Logbook 2000

Week 1 (3-9 Jan) Preparations for cold weather tests

At Haakonsvern Naval Base
Hull inspections and repairs as nessessary.
Routine maintenance of main machinery.
Preparations of sensors etc for the cold weather tests.

Week 2 (10-16 Jan) Transit to North-Norway
Mon-Wed: Laid up in Haakonsvern for some minor repairs.
Thurs: Transit Haakonsvern to Tromsø inner leads. 750 nautical miles in 16h 10m, or an average speed of 45,5 knots.
Fri-Sun: Weekend in Tromsø

Week 3 (17-23 Jan) Cold weather tests
Mon: Towing exercise in Balsfjord. KNM Skjold towed 1600 ton minelayer KNM Vidar without difficulties. Internal exercises on board. We stayed over night in Tromsø.
Tue: Cold weather tests and internal exercises in the area between Tromsø and Skjervøy. Secured in Skjervøy over the night.

Wed-Thurs: Cold weather tests in Finnmark during the first part of the day. Wednesday afternoon, evening, night and thursday morning KNM Skjold took part in a resque operation after an avalanche accident in Lyngen.
Fri-Sun: Weekend in Tromsø

Week 4 (24-30 Jan) Cold weather tests

KNM Skjold visiting Bergsfjord in Finnmark - calm winter weather and snow showers. The next picture is heavy seas at Lopphavet, the waves was more than 8 meters high.

The remains after a tree that fastened in port waterjet is being brought ashore. We have experienced weather conditions resulting in some icing on the hull.

In between tests we have fire drills to keep up the alertness and skill. Snow and freezing cold temperature is perfect for the ongoing tests.

Mon: Tromsø -Sørvær
Tue: Sørvær - Alta
Wed: Alta - Havøysund
Thur: Havøysund - Hammerfest
Thur - Sun: Hammerfest

KNM Skjold alongside in Hammerfest

Week 5 (31 Jan- 6 Feb) Cold weather tests

KNM Skjold sailing on the Norwegian/ Russian borderline Thursday this week. The red circle indicates that we were exsactly in the borderline. Resque exercise together with Sea King Rescue helicopter tuesday.

KNM Skjold passed Nordkapp (Cape North) - Norway's northernmost point - on Monday. Wednesday we met Ulabrand (a resque boat) in Båtsfjord. She was built at the same yard, Kvaerner Mandal, and at the same time, 98/99, as KNM Skjold.

Mon: Hammerfest - Cape North - Honningsvåg
Tue: Resque exercise, icebreaking in Porsangen - nightstation Honningsvåg
Wed: Open waters - ice building on the hull - nightstation Vadsø
Thur: Open waters, closed waters, visiting the Norwegian/ Russian borderline - nightstation Kirkenes
Fri-Sun: Alongside in Kirkenes

Week 6 (7 - 13 Feb) Cold weather tests

KNM Skjold by the wreck of the Russian cruiser "Murmansk" at Sørøya thursday. "Murmansk" was scrapped and under tow when the towing gear broke during bad weather some years ago. Attempts to remove the wreck have failed.

More trials in ice outside Kirkenes Monday 7 Feb. The ice was not as thick as last week, only about 7-10 cm, but the weather was nicer.

Cross deck skiing in 50 knots - a surrealistic experience. The chief engineer and the 1. engineer went skiing on deck while the commanding officer relaxed in the sun in front of the superstructure. The temperature was -10°C, but it was nice in the sun.

Probably the fastest cross country ski track in the world!

Mon: Kirkenes - Varangerfjorden - Vardø
Tue: Vardø - Mehamn- Honningsvåg - Gjesvær on Magerøy
Wed: Gjesvær - Storkorsnes - Altafjorden - Purkeholmen - Hammerfest
Thur: Hammerfest - Sørøya - Skjervøy - Sommerøy - Tromsø
Fri-Sun: Weekend in Tromsø

Week 7 (14-20 Feb) Maintenance

The 1. engineer at inspection between the hulls in the light dinghy "Explorer II". The 2. engineer is doing some routine maintenance on the engines. The last picture shows the effect of the heating built in around the hatches.

KNM Skjold will be at Olavsvern Naval Base in Tromsø the whole week. Weekend in Tromsø City.

Week 8 (21 - 27 Feb) Cold weather tests

It looks like snowstorm at the foredeck when accelerating with snow on the deck. The first days of this week it was wonderful winter weather. Cold, quiet and sunny.

Wednesday KNM Skjold secured to a cliff on a small island in Andfjord. Norwegian MTB's have "always" utilised the topography to hide. It has become a larger challenge to do this with a ship that is larger than the earlier and built in glass fibre contra steel.

Mon: In Tromsø
Tue: Tromsø - Harstad - Sortland - Andenes - Harstad
Wed: Harstad - Meløvær - Tjeldsundet - Svolvær
Thur: Svolvær - Tromsø
Fri-Sat: Tromsø

Week 9 (28 Feb - 5 March) Transit from North Norway to Mandal via Bergen

Picture from Trollfjord in Vesterålen. It is a tradition to fire two white flares when passing the polar circle on our way south. Two green flares were fired on our way north 13 January.

US Deputy Sectretary of Defense, Dr John Hamre, visited KNM Skjold Saturday. He took part in an hour long test ride outside Bergen. Same afternoon we sailed to Mandal in rather tough weather. When we arrived at the yard in Mandal, KNM Skjold was docked.

Mon: Tromsø - Bodø
Tue: Bodø - Bergen
Wed-Fri: Haakonsvern
Sat: Demotour in Bergen - transit to Mandal - docking
Sun: Docked at the yard, Umoe Mandal

Week 10 - 12 (6 - 26 March) Docked at Umoe Mandal
The foredeck on KNM Skjold was strengthened. This was one of the preparations before next gun firing tests in April. We took the opportunity to do some maintenance and paintwork and change the worn parts of the rubber seals.

Week 13 (27 March - 2 April)

KNM Skjold on her way from the hall to the slipway.

Mon-Wed: Docked at Umoe Mandal
Thur: Launch
Fri: Mandal - Oslo via Kristiansand and Horten
Weekend in Oslo

Week 14 (3 - 9 April) Mounting of the main gun/ testfiring

On Tuesday was the gun mounted. Wednesday the gun and all the test-equippment were checked and doublechecked. The operations room were filled with test equipment connected to sensors all over the ship. After each salvo the deck panels were carefully and manually checked for damage.

Mon: Oslo - Frederikshavn Naval Base, Denmark (153 nm/ 3 hours)
Tue-Wed: Mounting of the main gun, an Oto Melara 76 Super Rapid, in Frederikshavn
Thur-Fri: Testfiring
Fri-Sun: Weekend in Copenhagen

Week 15 (10 - 16 April) Engine and manoeuvering trials

On tuesday a new top speed of 58,2 knots (108 km/h) was achieved.

Mon-Tue: Engine and manoeuvering trials - environment tests for the Kongsberg Anti Ship Missile
Tue: Copenhagen - Frederikshavn Naval Base - Mandal, Norway
Wed-Sun: At the yard in Mandal for inspections and repairs as nessessary.

Week 16 (17 - 23 April) Easter holiday
Monday 17 April was the 1 year birthday for KNM Skjold.
The easter was spent at the yard in Mandal.

Week 17 (24 - 30 April) Preparations
Preparations for exercise Blue Game 2000

Week 18 (1 - 7 May) Exercise "Blue Game 2000"

The Norwegian Secretary of State for Trade, Grete Knutsen, visited KNM Skjold Monday 1 of May.

KNM Skjold was a spectator to a mine detonation on Tuesday. On Thursday we secured to a cliff together with German and Danish Fast Attack Crafts.

Mon: 1st of May celebration in Mandal
Tue-Fri: Exercise "Blue Game 2000" between Bergen and Stavanger.
Sat: Demonstration of defence activities in Egersund
Sun: In Stavanger

Stavanger harbour and KNM SKjold by night and a web camera shot from the weekend.

Week 19 (8 - 14 May) Exercise "Blue Game"/ Gothenburg-tour
KNM Skjold was detached from exercise Blue Game Tuesday to sail to Gothenbrg, Sweden. The aim of the Gothenburg tour was to conduct a routine overhaul of the main engines.

As we approached Gothenburg the liaison officer and the Consul General embarked by a helicopter from the Swedish navy.

In Gothenburg the crew visited Volvo Motorcars and were allowed to test the newest Volvo-models at the test range.

Mon-Tue: Exercise "Blue Game" on the Norwegian south coast
Wed-Sun: Gothenburg, Sweden for gas turbine overhaul.

Week 20 (15 - 21 May) Dismantling of the main gun/ Oslo-tour

The gun, an Oto Melara 76 mm Super Rapid, was lifted ashore. The gun was on loan from the Danish Navy for tests of the strains on the hull during live firing. The next picture shows the blast during firing tests. The last picture is KNM Skjold secured in Oslo.

Mon: Gothenburg, Sweden - Frederikshavn, Denmark for dismantling of the main gun
Tue: Frederikshavn, Denmark - Oslo, Norway
Wed-Sun: Oslo

Week 21 (22 - 28 May) Oslo 1000 years jubilee

KNM Skjold in front of Akershus Castle in Oslo harbour

The view from the bridge onboard KNM Skjold in Oslo.

Mon-Thurs: Oslo
Fri: Oslo - Horten - Oslo
Fri-Sun: Oslo

Week 22 (29 May - 4 June) Tour on the south coast of Norway

Tønsberg by night. KNM Skjold at full speed along the Norwegian south coast ...

Mon: Tønsberg - Horten - Fredrikstad - Drammen
Tue: Drammen - Sandefjord
Wed: Sandefjord - Arendal
Thur-Sun: Boat Show in Arendal

Week 23 (5 - 11 June)

KNM Skjold was Wednesday 'Startboat' for the Salty Seas Shetland Race 2000.

Thursday Skjold escorted the three Norwegian schoolships, Statsraad Lehmkul, Christian Radich and Sørlandet to Bergen via southern approaches.

Mon: Arendal - Stavanger
Tue: Stavanger - Sveio - Bergen
Wed: KNM Skjold was start vessel during the start of The Shetland Race '00
Thur: KNM Skjold escorted Norwegian tall ships in Bergen south approaches.
Thur-Sun: Maintenance in Haakonsvern

Week 24 (12 - 18 June) Maintenance

Routine maintenance, inspections and repairs at Haakonsvern Naval base

Week 25 (19 - 25 June) Maintenance

In Haakonsvern - routine docking.

Week 26 (26 June - 2 July) Maintenance
Mon: Stavanger - Bergen, demotour, Bergen - Haakonsvern
Tue-Sun: Haakonsvern

Week 27 (3 - 9 July) Stavanger-tour

KNM Skjold secured in Sørevågen at Utsira, a small island at the west coast of Norway. The ship's camouflage painting is carefully designed to ensure a low optical signature when operating inside the skerries. Only the ship's silhouette is visible over the islands in the background.

Mon-Thur: Haakonsvern
Fri: Haakonsvern - Utsira - Stavanger
Weekend: Stavanger

Week 28 (10 - 16 July) Maintenance
Maintenance and trials

Week 29 - 33 (17 July - 20 August) Summer vacation
KNM Skjold will be laid up in Haakonsvern Naval Base during the summer vacation.

Week 34 (21 - 27 August)
First movements after the summer.

Week 35 (28 August - 3 September) Brush-up/ repairs
Mon: Haakonsvern Naval Base
Tue: The crew's brush-up
Wed-Sun: Haakonsvern - repairs of the port main gear

Week 36 (4-10 September) – Repairs
In Haakonsvern Naval Base – repairs of the main gear

Superb assistance from our supplier brought us quickly back in business after a minor break down on one of the main gear boxes.

Week 37 (11-17 September) - Oslotour

During the Defence Show in Oslo this weekend 1880 people visited KNM Skjold. The vessel was secured alongside a 50 years old minesweeper - now used as a museum.

Mon: Haakonsvern, Bergen - Mandal
Tue: Mandal - visit the shipyard for preparations for building the next ship in the series
Wed: Mandal - Horten
Thur: Horten - Oslo
Fri: Oslo –
Weekend in Oslo

Week 38 (18-24 September) - Work Up

Wednesday two of the men completed their national service and left KNM Skjold. The most of this week has been used for work up or basic training for our new personnel. We have started with exercises within firefighting, first aid and recovery of man over board. As the skill level enhances the complexity increases.

Thursday we sailed through Svinesund to the city of Halden. This sound is the borderline between Norway and Sweden. By this we can claim that KNM Skjold has literally sailed the complete coastline of Norway in year 2000. In February we were at the borderline between Norway and Russia.

Week 39 (25 September - 1 October) - Work Up

Monday we visited Horten were the Naval Museum is situated. Tuesday we went to Stavern, and the picture shows a satisfied XO after the berthing. This week we have trained operating procedures (manoeuvering and ship management) in addition to damage control and fire fighting. Wednesday we visited Tønsberg.

The 1st engineer is studying the alarm print-out. Thursday we arived back in Oslo. Friday was spent cleaning and polishing. Over the weekend KNM Skjold was tied up alongside x-KNM Alta - a museum mine sweeper.

Week 40 (2-8 October) – Back to Haakonsvern
Mon: Oslo - Langesund
Tue: Langesund - Sandefjord
Wed: Sandefjord
Thur: Sandefjord-Haakonsvern
Fri-Sun: Haakonsvern

A fire drill outside Nevlunghavn and a first aid exercise. We have carried out work up this week as well. Hopefully we will be ready for the crew muster tuesday next week.

Week 41 (9-15 October) – Videoshooting/ demotours/ muster
Monday and Tuesday we shot video that will be used in a video presentation for the shipyard, Umoe Mandal. We cooperated with a helicopter Tuesday. The helicopter landed on foredeck of KNM Skjold when sailing in 28 knots outside Haakonvern Naval Base.

Wednesday we had the crew muster with acceptable result.

Here is some pictures from a navigation exercise Thursday. Thursday evening we arrived Bergen City.

KNM Skjold is camouflage painted and hard to detect visually, even with buildings in the background.

Week 42 (16-22 October) - Test of safety equipment
Test of safety equipment at Haakonsvern Naval Base

A test of the fire extinguishing equipment in the engine rooms.

Week 43 (23-29 October) Maintenance and repairs

KNM Skjold was at Haakonsvern Naval Base the entire week. We repaired a coupling on the port lift engine. The lobster season started and that made the chef busy.

KNM Skjold acted as a mother ship for the combat boats exercising in the areas around Bergen. The boats fuelled from KNM Skjold and the crews had their briefs and debriefs on board.

Week 44 (30 October - 5 November) Maintenance/ Leave
In Haakonsvern, planning and meetings.

Friday we left for Stavanger where we stayed over the weekend.

Week 45 (6-12 November) Memorial in Stavanger/ Emergency drill
Monday KNM Skjold was present when a statue of Admiral Cornelius Creuys was unveilled in Stavanger

Tuesday we carried out an emergency drill and launched one of the life rafts at the open ocean in 2 meters swell. All engines were stopped and half the crew escaped into the raft. Thursday we exercised north of Bergen, and the weekend was spent at Haakonsvern Naval Base.

Week 46 (13-19 November) Maintenance/ Leave
Alongside at Haakonsvern Naval Base.

Week 47 (20-26 November) Show and presentations
Mon: Demotour for Plug (Plastic user group?) from Haakonsvern.
Tue: Demotour for Nutec and midshipmen from the Royal Naval Academy
Wed: Demotour for students from the Army - and the Air Force Academy participating at a seminar at the Naval Academy in Bergen

We did in total 3 laps around the island Askøy outside Bergen this week. The voyages of 33 nautical miles each was done in 40 minutes at average! The pictures are taken during a short stop at Herdla to disembark guests at Wednesday.

Week 48 (27 November - 3 December) Training course
KNM Skjold took part in training of commanding officer candidates together with the Norwegian 21 MTB Squadron.

Transfer of personnel to KNM Terne. Fire drill.

Mon: Haakonsvern - Leirvik - Solheimsviken/ Exercises
Tue: Solheimsviken - Rysjedalsvika - Bergen - Haakonsvern/ Exercises
Wed: Haakonsvern - Haugesund/ Exercises
Thur: Hauigesund - Stavanger/ Exercises
Fri-Sun: Stavanger

Week 49 ( 4-10 December) Training course
This was a tough week with high activity. KNM Skjold was for the first time fully integrated in a training course for Fast Patrol Boat navigators. We have secured at a lot of exciting jetties, and we have passed through some exciting narrows. One of the pictures shows a blind navigation exercise. The front windows are covered with charts and the navigation is based on the radar. KNM Skjold has taken part in some damage control exercises, and on Thursday the entire 21 MTB Squadron was taken under tow!

Mon: Stavanger - Haakonsvern/ Exercises
Tue: Haakonsvern - Florø/ Exercises
Wed: Florø - Haakonsvern/ Exercises
Thur: Exercises in Haakonsvern area
Fri-Sun: Haakonsvern