– We will probably have over 20 guests here on May 17th!
Bjarne Litland welcomes Bachelor aboard the Salvator’s boat. The sun is glinting in the fresh wood, and daughters Mariel and Iseline are perched on their loungers.
They grew up with their father’s project to refurbish an old lifeboat. Now they are enjoying the good weather on the deck.
– Work on this boat probably lasted all my life, Iselin laughs (25).
The family is from Bergen, but they’ve lived in Geilo since 2012, where they’ve all been active climbers. Now the snow has been replaced by the sea, and for the sixth year in a row it docked at Vågen on May 17th.
– We actually headed out on Wednesday to secure our spot, says Marielle (24).
Take it head on
The Littleland family is not alone in this plan. In Vågen, the boats are close together. You can walk several meters in a dry dock from boat to boat.
“Here we see the morning procession passing by and we’re looking straight at Bryggen, so it’s not so bad,” Bjarne smiles.
Scrambled eggs are fried on a portable hot plate for a little brunch outside in nice weather.
It is important that you enjoy the good temperature now, because they have checked the weather forecast and are ready to change the weather.
– We have to deal with it head on, says Iselin.
– Yes, we are Westerners, the father laughs and tells us about May 17, 2020 when even two centimeters of cold woke up on the tire.
Now it’s getting colder
Alexander Skeltved, the meteorologist on duty, didn’t mention hail on BA’s calls, but there’s no doubt it will be even colder next week.
– It’s becoming more and more clear that we’re heading into stormy weather. He adds that there is low pressure coming from the northwest and will hit the coast of western Norway.
Already on Monday, temperatures will drop.
– Rainfall from the northwest means cooler weather and lower temperatures. On May 17th itself, it looks like we’re going to get ten degrees warmer in Bergen.
And as every Bergens knows, there are no such things as a dry shower.
– It only starts on Monday, and on May 16th there will be a static shower activity. But this day looks set to be much wetter than May 17, says the meteorologist and offers some reassuring words:
The nice thing about inclement weather is that it usually doesn’t give off completely cloudy skies. So we can hope for the sun every now and then.
– I hope that changes
In other words, you must have sunglasses and an umbrella with you at the celebration.
And perhaps hope that the meteorologists are wrong.
– Things have changed a lot in the past few days, and we hope they will change again, says Hegg Mikalsen.
She and her husband, Thomas, are enjoying the sun from their boat, Melida, which is moored at the fish market.
They had arrived by car from Askøy to be in Bergen on 17 May.
– This will be our third year here. We actually found the same place we had the last two years.
In Vågen, a first-come, first-served basis applies, as it is not possible to reserve a place. Heggie and Thomas drove their car Thursday morning.
– It was good to have places on this side then. Thomas explains that we like to lie here because it’s a bit quieter.
I do not agree with the facilities
Renting a boat dock in Vågen costs NOK 450 per day, and boaters are a bit divided on how much you get for your money. Where Bjarne and the daughters have nothing but praise for the harbor staff for service, Thomas and Hege are not very impressed with Bjarne.
– We have had a boat since 2005 and travel with it a lot on holidays in several places in the country. I think there are worse facilities here than, say, in Haugesund or Stavanger, Thomas points out.
Thomas grew up with a boat and thrives best on the sea: – This is our summer cabin!
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