The departure from this sound is spectacular: adventurous-looking, partly huge special ships are waiting here to sail out into the unpredictable sea and do a good job. It’s obvious: Norway can build ships… They’re up to anything!

We have decided to ‘only’ go as far as Bergen today, once the most important trading centre and the first university town (as well as temporary capital) of Norway, and the centre of maritime navigation today. A good three hours, I estimate. Easy going, because the course is calculated by the autopilot and I let this recommendation guide me through the countless waterways between the large and many small islands.

We are soon there – then suddenly: rrrumps!

Now it has happened, I feel it immediately: grounding! I must have hit something in these narrow passages. I immediately turn left towards a jetty to have a look. I lift the engines and see that the propellers are deformed. And one of the two engines is also rattling miserably – broken. I continue with one engine, see a gallows at one of the many moorings that now appear, and have the ArgoFram pulled up. Apart from paint scratches, there is no damage to the hull itself; if only the propellers are broken, I would have been lucky…

I look for the nearest Suzuki dealer on the interactive map and we go there – it’s Friday, soon it will be noon, let’s see what can be done… The people here are straightforward, lift the ArgoFram out of the water again, examine the mechanics and shake their heads. The gear box is also gone on both engines. Marko is called, he immediately looks for available spare parts. Meanwhile, the ladies and gentlemen of this shipyard sound out their channels. Result: In the EU there is only one suitable end piece available – but in Norway, outside the EU and newly in a purchasing alliance with England, there are two suitable end pieces. Just two!

Now I contact Murette, my insurance company. Send photographs. And a screenshot from the navigation system, proving that I was driving within the prescribed route. There shouldn’t be any obstacles in the water, should there… But the insurance company stands by me, clarifies internally how to proceed, and confirms that the damage will be covered. Immediately.

The people here at the shipyard immediately order the two spare parts and two new propellers – uff.

Only now I slowly calm down, or rather I realise my enormous inner tension that must have arisen like a fever. And I sit down for a while. Lois takes over, looks up where we can find accommodation, and decides on a small rustic flat in an old town quarter a little outside the tourist centre. If we’re going to do it, let’s do it! – If we are already blocked and can’t spend the night on the boat, we use this time given to us as a chance to immerse ourselves in this Bergen and absorb as much of it as possible. And to enjoy ourselves.

Only now I realise how lucky I am: We are healthy and safe; the right engine parts are available (and will be delivered quickly); the insurance company is cooperating and offering its full support – thanks to the people in charge at Murette! – as well as to the staff of this shipyard, which I came to more by chance than by reason.

Now we unpack: two rucksacks, a rolling suitcase full of clothes, the laptop. And get on the public bus that takes us to the centre of Bergen in a few minutes. From there we march to ‘our’ part of town, make ourselves comfortable in the holiday flat – but I can’t now, I have to move around a bit first. So I immediately jog back to the historic old town, to Bryggen, which was built in the 14th century as a branch of the Hanseatic trading empire (and is now a listed building). The air, the drizzle, the relaxed atmosphere here, everything does me good.

What a day!