This is a trip for those who want to sail along the rawest and most alpine coastline of Norway during the harshest time of year, looking for whales and northern lights.
Every autumn, large schools of herring migrate to our north Norwegian coast. They come to spend the winter in our fjords, and after them follow the whales.
6 Nights: 30 October - 5 November 2023 and 06 - 12 November 2023
From: 20,300 NOK / £1,670 per person*
Every autumn, large schools of herring migrate to the north Norwegian coast. They come to spend the winter in the fjords, and after them follow the orcas and humpbacks. Together the whales and herring will wreak havoc in the fjords all winter long. In addition to this feast in the sea, the magical light is perhaps the most special thing about these trips in the winter season. The arctic winter light will offer magnificent experiences all day long, and it’ll be hard to put your camera down! Sail a full week from Tromsø to Skjervøy and Northern Troms.
Sail from Tromsø, and spend a week along the coast of North Troms, around Skjervøy and Kvænangen. Fill our adventure with bonfires on the beach, fishing in the fjords, and small trips and landings on the remote coast. Also learn a lot about sailing, the sea, and the areas you sail through.
You don’t need to know how to sail to participate, and you will learn a lot about sailing along the way. This is a perfect chance for those of you who want to test out winter sailing, learn more about nighttime navigation, and sail under the different wind- and weather conditions the winter season offers.
The experienced skipper will make sure you get a safe and memorable experience, and our co-skipper will contribute with knowledge about the areas we sail through and the sea
Day 1: Arrival and sail toward Kvalsundet
Meet at the dock in Tromsø at 16:00, settle in the sailboat and get to know each other. Before hoisting sails, get familiar with the boat and go through safety instructions on board. Check the latest weather forecast and plan the route for the week before casting off towards Kvaløya and Kvalsundet. On the way, train on boat handling, man-overboard drills, and other emergency situations.
Day 2: Sailing day to Rebbenesøy and Vannøya
Wake up on our first morning on the adventure. Who takes the first-morning swim? After breakfast, sail further around Ringvassøy in this great archipelago on the brim of the Barents Sea! Pass by Gåsvær, which is a good place for landfall and leg stretch. For the night, aim for a suitable anchorage or harbour at Rebbenesøy or Vannøya. Maybe catch your own fish for dinner today?
Day 3: Looking out for the herring and the whales
Large schools of herring come in here to the coast of Northern Troms to feed during the winter. And it’s these fish that attracts the humpbacks and killer whales, in addition to lots of fishing vessels and tourist ships. With a whole week for our adventure, look for the herring and whales in the less popular places. Today, explore the areas around Vannøya and Arnøya before ending up around Kvænangen and Skjærvøy for the night.
Day 4: Kvænangen and Spildra
Head out early enough today to reach the spawning grounds of the herring during our few hours of daylight and hopefully get some encounters with the whales! Later, sail to the roadless island of Spildra, where around 20 people still keep up the activity with fishing, farming, and tourism on this historically important island. Hopefully, some of the local islanders here will also open their small pub this evening!
Day 5: Whales, the Lyngen Alps, and sauna night.
Not possible to sail through the Alps you say? This is the day when you’ll be proven wrong with a sail through the Lyngen Alps. This part of Norway offers spectacular fjords, sounds, and mountains where your eyes will never be satisfied and want to see more – more – more of this. After a good day of alpine sailing, hopefully, with more whale sightings, dock at the pier of the famous Hamnes Handlested on Uløya. Here they have heated up the sauna and jacuzzi all set up for a swim in the sea underneath the stars!
Day 6: The magical winter season light
The best part of this season in the North is the shifting and always beautiful light. Even though you don’t see the sun much here in winter, the light we actually get is often like an everlasting dawn and dusk! Perfect for great pictures and landscape views. Spend our last full day together sailing around the Lyngen peninsula on our way back to Tromsø. Hopefully reaching the city not too late, aim to have our last meal and a well-deserved beer on land!
Day 7: Goodbye for now.
If all goes to plan you’ll only need to wake up, pack and tidy and clean out of the boat and disembark in Tromsø city centre this morning. If you have to sail during the night, you’ll be in Tromsø in time for the trip to end latest at 10.00 am. Leave with your heart full of unforgettable memories and new friends. Savour this feeling and welcome onboard next time!
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?
Travel – in general
Sometimes flying is the only option, but not always. If you have the luxury of time, always try 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 Bodø
The Nordlandsbanen train line goes all the way to Bodø and can be taken overnight from Trondheim or Oslo. This is a great way to travel and a beautiful journey from southern Norway. For timetables and prices see www.vy.no. If you live along the coast, the speed ferries or Hurtigruta are possible options either northbound or southbound. Another option is a flight to Bodø, and there are some reasonable tickets.
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 training from there is one option.
Safety and risk – in general
Safety is taken seriously on our trips, and staff are trained in 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. It is important that as a guest and participant, you 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 crew members on board. Feel free to contact us to discuss the risk.
Level of this trip
This is a trip for all photography and nature lovers! In terms of sailing, this trip is not very difficult, but sailing in the winter gives an extra challenging dimension to it all. You must also be prepared for both calm winds and sailing in harsher weather. If you are a beginner, we want to make you a seaman/woman as soon as possible, and if you are experienced, you will quickly get responsibilities and greater challenges.
Equipment/packing
As with all activities, there is plenty of specialized equipment and clothing for sailing. If you do not have any of this, you can use regular hiking/skiing/mountain clothing. What you need is something waterproof and windproof on the outside, and warm, layered with clothes underneath. For winter sailing, the most important thing to remember is to have enough air in between the layers of clothing. So bring spacious clothes and shoes, preferably a couple of sizes too large, and plenty of wool! You will receive a detailed recommended packing list in good time before departure.
Food and cooking
On board, you will be part of the crew and will 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, set up a menu and purchase what is needed. Great menu options are offered, with healthy “boat-friendly” food. If you have allergies or preferences, let us know in the registration form and it will be taken into account. During the trip, possibly sail by a good restaurant or two to stop and eat at.
What we expect from you
Guests are encouraged 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. Trips require a little work from the participants – and you must be open to contributing and opening up a bit socially. There are many different people on the trip, and most people get along very well. Take the opportunity to make new friends, and create new and interesting memories!
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. Everyone should participate in the operation of the sailboat and everyone is considered crew. 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. 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.
There is plenty of heating and good food on the boat, but not always an abundance of fresh water. This means it will not be possible to shower every day, but more or less every other day when in a harbour or when sailing through a place with available showers. 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 great experiences creates strong ties! 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 there are many participants, there will be more boats and skippers.
Environment and sustainability
In general, sailing is an environmentally friendly activity, with skippers sailing as much as possible and using the engine as little as possible. Crew and participants are encouraged to travel as environmentally friendly as possible, and local ingredients and resources are used as much as possible. There are also trips to collect litter and clean ocean trash from beaches.
Philosophically, sailing is an exercise in sustainability: to move with the wind and have limitations on things like water, diesel, electricity, and food. In order to run sustainably, knowledge, patience, flexibility, and hard work are required.
Take an internal flight to Tromsø.
Take an internal flight from Tromsø.
Day 1: Arrival and sail toward Kvalsundet
Meet at the dock in Tromsø at 16:00, settle in the sailboat and get to know each other. Before hoisting sails, get familiar with the boat and go through safety instructions on board. Check the latest weather forecast and plan the route for the week before casting off towards Kvaløya and Kvalsundet. On the way, train on boat handling, man-overboard drills, and other emergency situations.
Day 2: Sailing day to Rebbenesøy and Vannøya
Wake up on our first morning on the adventure. Who takes the first-morning swim? After breakfast, sail further around Ringvassøy in this great archipelago on the brim of the Barents Sea! Pass by Gåsvær, which is a good place for landfall and leg stretch. For the night, aim for a suitable anchorage or harbour at Rebbenesøy or Vannøya. Maybe catch your own fish for dinner today?
Day 3: Looking out for the herring and the whales
Large schools of herring come in here to the coast of Northern Troms to feed during the winter. And it’s these fish that attracts the humpbacks and killer whales, in addition to lots of fishing vessels and tourist ships. With a whole week for our adventure, look for the herring and whales in the less popular places. Today, explore the areas around Vannøya and Arnøya before ending up around Kvænangen and Skjærvøy for the night.
Day 4: Kvænangen and Spildra
Head out early enough today to reach the spawning grounds of the herring during our few hours of daylight and hopefully get some encounters with the whales! Later, sail to the roadless island of Spildra, where around 20 people still keep up the activity with fishing, farming, and tourism on this historically important island. Hopefully, some of the local islanders here will also open their small pub this evening!
Day 5: Whales, the Lyngen Alps, and sauna night.
Not possible to sail through the Alps you say? This is the day when you’ll be proven wrong with a sail through the Lyngen Alps. This part of Norway offers spectacular fjords, sounds, and mountains where your eyes will never be satisfied and want to see more – more – more of this. After a good day of alpine sailing, hopefully, with more whale sightings, dock at the pier of the famous Hamnes Handlested on Uløya. Here they have heated up the sauna and jacuzzi all set up for a swim in the sea underneath the stars!
Day 6: The magical winter season light
The best part of this season in the North is the shifting and always beautiful light. Even though you don’t see the sun much here in winter, the light we actually get is often like an everlasting dawn and dusk! Perfect for great pictures and landscape views. Spend our last full day together sailing around the Lyngen peninsula on our way back to Tromsø. Hopefully reaching the city not too late, aim to have our last meal and a well-deserved beer on land!
Day 7: Goodbye for now.
If all goes to plan you’ll only need to wake up, pack and tidy and clean out of the boat and disembark in Tromsø city centre this morning. If you have to sail during the night, you’ll be in Tromsø in time for the trip to end latest at 10.00 am. Leave with your heart full of unforgettable memories and new friends. Savour this feeling and welcome onboard next time!
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?
Adventure-wear
Other equipment
Equipment for skiing
Smartphones, charging and other advice
PS: This is a recommended packing list. Please take into account if there are other items you may need on board.
