15 June 2010; Molde, Norway.

Due to the enormous length of the Norwegian coast and the many fjords and sounds that lead to the interior, the Norwegian pilots cannot man pilot stations at the entrance of each of these inlets. Hence there are dedicated pilot stations that cover certain areas of the coast and the ships have to proceed there to pick up a pilot. That means that a considerable detour might have to be made to board and disembark the pilot. For Molde this is very much the case. The pilot boarded at Breisundet pilot station and from there it was about 45 miles to the dock of Molde. This pilot station serves a large area which includes Alesund, where we will dock later in the cruise. As our arrival time at the dock was 0700, it meant that we had to have the pilot onboard at 0400 in the morning. That meant for me being on the bridge at around 03.15. Needless to say, that I was in bed early last night. As soon as the Renewal of the Vows were done, I closed the office door and the curtains. The latter a necessity as we are almost in the land of the midnight sun and it really does not get dark any more, just a few hours of dusk.

The advantage of having day light all the time is that if you enter the fjords very early; there is still something to see as the scenery is visible as it is already full day light. So by the time the pilot was onboard and we sailed into the fjords, the farms, hamlets and villages where clearly visible on the shore. The sun was peaking out from between the clouds and it was beautiful. Unfortunately for most guests it was a little bit too early (0400 hrs.) to see this first part of our trip. I had never sailed this fjord while being on the bridge and it was very surprising to see that Norway has its own Sugar loaf mountain right at the pilot station. It is called the Sukerbroden and is a smaller version of its more famous namesake in South America.

We cannot race through the fjords at full sea speed. In some area’s we come very close to the shore and then the ships wake could damage either the shoreline or the boats that might be moored there. Also we had to pass over one area with very shallow water and there we had to slow down to avoid squat. (When a ship speeds up, the whole hull sinks in but mainly the stern area where the propellors bite into the waters. This sinking in depends on the weight of the ship, the width and the speed it is making. With 20 knots it can be more than 15 feet for a ship such as the Prinsendam. If the expected under keel clearance is not more than 5 or 6 feet, then you have to slow down. Otherwise things go bump. When the ship travels at speeds under 10 knots there is hardly any squat. Thus we slow down but it costs time and that we have to calculate into our schedule.)

By 0700 hrs.we approached the dock and the first thing you see when nearing Molde is an enormous (at least for a town the size of Molde) football stadium. Football, or soccer, is a very popular sport in Norway and the country produces some very good players. One is playing for Manchester United and then you have to have some talent. This stadium was sponsored by one of Molde’s more successful sons, Mr. Aker. In the shipping world best known for owning the Aker shipyards where many passenger ships are being built. The stadium bears his family name.

As is the case in many ports in Norway, the cruise ships dock at what is the dock for the local postal services or the Hurtigruten. This is a lifeline for the whole Norwegian coast and its ships, operated by several companies, call at a fixed ferry schedule at numerous ports along the coast. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes no more than 45 minutes. Thus when I approached, the pilot first had to find out if the ferry was not coming in during our stay as they are entitled to the dock. But it was scheduled for 9 pm. Indeed when we were outbound, we passed the cruise ferry Nordkapp coming in. It meant that I could use the whole dock for the Prinsendam. The weather was mostly dry, even nice and sunny in the later morning and a bit chilly. Good weather for sightseeing.

View over Moldenfjorden just before departure.

Luckily on departure the sun was still out in all its glory and we had a beautiful sail away. We now followed another route, heading for the Grip Pilot station of Kristiansund which is further north. The pilot was mighty pleased with that, as he was living there and instead of going home in the morning, he spent the day onboard and then guided us outward bound as well. By 10 pm he had disembarked and the Prinsendam returned to open waters.

Tomorrow we are at sea again, as our next port Tromso, is too far away to get to during one night sailing. Sailing in this area means long days for ships captains, due to these long pilot times and the regular work during the day that does not stop. My day was even longer this time as in the evening we had the Filipino Independence day party. Then the captain has to present the prizes from the various competitions and sports events (see yesterday’s blog) and impart a few words of wisdom. However as tomorrow is a sea day, I can at least sleep in until 8 am.