. This is something which is simply done because we feel like it, but that’s also important!

These are things that make our heart lighter and make us happy doing!

Time with friends

It’s so nice to have time together with our sailing friends in our floating neighborhood.

Also an undocumented good moment of the week was pizza&movie night with Dan from S/Y Aisling. We are again at awe at one of the most amazing stories of accomplishment and endurance at sea, retold in the movie “Shackleton’s Captain”.

Family fun at the Dayspring Animal Farm

One day we visited a farm nearby; the Dayspring Restaurant and Animal Farm. We ended up spending the whole day there. It felt good and relaxing to enjoy the free-range animals and down-to-earth activities, and simply being, laughing and learning together.

Visiting the Dayspring Animal Farm is a “must-do activity” for (sailing) families when spending time in Richards Bay! https://web.facebook.com/DayspringAnimalFarm?_rdc=1&_rdr

Play pals at the  Zululand Yacht Club

Karen Marie has made friends with some great kids at the marina.

Checked out and ready to go!

Even though weather is always a factor of uncertainty when planning our sailing progress, this is definitely the longest we’ve ever had to wait for a green light to sail on. And we’re not taking any chances on this one. To quote our weather router Des Cason, whom we put high faith in, here’s what he has to say about what lies ahead of us:

“The coast from Rbay to Cape Town is considered the most lethal in the world 2nd only to the Grand Banks off Nova Scotia for a very good reason. In sustained SW\S 25-30kts over 24-36 hrs period the effects of wind against current results in survival conditions and the number of vessels and yachts lost on the coast due to rogue waves etc is legend. There is no excuse for getting caught in these conditions as all the weather information you could ever need is freely available.“ 

In other words; we’ll wait for the right conditions. It looks like that may happen in the upcoming week.

So we’ve checked out and are ready to go. There might be some Happy Advent Sailing coming up soon!

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November 24-30, 2019: Week #3 in South Africa

So we’re still in Richards Bay, waiting for a weather window to move South. It’s been three weeks here so far.

We were docked along the International Wall at the Tuzi Gazi Harbor for the first couple of weeks. However, the yachts were “piling up” in the harbor, due to that weather that lets no one continue their sail South. Eventually we had to move over to the Zululand Yacht Club.

Luckily the change has given some new opportunities: It’s more peaceful here, and even has a swimming pool and playground (meaning also many kids around). Also, several of the other boats have made the same move, so we still have some of our favorite neighbors around, such as the Nimbus family and Dan Stroud on Aisling.

We’ve rented a car together with Warren on Eliana. Very convenient. It’s nice to be able to drive around on our own, especially since the neighborhood is quite exotic!

Hippo Safari in St. Lucia

On Sunday we teamed up with Warren and drove to St. Lucia. Main attraction; Going on a Hippo Safari on the St. Lucia Estuary.

Last day at Little Musketeers Nursery School

Monday was Karen Marie’s last day at nursery school. After some days of not wanting to go in the previous week, now Karen Marie seemed to be settling in and finding new friends. The last day was the best one, and as she herself admitted: It was actually pretty fun!

Walking among zebras and wildebeasts in the wild

On Wednesday we went for an afternoon walk together with Dan (S/Y Aisling) and Warren (S/Y Eliana) in the Enseleni Nature Reserve, only a 15 minutes’ drive from the marina.

Time for celebration!

On October 27^th Ingrid’s sister Karen defended her doctorate within the field of Medicine back home in Norway. Karen and the great milestone she has accomplished were in our minds and hearts all day long. We are SO PROUD of her!

HIP HIP HOORAY for Dr.Med. Karen Walseth Hara (Ingrid’s big sister)!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with a quite grand feast and get-together on the green for the crew on Eliana, Nimbus, Aisling and Vilja.

Christmas crafts workshop

On Friday we made a little Christmas Crafts workshop. We finally put our stock of shells from all over the World to somewhat (un)traditional use.

Sunday Market in Richards Bay

Molly (S/Y Nimbus), Karen Marie and Ingrid visited the local Sunday market here in Richards Bay.

An anecdote on shopping here in South Africa: some enterprises and advertising are a bit more liberal than back home

So South Africa’s turning out to be a bit more liberal on certain things than what we’re used to from back home in Norway… Some of the shops in the neighborhood have some pretty nifty sloguns to advertise their businesses. Take for instance the local “coffee shop”, that advertises with: “Good Food Done Better. Cooking on a High!”. Or the local gun store, who advertises with: “Rest Secured”.

No comment needed from our side. You figure it out for yourselves.

As always: New places, new ways…

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November 17-23, 2019: Week #2 in South Africa

Highlights of this week:

*The major technical issues on Vilja have been solved.

*Ingrid has completed an article, due to be published in February in Norway’s leading sailing magazine “Seilmagasinet”!

*Karen Marie attended nursery school, which included putting our parenting skills to the test – and passing (we think?!).

*We enjoyed rhinos, giraffes & more of Africa’s amazing wildlife in Hluhluwe Nature Rerserve.

Also a downer, followed by an upper: Ingrid was down with the flu most of the week. A relief returning to her normal self towards the end of the week.

Technical issues solved on Vilja

Thanks to a teamwork taking on divine proportions ?, we’ve gotten a lot of work done on Vilja this week.

Also, new bearings have been put in place in the electric furling system for the genoa with good help from Charl Taylor. Now it is ticking like a clock as never before. I can hear Jon Petter pressing the button to furl and unfurl the genoa ever so often, just to enjoy the smooth sound which is like harmonious music to his ears.

Hallelujah!

Hey, there’s a giraffe walking over there. We must be in Africa!?!

On Sunday we took a taxi(!) to the Hluhluwe Nature Reserve, which is only 1,5 hours drive away. Charl Taylor was our designated driver. Pretty cool to go on safari “in the neighborhood”.

We saw plenty of giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, bushpigs, waterbucks, nyalas, impalas, wildebeests, turtles, vervet monkeys, and birds ranging from the small, elegant kingfisher to the not so elegant vulture. Our “favorite animals of the day” were the many big black rhinoceroses who came up close to the car, not seeming to care at all about the little humans in awe sitting inside the metal box on wheels.

“But I don’t want to go to nursery school!”

Karen Marie attended The Little Musketeers Nursery School for another couple of days, on Thursday-Friday. This week wasn’t all fun & easy, since Karen Marie decided she’d rather stay home with Mommy and Daddy. But we the parents decided to insist on using this opportunity for our little girl to meet kids and escape our constant “protecting wings” for once.

We must admit, we doubted what we were doing at times, going through the phase of questioning if it was right to push the constant exposure of our little 5-year old to new people, environments and cultures any further? And this was the first time Karen Marie had changed attitude from being curious to losing interest and even protesting to attending nursery school. It made us uncertain. But after clearing our minds, we concluded that the resistance was more a classic case of testing wills. It put Jon Petter & me (Ingrid) through the test of standing strong on the claim that “Sometimes parents know what’s best and simply decide”.

So we had a good bit of crying and testing of who’s wills were the strongest. We followed it through, though, and Karen Marie attended nursery school. And not surprisingly, she turned out to be fine all day, as long as we weren’t in sight. And Friday was more fun than the previous day. We’ve made a plan that she’ll go next Monday too, then “mission’s completed”.

An extra thanks to the always smiling and caring, though firm, teacher Estelle, who was a good help and made things easier both for us parents and Our little musketeer.

(And hey, we’ve got to smile at ourselves; even though we’ve been parenting for more than 25 years, we’re still learning every day! …to which I guess we should say: Of course & thank god. ? )

Making the decision to stay put in South Africa while milestones in Norway are being passed

Ingrid also had to make the decision on whether she should go home to Norway next week to share a special day of an important milestone achievement in the family? On November 27th her sister Karen will be defending her Doctorate within the field of Medicine at the University of Sciene and Technology in Trondheim, followed by a grand celebration. Although the decision was made not to go more than a year ago, the need to re-evaluate felt necessary now that the actual day was getting near. The same conclusion was finally reached though, in agreement and full understanding with Karen herself: I stay here in South Africa, maintaining the commitment to our TeamVilja family and keeping full focus on sailing Vilja safely to Cape Town.

My place is here right now.

Writing work is paying off!

Ingrid’s been working on an article about long distance sailing with kid’s on board, and managed to complete and submit it this week. And HURRAH! On Thursday Norway’s leading sailing magazine “Seilmagasinet” confirmed that it will be published in the February issue. Great news!

And then some more on our everyday life

So Ingrid was down with the flu practically all week. However, on Thursday things were starting to feel better. Since the right to a reward had definately been earned, both for attending nursery school and for recieving the good news about the article being puclished, the two bookworms on board Vilja decided to go to their favorite place in town: The Library!

Also, we’re getting ready for an upcoming wedding on board!

We also discovered the purpose of that great big white cloth hanging from our forestay:  Genoa = perfect picnic shade!

We’re happy to say that Everyday life in South Africa is a good one on board Vilja these days. No BIG groundbreaking events, but lots of good moments and a healthy bit of learning.

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Nov 09-16, 2019: Our first week in South Africa

The first week in South-Africa has been very good to us: Technical issues on Vilja seem to be finding solutions faster than expected, a lot thanks to help from both the locals and fellow sailors. And Karen Marie has found play pals quickly, having been enrolled in a nursery school after only two days here!

So here are some of the highlights from our first week in Richards Bay:

So this was our first week in South-Africa. We are all doing well. We plan to stay for at least another week here in Richards Bay. It’s a good place to be for Vilja and the three of us right now.

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Sep 2-12, 2019: Cocos Keeling – Paradise Island Highlights!

So we finally found the spot that defined the concept «Paradise Island»: Direction Island, one of the Cocos Keeling Islands. Crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, coconut palm trees, healthy corals and exotic fish in abundance. This atoll – and especially the anchorage at Direction Island – is known as The sailor’s paradise. We fell in love with it –  surfing down “The Rip” with sharks & and schools of colorful fish of all sizes, spending time with old and new sailing friends, meeting the friendly people on Home Island and West island, and even discovering some unexpected pleasures, such as finding the coolest baker who makes the best freshbaked bread we’ve encountered so far in our 2 year travel around the world. And even getting it home delivered on board Vilja!

You’ve gotta love Cocos Keeling!

DIRECTION ISLAND –  “The Sailor’s Paradise Island”

The first week we were many sailors here -as we had hoped for.

While Direction Island belongs to anyone who takes the trip out here during daytime – After dark it turns into the Sailor’s Island. Nobody here but sailors and hermit crabs. 🙂

Trips to town: West Island and Home Island

There are two settlements in Cocos Keeling; West Island where somewhere between 50-100 people live, mostly Australians. And Home Island, where a bit more than 500 people live, mostly Malays. We «went to town» and visited them both a couple of times.

Some Tropical Island time on our own

Then the sailors sailed – or flew; our third-time-returning Vilja crew member Brynhild caught a flight home to Norway.

And us 3 – we stayed! For another week. It’s hard to leave this place! And hey, after all – this is our circumnavigation, and we’re on a perfect tropical island. Why not just ENJOY!?

 

So now we’re heading West. 1500 nautical miles NW we’ll look to find another tropical paradise, however with a tragic history. Next stop: Chagos, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)!

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July 11th to August 18th, 2019: Photo update from Indonesia!

As we’re getting ready to cross the Indian Ocean, leaving from Lombok,  we just want to post «an avalanche» of pictures showing some of the many good moments from our more than five weeks here in Indonesia.

August 11^th-15^th: First stop: Tual, The Kei Islands

We actually did some diving in Indonesia. Finally our brand new compressor has been put to use. We found many good sites for both diving and snorkelling throughout Indonesia, many with crystal clear water and the feeling of being in an aquarium full of tropical fish.

August 15^th-18^th: 3 days sailing from Tual to Wakatobi

August 18^th-21^st: Hoga and Sampela Islands, Wakatobi

August 23^rd-25^th: Labuan Bajo, Flores

We arrived in Labuan Bajo, Flores on July 23^rd, just in time to pick up our new crew who arrived on the same day: Ingrid’s big sister Karen and her husband Sozaburo, and our caring&cool nieces and nephew Cecilie Mariko, Dag Takura and Liv Emiko. We had so long and so much looked forward to this much appreciated visit. Sharing the SailingVilja everyday life and adventures means so much to us all. We had two weeks to look forward to, and it turned out simply unforgettably GREAT!

August 25^th-28^th: Komodo National Park

July 30^th-31^st: Kananga village on Sumbawa

July 31st – August 1st: Palau Moyo

We paid the reknown Amanwana Resort a visit to have a look at where celebrities such as Princess Diana and others like to recharge their batteries. No doubt it was nice. And we enjoyed our Coladas and Honeycomb ice cream. But actually – in our opinion – we’d rather recharge our batteries on Vilja!

Thank you to the all the friendly, helpful and interesting people we’ve met on our way. A special thank you to Jhon in Tual, Pundang and Kundang in Sampela (Wakatobi), Arif in Kananga (Sumbawa Island), teacher Sarah at Miftahul Ulum school in Lombok, interpreter Jumanim and husband Ainun in Lombok,  headmaster Indah and the teachers and children at TK Muyassaroh Kindergarten in Lombok, and to the friendly staff at Marina Del Ray on Gili Gede (Lombok). Our trip would have been so much less without you.

SO nice to meet up with our long distance sailing friends: Pam & Eric on Pied-a-Mer III, Rob, Cannell & Fabian on Yonder, Warren on Iliana, Tim on Intrepid and Christian. You’re our sailing family at Sea and our floating neighborhood. See you again somewhere in the World!

BIG hug and lots of love to our friends & family  who’ve joined us sailing Vilja in Indonesia. Not only do you take part in and make the experience; you are also our precious history keepers whom carry the SailingVilja stories with you in your hearts for sharing with us in the future. Our amazing crew in Indonesia have been: our son Even, his (and now our) friend Andreas Øverlie Svela, Ingrid’s big sister Karen and her husband Sozaburo, our cool&kind nieces and nephew Cecilie Mariko, Dag Takuro & Liv Emiko and now (Karen Marie’s «big sister» & «honorary crew member» of Vilja) Brynhild Reitan. Brynhild shared the last week in Indonesia with us and will continue writing SailingVilja history as we now venture with Vilja together across the Indian Ocean.

We’ve just gotta say it out LOUD again: WE’RE THE LUCKY ONES! …and even more so because we know we are!  🙂

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14/7-19 Tual, Indonesia: The coolest gift! And taking in the scents and bustling life of an Indonesian Market

We’ve enjoyed another hectic, but good day in Tual, Indonesia. Saturday was spent diving & enjoying the last hours of having our friend Andreas Øverlie Svela on board: He disembarked before the break of dawn on Sunday morning. And the remaining crew went on land to get some fresh food and try out the market of Tual.

The coolest gift!

Latest news on boat equipment: We now have our very own & one-of-a-kind Vilja logo stamp on board! Hand carved in Tual, Indonesia, where having a stamp is of essence as it makes things “serious”. Thanks to Andreas, who gave us this eminent gift along with a genuine bottle of champagne. We guarantee that both will be thoroughly enjoyed! ?

Shopping in Tual

Shopping at the “festival market” of Tual is quite a different experience than shopping at home. Far more intense, many more people, heaps of more attention and MUCH more interesting. About the attention part of it: “Everybody” wants to take pics and touch Karen Marie’s fair hair, not to mention carry her away. 🙂 Karen Marie’s a trooper, and is handling the intensity & attention with a mix of enjoying the VIP status as well as sometimes longing for a more incognito travel. ?

Kid contact

Hop scotch is a universal game. As soon as you take out the chalk, the kids – whether it be in New Zealand, Galapagos or Indonesia – instantly start drawing the hop scotch squares on the ground. A perfect starting point for fun.

New tastes!

Now we sail West to find Coral gardens

So now Andreas has left us. We look forward till next time we have him on board!

And then we were 4…

It’s July 15th now and we’re sailing West, expecting a 600 nm/ 4 days sail. The aim is to get some awesome dives in the reknown coral gardens of Wakatobi. After some intense days on land, we look forward to the peace and serenity of life at sea. That is, if staying clear of fishing boats and FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) won’t keep us too busy…

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To sailors cruising Indonesia: Jon Pasumain is the Man to Meet in Tual!

If you’re cruising to Tual, then we highly recommend contacting Jon Pasumain! (tel. +628 22 4871 3457, email pasumaijoni@gmail.com). He helped us find the places and people we would have used aged to find otherwise, or probably missed out on altogether. Jon is a person you can trust. Besides he’s a really nice guy to get to know!

Jon fixes “anything” you need, it be transport, (clean!) diesel, laundry, driving to sights or finding the right people, such as an Official outside working hours or an accredited local mechanic. He speaks good English, making things so much easier, also giving us the opportunity to get insight in the places and people we see and meet.

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July 11th-12th, 2019:  Hello Asia!

So now we’ve reached a new country, and this time even a new continent for our SailingVilja voyage.

On July 11^th, Vilja dropped anchor off the city of Tual in the Kei Islands in Indonesia. Our crew at the moment count five in total: Our son Even (sooooon 25) and his (and now our) friend Andreas Øverlie Svela + of course the core SailingVilja team Karen Marie, Ingrid & Jon Petter. Here are some pics from our first day in this (to us) new part of the World.

First the formalities

Now we have 5 weeks ahead of us in the same country. Wow, it seems a lot, doesn’t it? Well, Indonesia has more than 17 500 islands. Five weeks will probably seem like a split second. But hey, we’re gonna enjoy that split second to the fullest!

Then another standard procedure

The standard question is: So what broke down on this passage?!

The standard procedure is finding solutions…

Sightseeing the Kei Islands

Wow, what a day!

Good night from the SailingVilja voyagers, finding our way in new waters.

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June 12th-13th, 2019: Feeling welcome and having fun with new friends in Sola (the Banks Islands of Vanuatu)

We will write more of the places and people that has put Vanuatu possibly on the top of our list as a favorite cruising ground of our voyage so far. But now just a short, but heartfelt update:

We reached Sola on the island of Vanua Lava in Vanuatu on Wednesday morning (June 12th). Right away we felt so welcome here. And we just want to thank two families for including us in their everyday life and making our stay here in Sola very special. We feel like we have friends here that we hope to stay in touch with and meet again one fine day in the future.

Thank you for making our stay in Sola special. We hope to see you again in the future!

March 4^th – 10^th, 2019: Touching our Aitutaki rescuers’ home base in Masterton. (Road trip New Zealand – Part 6)

Bernard & Bianca. Superman & Wonderwoman. Vilja’s Rescuers from Chaos. Also known as Louise & Scott. Remember the couple who made the impossible possible in Aitutaki?

We found them at their home base on land in Masterton.

5 months ago: Vilja’s port side shroud broke as we were sailing in to Aitutaki, a tiny atoll in the middle of the Pacific. It would normally take weeks and even months to get a part like this replaced, being in the middle of nowhere. Louise and Scott on board Chaos made it happen in less than 24 hours. You can read more about this incredible story in the Everyday blog if you scroll down to the headline “October 17^th, 2018: Aututaki in the Cook Islands. Day #7 – Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. (And it sure is a heck of a lot better than any plan I could ever have set up!)”.

Meeting up with this family that had helped us and amazed us through the course of only a couple of intense days in Aitutaki was definitely on our bucket list now that we were in their neighborhood. So we texted them, and they returned an invitation to stop by. Our intended 1-2 nights stay turned into almost a week. And we discovered that not only are these guys our SailingVilja voyage’s Bernhard & Bianca; They are an incredibly generous, cool & nice family and friends!

The work & skill of producing New Zealand’s sweet gold; Manuka Honey

Scott & Louise run a family business where they produce LOTS of honey, or more specifically their brand “Royal Manuka Honey”. Scott took JP along to check up on and move some beehives.

In the afternoon Karen Marie and Ingrid joined to visit the Hillcrest Honey factory, where the Royal Manuka Honey was being tapped that very day. Interesting & yum!

Waiohine Gorge – across high up & a shower down below

PATUNA CHASM

Louise said “Forget about Wellington. You should go visit my mother’s and stepfather’s farm in Patuna; walk the Patuna Chasm and spend time at their beautiful New Zealand farm. So we did. And of course, she was so right. The chasm was awesome. And so were Alison & Alan. The hospitality they showed us three Norwegian vagabonds was heartwarming, and new friendships were made.

Alison & Alan run a company; Patuna Farm Adventures. Check this out: https://www.patunafarm.co.nz Walking the chasm up- and downstream is a self-guided walk through stunning landscape and also a bit rough and adventurous. To put it this way: you’re gonna get wet & and you have to leave any fear of heights at home… It’s fun and it’s beautiful.

We enjoyed our stay at Alison & Alan’s Patuna Farm to the fullest: In the evening Karen Marie and Ingrid enjoyed the indoor luxury of a “bubble bath spa experience” followed by Alison’s delicious cooking of roasted lamb, vegetables and homebaked bread for dinner. In the meantime, Jon Petter “went into the wild” hunting for red deer with Scott & William – and they actually made a clean kill and brought home food for a feast!

Simply “chilling” at the beach house

Louise & Scott “sent us off” to stay at their beach house at Cape Palliser. A lovely spot on Earth. We simply enjoyed having a day to ourselves in “our very own” house, with TV, good food & wine and each other.

Blueberry & apple pizzas – YUM!  

The Watermill Bakery – open only for a few hours every Friday evening – serves pizzas exceeding our greatest fantasy, in ingredients and even in taste; Nutty Blue Pizza, Purple Thistle Pizza, Apple Pizza and Blueberry & Custard Pizza – all using the same pizza dough base – was not only fun, but DELICIOUS!

Good times at home – in a house!

It was good to have some downtime at home with our friends. And hey, when you’re on a 3,5 years long journey by sailboat, staying at home in a house (!) feels pretty exotic in itself!

Castlepoint Beach Races

Louise & Alex are “horse people” and keen riders. They convinced us to go and experience the annual Castlepoint Beach Races. It turned out to be a really good family event, with all kinds of races; horses, ponies, kids, and even men & women (in underwear!) giving it their all. Fun at the beach. And yes, even our totally untrained eyes can see that horses are pretty magnificent creatures.

After the races we had a walk up to the picturesque Castlepoint Lighthouse.

South Island next!

After six fun-filled days we said goodbye  and thank you to our friends in Masterton.

It’s Sunday the 10^th of March, and we have ferry tickets from Wellington to Picton (on the South Island). We’d better get going!

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March 2^nd-4^th, 2019: Wow, what one person can make in a lifetime! (in other words: the Tawhiti Museum in Hawera.) Karen Marie runs in the XRACE. A walk on  the historical grounds of Turuturu Mokai Pa. (Road trip New Zealand – Part 5)

It’s amazing what one man can make in a lifetime! Visiting the Tawhiti Museum is a testimony of such, and it’s the result of only “half a lifetime”.

The Tawhiti Museum is a private museum which is founded, owned and created by (the still going strong) history and art teacher Nigel Ogle.

Nigel has himself created this vast collection of life-size displays and intricate small-scale dioramas that combine history and art with a skill that fascinates and amazes in equal measure.

There are thousands of individually created and handmade lifelike figures, not to mention the many more thousand old artefacts neatly sorted and displayed.

We were so enthralled by the place that we decided to stay in Hawera an extra day so we could visit again. And it was absolutely worth it. We enjoyed our second visit maybe even more than the first, which was also thanks to the staff of the Museum whom must be hand-picked for their jobs, and obviously truly loving what they do.

Thumbs up for the Tawhiti Musum in Hawera!

Karen Marie participates in her first race; the NZHL XRACE

The NZHL XRACE is an annual race and family event held nationwide in about a dozen towns in New Zealand, and also in Australia, UK and the Netherlands. By sheer coincidence we happened to be in Hawera on the day of the big event happening there. More than 1000 kids & parents signed up for the race. So did we – in the Nipper’s Challenge for the 3-6 year olds – with Karen Marie heading the Vilja team.

Super fun for all of us! ?

A walk amongst the remnants of a once mighty maori fortification

March 3^rd turned out to be another day of great variety. After the XRACE and the Tawhiti Museum we stopped by the remnants of the Turuturu Mokai Pa, which is one of the oldest and largest pa sites in Aotearoa.

A bit sad to see how the site is overgrown and not taken care of. But still it made for a nice little walk for us. And we bore in mind that on these grounds many dramatic events have taken place here. One of which was that here the Maori, through cunning tactics, defeated British troops in the land wars of the late 19^th century.

Where to next?

So now we’ve experienced Hawera, another of those unplanned and pleasant stops. We wonder what’s up next?! We’re getting near Masterton, where our friends Louise & Scott whom we met in Aitutaki live. Hmmm, wonder if they’re home & up for some Vikings?!

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February 28^th – March 2nd, 2019: Taking in Aotearoa’s (somewhat quirky) wildlife (kiwis, tuataras,…), stunning beaches (Northland’s Southwest coast), cool architecture (New Plymouth) and natural beauty (Mt Taranaki). (Road trip New Zealand – Part 4)

Imagine a bird that cannot fly, with skin as tough as leather, feathers like hair, cat-like whiskers in its face and nostrils at the tip of its very long beak. Well, that’s the description of a kiwi. Since the kiwis are both nocturnal and rare it’s hard to spot them in the wild. We were curious of this national icon of Aotearoa, and wanted to see them and learn more. We found what we were looking for in Otorohanga Kiwi House.

There were many more animals and birds to see at the Kiwi House. We were particularly fascinated by the tuataras and the eels. Tuataras are known as New Zealand’s living dinosaurs; they’ve been found in New Zealand for more than 225 million years. They are long-lived (100+ years) and have three eyes! The eels of New Zealand swim all the way to Tonga to mate and have their offspring. That’s a long swim, not to mention quite an impressive navigational achievement!

A beautiful beach all to ourselves

We found the most amazing spot to put up our tent along the West coast; Waitoetoe freecamping site. We had the place – and the whole beach – all to ourselves. Aaaah, beautiful!

A quick stop in New Plymouth

We only stopped for a few hours in New Plymouth, since we decided to rather enjoy the beautiful weather by going tramping in the Mt. Taranaki National Park. We spent some time in the Puke Ariki Centre Museum and then had a look and walk across the Te Rewa Rewa bridge.

An evening walk, sleepover and morning bush walk in the Mt. Taranaki (Mt. Egmont) Natural Park.

New Zealanders love the natural beauty of their country, and we feel at home in the way they “live and use it”. By that we mean that as Norwegians we enjoy sharing the culture with the Kiwis (New Zealanders) of enjoying the outdoors; whether it be camping, tramping or other.

We’re hoping to go tramping in the mountains and stay at several of the DOC huts of Aotearoa. Our first one was Mt. Taranaki (2,518 metres) and the Maketawa Hut.

We walked a 4 km loop at the foot of the volcano with only a few hundred metres of ascent and descent. An excellent first-time experience in how the DOC tracks and huts are laid out. We had a great time. And as expected, but all the more enjoyable to experience; the stand-alone volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki is stunning!

 

After a late breakfast we tramped the return 2 km track through the bush back to the Mt. Egmont Visitor’s Centre. We sure do look forward to experiencing more mountains and tramping in the South!

But first there are some more adventures on the North Island await…

 

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February 27^th, 2019: Does size matter? Visiting the shortest (in Hobbiton) & the tallest (Wairere Falls) of the North Island. (Road trip New Zealand – Part 3)

“Famous last words” as we pushed the “Buy” button to confirm the NZD 168 (NOK 1000) purchase of tickets for a 2 hour tour of Hobbiton: “This one’s for the boys”, meaning that our four son’s would probably strongly question our priorities if we didn’t visit the Hobbit’s homestead while we were in their neighborhood.

It took us 5 minutes into the tour and a mere glimpse of the double-arched bridge crossing over to the Hobbiton mill and the Green Dragon Inn, and we were all emotional and shear enthusiasm. Karen Marie was questioning what in the World was going on?! Well, so much for thinking that our interest in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books and movies was primarily part of parenting…

The tour consists of a 10 minute drive by bus to the location, a bit more than an hour guided walk among the many hobbit holes of the Shire, a 20 minute stop at the Green Dragon Inn for a refreshing pint, and finally the bus drive back to the starting point at The Shire’s Rest. Thanks to limiting the number of visitors per tour and distributing them evenly throughout the day, the Shire never seemed TOO crowded by Men (e.g. humankind).

They say the devil’s in the details. Well, the impressive level of details put into the making of the Shire certainly seduced us; the clothes hanging from the lines, the woodwork of the houses, the individually decorated mailboxes, the different tools and equipment, the individual gardens and flowerbeds, food and artifacts outside each hobbit hole. We truly enjoyed it!

Of course we had to pick up an illustrated version of “The Hobbit” at the gift shop before we left. It’s proven perfect for reading aloud on our drive since then. Too bad the film is rated PG16. I guess we’ll have to wait with that one for a wee bit…

Walking the Wairere Falls Track

In the afternoon we went for a walk (5 km return) along the Wairere Falls Track to the lookout platform with a view from the base of the falls. We’ve many times been impressed by how well made and maintained the DOC (NZ’s Department of Conservation) tracks are, this one being no exception; bridges assist with river crossings and several sets of steps lead to the top of the gorge.

The walk proved to be a perfect way to spend the afternoon, not to mention finally use our bodies a bit after many days of lazy living.

Does size matter?

So to sum up the day and answer the initial question; Does size matter? Following today’s experience the answer is no. Or if anything; the “littleness” of Hobbiton won our hearts today.

Camping life

Brocks Place turned out to be a nice place to camp. 24 NZD per night, the location (only 2 km from Hobbiton), ok facilities and a stunning view of the hills and valley of Matamata made it a good deal.

Where are we going next? Well that remains to see. We’ll have to stop the car before the intersection below the farm and make up our minds. There are so many tempting options and opportunities…

 

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February 25^th-26^th, 2019: Personal delivery of mail from Galapagos to an Auckland home. A visit to the maori Kingitanga’s “marae”. A closer look at National Geographic’s 50 most awesome photographs. (Road trip New Zealand – Part 2 – Auckland to Matamata)

So we’re off! First stop was a very special delivery of mail to an address in Massey, Auckland. We visited Floreana Island in Galapagos on July 2^nd, 2018. Following the tradition of the island’s postal system (see fact sheet below), we picked up a postcard there that was addressed to a certain Sam & Mike in Auckland. ‘Cos hey, we were heading for New Zealand, though by sailboat…

Now – nearly 8 months and more than 6000 nautical miles later, we were finally in Auckland, ready to deliver the card in person.

So there was nobody home. A bit of a bummer… Oh well, we’ll try stopping by on the way back North. We left the postcard in their mailbox, though, so: Mission accomplished!

Camping in New Zealand – lesson 1

 We left Auckland in late afternoon, so our aim for the evening was to get out of town and find a place to put up our tent before dark.

The first thing we had to figure out though were the rules for tenting in New Zealand. In Norway you’re allowed to put up a tent pretty much anywhere, at least if you’re “in the wild”. Here it’s prohibited to tent outside designated camping grounds with toilet facilities. Considering the large amount of tourists –many of them backpackers – that travel around in New Zealand, it’s an understandable rule. So we’ve downloadad some excellent Apps; “CamperMate” and “Rankers Camping NZ”, which have so far proven to be excellent tools in helping us find camping areas.

CamperMate showed the way to freedom camping at Te Kauwhata Domain. Simple, but good. We enjoyed the simplicity of tenting life again. Favourite moments; snuggling up with Karen Marie in the sleeping bag before ready for a night’s rest. And the sound and scent of brewing coffee in the early morning hours on the gas cooker. Mmmmm….

A visit to the Maori Kingitanga’s «Turangawaewae Marea»

I’m totally encaptured by the history of the very special woman Te Puea Herangi; her person, life, and work for the maori rights, as written in her biography written by Michael King. (See fact sheet below.) She initiated the establishment of a marae (a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes according to Maori culture and traditions) at Turangawaewae in the Waikato district.

We were driving very near this location. The marae is not open to tourists. Ingrid’s wish was to simply stop and see if there was anything to be seen? And there was! We met a friendly woman named Vinny Kingi who works with administration at the marae. She let us in and told us more of the history and use of the marae and the story of Te Puea and the Kingitanga.

Ingrid was so happy to see the marae and be at the actual place of events that are described in the book “Te Peua” by Michael King. The history of Aotearoa/ New Zealand and its people continues to interest and fascinate us. Thank you, Vinny, for letting us in to the marae and taking the time to show us around and tell us some of the many stories. It was truly interesting and meant a lot to us.

Fantastic photos, learning and fun at the Waikato Museum

Next stop was the Waikato Museum. An excellent museum, with a diversity of things to see & learn.

Tenting with a view of the landscape of the hobbits

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February 21st-25th, 2019:  First stop Auckland. Our roadtrip begins! (Roadtrip New Zealand – Part 1)

The Sailingvilja crew has hit the road! We’ve started out on a roadtrip by car, aiming to explore the North and South Island, and maybe even the southernmost Stewart Island, if we get that far? Meanwhile Vilja is safely on a mooring in Opua having a well-deserved time-out from her SailingVilja family.

First; here are some facts & numbers of the country itself; New Zealand, or Aotearoa which is its name in Maori. We include the equivalent facts about Norway, just to put it in “our perspective”.

So as you can see, there are obvious similarities, but also some obvious differences. From our Norwegian perspective being in New Zealand sometimes gives us a feeling of being home, e.g. the informal “down to earth” way of being, the convenience of “Western standard”, the culture of being outdoors tramping in the forest or mountains and doing outdoor activities, etc. Other times this country feels truly exotic, like the “odd” trees and huge ferns that grow in the forests, the wildlife with unfamiliar bird sounds and the eternal sound of cicadas, the maori history and culture, the volcanic landscape and soil. We can’t wait to explore this country further!

4 days of getting absolutely spoilt in Auckland

So what’s in Auckland? Never mind the city; the single most important answer to us is: FRIENDS! We made friends with a family on the H-pier in the Bay of Islands Marina over Christmas and New Years; Pip, Russ & Dan. We shared some very interesting talks and real good laughs over the weeks we were “neighbors” there. ? Anyway, this family are not only nice people, they’re incredibly generous. Of course we felt lucky when big chunks of fresh and smoked blue marlin came to our table thanks to our neighbors’ fishing skills. And being invited to visit them in Auckland was something we looked forward to. The way they made us feel like we were at home when we arrived – even though they themselves were away on business – is not something “normal”; it’s special, and we know it. Not to mention – and this says it all really – they gave us the INCREDIBLY generous gift to lend us their car for our whole roadtrip!!!

So this is where we were heading now; to Auckland to pick up our very nice Mazda 3. And at the same time meet Dan (19) and Russ’ Uncle Rob, who were at home in Auckland.

Uncle Rob (or Robert) picked us up at the bus stop, and we headed home.  We were happy to find that Robert is just as nice as the rest of the family we already knew. And an unexpected gift for us was his skills as a chef. We enjoyed gourmet dinners every single evening.  All we can say is Wow! and Thank you!

Friday 22/2: Fun & learning at the Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium

We arrived on a Thursday. On Friday Dan and Robert took us to the Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. Great fun & fascinating.

Saturday 23/2: Catching up with Meeghan, our mermaid friend from Aitutaki

On Saturday we met up with our mermaid friend from Aitutaki; Meeghan, who is home in Aoteroa to visit friends and family. SO nice to meet this warmhearted cool mermaid again, whom was one of the people who made our stay in Aitutaki so special. Meeghan was staying at a friend’s house, which gave us the unexpected opportunity for Karen Marie to play with a little playmate and her dream barbie house.

Now we’re crossing our fingers that we’ll see her again on Vilja for a sail and some diving before we leave New Zealand. By the way, Meeghan’s heading back to Aitutaki in a while to work with a project on planting new corals to preserve the coral reefs. Interesting to hear about how they make the coral growth accelerate by using special techniques. We wish her good luck with that important job to save the coral reefs of Aitutaki.

Sunday Feb 24th: A visit to the Honorary Norwegian Consul of Auckland

On Sunday Feb 24^th we met the Honorary Norwegian Consul for Auckland, Captain John Robinson, to apply for renewal of Karen Marie’s passport. Seldom have we met a person who manages to combine in such an excellent way professionality and respect for the office he holds, with friendliness and helpfulness. Thanks to his solution-oriented approach, we found answers to a number of small and not-so-small issues regarding all three of the family’s passports, e.g. Jon Petter’s milk-soaked passport to mention one of them…

Monday Feb 25th: Off we go, heading South!

Monday arrived, and we were finally ready to start our roadtrip. We’re leaving the comfort of Pip, Russ & Dan’s lovely home and Uncle Robs delicious cooking. But we’re also looking forward to the camping and tent life ahead of us, not to mention exploring the North and South Islands. And we already really like our very nice Mazda 3. No offence, Vilja! ?

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January 7th, 2019: Happy New Year 2019! Celebrating with new friends in Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

Happy New Year to our family and friends in Norway and around the World!

Our New Year’s celebration was unplanned, and all the more full of unexpected and good events. We even made new friends. What a gift. It reminds us of how lucky and happy we are to be on this journey, and how reality is so much better than our imagination can comprehend!

We are in the Bay of Islands, in the NE of New Zealand. Our only initial idea for New Years was to find a good spot to drop our anchor and look at the fireworks on land from the waterside.

So first we found the people…

Then we met a very nice couple; Sandra and Jonny at the Yacht Club right before Christmas here in Opua. Sandra is originally from Germany and Jonny from England, but have lived in NZ the past 6 years. When we sent them an sms asking if they wanted to join us for the sail, they phoned us back instantly and said YES! Our gut feeling about the two was correct; we had a really good time together and 3 days turned into 5 before they had to return to their home near Auckland.

—then we found the place…

…then we found a whole party of people!…

And would you believe it? Of the very few people we know here in the district of BOI it turned out that we actually knew the couples on two of the only handful of boats that were anchored in the Wairoa Bay. Well, truth be told we didn’t really “know” them; We had just briefly met them before at the market in Russell, when Kerri had face painted Karen Marie and told us about being a liveaboard, and then introduced us to another sailing couple; Babs and Jon. We liked them all instantly, but parted with no plan. Until now, when we by coincidence bumped into each other here.

Being as you know “The lucky ones”, we were invited to join them in their New Year’s celebration on the beach. Isn’t it amazing how things just seem to always work out!? Perfect!

…and then we put 2018 behind and welcomed 2019!

2019’s looking good so far!

So now we’re into 2019. We look foreward to discovering what it will hold!?

Babs and Jon invited us over for a movie night on board. We watched the movie about when their son Ben Tucker sailed on his sailboat “Snow Petrel” from Tasmania to Antarctica with his youngest brother Matt and dad Jon as crew. An amazing journey to learn more about, and such a special experience for us to watch it together with Jon and Babs, who are both so much part of this story. (Ps. Jon wrote a book about the journey; “Snow Petrel – A Father-Son voyage to the windiest place in the world”, available on Amazon)

Babs and Jon are the kind of people we just long to have more time with. We feel so much in common, and so interested in getting to know them and their stories better. We’ve already met up with them once again since we returned to the marina, and are looking foreward till next time!

 2 new crew members qualified for our (very green) crew t-shirts!