Travel – in general

Sometimes we have to fly, but not always. If you have the luxury of time, we always encourage you to travel as environmentally friendly as possible. Travelling slowly also allows you to start your holiday in a special way. Cycling, taking the train, or driving a car together can be good options! Feel free to add some extra time before and after your trip, since up north the weather can be unpredictable and might affect your plans!

Travel – Tromsø

The fastest option for getting to or from Tromsø is to fly. But if you have time to travel slowly we recommend doing that instead. Taking Hurtigruten south from Tromsø to Bodø and train from there is one option.

Travel – Svolvær

If you have time then take the “Nordlandsbanen” train line to Bodø and the express boat (catamaran) or Hurtigruta (coastal express ferry) from Bodø to Lofoten. But Lofoten is far away for many, and most people end up flying. Then Svolvær is the nearest airport, or you can also fly to Leknes. Flights to Svolvær or Leknes are mostly with a connection in Bodø, and are possible to book through Widerøe, SAS and Norwegian. You can also fly directly from Oslo to and from Harstad/Evenes airport, and then take a bus from there to Lofoten and Henningsvær/Svolvær.

Safety and risk – in general

We take safety seriously and on our trips we train on handling different situations that can occur at sea. On board a boat and on trips, everyone must know what to do in potentially dangerous situations. For us it is important that you as a guest and participant are trained quickly enough to be a participant – not a passenger. It contributes to learning, a sense of achievement, and increased safety for all. It’s also why our trips are considered to be sailing courses: you are trained to be one of the crewmembers on board. Feel free to contact us to discuss risk.

Level of this trip

Sailing wise, our trips are not very difficult, and you are always welcome to join us! Our trips attract both people who have never sailed before, as well as experienced sailors. If you are a beginner, we will turn you into a seaman/woman as soon as possible. If you are experienced, you will be given more responsibility and greater challenges so that you can learn new things along the way. We usually sail along the coast in protected waters, and we often have the opportunity to choose either more or less exposed routes, depending on the weather. The weather Gods decide, so you must be prepared for both windless conditions and sailing in harsher weather!

Equipment/packing

As with all activities, there is plenty of specialized equipment and clothing for sailing. We do not expect you to buy lots of new equipment to join any of our trips, so, use what you have, borrow what you need from a friend, try to purchase used equipment, and if you have to invest in new equipment – buy quality items that will last. What you need is something waterproof and windproof on the outside, and layered clothing underneath. Some jackets may not be waterproof enough, or might not perform well in saltwater, so you might want to consider purchasing or renting a set of “oilskins” from us to use on the wettest days. Even in summer it can be cold at sea, so bring both swimwear and warm clothing. We will send you a detailed recommended packing list in good time before departure.

Food and cooking

On our trips you will be part of the crew onboard and get the chance to participate in all aspects of the running of the sailboat. This includes the cooking, where everyone is taking turns in the galley! Skippers and guides assist as much as they can along the way. Before the trip we set up a menu and purchase what is needed. We offer good menus with healthy “boat friendly” food. If you have allergies or preferences, let us know in the registration form and we will take that into account. During the trip, we often sail by a good restaurant or two where we stop and eat.

What we expect from you

We want you to take part in the routines onboard the sailboat, whether it is sailing, docking, navigating, looking for whales and icebergs, washing up, cooking, cleaning the boat, or contributing in other ways when required. Our trips require a little work from the participants – and you must be open to contribute and open up a bit socially. We have many different people with us on our trips, and most people get along very well. Our experience is that doing things with others out in nature, and not least doing things with new people with different personalities than one might be used to, is what creates the best, most interesting and memorable stories :)

Life on board and accommodation

Life on board a sailboat is social and pleasant, but for some it can be perceived as quite intimate and crowded, which one should be prepared for. On our trips everyone participates in the operation of the sailboat and everyone is considered crew. We would like to get to know you well and hope that you will get to know everyone else on the boat as soon as possible. It requires some patience, generosity, and an open mind to thrive, but the new acquaintances and completely raw nature experiences will take your focus as soon as you become comfortable with life at sea.

Accommodation on the boat is part of the fun. The accommodation is generally in shared cabins, some of which have a double bed and some of which have bunk beds. Figuring out who sleeps where can be a bit of a puzzle, but we do believe we’ve gotten quite good at it. Let us know if you have any special needs or reservations. You must arrange any accommodation before and after the trip on your own. If you have any doubts about where to stay, we’re happy to give you some recommendations.

We have plenty of heating and good food on the boat, but not always abundance of fresh water. This means it will not be possible to shower every day, but more or less every other day we are either in a harbor with fresh water or we sail through a place where we can borrow showers or enjoy a sauna. A morning swim in the sea is also available all year round!

What kind of people join this trip – and how many will we be on board?

Many come alone, some travel as couples, and others travel as a group of friends. The common denominator for everyone is that these are fun and interesting people you will become friends with almost no matter what. Sharing grand experiences creates strong ties! Many people wonder about the age composition of our trips, but this isn’t so important to us. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old as long as you want to go on a trip and intend to do your part in making this a great trip for everyone. The number of participants varies from trip to trip. If we have many participants, we will expand with more boats and skippers. On most trips we sail multiple boats in a fleet, with 7-9 people onboard each boat.

Environment and sustainability

In general, sailing is an environmentally friendly activity, and we sail as much as we can and use the engine as little as possible. We encourage crew and participants to travel as environmentally friendly as possible, and we use local ingredients and resources as much as we can. We also run trips where we collect litter and clean ocean trash from beaches.
Philosophically, we often say that sailing is an exercise in sustainability: we move with the wind and we have limitations on things like water, diesel, electricity, and food. In order to run sustainably, knowledge, patience, flexibility, and hard work are required. The same can be said about many other things that one tries to do in a sustainable way.

Please note: This trip is a working passage and you are expected to take turns with the cooking, crewing and cleaning of the boat throughout the trip.We’ll create a rota for all jobs amongst the crew, so everyone will have the chance to get stuck in – there’s nothing quite as fun as cooking at a 45- degree angle!

Day 1: Trip start at 16.00 from “Paris of the north” Tromsø

Check-in and you go through the program and safety procedures onboard. In the evening you make dinner, get to know the boat and crew, and prepare for sail. If you are ready and the wind is good, you might start sailing that night.

Day 2: Sail to Sommarøya

You begin your journey by sailing southwest from Tromsø, past Rystraumen and then on to Sommarøy; an idyllic small island community outside Kvaløya in Troms. At Sommarøya, you stretch your legs before dropping anchor in a natural harbor among sandy beaches. There are many small beaches and picturesque lagoons to explore.

Day 3: Senja and the harbor of Hamn

From Sommarøy you sail towards Hamn on Senja where you moor up for the night. In the afternoon you can go for a walk or a paddle around Hamn. This evening you have dinner at the restaurant in Hamn, and might jump in the sauna and hot tub before dinner.

Day 4: Whale and sea bird safari on Andøya

Around noon you set course further south, and north of Andenes the seabed rises from 1000 to 100 meters and there is a good chance of seeing whales. You continue sailing south on the west side of Andøya to Bleik, where the island rises straight up from the ocean behind the long beaches. At Bleik you can surf, paddle or swim and go hiking through the cultural landscape. At Bleik, they also have a cozy local pub that stays open a few nights every summer, hopefully they keep open for you.

Day 5: Full day sailing towards Hinnøya and Lonkanfjorden

After a morning bath on one of northern Norway’s most scenic beaches, you visit Jakobine café; one of the best and most enjoyable cafes in all of northern Norway, with a wide selection of excellent cakes. Then, a little later, you set course further south and sail towards Vesterålen. Depending on the wind and conditions, you will sleep in a natural harbor and try to get as far south as possible. In the evening you prepare for a summit hike to Møysalen next morning. The summit is part of the Møysalen National Park, founded in 2003.

Day 6: Summit hike to Møysalen

If the weather permits, you start climbing Møysalen in the morning; perhaps the most beautiful mountain hike in northern Norway. With its 1262 meters above sea level, the towering mountain is by far the highest in Lofoten and Vesterålen. You split into two or three groups, and the hike takes 8-12 hours, depending on the pace. Back at the boats in the evening and depending on the wind and conditions you make a decision on whether you should stay the night at anchor or continue sailing a short stretch.

Day 7: Regatta to Svolvær

In the morning you get ready for regatta and racing the other boats in this final stretch through the Lofoten wall and towards Svolvær. This will be a day full of sailing where you learn to trim the sails and handling of the boat. In Svolvær you go out for dinner.

Day 8: Breakfast and departure

The program

The program should be seen as a rough itinerary that we can adapt to the weather and conditions. We also reserve the right to change and improve our itineraries. We will have a dinghy for beach trips and small expeditions, fishing gear for cod, and gear to hike or make bonfires on the beach on all our trips – we are ready for adventure! Are you?