Undulating low ground covered in lush vegetation and farmlands frame the bay of Trodalsvagen, the beautiful little natural harbour where Europa anchored to spent a quiet night. In pairs, voyage crew kept a good eye on the wheelhouse electronic instruments during their anchor watches, to make sure the ship stay in position and the anchors don’t drag. Luckily the wind didn’t went over 20kn and Europa easily hold position overnight.

The place invite for further exploration, so during the morning we could board our sloop to do little tours in the bay around the ship, all before heaving anchor just after the morning coffee time. When the anchor is home, we head off the harbour tucked between the green hills towards Hildefjord, where engines push us against light headwinds. Those conditions lasted until the afternoon when after going through the narrow Mastrafjiord, that lead us to the more open waters of Boknafjord and afterwards the large Skudenesfjord, we could fall off to Port side and face the open waters on a course that in a few days will bring us to the Dutch coasts.

There, the North and Northwesterly winds made for start setting canvas and stop the engine.  Before dinner Lower and Middle Staysails were set, Spanker together with the squares up to the Royals and all the head rig but the Flying Jib. But it didn’t took long afterwards to pull some more ropes and have all our rig spread to the fair breeze.

Under full sail, braced full-and-by on Starboard tack, we start our way back to Netherlands after a couple of days enjoying the beauty of the southern Norwegian fjords, its high sheer cliffs and green vegetated slopes. From then on, the Europa rejoice on the Northwesterly gradually increasing winds, having a great sailing evening and night.