Captain's log


Trykk her for større kart

 

 

Captain's log -   Lunenburg 06.01.2013

 

 

Rose Bay, Nova Scotia
Calm, 30 degrees
Anchor
 
The Chief Engineer fiering up the barbeque. (Photo: B. Walqvist)

 

Today is the day before the big day. Tomorrow at 11:00 we arrive in Lunenburg, and the school year is over. Arrangements are underway for a great reception for the returning kids. Reportedly, all hotel rooms in the city have been  rented, and everyone in town knows we're coming.
 
Aboard the ship everyone is buzzing of excitement and  the kids are about  saying goodbye to their friends over the last 9 months.
 
Two teachers grading exams and finnishing up this years results. (Photo: B. Wahlqvist)
 
Everyone is running around the entire ship, that needs cleaning, speaches have to be written, packing and celebrations prepared.
 
 
The last evening aboard, has to be a bit special, so we will been served  freshly caught tuna for starter,  and the grill has been fired up and the chef stands and fries for her dear life, so I'd better get out and get some food with all students, teachers and the maritime crew, who have come to say goodbye to us over the next few days.
 
 
Regards
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log -  Bermuda - Lunenburg 05.29.2013

 

North Atlantic
N 42 32 W 063 47
Southern Light breeze, 10 degrees
All Seil, 6 knob.
 
Studying can be very hard. (Photo B. Wahlqvist)
 
Untill recently we have had a rough passage, and we have approached Nova Scotia rapidly. The first few days saw strong gales from SW. This is perfect wind for a full rigged ship when it sails north, and gave leisurely sailing with up to 10 knots. Expected arrival "Rose Bay" early  tomorrow.
 
The voyage here is overshadowed by the examinations that are read and written  on  the banjer. On the starboard side are those who read the exam and on the port side are all those who are taking their exam.
 
55 proud members of the high altitude club. (Photo B. Wahlqvist)
 
5 students have fared through the voluntary exam the "High Altitude club", this is an examination for those particular interested in sailing and think seafarers are cool....
 
Regards
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Ship Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log -  Bermuda - Lunenburg 05.24.2013

 

Hamilton, Bermuda

N 24 40 W 063 24

ESE Fresh breeze, 22 degrees

 


Akahiro and Erin painting the chart house. (Photo: Anders Martinsen)

 

The trip to Bermuda was an eventful trip. 17th of May, lots of sailing training, babtising of dinghies etc. But unfortunately also primarily motoring because of the Bermuda high pressure, which was good and stable where it usually stays over Bermuda. Unfortunately, this means head wind or no wind, coming from the south. This however gave ample time for maintenance, and the students have been eager and able to help our sailors, among other things, to paint and repair sails.

 


Boatswain Shawn and George repairing the main topgallant. Photo: Anders Martinsen)

 

This afternoon we sail towards Lunenburg, last stop for the Class Afloet students, for this trip exams are on the program, but also evaluation and packing.

The forecast shows also clear signs that we have come north, reports of wind in gale force. Luckily for us, the wind will come from the SSE, which will be primarily in the right direction.

Gales and exam is always a good combination, a part of life aboard a sailing school.

 


Chief Engineer Casper on his daily check of the engines. (Photo Anders Martinsen)

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain

Ship Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log -  Dominica- Bermuda 05.19.2013

 

North Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda Triangle
 
N 24 40 W 063 24
 
ENE breeze, 20 degrees
 
Saill, 5 knots.
 
Finally, after almost three days of motor, the wind freshens up from ENE. The engine stopped while the sails are set, and ship heels portside while the speed increasesslowly. All the students are very keen, they know that this could be one of they  the last times the might set a sail..
 
Sunday aboard and the traditional Sunday dinner in the banjer with the students was a little different today. A student had removed all the cutlery and  therefore various other kitchen utenzils were used.
 
 
Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist

 

 
 
Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist
 
 
Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Ship South Coast

 

 

 

Captain's log -  Dominica- Bermuda 05.17.2013

 

 

 

North Atlantic, the Sargasso Sea, Bermuda Triangle
 
N 24 40 W 063 24
 
Showers, NNE breeze, 21 degrees
 
Motor, 5 knots.
 
 
Photo: Anders Martinsen
 
Halfway to Bermuda, and 17th of May celebration aboard.
The trip from Les Saintes started well with two days sailing, sail, but we have now come up in the high pressure belt with little wind and light rain. We had to ask the engineer for help and we work our way slowly north towards wit the engine. The weather is noticeably colder by the day, 21 degrees is the coldest we've had in a long time.
 
 
 
Photo: Anders Martinsen

Although the wind did not show itself from its best side, a lot happens. Because of the changing winds the past few days, the sails were salvaged and set many times, hoping that we could avoid starting the engine. Andwe have   been practicing alot of manouvers.

 

Photo: Anders Martinsen

 

 

 

Photo: Anders Martinsen
Today it rains and all sails had to go down because of the headwind. Lucky the weather permitted the celebration of  the17th of May. Although we are at sea, this can be done in good fashion. The program included a
 big parade where everyone was dressed in their finest clothes, sausage with buns and waffles with ice.
 
Photo: Anders Martinsen
 
After thisour 2 tenders were renamed. Formerly known as the "Framover" and "Bakover". The names were a relic from the time the boats could only sail one way. One could only motor backwards but motored marvelously forward. Today both work flawlessly and we thought it a good thing that they could get a more dignified name, and what was better suited than baptise the starboard boat "Mette" and portside boat "Marit". Named after Sørlandets high protector, her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
 
Congratulationsto everyone!
 
 
Photo: Anders Martinsen
 
Sincerely,
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Ship Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log -  Dominica 05.07.2013

 

 

 

Les Saintes, N 15 52 W 061 35
Clear, E breeze, 28 degrees
Anchor, 0 knots.
 
Jason painting the topsides in Dominica. (Photo: B. Wahlqvist)
 
Arrived Dominica at 21 o'clock on May 7th. The anchor was dropped, it was not allowed to stay there for long however, 06 o'clock the next morning we weighed anchor to motor to the quay. This was a small quay on wooden poles that  is usually available for a small ferry, which unfortunately is not running anymore, but it fit the Sørlandet perfectly.
 

Shipboard director and Chief Mate planning for the following days. ( Photo: B. Wahlqvist)
 
Time in Dominica went for pupils concerned, to experience the stunning tropical island. Several have trips ashore who has featured trekking, hot pools, waterfalls with more.  I was surprised by the announcement by many that they had not anticipated that this would be one of the highlights of the trip.
The crew spent time along the quay as a golden opportunity to get freshened ship's sides with white paint. This was much needed after approx. 8-month ocean voyage and laying alongside at various quays around the world.
In  no less than 3 weeks,  Sørlandet will sail into the "Great Lakes" for the second time, where she will participate in the American Tall ship Races, then ship should shine.
 
 

Sunday tenderride in the Carrebean, Les Saintes. (Photo: B. Wahlqvist)
 
Departure Dominica, was postponed to late evening, next stop was officially Bermuda, but we had admitted a little surprise, and the very next morning at. 0800 we let the  anchor drop in one of the world's finest bays, surrounded by Les Saintes archipelago.
Students were well surprised they had prepared themselves for a race at 1000 nm, about 10 days, and then they got  an extra day off instead.
Dominica and Les Saintes, are very different. Dominica is very "Caribbean", the language is Rastafarian English and everything goes in a very steady pace. Les Saintes is a French island with all that entails, Scooters, baguettes, croisaints and the need  to have a French interpreter, if one is to make himself understood to the authorities.
 
 

Les Saintes, early morning. (Photo: B. Wahlqvist)
 
Expected departure tomorrow 08:00 local time. Bermude next, which means that it's over with tropical sailing for a while.

 

 

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain

Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log   Barbados - Trinidad & Tobago 05.07.2013

 

 

 

Caribbean, N 14 16 W 060 27
Clear, E breeze, 27 degrees
 
I am back on the good ship Sørlandet. Last time I was aboard was in Cape Town, South Africa more than 2 months ago.
Now we are on a completely different continent, albatrosses hovering around the ship, have been replaced with pelicans and the weather is quite a bit warmer.
 
Sørlandet in the Pirate Bay. Photo: B. Wahlqvist.
 
But not only the world around the ship has changed when you have been away a long period Students, teachers and crew have done a fantastic job and the ship looks amazing.
The students have also become very adept. At departure from Tobago we set sail from the ancgoring site where students set sails and maneuvered quickly, quietly and professionally. It was a pleasure to watch.
 
School children in the Pirate Bay with the Sørlandet in the background. Photo: B. Wahlqvist.
 
After many months the engine has hardly been running , the sailing from Port of Spain to Tobago was almost a record sailing the other way round, 100% by enginee. But wind and current was unfortunately against us. Luckily we were just motoring for one day and could let the anchor  drop in the beautiful bay with a cool name, Pirate Bay.
 
 
Due to the low usage of the engine the past several months, a strange problem has occured: the propeller is overgrown with barnacles and seaweed, to such an extent that we had divers to clean the propeller. The large amount of barnacles and seaweed can create an unbalance on the propeller and thus slide shaft bearings.
 
Chief Mate Sune and Chief Engineer Casper cleaning the propeller. Photo: C. Bjerre.
 
 
We at the moment we are on our way to Dominica, and this time we have been lucky with the weather, the sun is high and a warm breeze from the east moving us 6 knots in the right direction.
 
Arrival Dominica seems to be on 7 or 8of May.
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

 

 

Captain's log   Barbados - Trinidad & Tobago 05.01.2013

 

The A-team. A great maritime and academic crew. In tropical attire. (Photo: Sørlandet)

 

Alongside King's Wharf, Port of Spain

 

 

10 weeks have gone by, we've sailed 6076 miles, the main engine has run a measly fifty-something hours, we been through 7 time zones and we have changed continent. It's been a great sail with a great crew! I fly home tomorrow, knowing that I'm going to miss all of it. Thanks to students, academic and maritime crew for making it such a great time. I wish the ship and her crew fair winds and following seas in all her endeavors.

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log   Barbados - Trinidad & Tobago 04.29.2013

Caribbean N 12 46 W 059 55

Clody, E bris, 26 degrees

 

 Sunset at sea again. (Photo: H.S Hanssen

 

 

A week alongside is more than enough. Our stay in Barbados has been good, but it's nice to be underway again. The inspections by the Norwegian Maritime Authority went well, and all our certificates have been endorsed for another year. The pilot boarded us at 1700 Sunday afternoon, and we could finally get going. We cut the engine as soon as we were clear of the breakwater, and are currently sailing along quietly towards Trinidad. ETA is Tuesday around noon. Captain Bjarke is returning in Port of Spain, and I get to go home. I'm going to miss the ship and her crew, but it sure will be nice to get home!

 

The tenders have got a lot of love over the last few weeks, including new names. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log   Barbados 04.24.2013

 

Bridgetown, Barbados

Cloudy, E bris, 25 degrees

 

 

A lonely ship on the horizon. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

 

We picked up the anchor very early Sunday morning, got a pilot, and went alongside. As soon as everything was ship shape we opened the gangway and students and off-duty crew got shore leave. Quite a few parents were waiting for us, and there were a number of reunions. Being alongside does not mean that we drop whatever we are doing and run off to the pub. Unfortunately.

After 7 weeks at sea there's a lot of things to be taken care of.

Authorities need attention, we need provisions, chandlers come and go, and we've got the Norwegian Maritime Authority on an inspection visit. So far very good, and we still have a few days left here. Departure is planned for Saturday or Sunday, and I bet it'll feel good to get out of here!

 

The Sørlandet alongside in Bridgetown. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.19.2013

 

Anchored outside of Bridgetown, Barbados.

Cloudy, E fresh breeze, 26 grader

 

/ Myself and Chief Mate Georgina in the salon. Clearance granted, no problems! (Photo: H.S. Hanssen)

 

 

Friday afternoon at 1445 we clewed up the last sails and dropped the anchor.

The entire passage from Ascension, all 3131 nautical miles, has been done under sail. 100% sail is a rare treat. Saturday has been the big cleaning day. All hands have been busy scrubbing her down from the keel to the truck.

We have a bit of acid wash and brassoing left, but she's looking pretty good. Pilot at 0600 Sunday morning. We'll stay in Bridgetown for 6-7 days.

There's a few maintenance projects planned, and we have the Norwegian Maritime Authority coming for an inspection but there will be time for exploring and relaxing as well!

 

Stephen brassoing. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Pania and Jess keeping order in the chaos. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 


Blake and David gave the dry provisions room a proper scrub.(Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.19.2013

 

Almost in the Caribbean, N 12 07 W 057 49

Light clounds, ENE fresh breeze, 26 degrees

 

Helming into the sunset. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Last night at sea for a while. I expect to anchor in the lee of Barbados Friday afternoon. We've sailed more than 3000 miles, and spent the last 20 days underway. We've seen two Brazilian islands and a few ships, but mostly it's just been us, the sea, and the sky. We've seen the moon wane, disappear, and reappear. We've seen the Big Dipper and the Pole Star appear over the northern horizon. We've seen some birds, caught some fish, and seen the ocean change color as we entered the outflow from the Amazon. We've worked hard: studying, teaching, doing maintenance or standing watch, and the ship looks better than it did when we left Ascension. It's been good to be underway, now it's going to be great to arrive!
 
Stowing the royals before dark. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.16.2013

 

 

Of the coast of Guyana, N06 02 W 050 46

Light clouds, ESE strong breeze, 26 degrees

 

Patrick and the Wahoo, a nice tasting fish. (Photo: H.S Hanssen) 

 

 

Our daily run from Sunday to Monday was 209 miles, that's the fastest we've done in quite a while. It's been fairly windy the last couple of days, so maintenance on deck has been somewhat restricted. But when we're flying along at 8-10 knots that doesn't worry anyone! Monday we had a visit from the deep: King Neptun, Davy Jones and the rest of the royal court came onboard to find out if our pollywogs were worthy of joining the sacred society of Shellbacks. Everyone passed with flying colors! 670 miles left to Bridgetown, and decreasing fast...

 

Aidan showing his new style. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.13.2013

Off the coast of Brazil, S 00 03 W 043 13
Cloudy, light breeze, 28 degrees

 

Fantastic sailing weather. And a newly painted capstan. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

It's too early to be certain, but we may just have gotten through the worst
of the doldrums. We've had lots of weather the last couple of days, variable
winds and lots of rain. Thursday night was very wet, Friday has given us
beautiful sailing wind and sunshine. We took the royals at sunset, but are
still making almost 8 knots.

 

Claudio and Aidan sowing cuffs on the bottlescrews for the mizzenstay. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)



After four months in the southern hemisphere we are now back in the north.
We passed the line at 2127 tonight. No sign of the royal emissaries so far,
but who knows what tomorrow may bring...

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.11.2013

 

 

Off the coast of  Brazil, S 02 03 W 038 38

Rain Showers, E light breeze, 25 degrees

 

Beautiful Tuesday night sunset. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Tuesday was sunny and warm, with a nice gentle breeze. Wednesday the doldrums showed us a different side: We've had heavy rain and fairly strong winds all day. Not the best weather for painting, but never mind. The wind died out after a particularly heavy rain squall at dinnertime, but we've had a beautiful run all day. Tonight we'll reach the halfway-point on the sail to Barbados, 1550 miles to go.

 

Wednesday was rainy. And windy! ( Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Sørlandet

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.09.2013

Off the coast of Brasil, S 03 38 W 035 00

Cloudy, light breeze, 28 degrees

 

A good day for a swim call! (Photo : H.S. Hanssen) 
 

 

32 degrees in the air, 29 degrees in the water, 2 knots of breeze, 1 knot of current, 0 knots of boat speed. Most of the day. Good conditions for an afternoon swim call. After we raised Fernando de Noronha it's been slow going. We're in the doldrums. It's hot, humid, fairly calm, and it's got the occasional rain squall. Fortunately we've got the Guyana current pushing us along. If not it would have been tempting to start the engine. We have the time to work our way through the doldrums like thousands of sailing ships in centuries past. After sunset we got a bit of breeze, we'll see how long it lasts.

 

 

2 knots of breeze, 30 degrees air temperature, 0,4 knots of boatspeed(Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

The doldrums...(PHoto: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Ship Sørlandet

 

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.05.2013

 

South Atlantic, S 4:37 W 028 57
Star Bright, SSE breeze, 27 degrees
 
After lunch we hove to and had a MOB drill. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Another nice day. After lunch, we hove to and had man-overboard exercise under sail. With the boat on the water we had a golden opportunity for a swim call, and we took it. After the first two people had jumped into the water the rescue boat spotted a Portuguese warship that was heading towards us for full sail. For those wondering, I can inform you that it is a very poisonous jellyfish, one would certainly not want to share one's bathwater with it. The swim call had to be put on hold while we sailed us clear of the Portuguese, but eventually  everyone got the chance to swim in the 6000 meter deep water.
 
The swim call had to be put on hold for a while because of a portugese man of war. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
 
 
Swim call in 6000 meters of water is a rare treat. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 04.03.2013

 

 

South Atlantic, S 5:14 W 026 47

Mostly, SE breeze, 27 degrees

 

Georgie's project is varnishing the gangway stairs. Akihiro joins in for the picture. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

We have sailed 750 nautical miles, with 2300 left. The Passat has dwindled, but we still do an average of 4-5 knots. The routines are settling in, and there’s frenetic maintenance activity on deck. It warms the heart of a captain to see that both students and crew are working hard to get the ship as fine as possible. Whatever project you start eager and willing students show up to help out and learn. We build ballast fixtures, sewing cuffs on the turnbuckles and davits, scrape, sand and varnish, rust and paint, servicing and replacing and much much more. In addition to the studying and watch keeping!

 

Paul is giving the tender some loving. That includes tarring the rope railing, AKA "The Anaconda" (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

Santiago and Team Mexico busting rust on the forecastle. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Carpenter Emil and Toby building new shelves in the starboard ballast. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Smoke diver training in 28 degrees is really hot work. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

In about 3-4 days we will pass the Fernando de Noronha. It is probably the only land we are going to see before Barbados rises out of the water. Fortunately, there is a long voyage!

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Sørlandet

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 03.31.2013

 

 

South Atlantic, S 6:40 W 021 00

Mostly, SE breeze, 26 degrees

 

Sails being taken in for the night. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

Sunday at the sea again on Easter Sunday. With the exception of a good deal chocolate Easter eggs, there have not been so many Easter signs board. The school has run its course, and the watches run as usual. We have had exceptionally fine sailing conditions since leaving Ascension Good Friday, and have sailed over 400 nm. Now the wind has calmed a bit, but we do still well over 5 knots. 2650 nm left ... On the maintenance front  things are going ahead:

The rig has almost gotten her second coat of tar, students are sewing cuffs on turnbuckles and varnishing and painting is done everywhere. Carpenter Emil has started to build new shelf system in the starboard ballast to better manage stores and spare parts.

 

  Zach og Dylan cooling off in the main deck's swimming facilities. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)  

 

As usual on Sundays, there was dinner on the lower deck for every man. Smoked pork loin with mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables and sauce was on the menu. We has still usable with fruits and vegetables, but in the weeks ahead  the selection will probably start to deteriorate. It is part of the game on long voyages, and I'm not worried about scurvy  on this voyage!

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

 

 

Captain's log  Ascension- Barbados 03.29.2013

 

South Atlantic, S 07 46 W 015 37

Mostly, E fresh breeze, 26 degrees

 

 Anchor up, set everything. Caribbean next!( Foto: H.S Hanssen)

 

As morning cleaning was done, it was time to move on.  Up

with the anchor, set everything, Caribbean next! Once we'd got our nose towards the west

it was time to set our fishing lines. Nice fresh air, good speed. First, a great

Dorado / Mahi Mahi at 11 kg, then a Blue Marlin on 24 kg, and finally a

Skipjack Tuna. Fish for dinner tomorrow ...

 

Proud fisherman (Photo: Medan MacLeod)

At the moment we have 2976 nm to Bridgetown. Some twenty-days at

sea. Maybe we will see Fernando de Noronha as we pass, but

mostly it is just empty horizons. I have the impression that most are

quite comfortable with this. I am very happy at the least!

 

Happy Easter!

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

 

Captain's log  St. Helena- Ascension 03.27.2013

 

 

At anchor outside Georgetown, Ascension

Mostly, SE breeze, 28 degrees

 

Tuesday morning there was a new island on the horizon. We have now completed the first day of shore leave. Landing is easier said than done here. Anchorage is poorly protected, so we roll well out here. And it is far from easy to go too land! Ocean swell go right into the dock, so it's a pretty hairy maneuver get up with the dinghy. And the possibility of becoming wet is absolutely there!

 

A new Island in the Horizon. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

Ascension is a volcanic island with about 800 inhabitants. For 200 years the island was rather barren, but after Charles Darwin began to import plants from

far and wide the island's ecosystem  has changed. In good periods, it is now properly green and lush, and down towards the sea, where there for only 20-30 years ago were lava stone, shrubbery and undergrowth are showing their presence . And the process is self-reinforcing. More vegetation causes more precipitation - leading to more vegetation!

 

 There many wild dnokeys on the Island. Here some are resting in the shade. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

On land, wildlife is somewhat limited. They have wild sheep, donkeys, rabbits and land crabs. And rats. Lots of rats. In the ocean,  its bubbling with life. Thousands of turtles lay eggs on the sandy beaches here, and last night we were able to observe amounts of baby turtles that swam past the ship, heading out to sea. In addition there are all kinds of fish in the sea, sharks, dolphins, whales, and certainly much more. 

 

If the seas aren’t too bad in the morning there will be another round of land and new impressions to take on board. Good Friday morning we will weigh anchor and set sails towards  the Caribbean.

 

Easter Greetings

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  St. Helena- Ascension 03.25.2013

 

 

South Atlantic, S 10 48 W 011 37
Moon Bright, ESE moderate breeze, 26 degrees
 
A nice Sunday at sea is near its end. Linens have been aired and washed, and
cabins are cleaner than they were yesterday. Since leaving Walvis Bay there has been nothing but
black sea, but today it changed. Within a few afternoon hours we hauled in to nice dorados.  We need more to make everyone a meal, but it is a good beginning!
 
Sunday dinner on the banjer, pork roast with mashed potatoes and spinach. (Photo: H.S Hanssen) 
 
The Passat has faded so much that we had to come to terms with starting the
engine before dinner. We have some appointments on Ascension we must keep, and that is why meager 3 knots didn't do it.  Hopefully the Passat will come to its senses this night, I would rather not burn more fuel than absolutely
necessary.
 
 
Megan and Shawn melting beeswax. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
Today's big project has been melting beeswax. On St. Helena, one of
the crew members started talking to a guy who kept bees, and in exchange for a
tour aboard we got a big bucket full of honeycomb tripe. It is a succulent
mixture of dead bees, various branches, a little honey and beeswax. Shawn
rigged the hot plate on the deck and set about cooking. The mix was
melted at a relatively low heat, then silted as best we could. And
Thus, we had quite pure beeswax! Beeswax is used for a variety of
purposes: Mixed with raw linseed oil it will be excellent to impregnate / protect
cuttingboards and other woodwork, if you want, you can even add  tar, this
is excellent for impregnating leather, and when to sewing you put beeswax on the thread
to make it smooth and water-resistant.
 
 
Bosun Esben and Chief Engineer Chris enjoying the nice Sunday on the aft deck. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
We will anchor at Georgetown on Ascension on 26 March, and we plan to
anchor there for two days. Ascension has a large military airport and reputedly
not much more. Charles Darwin visited the island on his journey with the Beagle, and the
island is described in his Origin of Species. In two days we can go in Darwin
footsteps!
 
 
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Ship Coast
 

 

Captain's log  St. Helena- Ascension 03.22.2013

 

South Atlantic, S 14 33 W 007 32

Mostly, SSE moderate breeze, 24 degrees

 

After a couple nice days on St. Helena it was, as usual, good to set sails. We sailed from the anchorage, and at the moment we have only gotten 140 nm away from the island.  The Passat is relatively moderate in strength, so it doesn’t give us much speed. According to the plan, we will be arriving at Ascension on the 26th March, but unless the wind picks up we may be a day late.

 

We topped up our fuel tanks before we left St. Helena. It is far to the Caribbean, so we have to save fuel. This means that it will take the time it takes to get to Ascension!

 

Carpenter Emil milling up bad seams with help from Ally Mac. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

After we had taken our anchor aboard and set the Main Upper Topsail for departure, we discovered that  a seam who had surrendered to the forces of nature. It is bad style to put up torn sails, and after an inspection we found that it had to come down in order to be properly repaired. With the sewing machine and a skilled crew it is a relatively straightforward matter to get done, but it takes time. Sails are subject to mechanical wear, but it is primarily solar and UV radiation that kills them. The cloth on the main upper topsail seemed ok, but some of the seams were exhausted. This afternoon everything was repaired, and now we sail with all topgallants set. When the sun shows itself this morning we will get out our royals.

 

We are 1130 mil from the nearest mainland, and relatively far from busy shipping routes. The horizon has been empty since St. Helena disappeared last night. We are mostly all alone out here, and it feels fine.

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Ship Coast

 

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.20.2013

 

At anchor, Jamestown, St. Helena
Few clouds, E fresh breeze, 24 degrees
 
The little lady at anchor outside of Jamestown.(Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
"The most extraordinary place on earth". It what the tourist brochures say about St. Helena. It is a bold claim, but the island is certainly a good candidate if you do such a ranking. I was on a tour of the island yesterday, and it really is a fascinating place. We visited Napoleon's house, his grave, the governor's house and several great vantage points. In the garden outside the house of the goveror it is said the oldest living creatures on the planet lives, a minimum 150 years old tortoise named Jonathan. He and four other turtles live their golden days - in slow motion.
 
The first swim call of the year. With a water temperature of 25 degrees not wrong. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
In many ways, a visit here is a visit back in time. There are no phones, no ATMs and no airport. But the airport is on the way. They began to digging  a couple of years ago, and it will be completed in 2016. Then it will be possible to get here as fast as anywhere else on the planet. It will end the five-day voyage from Cape Town aboard the RMS St. Helena, which today is the island's only link to the outside world. Islanders have split opinions abouyt this is good or not. It is hoped that tourism will increased economic activity and make it more attractive for young people to settle here. And they fear that the unique atmosphere where everyone knows everyone will be lost.
 
Sightseeing around the island in a bus from 1929. A great way to see a great island. (Foto: H.S. Hanssen) 
 
Our visit has unquestionably been the big event here this week. Tomorrow we set sail again, but the islanders remain. I hope that future and progress treat the island well and that they are able to preserve and develop all the positive things they have. If I were to come back here sometime in the future I hope that I will recognize the island.
 
 From Jamestown the Jacob's ladder takes you 700 steps up to mountain side.Martin finnishes with style. (Foto: H.S Hanssen)
 
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Ship Coast
 

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.16.2013

 

At anchor off Jamestown, St. Helena
Cloudy, E moderate breeze, 23 degrees
 
Jason enjoying the view of St. Helana's north coast. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)
 
 
As dawn broke this morning, there was land in sight. From the sea  St. Helena looks rather daunting. Steep and scorched mountains that plunge straight into the sea. Atlantic Swells that beats far up razor sharp rocks. We rounded the north side of the island and dropped anchor off Jamestown. The wind kept all the way, so during this passage we only used the engine for 0,9 nm. This left the sail percentage at 99.93%! for this passage. As soon as the anchor struck the bottom we got the agent and authorities on board. There was one agent, harbor master, immigration, customs and agriculture. No fewer than 10 units to clear us in! Clearing went smoothly, and at the moment we are trimming the rigigg, put up sun screes
prepare the teders for shore leave in the morning. St. Helena is truly a special place. Approximately 4500 people live here. They have their own country code telephony and telephone numbers are 4 digits! They have not mobile phones or airport. All supplies comes via ship from Cape Town.
 
During the afternoon we will continue the inventory after the voyage, if we get time there might even be a bath in the ocean, and tonight Jess will fire up the grill. Tomorrow will be exploring the land.
 
It has been a great voyage,  it will be good to firm ground feet.
 
Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Ship Coast

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.14.2013

 

South Atlantic, S 17:01 W 002 32

Cloudless, S moderate breeze, 23 degrees

 

It has been a few days since the last telegram, and we have sailed a couple hundred miles closer to St. Helena. At the moment we have 197 nm left, and I expect to anchor early Saturday afternoon. The last few days have been characterized by very light winds during the day, while the winds build up slightly towards the evening and overnight. What causes thisI do not know, the only logical explanation I can find is that the sea breeze of the coast of Africa counteracts the trade winds that blow in principle relatively stable directions. Anyway, in sum, we have managed to keep a good average speed.

 


Dylan is sowing cuffs on the main lower shrouds turnbuckles. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

For various reasons it has been decided to alter the sailing schedule slightly for the next few months. Basically the route was St. Helena - Ascension - Belem, Brazil - Port of Spain, Trinidad, Belem however has been replaced. From Ascension, we will sail to Bridgetown, Barbados instead, and then on to Port of Spain. Belem, which we visited last year, is 100 mil up Rio Para, a kind of side-stream of the Amazon.

The approach is fascinating, but the town was not very exciting. The students had a great excursion in the jungle there last year, but I'm not sorry that I will not have to struggle with Brazilian officials. Barbados is a new, safe and pleasant acquaintance. This change has some practical consequences. It is considerably longer sail to Bridgetown than to Belem.

 


Chief Officer Georgina and cook Jess utilizes the 3 PM coffee break to a maximum. Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

This means that we need more food and more diesel for generators. We are going to buy provisions and bunker up in St. Helena so we can sail to the Caribbean without getting scurvy.

 

My source of knowledge about St. Helena is primarily Admiralty Sailing Directions. On top of this several of the crewmembers have visited the island earlier. It sounds like a fascinating place, and I hope to have the opportunity to look around. We are trying to set up the watch plan so the crew will get a chance to go ashore. The biggest tourist attraction is supposedly Napoleon's home in exile and his burial site. We  visited Ajaccio on Corsica last fall. It is the birthplace of Napoleon, thus a visit to St. Helena's kind of completes the circle.

 

All is well on board.

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.12.2013

 

South Atlantic, S 18 18 E 001 12

Not a cloud on the horizon, S moderate breeze, 22 degrees

 

The last few days have been marked by preparations for the midterm exams, which began today. These exams count a great deal to the final grades, so it really counts to make a good effort. Exams should be on for the next three days, but when we get to St. Helena school is off until after departure. And St. Helena draws ever closer. At the moment we have 425 nm left. The maintained speed is okay, even if the wind has been rather moderate the last few days. There are are still excellent conditions for maintenance on deck. The deck is being sanded, varnished, painted, oiled, "lappsalved"(explained further down in the logg) and even woodwork in the bowels of the ship.

 

Ingrid and Blake giving their all for the exams. (Photo H.S. Hanssen)

 

After Billy the Blowfish unintentionally made a mess on deck the sea has been black. We are sailing in relatively deep water, with well over 5000 meters of water under the keel. You can be lucky and get something to bite, but I do not anticipate that there will be something special before we get into the shallow waters around St. Helena.

 

For a couple of days ago the temperature in the interior of the ship rose significantly, so the chief fired up the air conditioners. AC is a delicious luxury. We have on several occasions earlier had problems with it in the tropics, and it can quickly become unbearably hot in the cabin. During the works in Turkey last year we installed new AC, with two completely independent systems. Currently, the outside temperature is comfortable, but when we come up on the coast of Brazil is going to be scalding hot.

 

Although there are some exam nerves there is a good mood aboard.

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.10.2013

 

 

South Atlantic, S 19 43 E 004 49

Mostly, S moderate breeze, 22 degrees

 

At sea there is little that tells the days apart. The watches go by regardless of day of week, cleaning procedures must be followed up, the food must be prepared. But we make an effort that Sundays should stand out slightly. Students have classes as usual, but on the deck, we take it a bit more easy. We do not start with new projects and avoid dirty or noisy work. For the crew, cabins have to be cleaned when not on duty. This Sunday was an excellent Sunday. There was a steady stream of bedding on deck for ventilation and vacuum cleaner and wash rag was used in the cabins. The weather was beautiful and the atmosphere good.

 

Resuscitation with seemingly good results and a huge spectator crowd. (Photo: H.S Hanssen)

 

 

A bit into the afternoon there was suddenly one of the fishing lines that showed signs of activity. And it was heavy! We saw that there was something caught; it could resemble a white plastic bucket. Plastic garbage here, in the middle of the ocean! Sadly ... But it was not so bad. As we hauled the line in we saw that it was a fish.

A blowfish. What it's called in Norwegian I have no idea. This was an exceptionally odd fellow, who had swallowed large amounts of water. We got him up on deck, and gradually over to the swimming pool, which - since it was Sunday - was blown up.

There he collected himself, and gradually recovered. Marine biology class had initially thought to sacrifice Billy on altar of science, but when it looked like he had survived the hardships of being hauled aboard, and in addition had been humiliated by everyone laughing at him, we decided to set him free again. Good luck in the future!

 

 

A very odd fish. Reportedly very poisonous to eat. (Photo: H.S. Hanssen)

 

Sundays are the "family dinner", everyone gather and eat dinner on the banjer deck.

This is a very nice tradition, most people dress up for the occasion, and Jess puts a little extra effort when cooking up some goodies. This time it was Indian. Jum!

 

The wind has died down in the past day, but we're still sailing at a good speed. During Monday night, I expect we pass the half way mark to St.Helena. Fortunately, there is a long voyage left.

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay- St. Helena 03.09.2013

South Atlantic, S 20 30 E 007 35

Cloudy, SSE Fresh breeze, 22 degrees
 
Walvis Bay is 430 nm behind us, we have 800 nm left for St. Helena, and the ship and crew have found their rhythm again. Those who were seasick the first night at sea are now in good shape, and the watches go by easily. On this voyage
students will have their midterm exams, so the academic pressure is quite high. Wind and weather has been good, and the temperature is rising day by day. So far we managed without air conditioning, but we will probably need to fire the system up any time soon.
 
Zach and Lachlan removing old paint with a heat gun and
spatula. Soon the teak will shine! (Photo: H.S. Hanssen)

 

On deck there are excellent conditions for maintenance. Shawn is repairing sails. Emil our carpenter is  making new shelves. Our cook Jess is making delicious food. Espen our  boatswain keeps students on deck duty busy with scraping, sanding, varnishing, sail work and a thousand other tasks. It seems all are pretty happy to be here, which is a good feeiling 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sorlandet

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay 03.06.2013

 

North of Pelican Point, Walvis Bay, Namibia
Partly cloudy, 17 degrees, southerly gale
 
Finally at sea again! The wind freshened up the day, and on departure had
rissen up to 30 knots in the gusts. "Pelican" the tugboat helped us from the quay, and only 20
minutes after the pilot came on board, sails were set. He became a bit pale
when he realized that we intended to sail the dredged channel,
but took it with a smile. The sailing conditions are greate, and as I am writing this we sweep away at over 7 knots.
 
Pania, Becca, Ruben and Paul are happy to be at sea
again. (Photo: Halvor S. Hassen)
 
 
Our stay in Walvis Bay has been extremely successful. We have done a good maintenance work in the engine department: New coolant pump and the piping has been modified
on generator 3, reconditioned injectors, new fuel hoses and some piping done
in ballast. In addition, we topped up with fresh supplies. We are ready for
 a long crossing! In addition, everyone had time to look around a bit about the
area. Definitely a place I'd like to come back to!
 
One of the tens of thousands of seals that live here in the area enjoying a
little morning nap on the bulb to container ship. (Photo: Halvor S. Hanssen)
 
Now we are done with the coastal race for a while. Next stop is St. Helena, a
small outpost of the British Empire, best known for being the place Napoleon was
banished to after being beaten at Waterloo. It's 1200 nautical miles, which we
hope to get done in 10 days. Thus, a suitably long trip!
 
It has been nice to be on land, but now it's great to be at sea again!

 

 

Captain's log  Walvis Bay 03.03.2013

 

 

Safely moored, Walvis Bay, Namibia

Sunny, 20 degrees, NW moderate breeze

 

Yesterday started early. The pilot came aboard at 0615 and were safely moored at breakfast.

 

 
The strongback between the aft davits is geting and enthusiastic painting by the students. (Foto: Halvor S. Hanssen)

 

 

This is nothing less than a miracle, basically you can be 100% sure that the departure / arrival will collide with meals or coffee. But not this time. The pilot, a friendly Russian, pointed out a really nice little pier north of the container terminal. Agent, immigration and customs and ship chandlers appeared during the morning, all were very nice and everything went like clockwork. The students had classes until 1600 hours. Then all the girls got shore leave while the guys had to stay on board ... Their side of the lower deck has not been kept at an adequate standard with regards to order and cleanliness, and the consequence of this was that they would scrub the lower deck to a standard that satisfied me until they got shore leave. And the guys went in with bent necks. Without any assistance they organized very well, and then I was invited to inspect after a few hours of hard work. I just had to take off my hat for the effort and give my thumb up. Good work!

 


Pania and Jason varnishing the rudder casing. A nice job in the nice weather. (Foto: Halvor S. Hanssen) 

 

I have not been ashore yet, but it sounds like Namibia and Walvis Bay is a nice place. Everyone speaks English, most speak German, and it seems like things are relatively well organized. It can not be taken for granted everywhere .... Anyway, it's good to be the captain of a port where there is no need to struggle with corruption, and where  the other parties to do what they say they will do.

 

Now I hear the paint brush calling. We enjoy Namibia, but when Wednesday comes we should be happy to  go to sea again. It tends to be like that!

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log Cape Town - Walvis Bay 03.01.2013

 

At anchor, Walvis Bay, Namibia

Moderate breeze, overcast, 17 degrees

 

The last few days we sailed more or less straight north - straight towards the equator. And day by day the temperature has gone down! One should be careful not to complain that it is cold to readers who sit in winter Norway and are freezing, but it has been surprisingly cool down here. The low temperature is due to the cold Benguela current that moves northward along the coast here. It is cold water from the deep ocean that presses up against the African continent. At the next voyage, we leave the coast and then the temperature will rise significantly. But so far, there has been a need for both the hat and jacket on night shifts. Now we just cast our anchor. We will be waiting here until tomorrow morning. When we take on board the pilot and go to the wharf. Walvis Bay is Namibia's largest port city, but the city itself is not that big. It is sandwiched between the desert and the sea, and justifies its existence  by being the best natural harbor in this area. The Coast in general is mostly little welcoming, with dense fog, creepy currents and acute shortage of fresh water. North of Walvis Bay it is called the Skelton Coast, which suggests that it is not a good place to be shipwrecked.

 

Catching the dinner of the day, two students are very proud of their fishinh skills. (Photo Halvor S. Hanssen)

 

Our voyage has been marked by no drama at all. We had a nice breeze all the way, and have sailed all the way from Cape Town. *The sail rate ended up at 94, and we are happy with that. Yesterday was the big day of fishing, we got a total of 15 fine Rainbow Runners over (the newly lacquered) row. This is apparently a very good fish, we will find out this afternoon when it's fish dinner for everyone. Otherwise days have been spent doing maintenance: Sanding and varnishing, paint  “lappsalving” of the rig (coating wires and ropes in a concoction of tare, oil and sheep grease) , construction of a new deck in the ballast, small sail repairs, and otherwise all the daily routines that are needed in order for us 68 board will be able to live as well as we do. Washing, cleaning, and washing again!

 

Lappsalving the rigging in this weather is almost no work at all.(Photo Halvor S. Hanssen)

 

Halvor S. Hanssen

Captain

Sorlandet

 

Captain's log Cape Town - Walvis Bay 02.26.2013

 

Outside the Orange River, on Tuesday 26 February

Mostly sunny, 18 degrees in the air, southern light breeze to fresh breeze.

 

My colleague Bjarke Wahlqvist started a very readable little blog while I was home. I appreciated reading the small and large reports from the ship while I was safely moored to my couch in the comfort of my home.  On the off chance that there are more people who also liked this blog, therefore, I have chosen to continue this fine new tradition.

 

I arrived in Cape Town late on the evening ofFebruary 21th, after a relatively long flight from Norway. The first few days aboard were - as usual - very hectic. We had a lot of work done in Cape Town, in addition to take aboardprovisions, bunkers and a lot of stores. But at 1300 hours local time on  February 23rd the time for departure had arrved. Many of the students had parents visiting, so there was a fairly large group of people on the dock to wave goodbye to us. The departure was getting delayed, it proved that four of the students were not back on board yet! They had gone on surfing and failed to get back when shore leave expired. The pilot was stamping his feet impatiently and after a few minutes they finally came running along the quay. Let go stern, hard starboard, forward slowly. After a stop at the bunkering terminal we could finally head out to sea. Everyone agreed that Cape Town had been a wonderful port, but as always it was good to get out to sea again.

 

 

Hans Adrian Robinson our officer cadet is already comfortable in the rigging. (Photo: Halvor S. Hanssen)

During the first night at sea, we set sail and shut down “Brumle” (rumble in Norwegian) and the days so far have been very pleasant. The breeze comes mostly from the south, the temperature are like a fine Norwegian summer, and the five (!) fishing lines we have dragging after us, it happens quite often that some takes a bite. So far, we pulled in a small shark, a Longfin tuna, a black snapper, a few rainbow runners and some small barracuda-like cases. The ones who are edible are promptly filleted and shipped down the freezer.

 

The voyage up to Walvis Bay is just pathetic 700 nautical miles. After a crossing of 3800 miles it is so short a distance that it is hardly worth mentioning. Luckily the voyages afterwards are longer. We use the good weather for maintenance. The main focus now is surface treatment. The rigging is being treated to a solution of tare; oil etc. to keep rust away and we are well underway with sanding and varnishing the wood on the deck. Seafarers are always keen to deliver the ship in better condition than they received it, and when we get over to the other side of the Atlantic again the paint and varnishing should certainly look pretty good!

 

Today's outfit is shorts, sandals and hoodie. Normally there would only be a tired t-shirt at this time of day, but since it's clear that there will be a little chilly today. Makeup Tips: use sunscreen even if it is cloudy! The sun is strong so near the equator ...

 

 

Halvor S. Hanssen
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.15.2013

 

 

Anchor away! Another adventure for the  Sørlandet is over.

 

The trip Rio de Jainero to Cape Town was lasted 26 days, 3803 nautucal miles, with an average speed of 6.4 knots, 89% by sail. The best distance sailed in a period of 5 days, 1037nm. Not bad for this old lady.

 

Captain Bjarke Wahlqvist monitoring the aproach to Cape Town.

 

Most of the voyage , we have avoided the worst South Atlantic low pressures, and have been able to keep us on the edge of these, with a fair wind and a little swell as a result. The last day before  anchoring, however, we were overtaken by a low pressure  from the south, which gave us win up to 35 to 42 m / s which is between strong gale and small storm. Once again we had come to the edge of the weather system and only had this weather in one day. This time, we didn’t get away from the swell however, the sea quickly built up to 4 meters waves. The ship did very well and we were lucky with  the wind. One of our life rafts did not make it however, a great wave, tore it loose, it fell overboard and blew itself up at 0:30 in the morning. A few of the students watched this happen and the first thought they had: “Are the first mate and Captain testing the fleets!” Well it worked just fine, but with 8-9 knots it was gone in seconds.

 

That night, I was glad that our tenders was swung in over the aft deck.

 

 

Sørlandet with Table Mountain in the background. (Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

The  next morning the wind had calmed down, and by begin of the morning it looked like another great day for the rest of this voyage.  Land in sight for the second time. This time it's Africa, more exactly the Cape of Good Hope. Most students and teachers were excited mostly because we were finally there, for most sailors it is great to sail past the Cape of Good Hope, this is a historic day for the Sørlandet. The day went by with sailing along Lions Head, Lions Back and finally anchor right at the foot of Table Mountain. Everyone could breathe out after 26 days at sea. So did the weather also, because of the mountains in the area, it is difficult to find good anchorage when the wind blows from the southeast. We were assigned the best anchoring spot, here the wind only blew at "only" 18-20 m / s But Sørlandets anchor, did a good job and we didn’t moved out of place.  4 shackles on the chain and 15 meters deep.

 

 

 

Today cleaning and general preparations are on the program before arrival; fenders, ropes and heaving lines are out from hiding.  The Tenderne swung out and shoes are polished.

 

Tomorrow there is shore leave.

 

vh

Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain

 

 

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.13.2013

 

Still sailing towards Cape Town!

7 days since the last update! After the brief visit to Gough peace began to settle in earnest over the ship. Most people aboard had followed the race with excitement, in the event that it was possible to go ashore on Tristan, or in the event see Gough Island. Now there’s just the long haul before Cape Town.  Daily routines and miles glide by as we slowly but surely approach Africa.

 

The Sørlandet is approaching South Africa for the first time. (Photo Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

We have had fantastic sailing- and maintenance weather the last few days. Dinner arrangements have been exceedingly decadent, first fresh lobster from the lobster fisherman at Gough Island, enough that all 65 on board could get a tail each. Fresh tuna caught from the lines ever cast from the aft, enough for everyone served as steaks and tartar. Nothing should go to waste, so every third day there was tuna steaks with lobster salad. Can it be true?

 

After 23 days at sea, there are some who hitting the wall, 4 days before Cape Town all begin to slowly prepare for the arrival. The brass is polished, the ship cleaned, unconcerned that this has to be done again, but just to make things a little easier when we finally arrive on the 17th.  All will be ready when we arrive.

 

Students welcome the chance to show the ship, their home for the past 5 months and for the next 4 months, to their parents. There all are waiting on the quay in Cape Town.

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.06.2013

 

Kl. 05:50 Local time the lookout reported: “Land ahead”.  And indeed there are rocks breaking the outline of the fog.. Slowly we are getting closer and Gough's dramatic cliffs start rising from the sea. After 16 days at sea without seeing land, it is an overwhelming moment because most cameras and widely used.

 

Land ahead. (Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

The students are off school today and had the opportunity to sleep until 10.00. But most jump out of their bunks when they hear that there is land ahead.

 

Gough is an island belonging to Tristan archipelago, but is the only one not located in the immediate vicinity of the others. Gough is about 300 nm south of Tristan.

 

When we knew that our course would take us close to Gough , we contacted the fishing vessel "Edinborough" a lobster fisherman, we had heard would be at the island. We spot the ship with our binoculars, it is just south of the island and waiting for us. We were called on VHF channel 16 (this is used as an ordinary working channel here, but of course there is no one else nearby who can hear). They have been waiting for us for several hours and guide  us around the island on the lee side, here we can brace aback and put a boat in the water.

 The vessel Edinborough waiting for the Sørlandet (Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

It turns out that there is a manned radio and weather station on the island, and they are very excited to get a visit. They are 8 people at the station for 12 months. The only way they can get off the island is via a crane to ease off them 40 meters down in a basket to a small work boat that can sail them out to the ship.

 

We cannot not get ashore, as this island has been on the list of World Heritage with its very unique and isolated fauna and wildlife, they are very afraid of getting diseases, insects, bacteria and the like on the island. It turns out that Tristan's administrator, is visiting and he comes out on the Sørlandet and answers questions eagerly about the life in the South Atlantic, for our students. This makes up for not making it to Tristan.

 

Before departure, the Sørlandet and the school give some gifts in the form of T-shirts and caps, this turns out to be in very high demand on both ship and island. This are considered as collectibles. The skipper thanks us with a box freshly caught lobster, not bad.

 

The session lasted 3 hours, guests were sailed ashore and within 30 minutes all sails were set and we went over 10 knots. Leaving us with only 10 days until the next time we see land again.

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain

 

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.05.2013

 

5.2. 2013

Great sailing, we have been surfing on the same isobar for two 2 days now on the front of a cold front. The front is moving in a south-easterly direction, while we sail East. Which fits perfectly with us keeping ourselves in a belt with constant winds of 25-30 knots. We are on the lee side of the cold front,  which means that sea, rain and changing wind so far has stayed south of us. Absolutely amazing.

 

The last 2 days we've logged 450nm. Tonight we fell back to "measly" 8 knots while the fog drew heavily  around the ship, a student begins to play the flute and eerie sounds drift through the fog and we think that maybe it was the flute that attracted a crowd of at least 30 dolphins who jumped around the ship, engineer and first mate enjoyed the view.

 

The view off the decks of the Sørlandet. (Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist) 

 

Yesterday at 09.15 PM sailed Sørlandet into The roaring 40ties, a legendary area for sail ship sailors, here there are prevailing winds west and the wind strength is at moderate gale.  So far it has however been quite calm. I expect, that today we  have sailed the farthest south we will get on this voyage, on the whole the southernmost Sørlandet has ever been.

 

We have had fishing lines out all the time, but when we sail at 10 knots, it is difficult to pull the reins in and we lost 2 tuna on that account. Tonight the lines were pulled in, and on one there was the corner jaw of a tuna, we are sailing too fast.

 

 

The school is holding weekend, they pretend that we are halfway and half a day off has been given, tomorrow when they most probably have school of in Canada due to heavy snow fall, here there is summer. All watches and still have to be upheld..

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain

Ship Sørlandet

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.03.2013

 

The last few days the navigators have been working hard to find a way through the weather forecast, at the same time make it to Trisan de Cunha and ensuring to reach Cape Town on time. Many ideas, courses and dates have been discussed and thought over, but unfortunately reason tells us that we have to fall off and follow the wind further south in order to maintain a good chance to arrive in Cape Town on time. The problem is that the spirit struggling against logic, Tristan de Cunha, the world's most isolated island , how cool would it not be going ashore there. The plans were all laid out, our students would visit the island's school with 15 pupils, caps were to be exchanged for lobster, passports stamped and postcards were already written, with some of the world's rarest stamps. We were supposed see the land again for the first time in 14 days, and even a volcano. It would have been great, we've only seen one  ship since we left the coast of Brazil.

 

 

The decision was made, the course changed and the speed increased to 10 knots.

 

Albatross following the  Sørlandet. (Photo: Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

 

It is almost as if the "Sørlandet", Kristiansand’s Pearl, feels at home here in the South-Atlantic sea. The temperature has dropped to 22 degrees in the air and 18 degrees in the water and the wind is  at 15 m / sec not entirely unlike the weather around Lindesnes in the summer. The Sørlandet awakens to the challenge shooting the hull through the waves and shaking of the tropical seaweed which had the privilege to inhabit the grand old lady’s hull for a short period of time. The ship heels gracefully in perfect 10 degrees only challenged by the albatross sailing along the side of the Sørlandet..

 

 

The proud lady really knows how to handle herself.

 

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 02.01.2013

 

 

The last few days the wind has been changing and  we had a heavy SW swell. Sailing has been on and off with sails and machine to maximize the possibility of landing on Tristan. As a result of this, we have had a little uncomfortable sailing, especially when motoring.
 

Yesterday it proved insensible to motor any longer with the big swell and the wind against us. This gave us such a powerful roll, that we had deviate so much off course, that there was no sense in burning any more dinosaur plankton.
 

All sails were set, and now it is up to the wind, whether it will take us to Tristan in time, so we will be in Cape Town in proper time. As a result, we have a slight heel, calm movements and 5 knots on the log.
 

The chief officer and Bosun use this opportunity to empty the forepeak for paint buckets and wash it down. At some time salt water washed into the forepeak, and the paint buckets dislike being coated in salt and start to rust.
 

Rust being cleaned off the paint buckets. (Photo Bjarke Wahlqvist)
 

Friday aboard means that the sailors have “Red Neck Friday” thus country western music accompanied with cowboy hats can be experienced on the Sørlandet’s decks.
 

When sailing 27 days in a row dates start floating together and this little celebration is a great way to mark the end of the week. Even though practically the work on Saturday and Sunday is no different from normal week days.

 

Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.29.2013

The wind died down during the night, and the engine had to be started. The swell has not subsided, and the waves come rolling like small mountains of 4 meters. The swell was caused by the low pressure passing south of us, and now you can feel you are in the South Atlantic, the waves a rolling here.

The combination of no wind and swell, is not fun as the ship rolls from side to side constantly making it almost impossible to work or even sleep. The Captain’s bunk is nice enough, but in this swell I would prefer the good old hammock any time.

Work on deck is slow, the teachers on banjer tie themselves into knots write on the whiteboard and I have to wedge myself into the desk while I write this.

 


Tristan de Cunha the island waiting for the arrival of the Sørlandet. (Photo: http://www.tristandc.com/)

 

The doldrums will stay with us the next few days, and swell is likely to slowly diminish.

The course is set towards Tristan, all fingers crossed that the weather holds and landing will be possible. The islanders would be very pleased to see us, and we receive daily e-mails from the island's officials who are curious about how things are going. They know how lucky we have to be in order to make a successful landing.

 

Regards
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain 
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.28.2013

 

Sundays aboard, traditionally consist of light maintenance, cleaning and miscellaneous little cozy tasks.

General watch routines are maintained, but instead of removing rust and painting, the focus is on cleaning. After the watch, the crew gets a few hours to clean up on their cabins.

 

The chef makes an especially nice dinner, and we hold a "family dinner" in the banjer, all students and crew are nicely dressed of course.  However yesterday was a little unusual. Some of the students couldn’t wait to taste the good food and had been in the provision chamber and helped themselves plenty already on Saturday. One of the few crucial things to know aboard a ship is that it’s always important to stay on good terms with the ship's cook. He was not happy, as wasn’t the faculty leader and I school. The Sunday dinner was therefore replaced by rice with beans, SIGH. Monday morning had its moral uplifting speech and that was it, we hope.

 

Our cook Simon's new ham stand. (Photo Bjarke Wahlqvist)

 

The cook however, comforted us all by producing a small ham, and our AB Anders, a true master with the blow torch, fixed a quick ham stand after Simon's instructions. The result is clearly worthy of a even the most snobby black foot ham in Madrid.

 

So there was still a little Sunday to the day after all…

 

Regards

Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.27.2013

 

2 days since the last update, the course is still south-east, hoping to keep us as long as possible in a belt of wind. It is tempting to head directly for Tristan de Cunha, which all are incredibly eager to reach. When would you ever get the chance to experience this small isolated volcanic island again?

The problem is that if we head straight for our goal, we would end up with, in the course of a day, headwind and calm. So at the moment we have to accept a longer route, to get down winds and sailing long as possible.

To start the engine, is unfortunately not an option on a crossing of this length, unless it is for short periods of time. We do not have enough diesel to sail all the way and are forced to put us in the wind belt.

 

AB S. Anderson brining aboard todays meal. (Photo: B. Wahlqvist)

 

The last day we have had fantastic sailing, with everything from royals set, to the next moment when we have to take down everything but our topsails, brilliant sunshine with a light breeze to rain and wind. The speed has been between 6 to 10 knots. The fish has started to show an interest for our fishing lines, and both wahoo and mahi-mahi have been hauled aboard, much to the delight of the chef, who gathers together to prepare a meal with freshly caught fish.

 

Last night, our ever running auxiliary motor tired and had a 1 hour break (we believe it was the chief engineer’s ears who wanted some rest), at least the machine was stopped and the ship calmed and went quiet. This funnily coincided with everyone being finished with their work for the day, the last dish wash was finnished and the last bread was out of the oven. The last sun rays hits the sails with golden colors on the starboard, and the full moon took over as heaven's light source on the port side. Royals all set at 8 knots, students and crew lapse into silence, can you imagine a better Saturday night?

 

Regards
 

Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet

 

 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.25.2013

Hello,

4 days underway , the initial training of all students is over, and everyday life has begun as the semester and the first day of school started today.

 

Students in addition to their regular schooling, watch a total of 4 hours on deck. 2 hours a night, and 2 hours during the day. This time will be spent sailing, and to help the crew to keep the ship clean and do easier maintenance as coating teak change of rope etc. It is the students who go aloft when sails have to be salvaged or set. It is also them who, together with the sailors, get blisters in their hands when the wind changes and all the sails need to be trimmed according to the new wind direction. All functions of the rig, is done by hand and it's a very special feeling, to help to get this old lady to sail across 3300nm only by wind and hand.

 

Right now, after 5 days at sea, the distance seems a bit insurmountable. There is still approx. 3000nautical miles left to sail, and on the map it does not look like we have moved at all. But patience will soon come over the ship and the time will slowly eat into the miles.


A great distance. Marks on the left hand side shows the current progress of the Sørlandet.

 

Right now the going is great 8 knots southeast bound, on the north side of a collision between a low pressure and high pressure, pushing the isobars together and giving wind in gales to strong gales strength.

We are, however, good and safe on the outskirts with tailwind and relatively calm water. South of our position where the wind has had its impact, the waves are significantly higher up between 3-4 meters.

Bjarke Wahlqvist

Captain
Sørlandet

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.24.2013

 
Last day of training for all students on deck.
 
The weather was at its best and all sails were set in the morning and training in sailing maneuvers could start. It was inter alia to 2 taken to tack the ship into the wind. This is one of the best exercises for team building on board. During this maneuver it is extremely important that everyone is focused and work together to get the 20 sails around at the right time. If a student or crew relaxes a rope too early or too late, he can disrupt the whole maneuver and stop the ship through reverse sailing, drifting astern.
 
The maneuvers all went well, luckily and everyone was both quiet and consentrated. We were however shown why it is important to practice as some rope ends stuck and slowing down the whole maneuver, we managed to get them free, and we got all the way around. The reason was poor preparation and this was resolved the next turn which went smoothly.
 

Mizzen being stowed by students.
The wind was as forecast to the northeast during the night, and we are now on course directly towards Tristan. The keyword right now is speed, because the favorable winds will fall off in a couple of days, and leave us in the middle of a high-pressure, with high risk of having to start using the machine. Which of course we'd rather avoid.
 
 
The sails are all set, and the spirits are high.
 
There is nothing better than to see students full of joy after a windy trip to the royal 36 meters above the deck. Or to stand in front of a bunch of tired but happy students with very long arms, having turned the ship around in one go.
 
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet
 
 

Captain's log Rio - Cape Town 01.23.2013

 
25 `22` s, 044 `07` W
Easterly breeze, 25 `C, 1020 hp.
 
The last day on board has about getting to know the ship. We have replaced much of the crew and some of the students in Rio, and everyone has to get used to being on board a ship. Especially some of the new students have had little difficulty finding their sea legs and have sacrificed to the sea god. From Rio there was a strong swell against us, which made life easier for the new delicate stomachs.
 
Luckily the swell died down after we got further out on deaper water and we could thus carry out the planned exercises. 6 smaller man overboard exercises were conducted, where emphasis was placed on the putting out of the boat. Finally all small exercises were connected in a major exercise in which a discarded immersion suit was thrown overboard and the whole ship was involved in the task of getting the unfortunate suit back on board.
 
This requires good collaboration because there are many things to consider at once, a group of students helps the crew getting the equipment and put out the Man over board boat, while others are engaged in sail handling for the Sørlandet to stop. While other safety harnesses and go aloft, in order to keep better lookout. The exercise went beyond all expectations, and the suit was well on board again in less than 15 minutes.
 
 
There was also held a major fire and evacuation exercise so everyone are now well aware of their roles and stations.
 
Otherwise, the weather was dominated by rain and shifting winds, and we trained to stow and set sails.
 
Last night we saw the glow from land lighting up the sky probably for the last time in the next 26 days.
 
The fishing lines have already been cast and the first mahimahi had taken the bate, but it was so alarmed when it discovered the first officer's and captain’s fierce gaze that fell off the hook.
 
 
We sail south with all sails set.
 
Regards
Bjarke Wahlqvist
Captain
Sørlandet
 
 
 
 

Captain's log, Rio- Cape Town Kaptajnens log, Rio – Cape Town. 01.22.13

 
 
 
First day of 27 is over on thegood ship Sørlandet.
Departure day yesterday on 21th of January was spent on the final preparations for this 3300nm long voyage which follows one of the really old sailing ship routes over Southern Atlantic. We sail, so to speak, in the big old sailing ship’s wake. The time when goods were sailed around the world only through wind and muscle power.
The Sørlandet is underway to complete "the great figure off 8" in Atlantic which follows the major weather systems around the northern and southern Atlantic.
The voyage spans a little over a year, going from Europe west across the Atlantic and the equator to Brazil.
Back east across the Atlantic to Cape Town, along Africa's west coast. West across the Atlantic again to the Caribbean. North to Canada and finally east of the North Atlantic back to Europe
 

F.t.L. Chief Engineer Casper Bjerre, 1.Mate Paul Bracken, AB Anderson and Chief Mate Sune Blinkenberg
The ship hummed with activity in the morning, students helped to package and stow everything on board, the chef is out shopping last minute goods and extra non-slip mats for the galley. Water and diesel stores have been topped up and the deck is checked one last time that everything is secured and ready. Our boats, which usually hang out over the ship's side, are being swung over the aft deck to prevent them from being hit by any major swells and the anchors are being lashed on the forecastle
 
The voyage Rio - Cape Town will follow “the great circle”,  with a stop at Tristan de Cunha, one of the world's most isolated islands. Here, if the weather allows we will anchor, and take the boats ashore and visit the 250 natives who have chosen to settle in this desolate volcanic island.
The island is on the southern 37th latitude, which will bring us close to "the roaring 40ties", which got its name because there is almost always blowing a good breeze from the west and swell have free passage south of Cape Horn. Before Tristan de Cunha we are going to stay well north of the 37 degrees, but after Tristan we must expect to go a little further south, since the winds more northern make it harder to reach Cape Town.
 
The first 2 days after Rio are school free days, which means that we have the opportunity to practice sailing maneuvers and drills such as fire, evacuation and rescue exercises.
 
The weather is beautiful; sunshine with a few showers. The wind is against, but not more than that it allows a southerly course, all sailing route instructions recommend that you start out from Rio, to fall below the major South Atlantic high pressure systems.
 
Sincerely,
Captain B. Wahlqvist
Sørlandet