Monday, August 12, 2013

Egersund and Stavanger, Norway

Egersund:

The town of Egersund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with the surrounding municipality of Eigersund January 1, 1965.

Egersund has one of the best natural harbours in Norway, and used to be the largest harbour in Norway when measured in quantity of fish brought in each year

Map of  Norway

 

People have lived around the district of Egersund since the stone ages. Several places one can find ruins of settlements dating back to the age of migrations in Norway (400–600 BC). The name "Egersund" derives from the Norse name for the strait between Eigerøy and the mainland, which was called Eikundarsund. The name of Eigerøy (Norse: Eikund) comes from the rich deposits of oak trees (Eik = Norwegian for oak). The name is among the oldest placenames in Norway. It can already be found in the form Eikundarsund in the Norse saga of Olav the Holy, written by Icelandic author Snorri Sturlasson in the 13th century. From around the year 1000 Olav the Holy's fleet was here often. We can also find the name in texts and scaldic poems from Olav's saga.

There used to be a church here, the Church of St. Mary, mentioned in 1292 in a privilege of indulgence issued in Rome on February 5, 1292 by Pope Nicholas IV as Ecclesia beatæ Mariæ de Eikundarsund. It was the first church in Eikundarsund, and was the parish church of Maria parish. It is believed to have been located where the present church stands today. Old folklore from Egersund also says that before the Church of St. Mary, an altar where people sacrificed to the old Norse gods was placed here, but this has not been verified from any sources except old stories.

There was also a chapel, the chapel of St. Laurenti, mentioned in a letter issued on February 5 of 1308 as Ecclesia beati Laurentii de Eikundarsund, where Pope Clement V gives King Håkon V Magnusson extensive privileges concerning the king's 14 chapels (including the chapel of St. Laurenti), which was founded by himself or his father, King Magnus Lagabøte, and his grandfather, King Håkon Håkonson. Since these chapels often were built on the king's estates it is presumed to have been on grounds owned by the Husabø estate. An old tradition says it was located at what is now Strandgata 43, but the exact position is somewhat uncertain.

Stavanger:


The first traces of settlement in the Stavanger region come from the days when the ice retreated after the last ice age ca. 10,000 years ago. A number of historians have argued convincingly that North-Jæren was an economic and military centre as far back as the 9th-10th century with the consolidation of the nation at the Battle of Hafrsfjord around 872. Stavanger grew into a centre of church administration and an important south-west coast market town around 1100–1300.

Stavanger fulfilled an urban role prior to its status as city (1125), from around the time the Stavanger bishopric was established in the 1120s. Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester, England, is said to have started construction of Stavanger Cathedral (Stavanger domkirke) around 1100. It was finished around 1125, and the city of Stavanger counts 1125 as its year of foundation.

Map of  Norway

at The RICA Hotel in Stavanger on Crew Change

Mississippi Trouble comes to Stavanger Norway!

The city's history is a continuous alternation between economic booms and recessions. For long periods of time its most important industries have been shipping, shipbuilding, the fish canning industry and associated subcontractors.

In 1969, a new boom started as oil was first discovered in the North Sea.After much discussion, Stavanger was chosen to be the on-shore center for the oil industry on the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and a period of hectic growth followed.

North Sea off of Egersund Norway.

After leaving denHelder we sailed north into the Norwegian Sector to work.

Back Deck Work on the Asima.  It looks pretty but this early in the season it's really cold!


Asima with the full spread working. North Sea 2013


Its a cold place up here..! 

 
Our Workboat Coxwain Adam.  We had to test the new work boat... which turned out to be a $1.1 Million Dollar POS
the engines came from the factory as absolute CRAP

Creepy Friendly! Thanks  for the nightmares Stevie!


Tailbouys at the end of the line.
Ending another beautiful day at sea.


As we prepare to crew change out of Egersund, Norway and on to Stavanger, Norway over night on the way home.



Asima at Sea as we pull away for crew change and GOING HOME!

denHelder Crew Change 2013

Welcome Back to the Boats... Were going to denHelder Netherlands this time and then out to the North Sea



Its a nice little town in the north-west of the Netherlands where we caught the boat to go North into Norwegian Waters. 

Huisduinen was the original older part of the city, whereas Helder itself was a nearby smaller hamlet. Due to its strategic location at the tip of the North Holland peninsula, multiple fortifications were built in the area. The area likely began being called Helledore ("Hell's Door" or "Hell's Gate", later on 'Helsdeur') because of the water between now Den Helder and Texel called Marsdiep. The current of the water was so strong many ships were lost. The name Helder may also have come from Helle/Helde, which means hill or hilly grounds, or from Helre, which means a sandy ridge.

 Den Helder has played an important part in Dutch shipping. During the Dutch Golden Age, ships would be assembled near Den Helder and sail from there the world's oceans. During the 1820s, the North Holland Canal was dug from Amsterdam to Den Helder. The lighthouse Lange Jaap was built in 1877 and is the tallest cast-iron lighthouse in Europe, at 63.45 meters (208.2 ft).


Looking out at th North Sea from our Hotel on the Seawall.


 At a nice beach-front pub on the seawall at denHelder

Our Little Hotel on the Seawall


Pretty little residential streets on canals are what this town is all about!


denHelder Light


City Center denHelder, Netherlands



Crew Change at the Palm Bar in denHelder

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Liberia 


Officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Côte d'Ivoire to its east. It covers an area of 111,369 km2 (43,000 sq mi) and is home to about 3.7 million people. English is the official language and over thirty indigenous languages are also spoken within the country. Its coastline is composed mostly of mangroves, while its more sparsely populated inland consists of forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is hot and equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. The country possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest.

Along with Ethiopia, Liberia is one of only two modern countries in Sub-Saharan Africa without roots in the European colonization of Africa. Beginning in 1820, the region was colonized by blacks from the United States, most of whom were freed slaves. These immigrants established a new country with the help of the American Colonization Society, a private organization which believed that former slaves would have greater freedom and equality in Africa. African captives freed from slave ships were also sent there instead of being repatriated to their countries of origin. In 1847, this new country became the Republic of Liberia, establishing a government modeled on that of the United States and naming its capital city Monrovia after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and a prominent supporter of the colonization.

The colonists, known as Americo-Liberians, led the political and economic sectors of the country.
The country began to modernize in the 1940s following investment by the United States during World War II and economic liberalization under President William Tubman. Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity. A military coup overthrew the Americo-Liberian leadership in 1980, marking the beginning of political and economic instability and two successive civil wars that left approximately 250,000 people dead and devastated the country's economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005. Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil wars and their consequent economic upheaval, although about 85% of the population continue to live below the international poverty line.

You Should Buy The Lonely Planet Guide for West Africa


Travel Alert: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against all non-essential travel to some areas, please check with your relevant national government.
After almost two decades of war, Liberia – a lush, rainforested country draped across West Africa’s southern flank – seems at last to have found some breathing room. With Africa’s first woman president at the helm, the peace, while still fragile, is holding and Liberians have thrown themselves with gusto into the work of rebuilding their shattered land.
If Liberia does stabilise and open up for travel, it will offer intrepid adventurers a fascinating glimpse into what was previously a wonderfully hospitable and fascinatingly enigmatic society. Liberia’s artistic traditions – especially carved masks, dance and storytelling – rivalled those of anywhere on the continent, and traditional culture was strong. This was especially true in the country’s interior, where secret initiation societies played a central role in growing up, and today still serve as important repositories of traditional knowledge and life skills. For now though, most of this cultural wealth remains inaccessible to visitors, and independent travel outside of the country's capital Monrovia is not considered safe.
Liberia’s dense, humid rainforests – some of the most extensive in West Africa – are alive with the screeching and twittering of hundreds of birds, who are kept company by forest elephants, pygmy hippos and other wildlife padding around the forest floor. Along the coast, deserted white-sand beaches alternate with humid river deltas and tranquil tidal lagoons, while inland plateaus rise to verdant hill country on the borders of Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.
Though the situation is definitely looking up, it's advisable to get an update on local security conditions before setting your plans.




Traveling To Liberia, West Africa for Crew Change to the M/V POLARCUS ASIMA
This should be fun!

The Gulf of Guinea - Pirate Waters!

On the Road from Monrovia to Buchanan Port, 2.5 Hours through Jungle and Village


Crossing a UN Military Bridge



Buchanan, Liberia




Berths on the Crew Boat we took (15hrs) to the ASIMA

Some Time at Home, we went to Universal and Busch Gardens also 
Kelly Park in Apopka, Florida and swam in a Cave Stream









Melanie and Will at Rock Spring, It took some convincing to get Will in the Water.

Will Rides the Tiger


Hogwarts Express
Hogwarts at Universal - Islands of Adventure
Hogsmead Town Center
Dr. Suess' One Fish... Two Fish Ride
Blutos Barge... Melanie Got Soaked


They finally caught JAWS at Universal





Will and I found a Slide

Will found Friends... Our Hotel had a Waterpark inside it. It was quite possibly the best part of the Tourist Stuff.


Melanie and Walker on the Sky Car
Will After Amy's Wedding
Walker after Amy's Wedding

They Clean Up Well
Anyhow these are the people who put up with my random job requirements!