Spectacular was the full moon 'black-out' here on the early morning of OCT 28, seen by co-skipper of W1348. Both of us were flapeared and quite down by our mouths by seeing that morning at 8 a.m. the spectalur sight of the whole local inner-fjord covered with ice all the way towards the sound for the open Inner Oslo-fjord. !  Never seen before at such an early date, but caused by a thin layer of fresh water floating on top of the fairly salt seawater, and of course -5dg. Celsius.  Really SPECTACULAR !

 

Slow, cautious and careful navigation out towards the open fjord-water, and the fishing grounds on STORESAND(big sands). The fish was there, heering, whiting and cod, but the largest ones only slightly above 1 kg.  A lot of wonderful seabirds have come in for food, shelter or passing by towards their winter grounds. A few years back my co-skipper-wife shouted excited as her line rushed out: "This is not a cod, this is not a cod - help me !"  An unfortunate diving seabird, Saltsea-loon, had been too nosy and was caught by the larboard wing, but was not a 'steak',  just an unharmed release(fortunately !) after covering the sharp beak with a rag and freeing the hook.

 

So slow drifting along in lovely low-winter-sunshine(N.Lat. ~59dg.51' ) over STORESAND, it was realised - later - that "times are coming" for all of us as a close friend + colleague through 55 years, and Scandinavian W-Champion 1979, passed away peace-fully this morning as feared + expected, surrounded at home by his dear ones. Last year another good W-friend passed away. He was a friend of UKWA-sailors as well, and a real support in getting the Class and our Assn. started back in the 1960'es, sailing then W.-nr. 2 to Denmark. Many wonderful and happy memories are with us from these two, and never forgotten it soothes the pain of sorrow. Special heartwarming memories are with me, where the three of us were sail-trolling for macherel in the Skagerack Sea by Kristiansand - such happy fun, pleasure and lovely fresh food !

 

The following Saturday morning the "Free Air Activity Program" of our radio claimed: "Now the big cod is coming close to land to put on weight for the winter."  So out we go again, and this time no ice, but low grey dripping clouds and a nice wind of 3-6m/sec. meaning no engine needed, which is lovely and to my liking. But the radio-advice does not come true, so annoyed my Madame-co-skipper orders: "Out on the open fjord!". After some search we get a good catch, but no big ones. Heading home again we try along the coast. The lady is fishing and I handle the sailing going very slow forward, at times sideslipping or going straight back-wards - great fun and a challenge to handle boat and sails.

In a creek/fjord along the old Oslo-airport seagulls fly about and rest on the surface. This is a good sign, so slowly tacking towards this area, never fished before, our hopes are stimulated. Then outbound drifting towards us comes a motorboat, and at about 50 meters distant he hauls up and weigh a big Cod - "It's a 5 kg one!" he shouts with a broad grin towards our drooping mouths!  SPECTACULAR ones again.  No big fish for us, but a lovely try - also out and back in - under sails, most satisfactory.

 

For about 50 years - as a dinghy sailor - I have tried to follow the UKWA-Commodore' suggestion to go W-sailing during the winter - whenever the water is thin enough, but soon here now in our area it'll stiffen in earnest!