BERGENSFJORD 2014 Part 5 (the final one)

Tuesday 25th March 2014
It had seemed a short night when a public broadcast announced it was 6.30 a.m. and we would arrive in Hirtshals at 7.30 a.m., so there was time for coffee before going on deck to watch our arrival at this northern-most port of Denmark.

Soon I disembarked and joined a Fjord Line coach trip available for passengers – we had breakfast served on the coach and spent the day seeing some of the countryside and the small town of Flensburg before returning to the ship. It felt as if I was coming home, and I was very glad to be back on board BERGENSFJORD.

Coach on car deck 3

Cabin 8245

21st Century design on this ship

After dinner I met my friends again and we spent an entertaining evening in the Fjord Lounge watching the dancers during the Disco Medley and then enjoying the singers at Showtime at 11 p.m.

The entrance to the Fjord Lounge

Fjord Lounge bar

Beach under my feet

Pretty lavender-coloured things on the beach

When that finished we went to the Bungalow to listen to and sing with the English pianist, who was rather astonished to find an English passenger on board. It had been a long day but an excellent evening back on board as we sailed north again towards Norway and our scheduled arrival at lunchtime back in Bergen.


Wednesday 26th March 2014
I enjoyed breakfast watching the sunshine on the Norwegian coastline as we sailed along.

Snow-covered mountains

The regal chairs were empty!

I asked at Reception whether it might be possible please to visit the Bridge, and a little later I was invited to accompany a member of staff up there. The views of the surrounding fjords and snow-covered mountains from our ship were absolutely superb in the clear light and air and I felt so lucky to be welcomed by the Captain and one of his Officers on his Bridge, just for a few minutes.

On the Bridge on Bergensfjord, doing 24.7 knots

On the radar

Model of Bergensfjord of 1956

Ship model statistics

Another highlight of the morning was taking more photographs of the huge picture which hangs over the forward staircase of BERGENSFORD. One of my friends had previously advised me to make sure I went to see it, and it was mentioned in the Fjord Line brochure I had from last year. There was a small sign beside it describing the artist Per Krohg and the painting, which was done in 1956 to hang on a particular ship of Norwegian America Line.

Per Krohg details

Painting by Per Krohg for Norwegian America Line entitled "The Dream Journey;
it is four metres by seven metres in size!

This was a rather exciting moment for me as my mind went back to last August 2013, when I was on a very small ferry sailing from the Great Harbour of Piraeus in Greece towards the island of Salamina. My travelling companions wanted to do a different short trip that morning so we were to meet again later that afternoon. During my 40 minute little trip I could see a half-submerged ship’s hull, which I had seen a few times in previous years but not so clearly, so I photographed it from several angles as we headed towards Salamina. The name was RASA SAYANG. I did some research and was later able to find out from Simplon Postcards more about the vessel, which in fact was “BERGENSFJORD - DE GRASSE - RASA SAYANG – GOLDEN MOON”.

“BERGENSFJORD was completed in 1956 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, Newcastle, for Norwegian America Line. She was 18,739grt and carried 878 passengers. BERGENSFJORD was acquired by the French Line (CGT) as the DE GRASSE (2) in haste in 1971 to replace the ANTILLES which had been lost in a fire in January that year. Bought in March 1971, she was delivered to CGT in November. She was not profitable on the Le Havre-Southampton-Caribbean service, and spent 1972 cruising. DE GRASSE (2) was sold in 1973, becoming the RASA SAYANG. In 1980 she was sold to Aphrodite Maritime Co, Greece. On 17th August 1980, a fire started in the engine room whilst she was under refurbishment at Perama, Greece. She was towed out of the docks and capsized and sank near the island of Kynosoura, some kilometres from Perama.”

Approaching Salamina

Half-submerged hull

Rasa Sayang hull

Rasa Sayang hull

Rasa Sayang name clearly visible

That was the wreck I could see partly submerged in the water on 29th August 2013, and the picture in front of my eyes was the painting that was commissioned by Norwegian America Line in 1956 to sail on that very ship - BERGENSFJORD. I find it astonishing that life throws up such incredible coincidences, and something at which to marvel.

Life seemed just a little more calm as we arrived back in Bergen and I had to disembark from the BERGENSFJORD of 2014, which deliberately displayed the painting from the BERGENSFJORD of 1956, as a token of Fjord Line’s mark of respect to their Norwegian maritime heritage.

Bergensfjord at her berth after I disembarked

Ready to sail

But then Nordlys arrived

She had to turn to go astern into her berth

That made an interesting picture

Then I could wave goodbye to Bergensfjord

Goodbye Bergensfjord...

It had been such an enjoyable trip on this brand-new lifestyle cruise ferry, with new sights and new friends as well as good memories.

Summer 2011 Part 5

NORDSTJERNEN

Monday 11th July (contd.)
Seven Sisters

Ronja Superior

Bridge approaching Kristiansund

Welcome sign

Eidsvaag Polaris

At 4.30 p.m. we arrived at Kristiansund and had just under half an hour to take a short walk along the quayside to see the statue of the Klippfiskkjerringa, to be back on board for 5 p.m. sailing.

Nordstjernen at Kristiansund

One of our anchors

The Bridge from the quayside

Interesting drain cover

For sale in a shop...

Little tug steaming along nicely

The weather was clear but cool and the scenery was endlessly interesting. My Father had also called here on several occasions on the ARANDORA STAR. As we left the port, a few of us could stand on one bridge wing to watch the departure.

View from the Bridge

Island Challenger

Because the ship was now entering open sea it soon became very rough, and many of us on this tiny ship felt unwell, but this stretch of the passage was likely to last for a couple of hours and simply had to be endured.

Restaurant (and Captain's Table) laid for dinner

Most of us recovered in time for Restaurant dinner at 6.30 p.m. which was served at our individual tables – a beautifully presented plate of cured reindeer for starters,



followed by a layered creation of 3 fish with vegetables,



and followed by the famous Norwegian dessert of red soft fruit in juice, with cream.



It was a delicious meal, beautifully cooked and presented, and cheerfully served, and set the high standard for all the meals on board.

We called at Molde at 8.30 p.m. for an hour, and just before arriving there I was astonished to see AIDA BLU heading out of the mist towards us.



I know we are a small ship, but I didn’t envy the passengers on there heading up into those rough seas. Once in Molde I took a short walk around in the rain trying to identify a church in one of my Father’s photos;

A Molde church

I thought this was interesting

as we left, the NORDLYS berthed nearby.



We saw several of the Fjord1 and other Molde ferries whilst we were there.

Tiderose

Brandal

Romsdalsfjord

Noldefjord

Sekken

Last view of Molde

There is a Bar on the Saloon Deck near the Restaurant, so I took a glass of something delicious with me to the Lounge later that evening to see a short film show about the Hurtigruten route scenery; then I had a chat with the Purser about NORDNORGE and her now famous voyage north, and of course about NORDSTJERNEN. This was when he told me about her not having any sisters, as she was a replacement ship. He said there was no cargo on this trip as the crane was broken; the ship has ‘ancient monument’ status in Norway, so has special ‘clearance’ as a ship; she only sails in Norwegian waters so SOLAS doesn’t apply; she uses heavy oil but is fairly good, and the accountants are happy.

She is likely to last only one year now probably, as Hurtigruten must decide about new ships; FINNMARKEN is still on charter in Australia, and all are happy with this, so the charter may be renewed, in which case Hurtigruten must decide whether they need 1 or 2 new ships. I asked about the next SOLAS regulations due in a few years’ time, and he said NORDSTJERNEN’s fire doors would not be able to be used under the next Regulations.

I had noticed that the Post flag was flown from the stern flagpole and the Purser said that Mail had not been carried since the 1980s on the Hurtigruten ships, but as a courtesy they were allowed to continue using the Post flag because of her special status in Norway.

He was interested in knowing about my Father’s ship calls along the Norwegian coast in the 1930s, and mentioned another passenger he had met recently. The gentleman was coming back to the country that he had only seen during the Second World War from his submarine periscope! He had liked the look of the mountainous coast and bird life and determined to come back some day and actually set foot on the landscape he had so admired. The Purser didn’t mention the nationality of that passenger and I didn’t ask.

The ship called at Alesund at midnight for 45 minutes but I didn’t see a thing – I was lulled to sleep by the sea.

Ships seen: Kystekpressen, Coastguard vessel Barend Biesheuvel, Nordstjernen, Seven Sisters (Sea 7) a working ship with a heli-pad on the bow, Ronja Superior, Dart from Arhus, Kar steam tug at Kristiansund, Eidsvaag Polaris, Kristiansund cross-harbour ferry, Island Challenger, the UT 776E written on the hull of a vessel with a big bow, and no stern, outside Kristiansund, Nordlys of Hurtigruten, Molde ferries Tiderose, Brandal, Romsdalsfjord, Noldefjord and Sekken, a fast ferry in Kristiansund, Robas, Aida Blu appearing out of the mist and heading north from Molde

To be continued…