This summer's Slow TV project from Norway's NRK broadcaster comes courtesy of a magnificent sailing ship, the "Statsraad Lemkuhl".*
Over the six weeks, the 107 year old vessel sails from North Cape on the 6th of July, arriving on the 15th August in Arendal. Sights along the way obviously feature pretty much the entire Norwegian coastline with 29 stops, with a brief call in on Lerwick, Shetland. Yes, for the very first time Norwegian Slow TV actually physically arrives in the UK.
The Statsraaden is the largest sailing vessel in Norway, 98 metres long, 48 metres tall on the highest of its three masts, a veritable festival of sea-faring elegance. With it taking in nearly all of the Norwegian coast, there will no doubt be opportunity for some jaw-dropping views and romantic sea-faring aesthetics.
It is now a fine Slow TV tradition in Norway for people to turn up waving and putting all sorts of fun and entertainment before the cameras; obviously we are now in a pandemic. The public are being encouraged to wave and participate from where they are, and not to gather en masse in quays and harbours. There will less content broadcast in the evenings than usual to discourage crowds from gathering.
Nevertheless, this won't discourage people from waving flags, having signs saying "Hei Mom", waterski-ing Borats and Gorillas. The code is staying distanced on land, or if a flotilla of smaller ships muster to greet the Statsraaden, then for people to use their own boats.
There are four days scheduled at sea; timings are contingent upon favourable weather. List of dates as they stand on 14th June, courtesy of NRK are:
- Havøysund 6.-7. July
- Øksfjord 8 July
- Hansnes 9 July
- Senjahopen July 10
- Andenes 13 July
- Myre July 14th
- Melbu July 15th
- Stamsund 16 July
- Værøy 17 July
- Kjerringøy 18 July
- Selsøyvik 20 July
- At sea (west of Brønnøysund) 21 July
- Bessaker July 22nd
- Kyrksæterøra 23 July
- Langøy 24 July
- Brattvåg 25 July
- Sell July 27th
- Askvoll 28 July
- At sea (west of Fedje) 29 July
- Lerwick (Shetland) July 30th
- At sea (west of Bergen) 31 July
- Strusshamn 1 Aug.
- Rubbestadneset 3. aug.
- Kopervik 4. aug.
- Lysebotn 5. aug.
- Sirevåg 6 Aug.
- Båly 7. aug.
- Bredalsholmen 8. aug.
- Helgeroa 10. aug.
- Holmestrand 11 Aug.
- Full 12 Aug.
- Skjærhalden 13 Aug.
- Stavern 14 Aug.
- Bratteklev 15 Aug.
For more about the Statsraaden, see their website (English version).
The Slow TV Blog will be following the voyage with great interest, as it shows Norway to the world, connects people and communities, telling good stories and giving us those sublime Slow TV moments.
