Storm in Stavern




With Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Stavern Festival happening the marina was packed when we came in last night. Reidar found a halfway decent, but very tight, spot for us but there was no-one on dock to throw a rope to. It soon became apparent that I would have to jump onto the dock with a rope to set the boat. Keep in mind that I am a person who can sprain her ankle during lunch in the wrong shoes.

Reidar pulled in as far as he could, but with the wind pushing him it still wasn't close enough for me to jump. (I have very short legs!) So he gave up on that and we headed out again to take an easier spot with the wind on our side. This time, the skipper of the "Storm" got into position to receive a rope and we were tied off quite quickly. However, the wind was already slamming us against the pier aven with all of our fenders in use. We definitely had the worst spot in the harbor, just like in Jomfruland the night before were the boat took a little beating.

We had some fish and chips at a nearby restaurant and I went downstairs into the cabin while Reidar adjusted some ropes and fenders on deck. I couldn't foresee any sleep happening with the noise of the boat agains the pier and I started having visions of a hotel with room service. I overhear this conversation between Reidar and a guy who turns out to be from the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue:

"Are you sure you really want to stay there?"

"Well, it's pretty packed. I didn't see so many other options."

"Well, with the weather coming in and the wind direction I'm not sure you want to stay there. From experience, with the wind coming in that direction, the water will be splashing all over the pier here. If I were you, I would move the boat."

Reidar: "I think it's moored pretty well and we have all of these fenders."

"You think so? If I were you, I would move the boat."

I am thinking: Yeah, we need to move the boat. Did you mention that your short American wife can't jump off the dock and tie up the damn boat quickly enough to ensure that we don't hit any of the boats around us?

Reidar says: "I would be happy to move the boat if I could just get a little help."

"Sure, I can do that," he says. I play it cool and stay hidden so it looks like Reidar is all alone rather than with a hopeless first mate.

Five  minutes later, we were back around to the other (safer) side of the pier and docked. And I was still under deck. THANK YOU, Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue! What an amazing service. I definitely need to keep practicing my docking skills.

Reidar pulled out every single rope we had and did some magic mooring, reducing the banging of the boat against the pier significantly. We got a decent night's sleep, but Reidar was up several times to check the fenders and ropes.

Then the storm hit full-on at about 10 am. It was a far cry from a gentle rocking, and everyone on our pier was out in force adjusting ropes and fenders. It got pretty frantic and a large motor boat broke its moorings. A boat which was docked dangerously alongside another boat went out in the worst of it to find a new spot, and Reidar and another guy on the dock helped to pull the boat into place. The video above is just in the aftermath. 

The forecast predicted the storm to peak at 1 pm, but it is 2 pm now and the sea is quiet. We checked the weather and it seems that the storm peaked earlier and there is even a bit of sun forecasted for this evening.

So a two-day storm seems to have turned into a halfday one. That's a win. For today.




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