World Adventure

16 Dec 19

The voyage BLOG is a work in progress at the moment…

We set off to the Hurtigruten ship terminal and started to use the GPS as a compass using the waypoint that we had saved the previous day. The GPS decided that we should head in the opposite direction. Not likely as we already knew the general direction. We managed to get about 50m before the garbage bags, fitted in anticipation of the Bergen rain, were in the wheels. We decided it was better just to pull the bags up as the rain had stopped. We walked for about 500m and then came to a decision point with the roads and we followed right which was the incorrect harbour arm. We had casually walked the area without suitcases and knew that we would have to cross a steep hill to get to the correct arm. The sensible approach would have been to backtrack to flatter ground but I was annoyed with the failed GPS navigation and kept pushing ahead with Vanessa in tow. Most of the mechanical advantage of the wheels on a suitcase is gone pulling uphill so it was slow going for both of us and particularly hard on Vanessa. I had realised at this point that the GPS was actually working and I had fallen for a basic trap which was that you need to move before the direction is indicated correctly. It didn’t matter at this point as the road led us down to the terminal in about 500m. We had added about 1km to our 1.5 km trip.

We were not able to board the ship until 4pm so had a few hours to recover from the walk and sat in the terminal café eating our own food and using the free internet. The time went quickly and we dropped our bags off in room 212 on the Starboard side of the ship which was supposed to be an inside room but was actually a lower level cabin near the water with closed porthole covers. That was soon fixed as I had seen them before and we had a room with a view about 3m about the waterline. We noticed that there was some noise coming from an airconditioning room across the hall and asked for it to be fixed. Then it was time for a mandatory safety brief on where the dry suits, lifejackets and life rafts were located.

The first day on a ship is discovery. This ship has 7 levels. We wandered around the ship and finding firstly the reception area on level 4 as was the dining room. There were front and rear stairs however the latter only went to level 3. There is an outdoor walkway around the ship on level 5 and outdoor areas at the rear of level 5, 6 and 7.

Ship statistics. Name: MS Nordnorge; Year of construction: 1997; shipyard: Kvaerner Kleven;  Flag: Norway; Gross tonnage: 11384;  Overall Length: 123.3m; Beam: 19.5m; Draught: 5.4m; Main engine: 9000kW; Bow thruster: 2; stern thruster: 2; propeller: 2; service speed: 15 knot; passenger: 590; cabins: 211; on board voltage: 220VAC; approx. car capacity: 30.

Ship services. Expedition team; three restaurants; multe bakery; explorer bar; sauna; fitness room; sun deck; two outdoor hot tubs.

Our room was basic but functional. It had two singe beds. One of which doubled as a lounge which could be used during the day but was not in our case. There was a toilet and shower ensuite and storage. It was quit compact but fine. There was an empty area where a television could be fitted which we thought was strange. Above each bed was a porthole and storm cover. It was not quite what we expected when we booked our tickets for an inner cabin.

Most ships are made of steel. Sound transfers well and being low in the ship and close to the transport area of the ship was a problem. The first night we were just settling in to go to sleep until a large bang that sounded like a hammer hitting a pipe loudly entered the room from below. The sound was repeated at irregular intervals. It was loud. Vanessa had packed earplugs as we sometime find ourselves in noisy rooms such as hostel dorms where there had been at least one snorer in the past. The snorer nowdays would be me so the earplugs would probably be for her. The immediate solution to the noise was to wear earplugs.

The voyage plan

17 Dec 19

We spoke with the hotel manager in the morning. The ship was not full but the rooms in our class were allocated on our floor and there was a spare room above the ship engine on level 3 but was noisy so he did not recommend it. There was however a room on level 6 which had a double bed and TV and could be ours at a half price upgrade discount of 5000 Korona or just over Aus$1000. We were not interested in the upgrade at that price. The room other than the noise was fine. Earplugs are cheap.

The ship makes 34 stops on the northern leg and sometimes only stops in port for 10 minutes. The transfer is quite efficient. The ship docs and the large cargo door on the port side of the ship opens becoming the access ramp. The ship has a forklift as do the shore parties. There is a hive of activity with transfers in both directions. There is a passenger gangway that also is part of the ship and is lowered hydraulically. The main hold is both cable and hydraulic. When transfers are compete the passenger gangway is raised, the local team remove the ropes from the bollards and the main hold door closes as the ship starts to move. Fast and efficient and impressive to watch.

The ship is different to a standard cruise liner. It is a working ship and a people transporter.  It is a lifeline to remote towns along the Norwegian coast. This is the primary purpose for the operation. Yet it also carries paying passengers along for the voyage who also book activities that fit within the ship schedule where the ship sometimes is in port for 4-6 hrs. This is where the role of the ship becomes confused. It is difficult to be both a working ship and a tourist ship as there are conflicting priorities. People on the voyage would like to visit each town in daylight hours and long enough to visit the attractions however this clashes with the overall ship schedule. The other problem is that in winter there is not much daylight so often the ship will arrive in port in the dark or close to dark.

It took us a few days to establish our daily routine. Each day there is at least one long stop in a port. The others are short stops where we watch the ship unload and leave port.

The day revolves around food or the time at which it is available. There are a couple of hours around meal times but our routine is breakfast at 730, lunch at 1200 and dinner at 1800.

There are 11 other Hurtigruten ships currently travelling along the Bergen to Kirkenes and return route and we have passed one, port to port, each day with horn blasts from each ship unless we are in port and light flashes are sufficient.

The ship performs the function of the aircraft to the coastal towns in winter in Norway. It is especially so leading to Christmas and we saw families and grandparents come and go. The excited children waiting, running around in the snow, at the terminal as the ship docked.

The Norwegian people are accomplished on the snow and ice but physics still holds true. Ice is still slippery even if you like with it on a daily basis. The locals, as we observed, do not wear special footwear preferring to be as fashionable as practical. The slip recovery is quite good however unlike cats they do not always end up on their feet.

We went for a walk in Alesund today. It is an art deco town so lots of interesting patterns on the buildings. It would have been a nice walk however there was a lot of ice on the footpath and it was hard to spot in some areas. We tried to walk up a hill path but found ourselves slipping and it felt quite unsafe so we retreated. Vanessa and I decided that we would by some smaller spikes for our boots for future stops.

The spikes have easily paid for themselves as the journey has progressed. We have seen people slip over and there is an old Japanese lady on the ship who now has one arm in a cast from a fall. They give us confidence that we will not easily slip over. This is particularly important for Vanessa.  I curse each time that I fit the spikes as they are a pain to fit onto the boots especially with cold fingers but I am getting better at fitting them for Vanessa and then myself.

18 Dec 19

The temperature is interesting as it hovers between +2 and -2 deg C on average.  This is because of the gulf stream which moderates the temperature which should be much colder. This also is the cause of the ice problem on the footpath. The problem is that it rains or snows then freezes around these temperatures. With colder temperatures snow falls and does not melt providing a less slippery surface to walk.

The smaller towns that we are visiting are starting to form a bit of a pattern. There town is situated at the base and back of a fjord. It is only a couple of streets wide and there is a deep water harbour with fishing boats. There is a main wharf for the Hurtigrutin ships to dock and directly across from this is a large shed for easy transport to and from the ship.  The water is green and clear. The harbour is protected from the wind at least for our voyage so the water is quite calm.

19 Dec 19

We have been frustrated by the amount of cloud during the journey. The Aurora forecast that I gathered before the voyage was for 18-22 Dec where we could expect activity. We needed the clouds to clear so we could get a chance to see any activity.

20 Dec 19

Aurora Borealis

One of the challenges of aurora photography on a ship is the movement. Normally on land it is a matter of using a tripod at a fixed location and taking a long exposure without moving the camera. On the ship there is movement so the quality of the image is lower than on land using this method.  The solution to reduce movement in the image is to increase the ISO level and then reduce the exposure time but the cost is that the image becomes coarse.

21 Dec 19

We travelled through patches of fog but when it cleared there were star filled skies. An Aurora Borealis started to appear as we were watching. We watched it develop and change before it was publicly announced by the expedition team. I imagined how this must be like a goldrush. The early discovery kept secret until the public became aware of it and soon the area is overflowing with people with gold fever. The Borealis fever rush flowed out of the warm of the ship with lights turning on cameras flashing, people pushing for a view. The aurora was visible for quite a while and was developing enough for me to wonder whether to just watch or get a camera and take some images. I opted to just watch with Vanessa. We observed someone with a modern mobile phone taking reasonable images almost instantaneously. Impressive technology.

Berlevag. The ship was met by Santa, two elves and a large cream dog that was happy being patted by all around until it noticed the Scottish terrier from the ship being walked. We were not sure whether it wanted to eat it or play with it. Either way the owner decided it was best to take it home before finding out. There are a couple of dogs that are being transported on the ship and the owners take any opportunity to take them out for a walk during longer stops.

22 Sep 19

Kirkenes. This is the end of the northern leg of our journey. We arrived with it overcast and in low light but no wind. The temperature was -9 deg C. Mist rose from the ocean and small pieces of ice floated past the ship in the current. Kirkenes latitude is similar to Tromso.

Our only plan was to walk into town for a look around. The whole area was covered with snow and looked like it was quite recent. Some vehicles had at least 300mm of snow on them and we wondered whether the storm that hit Iceland had also hit northern Norway.

We stepped out on deck 5 of the ship to get a feel for the temperature. It was cold and we needed more clothing before heading out. This was the first time we had needed thicker pants and it was necessary to cover much of our faces. The only problem is that the warm moist breath rises and causes glasses to fog. Vanessa tried wearing ski goggles over the top of her glasses but it must not have sealed leading to the same problem. This was not a problem for me as my glasses are really just for reading.

We were surprised that we did not recognise the town having spent days there about 10 years ago. The town seemed to have grown and time did not help our memories. We got to the town square and it was familiar. It was quite liveable but I would not want to live there.

There was a lot of yellow snow around town. The dogs still get walked but with snow it is quite obvious where they decide to leave their mark. The assumption is dogs…

Poor insulation in the roof is obvious in snow covered areas. The well insulated houses retain the snow but poorly insulated roofs leak enough heat to melt the snow. This then forms ice in colder climates that turns into icicles hanging from the gutters. We saw some houses that suffered from this problem with the worst having at least impressive 3m icicles!

It was Sunday and there was not much open in town so we retreated to the warmth of the ship. I got sidetracked riding one of the sleds that are often used by locals to carry shopping. That certainly is more fun that a regular shopping trolley.

We spoke with one of the officers about the large fishing boat that was arriving and very close to the ship. It had been longline fishing for cod or haddock and was from Mormonsk in Russia. The Russian border was only 15km away from Kirkenes.  Russians come to Kirkenes for nappies and Norwegians go across the border for cheap vodka.

23 Dec 19

We were discussing 3-7 kg weight gain. That is what the expedition leader said most people gain during the trip. We were not sure sitting at lunch today having completed the northern leg of the voyage whether it was for a single leg or the complete voyage. This could be concerning. We proposed that the daily meals should be called 3x3+ plan: 3 courses per meal time per day plus snacks. We do walk up and down the steps going to and from the dining area. At least we don’t go to the bakery or icecremery. Not sure why anyone would put on weight.

Certainly in holiday mode today! Vanessa and I have been listening to a triple knot by Emma Campion for the last couple of days. It is a book on the life of Jane of Kent during the 12^th century.  This is just rest time between meals.

There are some parts of the ship that we are yet to explore: the fitness centre, the hot tubs, the gender specific saunas and the hospital.

There was a ginger bread decorating competition today. We participated by eating the ginger bread. There was plenty of creativity in the decorating with a lot of dribble and scribble icing with a reindeer and snowflake design being selected by the head chef.

There are some live king crabs in a tank at one of the restaurants that are trying to make a break for it. We initially thought they were waving but now it seems that they are tapping SOS on the glass. We ate crab the other day so the help we might give them may not be the help they expect. Lucky for them the price is too high for most people although it is crab day on day 11 and today is day 9 so thinks may change.

We are becoming the equivalent of train spotters. The ship is our train. Whenever we head into a port we race out to watch the docking and leaving of the ship. We like the efficiency. Lately there has been an ongoing problem with the gangway not opening and closing correctly.