Watching the ARC - Norway's Dream Catcher

by Nancy Knudsen on 3 Nov 2006 It was the chance purchase of a coffee table book that led Norwegian Fred Skaarland, who sailed as a child, and his wife Anne Grethe Naess, who had never sailed, to take a year from their careers to join the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) and sail the Atlantic Ocean on a boat whimsically named Dream Catcher.

Home port of the boat?
Stavanger, Norway

Home Club?:
Stavanger Yachting Club

What were your occupations before setting out on this journey?

Fred: A marine engineer in the Oil Supply Industry
Anne: Adviser in Health and Environmental Safety for the Municipality of Stavanger

Tells us about the yacht you have chosen?

Dreamcatcher is a Halberg Rassy 48 – we bought her new in 2005. After buying the standard design, we have added a furling main, a generator and a Furuno Radar combined system, on which we use Cmap.

Dreamcatcher. A Norwegian boat with an English name, how come?

Anne: It has a couple of meanings. I guess we are following our dream by doing this journey. However, it is found in Sioux folklore. The dream catcher is something like a spider web that is hung above your bed to sift dreams and visions. The good in your dreams is captured in the web of life and carried with you...but the evil in your dreams escapes through the hole in the centre of the web and is no longer a part of them. So Dream Catcher becomes for us a talisman to keep the bad experiences away.

When did you depart - and how long do you plan to be away?

We left home on 17th June, so we have just one year and the summer holidays before we must be home again. So we’ll spend until May next year in the Caribbean and then sail home.

So far where have you been?

Travelling over the North Sea to Scotland, we passed through the Caledonian Channel with warm steady weather (to us). We spent much time in Ireland, enjoying the lovely scenery, visiting old yacht clubs, and even ended up in Cork for ‘Cork Week’. By the 1st August we were crossing the Bay of Biscay, where the weather started well, but ended up with three and a half metre waves. The boat handled it very well – it was the first real test, and we were very happy with her. It was a splendid trip actually, so many dolphins, a real adventure.

Then we wandered down the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and had so many new experiences – hiking in lovely natural areas, seeing tall ship races, exploring the wine growing areas, and so many fiestas! Then it was off to Madeira, where we did some serious hiking.

Tell us about your sailing backgrounds?

Fred: At about 12-13 years I started sailing, and raced every Wednesday in a Regatta, and loved it. However, then I studied, and life took me away from sailing for many years. When I met Anne, in fact, I had a Grandbanks motor cruiser. It was Anne who started me sailing again.

Hhow did that happen?

Anne: Well, I had never sailed, but Fred and I went for a summer holiday in the Grandbanks. This was wonderful, but on the way, we bought a very lovely coffee table book which showed the thrill and the beauty of sailing.

' Now THAT’s what I would love to do,' I said, looking at those alluring pictures. From that moment on, we started planning. I did my ‘Competent Crew’ – what a steep learning curve! Then we did our Day Skipper together
Fred: Yes, it was Anne’s idea – and we also had our honeymoon in the Seychelles on a chartered yacht. Altogether the planning took us two years, learning to sail, buying the boat, getting leave from our careers.

What has been the highlight so far?

Fred: Without doubt, crossing the Bay of Biscay, and arriving at Corunya, finally day cruising in pleasant waters. Also, I think, the people you meet.
Anne: For me it’s the cruising life in warm waters. You need to remember that in Norway the winter goes below zero, and even in summer it’s only 16-18 degrees, so this warm weather is just wonderful for us.

Have you had any bad experiences in your trip?

Fred: Not really bad experiences, no. However, the worst part of doing passages for me is that I don’t sleep well during the night watches – I am always half awake listening for problems. I think it might be better when Anne and other crew have had more experience, and I am more confident.

Now that you've had four months sailing, do you you think those months have changed you at all?

Anne: Well, yes, I think we are not as stressed as we were, more ‘on line’.

How do you feel about the ARC and the Arlantic Crossing?

Well, we have crew of course, and we are looking forward to it. But we are wondering whether we will do the return trip with just the two of us.

Do you have any advice for other people who would like to go Long Haul sailing?

Yes, definitely! If you have the opportunity, try to cruise for a while, because it’s good to stop, slow down, and find new energy. When you go cruising, and let go of everything at home, you meet different kinds of people, find new ways of looking at the world. DON’T wait for the ‘right’ time – there are always arguments for why you should put it off for ‘next year’.