Since I only received the license to cultivate algae in the area I applied for near Ylvingen/Vega – in central Norway at approximately 65°34.61 N / 011°55.54 E – at the beginning of October last year, the timing was rather unfavorable for setting out any material into the water. So, I figured I’d lose another year. This is because the algae primarily cultivated in the north are sown in the autumn and harvested in the spring.
I dedicated my time to other projects during the autumn and winter before picking up the “algae cultivation” thread again at the beginning of spring and trying to organize some of the necessary equipment from Switzerland. My goal was to anchor two buoys with lines and chains at the positions registered with the Norwegian Chart Institute by May, so that I would be ready in the autumn to plant three different species and test their growth and quality. To this end, I held several eMeetings with fellow fish farmers, primarily focusing on material procurement options and dimensions. It’s crucial to decide on a system early on and then approach the fish farms with the idea. By law, these farms are required to regularly replace their lines, buoys, anchors, and chains, and are happy to donate the equipment to a project like Sjøgård – the Sea Farm AS. Otherwise, they have to pay a hefty disposal fee.
After what felt like twenty emails and numerous phone calls to fish farms in the region, receiving virtually no response, I took the next step and contacted my acquaintances and friends on Ylvingen. And promptly, things started moving. It’s worth noting that agreements and deadlines are handled differently in Norway than in Switzerland. Many things are decided on short notice. I think this has to do with the fact that until a few decades ago, it was hardly possible to make any “binding” medium- to long-term plans, since the weather regularly thwarted everything anyway… But at least my request was now on the RADAR of some officials in the region.
On the evening of May 16th, I took the train north from Basel, without any real idea of what awaited me in the next two weeks, or what I would actually accomplish. Not an easy experience for someone who is three-quarters Swiss. It’s quite a distance from Gelterkinden to Ylvingen when traveling by land. But I arrived on the mainland opposite the island in good spirits and met with Glenn, the equipment manager for Akva Future AS, that same afternoon. William from the island had put me in touch with him. You have to understand, the area around Brønnøysund – although considerably larger – has a similar population to the upper Basel region. So everyone knows each other. And having a local as a “mediator” is invaluable everywhere. Luckily, this company was in the process of replacing some of their equipment, so I was able to choose two large, yellow buoys with the corresponding chain and a full box of heavy-duty lines. He had to put me off until autumn for the anchors, though. No problem, I had a plan B.
The next challenge was transporting this gear from Brønnøysund to Ylvingen—and later to the farm (more on that below). Friends of ours, who moved from the Netherlands to the island of Vega (Ylvingen’s neighbor) years ago, have a minibus and a large trailer. I could have borrowed something on Ylvingen, but the problem is that you have to reverse onto the ferry from Brønnøysund to Ylvingen, and I simply can’t do that with a trailer. I’m becoming a seafarmer, not a landfarmer. For this reason, I can’t just borrow the vehicles; I also need a driver… Bastian from Trollskog Snekeri AS had time and was flexible enough to chauffeur me and my new equipment around for a good half day.
I planned to use two large stones, each weighing approximately 300-400 kg, as anchors. Our friend Bjørnar, the farmer from Bakken Gård on Ylvingen, found them on the beach and transported them to the pier side with his tractor. Now, a hole had to be drilled in each stone and an eyebolt concreted in. However, nobody on the entire island had the necessary tools. And once again, Bjørnar provided the solution. The farmers of the Vega municipality, to which Ylvingen belongs, share tools through a cooperative, so they don’t all need to own them individually. With this equipment, the drilling was easy, and I was able to install the eyebolts.
While searching for the right stones and machinery, I spliced the various lengths of rope to the required lengths and tried to plan the transport by water to the farm. I had several ideas—some better, some more daring. Unfortunately, none of the better ones were feasible on such short notice. A ship with a crane on board, like the fish farm on Vega has, would have been the most elegant solution, of course. But unfortunately, it wasn’t available while I was in the area. Luckily, the old floating dock from the small boat harbor in Ylving Vågen bay was moored to a buoy. It had already been sold, but not yet paid for, and I was encouraged to just use it. However, it was already a bit dilapidated, and I wasn’t sure if it would survive a seven-nautical-mile trip with heavy load and back. But what could I do? It was difficult enough to organize a tow boat.
Finally, our friend Emil, the co-founder and managing director of Seil Norge AS, who also oversees a second project on Ylvingen, came to my aid. He’s the “trial and error” type, practically unstoppable. He encouraged me to just give it a try with the floating dock and his old lifeboat with its 80-horsepower outboard motor. So on Tuesday, we made some more repairs to the jetty and loaded everything onto it with the crane. I was supposed to heave the heavy stones off with a crowbar once I was on site. On Wednesday, May 27th, my last day on the island, the wind had shifted from southwest to northwest, and the rain had eased off. Perfect conditions for my plan, so I set off early in the morning. With all the weight in the stern, I could only manage about 2.5 knots, so it took me quite a while.
Once there, the waves were higher than expected, but still manageable. With a considerable effort, I managed to drop both anchors into their designated positions. Connecting the buoys with a line proved more difficult than I had anticipated. It took significantly longer to come up with a solution that was acceptable for the time being, and the buoys are now roughly in their intended positions. Exhausted but satisfied, I sailed back into the Ylving Vågen about ten hours later. With an empty and still intact floating dock at the stern.
On paper, I’m the only active person managing the “Sjøgård – the Sea Farm AS” project. In reality, I could never have organized, provided, and even launched everything in such a short time without the immense support of the people around Ylvingen/Vega. It might not be easy to plan far into the future with the locals, but when you need support, they’re almost always there. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful! Another thank you goes to all the donors and patrons who support my “crazy” project without any guarantee of success and believe that something good will come of it. It’s a privilege to be part of such a supportive community – thank you so much og hjertelig takk!