The ambiance has changed a bit since the last time we where here, when the anchorage was filled with pleasure crafts and the sound of many small polite dinner parties, to now with as many as eight party boats simultaneous, stuffed with loud, obnoxious, company financed  drinking orgies. So, we decided we could party too.

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.636 N Longitude: 10° 34.712 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

Situated on route from the home port of the western Oslo pleasure boat fleet, to the ‘open’ waters of the inner Oslofjord, anchorage between Ostøya, Kjeholmen and Grimsøya  has a steady onset of boats passing through. Every now and then, strange things float by. A sailboat is not strange in it self, but when the crew occupies the hammock while under sail it registers as strange.

..and then there is this.

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.636 N Longitude: 10° 34.712 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

We enjoyed the typical ingredients of a Norwegian midsummer eve celebration (i.e. bonfire and boating), in Ostsundet this year. We were not alone, even though it fell on a Monday.

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.595 N Longitude: 10° 34.6104 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

Typical unsteady Norwegian weekend weather, requires some planing. The challenge is to be correctly located in the space-time continuum. We did well…

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.574 N Longitude: 10° 35.016 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

I spent a fine summer evening with colleagues at FB1860’s private port at Ostøya. It is private; you need to be member, so I am not going to talk it up more. Those of you that do not have access, may take comfort in the fact that this must be one of the most mosquito infested spots in Oslofjorden, to such a degree, that the popular name for the place is ‘Mosquito Bay’.

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.595 N Longitude: 10° 34.6104 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

It was a little windy at this well protected anchorage, as we enjoyed the last of the sunset, just before we retired below to watch an episode of Dexter. Well into the episode a slightly dramatic scene was enhanced by a loud bang, a little more natural than what our otherwise excellent sound system could reproduce. A 40′ Hansa had pulled its anchor out of the mud and descended on our bow. At least three times the depth, people! Repeating: minimum 3 x depth!

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.574 N Longitude: 10° 35.016 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.

On a hot and tranquil early Sunday afternoon we observed this vessel going for the shortcut around the western tip of Kjeholmen in Ostsundet, in the inner Oslofjord.

Ostøya Latitude: 59° 52.694 N Longitude: 10° 34.643 E Click chart to view larger scope, or here for an even larger scope in a separate window. Chart data ©Kartverket.