Day 43 to 47: From Bergen to Arendal

I covered the last stretch from Bergen to Arendal in 5 days stopping in Espevær and Haugessund on the first day, then Egersund on the second day, Mandal on the third day, Flekkerøy visiting a friend who was anchored there, and Grimstad on the fourth day, and finally sailing into Arendal Monday morning on June 22nd! The first two days where a mix of very misty weather first, with a visibility of only 100 metres! The AIS app to track large ships on my phone came in very handy then. With barely any wind, I used the motor most of the time then. On the second day quite some heavy clouds and I got a bit anxious about the risk of lightening, but I didn’t hear any thunder. From then it cleared out. On June 21st I stopped and docked next to a friend’s boat anchored in a small protected bay on Flekkerøy. From there I sailed to Grimstad passing the Homborsund lighthouse and the next day the final short stretch to Arendal. It felt so great to sail into Arendal, recognizing the landscape, noticing friend’s houses, and Runa and some colleagues waiting on the docks.

Day 39 & 40: Back in BERGEN!

From Silda I sailed to Hardbakke, a cozy small town just north of the Sognefjord build against large cliffs of round red rocks. The next day, on day 40, I sailed to Bergen in one go. Just after crossing the Sognefjord I noted strange wavelets a few hundred metres in front of me which could not have been created by any underwater rocks as it was quite deep there. Suddenly one of the dolphins sprung into the air with its entire body above the water for a few seconds before plunging back in the sea. A few minutes passed and they were now playing with the bow of my boat, swimming alongside Solveig for a good 10 minutes before gaining speed and moving in another direction. I had time to put on the autopilot and move to the front of the boat from where I captured a video of which some stills are shown below. I was completely in awe. They seem to have so much fun. A marinebiologist who saw the video advised that these were Atlantic white-sided dolphins. A happy way to make it back to Bergen, from where I left 2 months earlier! Now I am here for a few days before starting the last stretch to Arendal.

day 38: Around stad

Left Bud around 8:00 am and sailed 15 hours all the way around Stad to Silda, a little island just after Stad on the way south. When I passed Runde, the island with all the puffins nesting in the cliffs that I had visited on my way north, I now saw thousands of birds sitting on the water and flying around the cliffs on the southwest side of the island. So I made a little detour there. It was an incredible sight seeing so many birds, mostly puffins on one cliff and northern gannets on the other, with a number of eagles passing by, I think to pray on the smaller birds that had just hatched.

DAY 36 & 37: 2 long days, all the way around hustadvika

Two days with strong wind blowing from the north. At the end of day 36, the wind started blowing so hard as I approached the coast that I had to furl in my genoa. As I did, the two ropes used to tighten it on both sides of the boat flew into the water. This happened quite close to shore in choppy waters and I couldn’t start the engine with the risk that the ropes end up around the propeller. I buckled myself in and quickly walked to the front of the boat, pulled the ropes out of the water and made my way back to the cockpit where I started the engine.

Apart for that, I covered a lot of distance, about 100 nautical miles both days which is almost 400 kilometres! I stopped in Uthaug on day 36 and in Bud after passing Hustadvika on day 37.

DAY 35: Sør-Gjæslingan 

Super wind today, I was surfing on waves most of the way, sailed 17 hours, my longest day so far! Made it all the way to Sør-Gjæslingan, a small island, also out at sea, south west from Rørvik. A few large waves, 2-3 metres built up as I approached land. It was a bit of a challenge making my way through those to a safe passage behind rocks closer to shore. All went well in the end, I am definitely getting more comfortable with larger waves and stronger winds, more than I was before. Tomorrow it is still blue sky and strong wind (10-12 metres per seconds from north), so I will be able to make a lot of progress again! At this speed I will be crossing Stad by Saturday or Sunday this week.

DAY 34: Myken & Træna

First sailed out to Myken, and island approximately 30 kilometres out at sea. It has its own distillery where they produce gin and whisky. I was unfortunately unable to buy any, the owner explained they are not allowed to sell directly. I then continued to Træna, also far out at sea, about 4 hours sailing from Myken. Easy to spot in the distance with its three hills sticking out. I walked around for a bit, before continuing further south.

DAY 33: Fugløya and Bolga

Left Bodø on Monday June 8 at 1 pm in terrible rainy weather with wind right up against me. First sailed to Fugløya, a beautiful mountainous island not far from Bodø. I then continued late into the night to Bolga. The next week, the weather forecast only shows strong wind from the north, so I will be making a lot of progress very fast. I am also planning to sail much more on the outside, visiting some of the remote islands further out at sea.

Day 31 & 32: Back in bodø!

On Saturday June 6th we sailed from Helnessund all the way back to Bodø in one go. We had planned to stop take a break on the way but the wind direction and speed was quite perfect so we kept going and reached Bodø at 9pm. On our way we saw many puffins, generally in pair, floating on the sea. Each time as we approach with the boat they first try to swim away, and then dive underwater to pop up again a few metres further. The wind picked up quite a bit in the evening as the sun approached the horizon and the inflatable boat attached in the back did a few flips each time it was hit by a wave followed by a wind gust. Luckily it didn’t fill with water, and Runa was not in it anymore.

On Monday morning, Runa returns to Arendal, and I continue southwards, sailing Solveig all the way back to Arendal! The plan is to arrive before July 1st, so I will be sailing much longer days, but still planning to update this blog. I will try not stop at the same places, and considering the amount of harbors and anchoring spots along this coast that won’t be difficult!

Day 29 & 30: Helnessund

On Thursday June 4th, we left Skrova and headed across the Vestfjord that separates Lofoten from the mainland with a good wind coming from land. Very small waves but enough wind for us to not use the engine. The sun also came out later in the day. We arrived in Helnessund, a small village which we had not yet seen on our way up that coast at the beginning of our trip.

The harbor had washing machines so we stayed the next day to wash all our clothes, and fix a few things on the boat. One bolt where the sprayhood attaches to the boat had come loose, and the top window also leaked from one the screws. In the evening we took our little inflatable boat and went exploring some of the small beaches in the area.

DAY 28: Skrova

From Stamsund we motored east to Skrova on the most calm and warm day yet. No ripples on the sea, only when a minke whale suddenly made an appearance between the seagulls a few metres from our boat. The encounter happened just outside of Henningsvaer where we had stopped the engine a few nautical miles from shore to have lunch and catch fish (successfully this time with a nice sized cod!). In the evening we arrived in Skrova, another small fishing village.

Although all these small fishing harbors we pass share similarities, they all feel very different. Skrova has an important fish processing plant, and through the windows I could see inside thousands of salmons being prepared. A large boat had taken all the salmon from an aquaculture plant and transferred them alive to the building through large pipes of water during the night. In the morning, you could see that the vessel was much higher on the water (after transferring all the fish) and conveyor belts, workers and other machines in the processing plant were actively gutting, cutting and packaging the fish. Outside, a large refrigerated truck with a Danish license plate was waiting for the fish, and I guess is driving it all to Denmark as I write!

DAY 27: stamsund

Stayed the entire day in Stamsund (June 2nd), a picturesque little fishing village where most houses in the harbor were painted red with green window frames. We headed out to fish in the evening without any luck. Tomorrow we are heading to Skrova, an island known for having a large whaling station that receives half of Norway’s catches annually.

DAY 26: Reine & Buneset

June 1st will be another special day from this trip. With very little wind and barely any clouds I motored Solveig from Ramberg in the north to Reine in the south, passing another small fishing harbor called Hamnøya. Runa was still sleeping during the start of the morning trip, and we made breakfast in Reine. We also filled up the fuel and water tanks and got ready for a first hike up Reinebrigen. The last part of the hike was a bit scary with snow and loose earth on a very steep side. The view from the top was very special however, being early in the season means a lot of snow and ice can still be seen which adds to the magic.

We then sailed into the fjord to Vindstad where we anchored and pumped up our little inflatable row boat to get to shore. From there, another hike to a beach, much like Kvalvika, at Buneset. It was just us and another family with kids on the beach, and because the tide was low, it was a very long walk just to get to the water where seagulls where scavenging in the loose kelp washed up on the shore.

In the evening, with a small breeze from the south, we set sail eastward and started our way back to Bodø where we will arrive next weekend. The evening light, clouds, and mist in the fjords made for some magical scenes. We arrived in Stamsund a little before midnight, and we will stay here all day tomorrow (June 2).

DAY 25: Kvalvika & RAMBERG

May 31st, the first day with real summer weather so far! We woke up early to sail with the current up a fjord towards the northern side of the archipelago. We moored the boat in Fredvang from where we hiked to Kvalvika, one of Lofoten’s more well known beaches. The sight coming from the trail to the beach, with the green grass, mountain tops on both sides and turquoise water was a special one.

In the evening we crossed the fjord to Ramberg to have dinner in one of the few restaurants that had already opened for the summer. Had an amazing cod, and we thought we deserved dessert too, so Runa had a rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream and I got the cheesecake.

DAY 24: To Ballstad

Really nice breeze coming on our port side as we left Henningsvaer to Ballstad on Saturday (day 24) afternoon. Runa is getting more and more at ease when the boat tilts, but not yet quite convinced that it’s near impossible for the wind alone to flip Solveig over. This is the last day with clouds for a while (we hope), and they were so low today we could barely see the Lofoten mountains. We arrived in Ballstad in the afternoon and just too late to catch the last open shop. They open again on Tuesday. So it will be a mix of fishing and restaurants tomorrow and Monday.

Tomorrow we are passing through one of the fjords that cuts vertically through the archipelago to sail to the northern side of Lofoten. According to the weather forecast temperatures are much warmer there, from 10 degrees here to 17 on the other side! We will visit some of the beaches there. The current in the fjord can get up to 1,5 metres per second, so we are waking up early to make sure we catch it in the right direction.

DAY 21 and 23: Kabelvåg and Henningsvaer

After a couple of more quiet days in Svolvaer, Runa and I made our way to Kabelvåg, just half an hour west. Most of the bad weather had past and we were eager to get going to see more of Lofoten. In Kabelvåg, we were greeted by one of Runa’s former colleagues whom we joined to the local quizz night. Did you know a starfish could walk (or crawl) at a speed of 10 centimetres per minute?

From Kabelvåg we sailed the next day to Henningsvaer, also only a few nautical miles away. With head wind, we tacked our way up, and finished with the engine coming into the small fishing town in the afternoon. The clouds were so low that any hike up the nearby mountains would have been very wet and cold, so we kept ourselves to discovering the city, a museum, and planning the next few days. The weather forecast for the weekend is very good, so hopefully we will finally get some sun!

DAY 20: Arriving in Lofoten

Crossed from Nordskot to Svolvær today (May 26) on a cloudy and sometimes rainy passage. In Svolvær we went on small excursions visiting the town when it wasn’t raining. A lot of construction everywhere, a funny mix of both the fishing and tourism industries. Very few people as the summer hasn’t really started with still snow in the mountain tops. Tomorrow we will be looking to buy some fresh fish for dinner! We are staying here another day, and then making our way south to Kabelvåg and Henningsvær.

(PART 2) DAY 18, 19: North of bodø: kjerringøy and nordskot

We arrived in Bodø with Runa on May 24th ready for two weeks of sailing on both sides of Vestfjorden. On Sunday the 24th, we had a 4 hours evening sail from Bodø to the scenic little town of Kjerringøy. The next day we hiked up Middagshaugen, a small peak just behind Kjerringøy and walked passed some of the beautiful old wooden trading buildings from the town. In the evening of the second day (day 19, Monday) we sailed to Nordskot. On our way there we saw two killer whales with their dorsal fins coming out of the water every half a minute. Too far for any good photo unfortunately! The sail was cloudy, but we had a beautiful sunset in Nordskot. The sun now sets at almost midnight to rise only a couple of hours later. It’s super to be with Runa now, their are so many beautiful things to see, and sharing them with someone adds to the excitement of the experience. It might mean less videos though, but I am keeping up with the photos!

DAY 15, 16 and 17: CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

I left Sandnessjøen on a cloudy Thursday (April 30th) morning with a nice breeze coming from the east on my starboard side. I sailed through the majestic Norwegian fjords all the way up to a little old trading post with a guest harbor on Selsøyvik. The island has some beautiful old wooden houses from the 18th century, and I took an evening hike up the island’s mountain top after dinner. I past an important milestone that day as I crossed the Arctic circle at a whooping 7.5 knots with camera in hand to record the passage and the Arctic Circle monument which stands on an island a few nautical miles before Selsøyvik. Sailing in the fjords feels safe because there are barely any waves, but it does get quite gusty with sudden changes in wind speed and direction that took me by surprise on a number of times.

On Friday (day 16) I was lucky with the same wind on my starboard side from land, with very little waves, and I sailed almost all the way to Bodø in one go, covering a large distance in much less time than I had planned. I stopped an anchored in a bay on Fleina, which also was my first night using the anchor. I was a bit nervous whether it would hold or not. It did. I also got to test the drysuit as I swam to shore across the bay to go for a hike. On my way back to the boat, I took advantage of already being in the water to scratch off a few barnacles that had grown on the boat’s stern. The sailing on Friday was magnificent, passing some dramatic landscapes of snowy mountain peaks and glaciers. The sun made it warm enough to be comfortable and take it all in. The wind was too strong for my autopilot, and steering continuously for hours, whilst trimming and adjusting the sails does help keeping the body warm as well!

Today (Saturday, May 2) was supposed to be a simple sail into Bodø. The last two hours were however some of the most challenging of my trip so far with a sudden increase in wind to 12-15 metres per second and larger waves with very short intervals. Solveig was bouncing up and down against the sea splashing all over in a uncomfortable sound. As I reached to tightened my genoa so I could sail sharper upwind into Bodø’s harbor, the wind caught the other side of the sail and sent the boat spinning 360 degrees. A brief moment of zero control. A nice reminder from the ocean to not take all the smooth sailing I have had so far for granted!

Now the Solveig lies nicely in Bodø’s guest harbor. I have have changed the oil and clean the boat inside and out so she is ready for the next part of the trip which I will do together with Runa - Lofoten!

Until then, I will soon post a little video from the last week. Tune in here again in a couple of weeks to see what Lofoten is all about!

DAY 13, 14: Brønnøysund and the seven sisters (syv søstre)

It’s as if the sun follows me wherever I go these days. Left Rørvik on Tuesday the 28th slowly cruising through the fjords on mirror flat waters to the tractor like sounding volvo penta. I put up the main sail to catch the rare wind there was. I arrived in a small guest harbor located an hour before Brønnøysund to hike up the Torghatten mountain that is famous for a naturally formed hole which goes right through its center. The water taps on the pier were still closed, and as I was out of water and very thirsty, I did an evening sail into Brønnøysund where I stayed the night.

On Wednesday, day 14th, the forecast was for a perfect wind (moderate breeze, circa 10 metres per second) bowing from south-west. It didn’t deceive! I only turned my engine on twice to get out of the harbor, and into Sandnessjøen where I arrived in the evening. The currents are quite strong here, with tides flowing in and out of the fjords. I was lucky there again with the current adding at least one and half knots to my average speed. The cherry on top of the cake was passing the seven sisters mountain range. Still in snow, the distinguishable and beautiful peaks are (as the story goes) seven sister trolls that were turned to stone by the sun as they escaped their father, a taller mountain further north.

Some people say that a boat owner’s best two days are when the boat is bought and when it is sold. With Solveig, every day is a special one! ; )

DAY 10, 11 and 12 (already?!): SAILING UNDER RAINBOWS

I left Veiholmen early on Saturday 25th over to the northern side of Hitra and across back to the mainland. That was both the longest sailing day so far, over 60 nautical miles, and the coldest, with wind carrying rain right into my face. Eventually the wind turned however, and I ended surfing with Solveig on some smallish waves, reaching just about 8 knots a couple of times. The highlight of the day came at the end when I sailed under a rainbow, just before Oksvoll.

I stayed in Lysøysundet that evening, nothing too special there. Sailed a shorter day after sleeping in to Bessaker on Sunday. That day felt like I was sailing in a new part of Norway. A much more bare landscape, less people on land or on the water. Much more wildlife however. Eagles and seagulls fighting in midair as if in a scene from a Starwars movie. I spotted dears and seals too. As I arrived in Bessaker I caught a pollack and cod.

In terms of sailing, Monday the 27th (day 12) has to be the best one so far. Wind blowing west from land at a steady 8 metres per second carried Solveig and I for large stretches at 6 to 7 knots! I had woken up at 5:00am to start early and catch the sunrise, only to realize it was cloudy. It cleared up later though, and I ended up covering my face in sunscreen. I had a lunch break at a beautiful unnamed group of island (on google) just before Rørvik, with its picturesque older fishers’ houses.

DAY 7, 8 and 9: hustadvika, grip and veiholmen

Left Ona on the calmest day of the trip so far. Within 5 hours I had made my way around Hustadvika to a little fjord just before Kristiansund where I visited an old friend of mine! For Hustadvika, instead of trying to navigate between all the shallow and rocky areas, I just kept to the outside, a bit more exposed, but at least I didn’t had to worry about hitting anything with my 2 metres deep keel.

On Thursday I cleaned the boat, picked up the spare vacuum valve for my engine which I need to install sometime soon, and washed my clothes. Went on a nice hike with Oda, who was a super host! It was nice to get some social time after a week alone, and have some time to prepare for the next part of the journey.

Today, on Friday, I left around 10:00 and arrived at Grip, a tiny island a few nautical miles north of Kiristiansund. 3 fishermen where unloading nets from a boat as I arrived in the harbour and I asked them if I could dock next to them for a few hours. One replied, not if you only stay a few hours, you have to stay until Christmas! I walked around to the other part of the island to gauge the next crossing I would do in the afternoon to Veiholmen, at the very end of the island of Smøla. Somehow it always looks much nicer from shore, than once you are out in it. Larger waves than I had expected hit my bow, it started raining too. That lasted for a couple of hours, until I decided to navigate through an intricate system of lighthouses guiding me through hundreds of small islands on the western and northern sides of Smøla.

VIDEO EPISODE 2

DAY 5, 6: Ålesund and Ona

From Runde, it was only a few hours to the city of Ålesund where I arrived Monday afternoon. The city is reminiscent of Venice with water canals that go right into its center. I was able to dock there, and walked around the city for a few hours to stretch my legs. I originally planned to stay for the night, but a promising light breeze called me back to sea. I hoisted both sails around sunset, and sailed out of the city for a few hours until night and docked into a more industrial fishing harbor further north. The next morning, on Tuesday (21.04), I found out that my vacuum valve in the seawater cooling system of my engine leaks, and a significant amount of seawater drips into the boat. I mustered some temporary solution but ordered the part which I need to fix it later this week. After solving that problem, I took off to Ona, a picturesque small island out from the coast that used to host an important fishing community. Tomorrow I am sailing past Hustadvika, another area known to be challenging for its many shallow grounds. I am meeting with my co-year from Pearson in the evening which is going to be super nice! The weather is promising too.

Day 4: STAD

Cruised past Stad today! I had been anxiously checking the weather forecast for this section of the trip since I started thinking about sailing to Lofoten. Mostly because I heard so much about it, with its multi directional waves, currents, and strong winds. It could not have gone better however. Left Kalvåg at 08:00 and arrived in Runde around 17:00. Sailing on the open sea the whole way. Despite covering my face with sunscreen, I still got a red nose. Had a beautiful hike in Kalvåg in the morning, and then on Runde when I arrived. Atlantic puffins migrate to the island to nest every summer, and I was able to spot some in the cliffs of the island. Tomorrow is Ålesund!

VIDEO EPISODE 1

Day 1 - 3: Bergen to Florø

After climbing the mast and checking that the entire rigging was ok on Thursday (April 16) I left Bergen at 18:00. I motored against the wind which was coming right against my nose from the north until a litter bit after sunset. I arrived in Feste and stayed there for the night. After planning this trip for the last few weeks it felt good to finally take off! Despite the good weather, very little traffic on the water, apart for some big cargo ships.

On Friday, wind was still blowing from the north, but I was able to put the sails up and tacked my way across some larger open areas. I crossed the Songnefjord (Norway’s longest) and arrived and docked in Buskøyna that evening. I had a short lunch break just before crossing the Songneford and also to make sure everything in the boat was secure, as I knew the wind would pick up in the afternoon.

It’s been interesting to get a completely new rhythm. A couple of days ago I was often checking the news about COVID-19, and just doing a lot of different things. The last couple of days have been very simple and focused. Breakfast, prepare the boat, sail or motor whilst checking the chart plotter and the surroundings, and then docking somewhere a little bit more north that were I left off.

This morning (April 18) I left at 08:00 and passed the Norwegian horse (an Island) soon after. The sea is very calm, and it feels almost warm outside with very little wind. I am docked in Florø now, and will continue to Kalvåg tonight. If I have time I think I might well try to fish some dinner, and maybe even take a swim. Now time for some lunch and some leg stretching!

J-1… THE BOAT

I changed the engine filters and oil yesterday (15.04.2020). Today I bought all food for the first week of the trip which should last me until Ålesund. Tomorrow I am climbing the mast with some help and making sure the rigging is all in place before I leave.

Below are a few photos from the harbor where I have been for the last few months in Bergen and the boat. The sailboat is a 31 foot Beneteau from 1986. I didn’t know much about boats when I bought it, but it felt like the right size. I can just about stand straight in the galley and can sail it on my own. It’s insulated, includes a diesel heater to keep me warm and was more recently fitted with a newer Volvo Penta 3 cylinder engine.

So if all is well with the rig I will set sail tomorrow. It is suppose to clear up with warmer and more sunny weather for the coming days. A promising start!

Welcome on BOARD!

In the coming 12 weeks I will be sailing the Norwegian coastline with my boat Solveig all the way to the Lofoten archipelago, located approximately 100 km north of the Arctic circle. I am starting the journey on Thursday April 16. During the voyage, I will be updating this page with photos, maps, and videos to share my journey with you. I am sailing alone for the most part, but my partner Runa will join me for a couple weeks midway through the trip.

My sailing experience is mostly limited to smaller boats, but doing a voyage like this one has always been a dream of mine. Runa and I bought the sailboat last summer, and I fixed her up these past few months while living aboard in Bergen. Now, with most of my commitments postponed or canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I have suddenly found myself with lots of time to take on this trip.

Check this page for updates! I will be posting them regularly, with the latest ones appearing towards the top. I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to reach out by email or on social media.

Levi