Winter in Vallensbæk
Last update:
12.10.2015

To have more details,
click on Log books!

Map: Gulf of Lion

Map: Iberia

Map: Bay of Biscay

Map: Northern France

Map: Northern Europe

Living on a 48' One Off ketch.

Distance travelled from 01.05.04 to 12.11.04:
3426 nautical miles
   

November 2004

From Port Vendres we have continued up the coast to Cap d'Agde, Port Camarque and Marseilles.

October 2004

We have begun the month by sailing from Motril to Almerimar. We are not sure where we will finish it. Our pictures are updated together with the map.

We have continued along the coast and stopped at Roquetas del Mar, Aguilas, San Pedro and had an unexpected stop at Cartagena because of bad weather. Alicante, Moraira and Denia have also been port of calls. We have visited Valencia and Oropesa on our way to Barcelona. We have also called in at Hospitalet de l'Enfant and Ginesta before reaching Port Olympic. From here we have called in at El Balis and Palamos (our last Spanish port of call). We reached Port Vendres and now we shall continue to the Montpellier region for the winter.

September 2004

Our fifth month at sea and we are now visiting our seventh country. From Povoa we continued to Leixos, Figueira da Foz and Nazare. From Nazare we continued to Cascais where this latest update is coming from (including photos). We have continued down the Portuguese Blue Coast and have visited Sines, anchored in Baleira and stopped at Portimao on the Algarve where Svein had spent a holiday 30 years ago!. We have anchored off the Faro marshes, in Mazagon, Sancti Pectri and finally in Gibraltar. We are really at the entrance to the Mediterranean now. We have seen September out in Motril.

August 2004

During our stay in Royan we have wined and dined royally on seafood. Svein has played Tarzan (more explanation in the log book) and we have worked again on the boat. We have had our first swim of the year. We have crossed the Bay of Biscay to Santander. Our next port of calls have been Ria del Ribadeo and Ria del Vivero where we have stayed whilst waiting for the low fronts to pass through. We have also visited Carino and La Coruna where we carried out engine repairs. Our last two Spanish port of calls were Corrubedo and Bayona. We then continued into Portugal and spent our first night here in Povoa da Varzim.

July 2004

We have made it to France. From Vlissingen sailed (sorry motored) to Calais in 14 hours. Slept 4 hours and then carried on to Dieppe. Next port of call Fecamp and then Le Havre. Visited Honfleur and Pont Audemer with Colette and Philippe Buisson when they visited us. From Le Havre sailed to St.Vaast and then Cherburg where we spent 14th July. From Cherbourg we stopped in Port Racine and then visited Jersey, Granville, Ile Brehat and the Morlaix estuary. From here we have visited so far l'AberBenoit, Camaret, Iles de Glenan, Sauzon (Belle Ile), Ile d'Yeu, La Rochelle and finally Royan on our way South.

June 2004

From Brunsbittel we called at Cuxhaven so that we could prepare for the stage to Den Helder. This took us 31 hours of which we sailed for 20. From Den Helder we sailed and anchored outside Andijk before carrying on through the Markemeer to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam we proceeded through the canals to Flushing. We have come to the end of our month in the Nederlands and have updated the log and our picture gallery. We will now continue to France.

May 2004
On 1st May sailed to Langelinje, the harbour beside the Little Mermaid, to start our round of farewells. Then, on 13th May we sailed to Rødvig to haul the boat out for a final overhaul. New antifouling and a propellor change. Next stop on our Danish trip is Bandholm. We left Bandholm on 30.05.04 for the Kiel canal. We sailed to Holtenau (entrance to the canal) and arrived there early evening after a distance of 71.2nm. Next day we motored through the canal and arrived at the Elbe exit at 22h00. Experienced a very unpleasant thunderstorm early evening but other than being out in the rain suffered no ill effects!!

April 2004:
We move back to Sandefjord in Norway. This month was devoted to doing the changes we wanted completed before our departure for the Mediterranean. Svein installed a pulpit, rail openings with an attachment to install the bathing ladder on either side and an electric anchor winch with dedicated battery and aft remote control. The rolling genoa system was installed and our old sails converted to fit.

March 2004:
We are still living in Denmark although we both recently lost our jobs. This unfortunately happened about 18 months too soon and we are now seriously considering starting our adventure as soon as the weather permits.
September 2001:
Sailed to Denmark and moored in Vallensbæk Havn outside Copenhagen. Since then as and when time allowed the improvements have continued and it is now only finishing touches that remain to be done. As everyone knows a boat is never completely finished. There are always improvements to be made and this keeps Svein happy.

Caryn & Svein Otto Børstad
S/Y C'est la Vie
somewhere in the Med
T. +30 6938119456 (Svein)
T. +30 6951069370 (Caryn)

Summer 2000:
Renovation started but progressed slowly until the decision was taken to move to Denmark. As we would be living on board the pace had to be increased. Although everything was not finished enough progress had been made so that we could use her as our home.
June 1998:
We moved to Sandefjord and got a very good mooring on Thorøya, next to the office where we worked.
May 1998:
We bought the boat outside Gothenburg in Sweden and sailed her up to Sandvika outside Oslo in Norway.