Our first 24 hours in Norway could be summed up in one word: wet. All the more reason to celebrate the unexpected blue skies greeting us on our second morning, even if they are accompanied by fierce gusts of wind. Rather than taking on the Skagerrak today, we decide to sharpen our pilotage skills in the sheltered waters of the skerries. Staying behind the countless little islands that separate the narrow fairway from the wild North Sea, we happily trade offshore miles for scenic cruising—and find it impossible to tire of the charming Norwegian houses, all blessed with waterfront views (above: the harbour of Gjeving).

Casting off from Tvedestrand under blue skies and sunshine!

Above: A local angler with a catch. Below: This is what lateral marks look like in Norway. Guiding us safely through the maze of skerries, they are illuminated by solar-powered lights. Further below: The skerries’ very own floating rubbish collection service.

After failing to find a berth sheltered enough for SY Blue Layla in nearby Lyngør (see above), we continue to the small village of Gjeving (see below). It is the last harbour within reach to the northeast before we would have to venture back into open water—a prospect we are happy to postpone, as the sea is showing its less welcoming side today.

Above/below: Water depths in parts of the harbour reach as much as 30 metres—far too deep for conventional stern moorings. Instead, local motorboats are secured alongside outriggers, their supports firmly anchored into the rugged granite walls of the surrounding skerries.