Norway 2008^

[Gareth Plas]

My little brother and I (and a fewmore) are planning a trip to the Stavanger area of Norway in late April, early May.

The basic plan is to drive to Newcastle and take the kayaks onto the ferry as foot passengers.

From Stavanger , we will then have 5 days ish of paddling/wild camping.

Any thoughts ideas please?

G

[tommfuller]

I should imagine you've seen this:

http://www.kayakinghelp.com/sea_kayak_a ... art_1.html

I've sailed round there a bit, it's a lovely area, up through the islands towards Haugsund (sp?). VERY expensive though! I'd take a line as there are plenty of free fish in the sea!

Cheers,

Tom.

[Gareth Plas]

Many thanks for the link Tom. No, I haven't seen it, so cheers!!!


G

[Simon Willis]

Hi Gareth

We initially considered something like this last year. Surprisingly, we found the cost of taking a car with DFDS wasn't too much more than going as foot passengers and wheeling on the boats. The car made carrying kayaks easier (we would have had to buy two trolleys) and we could take all our food (which is staggeringly expensive).

Once we decided to take the car, we then thought "Oh, we could go somewhere more remote", and ended up driving to Helgeland, which I wrote about in OP.

Erling contributes to this Forum and lives in the Stavanger area, so I expect he'll add a few more useful thoughts!
S

[Freek]

I've planned such a trip for june (leaving the car in Denmark)
They charge the kayak for a bycicle on the ferry;

http://papa.messageboard.nl/7535/viewtopic.php?t=100

[Owen]

My friend and I paddled from Bergan down to Stavanger over eight days back in 1991 (how times fly). Its a really fantastic area with hundreds of islands to explore. We left our car at North sheilds and packed the boats with all our food and camping kit. At that time the ferry people were very helpful but I understand that its not like that anymore; so you'll need a trolly.
We took fresh veg, tinned meat, rice pasta lots of herbs and spices and fishing lines. Fishing is really easy. For drinking water just knock on a door. There's not so many sheep so a lot of potential camp sites are quite overgrown; this was more of a problem around Bergan then Stavanger. It should be great.

[Erling]

Hi Gareth;
And welcome! This is indeed a nice area for kayaking, the choice of route all depends on what you want to see. With Stavanger as a starting point you can either head for the deep fjords like Lysefjorden, or you can explore the multitude of islands in the wide Bokna fjord basin. Or you can head offshore, with the archipelago of Kvitsøy (365 islands) as a goal. Or you can do a bit of everything. The kayaks can be launched within a stone throw from the ferry so you can leave the car behind if that's what you prefer.

Another possibility is following Owen's example. If so I’d recommend that you choose Bergen as your starting point due to the dominant current and wind directions.

Please feel free to email me for more detailed advice, I'll be happy to assist with maps etc.

[Simon Willis]

Without wishing to digress, may I throw a hero-gram in Erling's direction. A one-man Norweign Tourist Agency (sea kayaking division), he provided invaluable help while we planned our trip, and even while we were on the water.
S

[Gareth Plas]

A big thanks for the replies.

Erling - will be in touch, will pm you.

G

[active4seasons]

Hi Gareth'
I did the same April 07 so plenty of info if you are interested. Some photos on my website to whet the appetite.

[Jim]

Can I advise you check the overhead clearance in advance, I know friends who go from Newcastle to run rivers have to unload the kayaks and carry them on - it will depend entirely on the vessel and whether the line charges a premium for full height spaces.....

Jim

[Mark R]

Can I advise you check the overhead clearance in advance, I know friends who go from Newcastle to run rivers have to unload the kayaks and carry them on - it will depend entirely on the vessel and whether the line charges a premium for full height spaces.....

Nothing to do with clearance. It is because you carry the creek boats inside the car when driving onboard, not on top - you pay more for a taller vehicle.

[Jim]

Can I advise you check the overhead clearance in advance, I know friends who go from Newcastle to run rivers have to unload the kayaks and carry them on - it will depend entirely on the vessel and whether the line charges a premium for full height spaces.....

Nothing to do with clearance. It is because you carry the creek boats inside the car when driving onboard, not on top - you pay more for a taller vehicle.

The reason they get away with charging more for a taller vehicle is that they can't go on the half height mezzanine deck so take up space in with the lorries. The mezzanine is usually quite small so I dare say people have found that they end up getting put on the full height deck, also not all the vessels necessarily have a mezzanine but it makes the pricing the simpler. I'm sure Neil has had his car on the mezzanine and carried boats on by hand because there was not clearance, he is not generally given to exaggeration, and his car is usually too full to put the boats in.

(Never been on a Norway ferry and can't recall a mezzanine on any of the Irish sea boats I've surveyed, but have definitely seen them on channel routes in the past)

[capsized8]

BUT -- is Norway ready for you and Dave????????????

Can you translate Wenglish into Norwegian? ;0)

[soundoftheseagull]

Pete
My neighbour is Norwegian and after numerous bottles of the finest wines we appear to speak the same language although his wife shouts at him in Norwegian to behave, from memory is sounds like..”Holshaften” excuse my spelling in advance.

[capsized8]

Pete
his wife shouts at him in Norwegian to behave, from memory is sounds like..”Holshaften” .

The mind boggles !!!!!!!!

[Simon Willis]

Regarding the heights of the decks. There were three heights on the DFDS ship we took out of Newcastle. The lower cars go on first, up a ramp onto the mezzanine deck. But this elevated deck isn't the full width of the vehicle deck. It's the "roof" of less than half the deck.

The higher cars go underneath the mezzanine (people carriers and cars with sea boats), and the lorries go off to the sides occupying the full height of the two car decks. This photo doesn't quite show the whole set up but you can see the clearance for a car with sea boats.

We were 1.5cm over the lower height limit so the cost was higher, about £500 in total for 2 people with an outside cabin. We considered letting down the tyres a bit but rejected that idea.
S

[Erling]

... his wife shouts at him in Norwegian ...”Holshaften”

Heh heh! My guess is she's shouting "hold kjeften!" Which translates to "shut up!" Is Gareth's version "Caea dy geg!" or similar?
Personally, I don't even dare to think words like that around the house. Not even in Welsh.

[capsized8]

... his wife shouts at him in Norwegian ...”Holshaften”

Heh heh! My guess is she's shouting "hold kjeften!" Which translates to "shut up!" Is Gareth's version "Caea dy geg!" or similar?
Personally, I don't even dare to think words like that around the house. Not even in Welsh.

Erling, please dont encourage them, they are most likely going to starve to death.
The moment they go into a shop asking for sun flower seeds for the nut loaf the shop keeper will be thinking they are exchangeing pleasantries about the weather.

Or they are going to get everybody they meet drunk on wine to enable communication. Hmm no different to home I guess!!!!!!!!

[Gareth Plas]

That Erling is a star................

The trouble he has gone to, e mailing me pictures, maps, ideas is unbelievable.

A BIG thankyou to him, I am sure we will exchange some words when we arrive.

I have gleaned enough to greet him and order 2 beers, whether I can afford them is a different thing.

By the way Pete, we had a few words yesterday that my maiden aunt would have blushed at hearing.

It was when that double prijon of yours was weathercocking on its trial run on Bala.

Now that was hard work - practise for the windy paddle up the Fjord in May I think.....

G

[capsized8]

By the way Pete, we had a few words yesterday that my maiden aunt would have blushed at hearing.

It was when that double prijon of yours was weathercocking on its trial run on Bala.

Now that was hard work - practise for the windy paddle up the Fjord in May I think.....

G

Technique mate ----

Seen you in a light breeze before ;0) ;0) ;0)

[soundoftheseagull]

For those contemplating paddling in Norway especially from Stavanger some thoughts recorded of our experiences.
http://soundoftheseagull.blogspot.com/2 ... 2008.html=
Also a testament to the Rockpool Alaw, and Alawbach, which generally are classified as a day boat both performed amazingly and carried all the kit for six days.
Fresh water courtesy of the Norwegian streams and waterfalls.
Thanks to those who replied to the original post and of course Erling.
A fantastic place and a must in the list of places to paddle.

[waltfos]

Gareth,DAVE great trip

On of our lads had a Volvo with the boats on top and had to pay the extra for height clearance cant remember the cost but it was like 20 mm over the upper thresh hold, Gareth, Dave what was cost? I like the sychronized paddling bit were you biting your cheeks not to laugh here lol


Jim Mark

Can I advise you check the overhead clearance in advance, I know friends who go from Newcastle to run rivers have to unload the kayaks and carry them on - it will depend entirely on the vessel and whether the line charges a premium for full height spaces.....Jim

It is what Mark says and more perticular you are charged for a car deck ie has hydaulic lifts to take cars ONLY and with Jim its for clearance as lift takes ramp to given height leaving the lower deck for commercial vehicles. From memory these are on the French ferries not the North Sea ones cant comment on Hull/Edinburgh One can only reflect this is where Easy Jet stole Speedy Boarding charging you a wee sum of £8-£14 to get on earlier and sit for a wee while on a plane which zooms for 45 mins before getting of now what about speedy chucking awf????? Can we market that?
So when is a Kayak not an Kayak when its on a norweign ferry and classed a a motor bike! To carry the kayak on they charge mortor cycle rate £72.00 return
If you leave the car Newcastle side they [ferry company] charge £8.00 perday to park not mentioned in small print anywhere.
So when you break it down you may be as cheap taking car on board and splitting costs or just even taking car onboard to offset parking costs. and no trolley problems lol
Trust all this makes sense, so to take kayak as a walk on you have arms of Sampson and a bill of £136.00 for an 8 day terminal to terminal break ferry takes 23 hours Newcastle to Stavanger. £4.50 per pint of beer on board to meals vary depending on where you eat buffet good value esp the doggy bags.
So do your sums as your teacher used to tell you.
Keep shoogling
Walt

[Erling]

A fantastic place and a must in the list of places to paddle.

Thanks for your kind words, Dave. It is a really nice area for kayaking, with a large variety of fjords, islands etc. to explore. Your blog report was a brilliant read, it was very interesting to get a visitor's perspective.

So when you break it down you may be as cheap taking car on board ...

Anyone who consider coming over should definitely also consider taking the car. Cost is one thing, I wasn't aware of that, another is that from autumn this year, the international ferry terminal will relocate to 10 miles outside of the city (Risavika, Tananger). Up until now it has been possible to launch within a stonethrow from the ferry and have direct access to the best bits. From this autumn you will disembark on the exposed side of the coastline with quite a bit of offshore paddling between you and the sheltered waters.

[soundoftheseagull]

Walt
I think Mark was hit for nother £28.
He had a chat with the jobs worth but with no success.
Dave