Norwegian cargo steamer B. A. Broch in 1904

 Norwegian cargo steamer B.A. Broch photographed as brand new in Kristiania (Oslo) in July, 1904. The 216.3 ft (c. 63 m.) 878 brt ship was built by Akers mek. Verksted, Kristiania, for A/S B. A. Broch, Kristiania. My restoration and colorization of Anders B. Wilse´s original image in the Norwegian Maritime Museum archive.

B. A. Broch later had three other Norwegian owners. On October 14. 1916, when she sailed for the last owner, Rederi-A/S Granat (K. M. Pedersen), renamed Rabbi, carrying coal from Swansea (Wales) to Rouen (France) she was captured and scuttled by the German submarine UB18. The crew abandoned the ship in lifeboats, and were later saved by another Norwegian steamer.

Winter sunset in Norway (1925)

 Winter sunset in Norway 1925. Anders B. Wilse shot this photo on Freuary 23, 1925, in Katnosa, Nordmarka, Oppland (not so far from Oslo). My colorization of the original image in the Oslo Museum archive (Digital Museum).

Spitsbergen Panorama (1880s)

 Spitsbergen panorama. Photographed in the 1880s by Axel Lindahl, a Swedish photographer who worked in Norway for several years. My colorization of an image in the Norsk Folkemuseum archive (Digital Museum).

Saill training ship Statsraad Erichsen (1901)

 Norwegian sail training ship Statsraad Erichsen photographed in 1901. My colorization of Anders Beer Wilde´s photo in the Maritime Museum of Norway archive.The brig Statsraad Erichsen was built in 1859 at the Karljohansvernverft in Horten. It was used as a sail training ship from 1901 to 1936.

Two men in a rowing boat (late 19th century)

 Two men in a rowing boat in Hedmark, Ringsaker (Norway). My colorization of Kristoffer Horne´s late 19th century photo in the Anno Domkyrkeodden collection (Digitalt Museum).

A Norwegian master baker and his family

The family of Norwegian master baker and business manager Olaf Andreas Jens Wilhelm Munthe (1851- 1914) and his wife Helene Andrea Støren (1857–1939), photographed in ab. 1905 - 1908 by the Oslo photographer Gustav Borgen.
One of the sons, Abraham Wilhelm Støren Munthe (1883–1965) became the head librarian of the University in Oslo. The daughter Lagertha Munthe (1888 – 1984) became a painter. The youngest daughter, Karen Munthe, died in 1920 at the age of 20.
Munthe is a Norwegian family which is believed to have its origin in Gent, Flanders. Ludvig Munthe - a resident of Lübeck, Germany - born ab. 1520 is counted as the first ever known member of the family. His son Ludvig, who was bishop of Bergen, became the founder of the Munthe family in Norway. (Another brother, Hans Munthe, became the founder of the Swedish branch of the family.)

A little sailor (ab. 1900)

A little sailor from Norway. My colorization of Gustav Borgen´s portrait from (ab.) 1900 in the Norsk Folkemuseum archive.

Norwegian tallship Jafnahr

The Norwegian barque Jafnahr (built in 1877) photographed by John Nielsen in the late 19th century. My colorization of an image in Maritime Museum of Norway archive.

Mademoiselle Ydette-Jolie (1906)

Mademoiselle Ydette-Jolie, Dancer. Photographed in 1906 in Oslo by Gustav Borgen (1865-1926). My colorization of an image in the Norsk Folkmuseum archive.

Traditional Scandinavian saffron buns

Traditional home-made Scandinavian saffron buns have always been part of my Christmas:

The newly renovated cruise ferry Oslofjord on its way back to Norway

The newly renovated Norwegian cruise ferry was tonight in the Sound on its way from Finland to Norway:

Cruise ferry Oslofjord and Kronborg castle

Cruise ferry Oslofjord on its way to Norway

The ferry company gives the following information about the renovation:

The cruise ferry that will sail between Sandefjord and Strömstad was built in 1993 by Bergen Group Fosen. The ferry is currently being converted and renovated at the SXT shipyard in Raumo, Finland.

The ferry MS Oslofjord will start sailing in June 2014. By that time the ferry's appearance and design will have undergone a complete upgrade. When the conversion is finished, the ferry will look and feel like a brand new ship. It will accommodate about 1770 passengers and 370 vehicles.
MS Oslofjord is a modern ship. Its facilities and comfortable interior will guarantee travellers a pleasant journey between Sandefjord in Norway and Strömstad in Sweden. On board the ship you will find our large tax-free shop with a wide selection of goods. There is also a varied selection of restaurants, bars and cafés on board. 

The Royal Norwegian Navy's frigate Helge Ingstad going northwards in the Sound

The Royal Norwegian Navy's Fridtjof Nansen class frigate Helge Ingstad was this morning going northwards in Øresund. The 134 m x 16.8 m ship was commissioned in 2009:

The Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates are the main surface combat units of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Norwegian subsea vessel Havila Phoenix on its way to Gdynia

Multi Purpose Offshore Vessel Havila Phoenix on its way to Gdynia. When it returns
it will probably be 17.4 m longer.

The Norwegian owned Multi Purpose Offshore Vessel Havila Phoenix entered the Sound in the morning mist today on its way to Gdynia. The ship is currently undergoing a major conversion, done by the Havyard Ship Technology's shipyard in Leirvik, Norway:

Havyard Ship Technology’s shipyard in Leirvik in Norway has won the contract for a major conversion of the subsea vessel Havila Phoenix. (September 16)

Havila Shipping has signed contract with Deep Ocean who has chartered the subsea vessel «Havila Phoenix» for cable laying and trenching operations. The contract is for seven years with four one-year options and means that the vessel needs to undergo a major conversion before commencing the contract. Havyard Ship Technology will do the conversion, which is scheduled to be finished in March 2014.

Havila Phoenix» is a Havyard 858 design, delivered from Havyard’s shipyard in Leirvik as a construction vessel in 2009. Since then the vessel has had different charterers and executed several different operations in connection with subsea oil production installations. The contract with Deep Ocean includes cable laying and trenching for offshore windmill installations. To enable the vessel for these operations it needs to be lengthened with 17,4 m to accommodate the new equipment. The lengthening means that close to 700 tons of new steel will be installed.
There will be installed a lot of new equipment both on and below the cargo deck. The stern will be reinforced and a 250 tonnes A-frame will be installed, operating together with the existing offshore crane for launching the biggest trencher. This trencher is the world’s largest self-propelled trencher.
Equipment for launching a smaller trencher over the side will also be installed.
A big part of the conversion will be to install the cable laying equipment. This includes installation of a horizontal cable drum with capacity to store 2000 tons of cable.
Havila Shipping is in charge of the marine operations of the vessel while Deep Ocean controls the cable laying operations. Totally around 100 persons will stay onboard during the operations.

The fact that the Havila Phoenix now is on its way to Gdynia probably means that the lengthening of the ship will be done at a Polish shipyard.

Roald Amundsen - The First Person to Sail the North-West Passage

Roald Amundsen on board his ship.

In the summer of 1905 Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to sail the North-West Passage. On the 13 August he wrote in his diary:

The North-West Passage was done. My boyhood dream—at that moment it was accomplished. A strange feeling welled up in my throat; I was somewhat over-strained and worn—it was weakness in me—but I felt tears in my eyes.

Amundsen's ship Gjøa was tiny, measuring 70 by 20 ft (21 by 61 m). Due to shallow waters, a larger ship could never have sailed Amundsen's route. The Gjøa is since 1972 on display at the Fram Museum in Oslo.

Most sources say that Amundsen had a crew of six. However on this photograph from 1905, there are seven crew members in addition to Amundsen (second from the left).
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Nomadic Swedish Lapps in Norway (1905)

This photograph of nomadic Swedish Lapps in Norway was published in the Swedish family magazine "Allers Familj-Journal" in 1905. (Lapps are now called Sami )

The Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge on its way back from Helsinki

This morning the Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge was going northward in the Sound, heading for its home port Oslo. H.M. King Harald is returning from the 8 meter World Championship in Helsinki,  where he competed with his yacht Sira.

The King must be quite pleased with the races - he was seventh among 27 competitors on the overall score board, and in the Sira Cup (named after his own yacht) he was third.

The Norwegian Royal Yacht on its way to Helsinki

Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge approaching Helsingør early in the morning.

The Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge was early this morning (about 5.30) approaching Helsingør on its way to Helsinki, where it estimated to arrive on Friday morning at 10 A.M. A look at the stern side of the weather deck - where you can see H.M. Majesty King Harald's yacht Sira 33 - reveals the purpose of the journey; His Majesty will participate in the 2013 International Eight Metre World Championships in Helsinki, which are about to begin on July 29.

King Harald often uses the Royal Yacht as a base when competing in major yacht races.

PS
I added this somewhat closer look at the beautiful Norwegian Royal Yacht:

"Roman Abramovich's floating summer residence" in Øresund

Tonight, about twenty to eight, I noticed this interesting marine traffic approaching Helsingborg/Helsingør:

It was the Danish tug Frigga (34m x 12m) towing a huge load northwards in the Sound. I made a quikc check, and found out that Frigga had left Gdynia with the load two days ago, and is now on its way to Ulsteinvik in Norway.

The outlines of the load became somewhat clearer when Frigga approached Kronborg castle. We were all wondering, what the load actually could be. A friend of mine, noticing that there was a house, a panorama deck and something that looked like a huge "champagne tank", suggested that it might be Roman Abramovich's new, still unfinished floating summer residence.

Danish tugboat Frigga passing Kronborg castle.

When the "floating residence" was on the level of Hamlet's castle, it became obvious that Frigga towed a barge with several sections of a ship (Abramovich's new yacht? No, more likely a future anchor handling supply vessel or something similar). The ship will probably be finalized in a Norwegian shipyard. The "house" on the right is interesting. Maybe it is a more or less permanent part of the barge?

Here the the ship sections are already quite visible.

"The floating summer residence" in front of Hamlet's castle.

Two Scandinavian tankers meet in Øresund

Early this morning the Norwegian tanker Sten Hidra (144m x 23m) and Danish tanker Ras Maersk 

(171m x 28m) met in the Sound:

Sten Hidra was on its way from Gothenburg to Ventspils.

Ras Maersk on its way to Fawley.

An early P&O cruise liner in Stockholm in 1905

S.S. Vectis at Christiania  (Oslo), water colour by William Lionel Wyllie
(sold  by Bonhams)

Cruising is nowadays an important part of the tourist industry, with hundreds of cruise liners plying the Seven Seas. The first years of the 20th century were still early days for cruises, but both German and British shipowners had already begun to see the vast possibilities pleasure voyages offered to them.

The first ship built exclusively for cruising was the Hamburg-America Line's  Prinzessin Victoria Luise, which was completed in 1900.

In 1904 P. & O. refitted its screw steamer Rome as a cruise liner (it had been built in 1881 for the Australian service) and renamed it Vectis. She took passengers on a variety of cruises, including Scandinavia and the Baltic.

The photograph below is from early September 1905, when Vectis visited Stockholm as part of her Baltic cruise.

The P & O cruise liner Vectis in Stockholm in 1905

The Vectis was sold to the French government in 1912, which intended to convert her to a hospital ship. For some reason this proposal did not proceed, and she was broken up the following year.