Bruce and Annie Stewart are going on a skippered charter boat around the Lofoten Islands in North Norway, between 15th-26th June 2020. We have arranged to join them.
Bruce & Annie
A further addition to the crew are our friends Brian Parsonage and Meredith Hinds.
Meredith & Brian
We are booked on the cruise June 15 – 26.
Being above the Arctic Circle, we will be there during the 'midnight sun'.
Midnight Sun: 25 May – 17 July
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for a 14-day Lofotens adventure starting and ending in Bodø. If you are starting or ending in Tromsø you will have a very slightly different itinerary on some days.
Day 1: Welcome aboard in Bodø
Join the boat between 1200 and 2000hrs (the closer to 1200 the better but we know flights and such like don’t always work like that, so don’t worry!) Get your belongings packed away and relax. There’s plenty to do in the future but right now it’s about relaxing, finding your way around the boat and enjoying the surroundings.
Day 2: Time to learn the ropes en route to Landegode
Today is all about getting up to speed with the boat. Whether you are a complete novice or more experienced sailor, everyone benefits from detailed introductions, safety briefings and training sessions. You will have two highly experienced instructors to guide you through every aspect that you need to know to have a great sailing holiday. By lunchtime we should be casting off the lines, hoisting the sails and working through all the key sailing manoeuvres such as tacking and gybing, reefing and knot tying! By the end of the day everyone on board should feel comfortable with the basics – even though there’s more to learn and practice every day. We’ll probably moor at the stunning southern tip of Landegode overnight, catch some fresh fish and maybe even have a BBQ ashore.
Days 3-4: Sail to and explore Reine in the Lofotens
It’s a lovely 60nm sail now across the bay to the Lofotens and the bucolic village of Reine. This looks like it has been taken from a picture postcard and is always a huge favourite. From here we can take the inland ferry to the western edge of the island where there are some wonderful hikes and spectacular views across the Lofoten mountains.
Reine
Hiking maps available from Hiking Lofoten
Day 5: Nusfjord
Now we head north to Nusfjord. Hidden away between towering cliffs, we love this little outpost. It is one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fishing villages.
Days 6-7: Digermulen
(I suspect a typo here; it would be logical to go to Skrova before Digermulen. Digermulen is north-east of Skrova, not the other way around. Dave)
Tonight we’ll maybe head for the anchorage at Digermulen. This is so hidden away and an absolutely magical place to spend the night. We may well spend the next day here, just hiking, fishing and making the most of this area.
Day 8: Skrova
A little more north east today as we head for the anchorage at Skrova. Once we head ashore, we’ll probably BBQ the day’s catch and then you can hike up the hill for some really lovely views.
Days 9-11: Raftsund and Trollfjord
We are now into the amazing Raftsund, a narrow channel with wonderful cliffs either side. We’ll head into Trollfjord on the west side, home to, you guessed it, Norway’s trolls. If the weather is good we may spend the night there and hike up the mountain for some more amazing views and photos. There are some other wonderful anchorages near here.
Days 12-13: Exploring the coast south to Kjerringøy
As we head back toward Bodø, we have two days of idyllic sailing and exploring and Kjerringøy is the most beautiful of little fishing ports where we can stop for the night before heading back to Bodø, our final destination.
Day 14: Debrief, clean up and goodbyes
It’s always amazing how quickly everyone has become firm friends and the boat and its routines seem so familiar. Yet it’s time to wrap it all up and head home. We’ll get the boat back to how we found it, sign logbooks, exchange emails and disembark by 1200hrs.
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