On 16 April we finally fly back to Norway. Seven months is far too long to leave Anori on her own. However, with Nils we had a very reliable person on site who regularly checked lines and fenders and always had an open ear for our concerns from afar.
The automatic monitoring of the bilge, power supply and various other parameters also gave us a certain sense of peace of mind. In addition, the harbour in Bodø has two cameras through which we were able to see Anori. And yet …
The winter was quite something. There was snow on several occasions, though never in large amounts. However, the “Windy City” of Bodø lived up to its name. During the strongest storm – coming from a rather unusual direction, which also rendered our considerations of keeping Anori off the pier obsolete – one of the spherical fenders burst. The paint on the port side also suffered significantly from the constant load of the fenders. Apart from that, however, nothing happened to Anori. Eight fenders and nine lines, some with snubbers, prevented worse damage.
With 140 kilograms of luggage, spread across six bags plus hand luggage, even the journey itself becomes a logistical feat. In return, Bodø greets us with almost un-Norwegian spring weather: sunshine, double-digit temperatures and hardly any wind.
We quickly get on with de-winterising. The sails had been stored separately. Together with other equipment, we collect them from our rented storage unit and begin bending them on. For the enormous genoa, our French neighbours aboard Manava are immediately ready to lend a hand. Particularly helpful is an electric winch handle for the mast winch, which makes hoisting the monster significantly easier.
The cutter staysail has several holes in the UV cover, which we repair before bending it on. In addition, it receives a soft shackle at the head of the halyard, as the metal had been chafing against the forestay profile. These and many other tips come from Nils, who had previously carried out a professional rig check. We had left the mainsail furled inside the mast over the winter. Everything there is in order.
We have Anori hauled out of the water to clean the underwater hull and renew the antifouling. In addition, the yard is able to polish out some of the paint damage caused by the fenders. As soon as Anori is back in the water, the weather changes: the rain that sets in is quickly followed by snow. Night-time temperatures of around two degrees are anything but pleasant on a boat.
By then, we have largely completed the exterior work. What remains are technical tasks inside the boat as well as provisioning and cleaning the interior. We are making good progress, and Anori is quickly turning back into our floating home.
Apart from preparations and boat work, we are not doing much. A burger meal with Nils, fresh waffles at the stall near Molokroken, and repeatedly hearing the cheers from the nearby Bodø/Glimt football stadium provide some welcome variety during the work. We stay focused, as a weather window with south-westerly winds is forecast for 29 April – exactly what we need to continue north.
The final preparation day is once again packed. We commission the dinghy, do three loads of laundry in the harbour facilities, stock up on provisions, tidy up, and finally apply the new Anori lettering. One last fill of water, and then we are ready to go.
We are ready for our journey north.
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