I started to work when i got home from Ecuador. In a factory producing steel ropes. I liked the place, speacially the people i worked with.

But, you know. There is no time to be stuck in life. I mean, there is nothing wrong with being a part of society, but if it does not make you happy, you should not do it.

This job was nothing more than a way to get me going away again.

Im sure every traveler feel the same. I was almost ready to travel to Vietnam, i was also thinking about going back to Banos in Ecuador.

But instead, faith came and showed me this beautiful sailingboat.

And that was the beginning of the long journey home.

The long journey home

It all started when i saw this boat on the internet. I just knew right away that this boat will be mine. I could`nt affort it at the time, the price was $7000, i only had $5000. I looked at the boat everyday and i prayed and hoped that it would not be sold.

Then finally, after a week or two, the owner reduced the price by $2200, i called him and the boat was mine.

The boat was in a lake in Sweden, i had to get it home to Stavanger in Norway and i just thought that this was going to be a brilliant thing to do.

The quest was simple, get the boat home and your reward will be experience.

I did`nt have any sailing experience, but i thought, how difficult can it be.

I will and i must learn it on the way.

The journey would go from Stromstad in Sweden, across the Oslofjord and then around the coast of southern Norway.

It doesnt look like a long trip, and it is`nt either. This journey made me realize how small this world really is. But it is dangerous waters, with alot of waves and reefs, im not saying this out of pride, but out of what is written on the nautical maps. Speacially the waves, the water around the coastline is so shallow, so they build up on theire way to the shores.

My plan was to make it within a month.

June 9th

I took a train to Halden in Norway and here i stepped onboard my boat for the first time. I tried to make sense out of all the ropes, and how they worked. Then i went by engine to sweden. I did`nt really have to go to sweden, but i thought i would start there, and fill my boat up with cheap cigarettes and food. But that never happend, when i arrived in sweden i had no money. This always happens to me, im used to it. I wish i had a diary of the hole trip, but i dont, anyway me and the boat sailed out from sweden and we where on our way home.

The first place i want to write about it a place called The worlds end, it is actually written on the map, so the name is official. This place was just innsane, there was only one way in, and that was between two reefs, i had a hard time trusting the maps, but after 4 or 5 attempts i made it. It was a really beautiful place, so quiet and peaceful. fishingboats and seaguls. I think the biggest reward is all the hidden places you come to, places you never would have even thought existed.

From there on i traveled 7-8 hours a day, it was fantastic. You know, its crazy, there is really not that much to see, i tried to stay far off the shore because of the waves, and all you really see is ocean and strip of land fare away, but it was never boring.

I was really lucky with the wind, from day one i always had good speed. The guy that sold me the boat said that the max speed was 7 knots. The first week i was always over 6 knots. I learned to sail right away in good wind, i think that helped me alot on the journey. When i got 4 or 5 knots i felt it was easy.

I learned straight away that when the sails are up, you cant let go of the stering, if you do that the boat will turn up against the wind and the wind will catch the sails on the other side. One other thing that i am sure helped me alot was the waves, in the beginning when i crossed the Oslofjord, i got huge waves right away, its not really huge, but for me it was. They where around 2 meters, and waves at this size would be with me most of the time the hole journey home. The boat handled the waves very good, i felt like i was sitting on a horse, and i gave the boat the name stallion.

I had a lot of names in mind for the boat The old lady, Hollis Brown (a Bob dylan song) but stallion was the fist on my mind so i think i`ll stick with that.

Nevlunghavn

I came to this remote place on a rainy day. It was a fishing harbour with 3 fishing boats and a fish store. I walked around and looked at the scenery when i met 2 young sailers. We shared a bottle of wine on the pier. They where sailing in a huge open sailingboat, but it looked more like a ship from the 19th century.

They told me that they had buildt this boat from scratch, everything on it and in it and that they were heading all the way to Kristiandsand, the most southern city in Norway, we were gonna meet again twice on this journey.

Every morning the fishermen went out to fish and when they came back they sold the fish in the store, i had my best breakfast here, fresh fish.

Risør - Arendal

This part of the journey is something i never will forget, it is the worst possible thing that can happen to a sailor. I stayed in Risør for 3 days, waiting for the weather to calm down, the wind was way to fast for me to even attempt it. The third day it calmed down a bit, but still, it was the strongest wind so fare on the journey.

My speed record on the hole journey is 10.8 knots, i think this is where i got it.

Everything was just fine, i had a very good speed, everything was going smoothy, until i was a few hours away from Arendal.

I heard a snapping sound and i could see that the steelrope on the right side holding the mast had snapped of. 10 seconds later, the steelrope to the left snapped. And with nothing holding the mast, and with all the sails up and with strong wind, the mast bent so much towards the water, that it looked like it was made of rubber, i still cant belive that it did`t break. I managed in what seemed to be 5 seconds, to turn the boat up against the wind and lower the sails.

You know, you dont notice the waves when the sails are up, but now i did. I started my small 5hk motor and headed for the harbord 2 hours away. There was so much waves and every one of them made my mast jump from the left to the right, and the hole boat followed that motion of the mast, i could see that the boat did not like this at all. I was terrified, cause i knew that the mast could break and actually fall on me, and also if it did break, my journey would be over.

With a lot of luck and destiny, stallion and me made it to Arendal.

I tied up my boat to the nearest possible place i could see, and when it was done, and everything was fine and calm, i noticed how fast my heart was pounding, and how my body was trembling.

I stood there for 10 min on the dock, and out of nowhere this man came walking up to me, he asked me if i was doing alright. I told him the hole thing. He told me that he was a sailor, and that everything was good, he told me how to fix it, and he went onbord and inspected the mast, and said that there was no damage to it. He also placed his hand on my shoulder and said dont worry, everything is fine. Once again i meet destiny.

I fixed the steelropes, and i was ready to sail away again. I also met the guys from Nevlunghavn, we had some beers togheter.

Arendal - Kristiandsand

This was a strange ride aswell. I sailed out from Arendal in the morning, nice weather as i remember. The first thing i did after buying this boat, was getting myself a handheld gps with digital maps. It did cost me alot of cash, but it was absolutly nessicary, could never done it without it, well, no, i could im sure, but i would`nt want to do it.

After a cupple of hours i suddenly sailed out of the map on my gps, and i was stuck with no maps. I did not purchase paper maps, so i had nothing, and this is not a situation you want to be in.

But to be honest its not as bad as it sounds. Almost every underwater reefs on this planet is marked, and those that are not marked is mostly visible by the eye, but of course you dont want to sail in shallow waters, you dont want to be anywhere near any reefs if you dont have any maps, speacially if you are sailing, you know, you cant turn on a coin. Well you can, but its very difficult when you are alone.

I figured that the best thing was to sail very fare from the shore. Kristiandsand is a bigger city so it should be easy to spot it from the sea i thought. And yes, everything worked out fine, the only problem i had was when i had to enter shallow water on my way into the harbour. But i arrived, and everything was good.

I got an apology from the map producer, apperently there was something wrong with the flash card, i got a new one in Kristiandsand.

I stayed here a week, and met a buddy who was working in this city. I also met the sailors from nevlunghavn. After a week i started thinking about not sailing home, i was thinking about sailing to denmark. My head was really thinking. I thought about going to Denmark, then down the coast all the way to france, then over the english canal, and finally arriving in London, where i could play my guitar. I did not do it, but someday i will.

Kristiandsand - Egersund

The rest of the journey went smooth and perfect, i sailed past a place called lindesnes, which is the most southeren part of Norway. This place is feared for its currents and its weather, and you must be ceartain of the weather condition before going around the cape.

I went around it, and it was rough, i had good wind, and good size waves and alot of rain. And i could actually see the current after i got around the tip, it looked like two currents collided, making sharp edged waves. I got to a place called farsund, where i spent the night.

Next morning after breakfast i was ready for the longest stretch so fare Farsund - Egersund.

The weather was bad, the rain was pouring down, but the direction of the wind could`nt be better, i got it straight on my back. I put on my survival suit, and sailed butterfly all the way to Egersund.

When i was an hour away from Egersund, the wind increased alot, and i remember how hard it was to get the sails down.