Logbook 2001 - first half

Logbook 1999 - this is what we did in 1999
Logbook 2000 - this is what we did last year
Logbook 2001 second half - this is what we have recently done
Video from the gun firing in October '99 (1,1 Mb)

Week 20 - (May 14-20) NSM testing
It was nice to be back in typical Norwegian waters . The left picture is from the picturesque area between Kristiansand an Lillesand. The next picture is of the Norwegian television-personality Arne Hjeltnes while he is receiving navigational traning on board Skjold. The rest of the week we conducted tests of the New Anti- shipping missile in co-operation with Kongsberg Defence and Arerospace and the material command. We spent the week-end in Oslo.

Week 19 - (May 7-13) Exercise Blue Game 2001
This week we have travelled around a lot. Until Skjold is fully equipped, the speed and mobility are her most obvious features, and our commanders know to exploit that. The most spectacular transit was when we crossed Jutland through the Limfjord in only three hours. According to the pilot this was definitely a new record. STANAVFORLANT joined the exercise fully this week and has been an important participant in BG. Between the battles there has also been time for the first grillex (barbecue) of the season.

From Left: The Limfjord passage, barbecue, Tug of War with HDMS Ravnen and Seamanship exercise with Ravnen.

Week 18 - (April30 -May6 ) Exercise Blue Game 2001
This week started with a visit by the commander of NATO's maritime headquarter, Admiral Sir Alan West, and ended with a visit from the Commander of NATO's reaction force STANAVFORLANT, Commodore Melo Gomes, before we took a well deserved week-end in Copenhagen. In between these two visits there has been lots of exercises only abrupted by the 1st of May when we were secured in Skagen.

On the left picture you can see FGS Alk, HDMS Skaden and HDMS Ravnen at anchor for the night. These are the boats that has been in our Task Element and which we have sailed together with for the whole exercise. To the right you see Skjold and the polish ship Orkan secured alongside for week-end in Copenhagen.

Week 17 - (April 23-29) Exercise Blue Game 2001
Exercise Blue Game started on Tuesday as Monday were used for briefings and work-shops. There are over 70 (!) ships participating in this exercise as well as lots of Air activity. HNoMS Skjold still gets a lot of attention. This week has focused on basic exercise and integration of the force. On Thursday Maj. Gen McFann, from USAF visited Skjold. He is the Commander of the Joint Command North. On Friday we had a major SAR exercise where the press were invited to observe the efficiency of naval units in such a scenario.

On the left picture you can see Skjold together with the units in her group. Here we are at anchor refuelling from the tender and planning the next serials. The two pictures to the right are taken during the SAR exercise. HNoMS Horten are playing a civilian vessel who has caught fire and run a ground. Norwegian, German and Danish FPBs are assisting while Skjold is On Scene Co-ordinator (OSC).

Week 16 - (April 16-22) Change of Command, WE in Kristiansand.
Tue: The crew returned after a well deserved Easter Holliday.
Wen-Thu: Completion of maintenance on the Gas Turbines and gears.
Fri: Bergen - Kristiansand.

On Tuesday the 17th of April, exactly two years after the commission there there was a change of command on board Skjold. Lieutenant Commander John Vonli withdrew, and Lieutenant Commander Rune Andersen took over as Commanding Officer. On Friday we sailed to Kristiansand for the week-end were we joined up with the rest of the force that will participate on exercise Blue Game 2001. The right picture shows the Canadian Doug Gillespie who is Working for Allison. Here he is cleaning one of the fuel nozzels for the gas turbines.

Week 15 - (April 9-15) Easter
Easter holiday (Haakonsvern Naval Base)

Week 14 - (2-8 April) Haakonsvern Naval Base
Mon: Bergen-Haakonsvern Naval Base
Tue-Sun: Haakonsvern Naval Base

Monday morning before departure. We had no complaints regarding the jetty assigment in Bergen!
The next picture shows the entire crew lined up on the foredeck.

Week 13 – (26 March - 1 April) Navy days
Mon: Trondheim-Ålesund
Tue: Ålesund-Bergen
Wed-Thur: Haakonsvern Naval Base
Fri: Haakonsvern Naval Base-Bergen
Fri-Sun: Navy Days in Bergen

Monday morning we left Trondheim after a nice weekend stay. On the missile deck we brought one of the Skjold-models from Marintek's trials. It is a petrol powered, remote controlled model in scale 1:10. Underway we carried out a resque exercise together with a Sea King resque helicopter. Monday we visited a little community on the northwest coast called Ona, before we stayed the night in Ålesund. This weekend KNM Skjold took part in the Navy Days in Bergen.

Week 12 – (19-25 March) Exercise Joint Winter (JoW) - NoTG
Mon: Tromsø -exercises
Tue/Wed: Exercises
Thur: Exercises-Bodø-Trondheim
Fri-Sun: Trondheim

The weather was good. The first picture is from Svellingen in Lofoten, a few pictures from Skomvær and Røst in Vestfjord and finally a picture of a sudden change in the weather just north of Trondheim.

Week 11 – (12-18 March) FPB COQC 27/ JoW – Troms/ Finnmark
Mon: Tromsø-exercises
Tue/Wed: Exercises
Thur: exercises-Tromsø
Fri-Sun: Tromsø

Visitors from US Navy embarked Wednesday night this week. We were blessed with a beautiful winter weather. In between incidents in the tight exercise programme, we found time to try the fishing gear in the Andfjord.

The two last pictures shows the bridge in the Ramsund - a passage most people thought was too narrow for Skjold!

Week 10 – (5-11 March) FPB COQC 27/ JoW – Nordland/ Troms
Mon: Bodø-exercises-Henningsvær
Tue: Henningsvær- exercises-Ramsund
Wed: Ramsund- exercises-Harstad
Thur: Harstad-exercises-Tromsø
Fri-Sun: Tromsø

KNM Skjold breaks ice in Trollfjorden, KNM Terne in the back.
Monday we visited Henningsvær in Lofoten, maybe the most famous fishermen's village in Norway.
Sunset over Grytøya in Andfjorden, Troms.
The sun was low over Sommarøy outside Kvaløya in Troms.

PO Grydeland proudly shows one of the cods we got Monday afternoon.
Tuesday we assisted a small fishing vessel, "Fidel". She had a break down on her gear box.

Week 9 – (26 February - 4 March) FPB COQC 27 - Bergen-Bodø
Mon: Haakonsvern Naval Base-exercises-Molde
Tue: Molde-exercises-Brekstad
Wed: Brekstad-exercises-Trondheim
Thur: Trondheim-Sandnessjøen-Bodø
Fri-Sun: Bodø

Attention on deck before we left home base Haakonsvern in Bergen.
FPB COQC student Dan Skjoldal safely on shore after a demanding navigation exercise.
White smoke after a gas turbine misfire.
Sunset by Stokksundet in mid Norway.

Low sun over the wake outside Ålesund in western Norway.
Sunset by Rødøy in north Norway.
Sea, sun and snow outside Bessaker in mid Norway.

Week 8 – (19-25 February) FPB CO Qualifying Course(FPB COQC nr 27)
Mon-Fri: Exercises in vicinity of Bergen
Fri-Sun: Haakonsvern Naval Base

Week 7 (12-18 February) Conferences/ Demotours
Mon: Haakonsvern Naval Base-Haugesund
Tue: Haugesund
Wed: Haugesund-Haakonsvern Naval Base
Thur: Haugesund-Ulsnes
Fri: Ulsnes-Naval Academy-Haakonsvern Naval Base
Sat/Sun: Haakonsvern Naval Base

We try to use available time to inspect and service different components in order to prevent failure. Mon-Wed this week we stayed in Haugesund and some of the officers participated in the "Haugesund conference 2001". This is a yearly national happening where the subject is maritime safety aspects. The rest of the week went by doing demotours.

Most of Friday the navigation had to be done by radar. The fog was thick and we could literally not see the bow! When the visibility is poor it is a good thing that we have exercised blind navigation.

Week 6 (5-11 February) Exercises/ movement

Mon: Oslo-Stavanger-Haakonsvern Naval Base Naval Base
Tue-Sun: Haakonsvern Naval Base Naval Base, docked in the moutain-dock

The passage from Oslo went under bad weather conditions. In the Oslofjord there was cold fog and in the Skagerak there was strong winds and heavy snow showers. KNM Skjold performed well as always and we arrived Stavanger iced and snowy. In the Oslofjord the top speed record was pushed again. The DGPS showed 59,8 knots this time.

When we arrived Haakonsvern Naval Base Monday afternoon, we docked into the mountain-dock.

Week 5 (28 January - 4 February) Exercises in Oslofjord
Mon-Tue: Gothenburg
Wed: Gothenburg-Strömstad, Sweden
Thur: Strömstad-Oslo
Fri-Sun: Oslo

We had a pleasant trip along the Swedish coastline from Gothenburg to Strömstad. We experienced narrows with ice and some snowfall underway. Thursday we did some exercises in order to brush up our skills. When doing a run through of our movements we found that we had achieved a new personal speed record, 59,6 knots. It was a ice cold day and we could for the first time run the engines at almost 100% effect. A new speed record noted - 59,6 knots!

Week 4 (22-28 January) Sweden tour
Mon: Haakonsvern Naval Base- Kristiansand
Tue: Kristiansand - Gothenburg, Sweden
Wed-Sun: Gothenburg

KNM Skjold secured at Stenpiren in Gothenburg. The city flag is hoisted. The main engines, the gasturbines, were serviced by Volvo Aero Corp this week.

Week 3 (15-21 January) Preparations ...
... for routine and training sailing. Some meetings, courses and planning. Routine maintenance on some of the diesels.

Week 2 (8-14 January) Docking
KNM Skjold was docked at the Naval Base Haakonsvern for a routine hull inspection.

There was a change of the wear parts on the rubber seals. The bow seals are shortened by 4 mm per hour full speed at an average.

Some of the zink-anodes was changed as these inside the waterjet inlet. The waterjet nozzles should have been repainted, but we will have to do that at the next docking.

Week 1 (2-7 January)
KNM Skjold was laid up at Haakonsvern Naval Base this week. The Christmas holiday ended Wednesday.

KNM Skjold - the ginger bread