The rescue company encourages boaters to look up.
From 1 May to mid-July, 181 boats have run aground. This is an increase of 53 percent from last year.
Some boats are said to have run on well-marked reefs and grounds.
– Some of these incidents could probably have been avoided if more people on board followed what was happening in front of the boat, says Hasse Lindmo, director of communication and sustainability at Redningsselskap.
– Plan the route
The Royal Norwegian Boating Association sees a clear connection between corona and boat use. Several inexperienced boaters have taken Norwegian fjords for the summer.
Acting Secretary General Stig Hvide Smith, says navigation is crucial for safe sailing.
– Those who drive on a shallow are ignorant and have not familiarized themselves sufficiently with local conditions.
Smith recommends new boat owners plan their route before sailing by studying charts to get an overview of reefs.
– Everything is on GPS and there are charts available on mobile. There is no excuse to go aground anymore. If you are prepared, you know where it is shallow, says Smith.
Ran aground
Grounding has occurred all over the country this summer.
No one was injured when a boat with three people ran aground at Husøysund in Færder municipality in June. With a hole in the hull, it took in water and sank six meters from the pier.
A leisure boat ran aground at the southern tip of Hestøya in Brønnøysund at the beginning of July. Three people on board were rescued ashore by the lifeboat.
A sailing ship from the 19th century ran aground in Steigen on Thursday.
Hard weather
Since 1 May, the Rescue Company’s 52 lifeboats have had 2,576 assignments.
In May and June, the increase in the number of assignments was over 40 per cent, with the largest increase in the Oslo Fjord.
Severe weather has also contributed to assignments. In early July, a sailor was rescued on the way to Risør, when a violent storm hit the Skagerak.
– We see that the boat people are good at showing seaworthiness, but the general number of assignments increases when there are more people using the sea, says Hasse Lindmo.
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