N fjords, snow-cappedmountainsand anight-time wilderness On aNorwegiancruisewithhisfather, JohanAugustinenjoysdeep 32 midnight sun midnight the to Sailing largest island outside Svalbard. Even largest islandoutside Svalbard.Even , ahubon Hinnøya, archipelago ofCentralTroms. travel totheremoteandpristine ’s westcoast–andplans to month –havingstartedfromBergen on He hasalreadybeingsailingfor a , theansweriseasy. join himonaweek’ssailingtripin It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon when I reach It’s arainySundayafternoonwhen I reach CRUISING often, so when dad asks me to often, sowhendadasksmeto a Swede,I’vetravelledthere the Scandinaviancountries.As o rway is the most striking of rway isthemoststrikingof Norway’s Norway’s early nextmorning wetakeoff, heading particularly notin thisgloomyweather, so the bestofNorthernNorway’sgems, be thejointhomeformeandd reached what–forthenextsixdays –will and bus,feelpleasedtohave about 20hoursfromStockholmby train to reachthisdistanttownI’ Bavaria Cruiser37isdocked.Justinorder around Norway, andthetemperaturehovers summer hashadaslowstartinNorthern though it’sthefirstweekofJuly, the The port of Harstad doesn’t showcase The portofHarstaddoesn’tshowcase 10°. Imeetd ad in the port where his ad intheportwherehis ve travelled for ve travelledfor ad.

Practical BoatOwner • www.pbo.co.uk north- village ofEngenes, situatedonthe the surroundings.We passthe tinyfishing and navigates,Isitbytheruddertaking in blowing onlyfourknots.While couple ofhoursafterhewakesup. see eachotheruntilhestartstheengine, a stern cabinandd feasible onboard–sinceIsleepinthe bed beforeeight.Surprisingly, thisis five. I’manightowlandnevergetoutof north towardstheislandofSenja. We motoroutoftheport,with thewind Dad isanearlybird,andusuallyupby western tip of Andørja. The island western tipofAndørja. Theisland ad inthebow, wedon’t trek

d ad helms ad helms Practical BoatOwner • www.pbo.co.uk depth across the seabed; from 20m to depth acrossthe seabed; from20mto chartplotter Inotice thegreatvariationin which arecappedinsnow. Onthe the emeraldgreenslopesofEastern Senja, us whenwepassthroughthestrait –past swimmers stayoutofthewater! summer hoversaround10° the factthatwatertemperaturein and non-confrontational,maybedueto However, unliketheGreatWhiteit’sdocile lifespan; between300and500years! the vertebratewithlongestknown grow to7mandweigh1.5tonnes.It’salso similar insizetoaGreatWhite,andcan species, theGreenlandshark,whichis here swimsoneofEarth’slargestshark Even thewatersareinhabitedbygiants: country has thehighestnumberofpeaksin I imagine huge sharks swimming beneath I imaginehugesharksswimmingbeneath , 20ofthemrisingabove1, , and most , andmost 000m. 000m. at me.“ we passthe69th parallelnorth,d of sunshineafterseveralweeks rain.As any formofcivilisation.Today isthefirstday living inwhatappearstobealong way from contemplate howthelocalscanmake a forest, someonsandybeaches.We the slopes,someingladessurrounded by range,” saysd sea bottomresemblesthemountain seen aboveandbelowthesurface. 400m –thesamestructureoflandscape ‘The only sound is from a rippling creek. The ‘The onlysoundisfromaripplingcreek. The A few houses are scattered at the end of A fewhousesarescatteredattheendof “It’s areflectionofnature–wherethe taste ispure.Noadditives.Justnature’ Cheers,” ad.

hesays,withasmile. Johan Augustin Finnsnes chilly watersof the turquoiseand RIGHT Aquickdipin into it those whoventure bonding effect–on calming –and wilderness hasa LEFT 69°N Norwegian Circle Arctic The Norwegian The Norwegian

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Oslo Sea ad looks ad looks SWEDEN ANDØYA Stockholm HINNØYA Tromsø Helsinki

Harstad 16°E FINLAND Andenes – it’sstillfullybright longafterdinner. I wine andwatching thesunthatwon’tset salad. We relaxinthecockpit, sipping red reindeer stewwithboiledpotatoes anda to thejetty. Afterwards,d water, or rather aquickdip:offcliffclose decide togoforaswimintheturquoise separated fromSenjabyanarrowsound. Finnsnes –atownonthemainland it’s afeelingofrelieftodisembarkin spending thefirsteighthoursonboat, After sailing45nauticalmilesand The ArcticCathedral Away from any potential shark attack, I Away fromanypotentialsharkattack,I island with the same name – which is island withthesamename–whichis CRUISING NORWAY ARCHIPELAGO 70°N

TROMS ANDØRJA SENJA connected tomuchlargerSenja The village of Husøy covers the The villageofHusøycoversthe Engenes Tromvik N KVALØYA 0 Finnsnes SWEDEN nautical miles NORWAY ad and I cook ad andIcook

Tromsø 19°E 30 33 ➜ CRUISING CRUISING NORWAY

Sturdy ships, built to cope with the changeable weather, cross these waters,

Tromsdalen church in Tromsø is known as the Arctic Cathedral

LEFT ‘Rorbuer’ are typical red fishing cottages found throughout the Norwegian archipelago

The midnight RIGHT Orcas sun mesmerizes frequent Senja’s Finding charming, hidden natural ports is the visitor coastline never difficult in Northern Norway have always wanted to experience the ‘Dad and I cook reindeer stew with boiled an unshaved sailor with salt in my hair, my hiking gear and head for the trails – coastline and pass the fjords that cut into midnight sun, and have been obsessed invigorated and highly rejuvenated. where I plan to do a seven-mile trek, the island where the waters are shared by with sunny climates, which is partly the potatoes and sip wine in the cockpit, We cook dinner and make ourselves which will take four hours. The island of orcas and humpback whales. The trek has reason why I have resided in Sydney the comfortable in the cockpit. It’s gone 9pm Kvaløya has at least 10 peaks reaching raised my serotonin levels and I feel last two years. In Northern Norway, well watching the sun that won’t set’ but the sun is still warm. Dad seems over 700m, and three over 1,000m. fulfilled. The small port of Tromvik in above the Arctic Circle, the midnight sun completely at ease. This is the first night in two weeks that Northern Norway, where nature is at the – or midnight light, which would be a more “What an evening, this is sailing at its the midnight sun will be fully present in centre of everything, has heightened my appropriate name – is apparent for about catamaran in the Whitsundays. There, it concerts, which on rare occasions occur best,” he says with twinkling eyes. clear skies, and there are other hikers with awareness and taught me to be fully two summer months from 20 May until 22 was the tropical storms that delayed during midnight sun. The small village of Tromvik is the same mind-set as me. Surprisingly, present in the moment. That in itself, has July each year. departure. Another parallel with Australia “You seem more relaxed now than when surrounded by a mountain range – where though, I’m the only one on this particular also brought me closer to dad. As if reading my mind d ad looks at me: (aside from the white beaches scattered you first came onboard,” dad observes. the snowy pinnacles resemble the spiky trail. The only sound I hear is from a “You can stay up, I’ll go to bed,” he says. around Troms archipelago) is a landmark It’s been a month since he left Bergen, back of a dragon basking in the sun. I don rippling creek. I squat and drink. The taste But the stew and wine have made me that resembles Sydney’s Opera House. and his usually impatient personality has is pure. No additives. Just nature. Travel in Norway sleepy, enhanced by the soporific effect of Tromsdalen Church, also known as The calmed down substantially. Dad, or Hans I ascend one of the peaks and find a flat the waves slapping the hull. As the Arctic Cathedral, has in fact been called as his name is, recently retired from rock to sit on, about 800m above sea Like other Nordic countries Norway temperature drops, dad switches on the ‘the opera house of Norway’ due to its working as a tinsmith for over five decades level. There is no wind, no sound, no has legislated for ‘the right of public diesel heater, which, though noisy, doesn’t distinct look. and running a company with many phone connection. Only the midnight sun access to the wilderness’, or the stop me falling into a deep slumber. As we approach Tromsø, the largest city employees. He feels relieved, free from the warming my face, and colouring the ‘right to roam’. In some cases this In the morning dark clouds hang from of Northern Norway, and the northernmost stress that came with running a business. ocean golden. It’s as though the sun includes privately owned land. This the sky and it’s raining. The constant point on our journey, the building – which “I’ve never felt this good,” he tells me. hangs from an invisible string over the makes it easier to trek and camp change in weather makes it hard to plan takes form as an iceberg – juts above the “I’ll probably sell the house and continue horizon. My watch shows 1am and it still out in the archipelago of Northern far ahead, which throws me back a few rest of the buildings. The church is sailing around the world.” feels like afternoon. Now I realise why Norway. The climate in the Troms years – to a sun-drenched sailing trip on a particularly famous for its midnight After exploring the small harbour in people travel long distances to see the archipelago is mild in winter for Tromsø with its picturesque cafés and midnight sun. This is truly one of the most such a northerly destination, due to restaurants, we set sail for another island, mesmerising experiences I’ve had. Nature the warming effect of the Gulf Kvaløya, where the highlight of the trip is and I, nothing else. When I reach the boat, Stream. During this time you can to come. We dock at the jetty in the small dad is long asleep. Tomorrow we will also spot the Northern Lights. fishing village of Tromvik, and since dad continue southwards along Senja’s There are a few options in prefers us not to use the minimalistic travelling to Troms archipelago. shower on board I take off my clothes and Tromsø and Andenes have airports jump into the clear aquamarine water. It that are both linked to ’s looks tropical, but the Arctic salty sting international airport. Norwegian, quickly forces me back out – feeling like SAS and Widerøe fly domestic ABOVE Hans routes. Regular bus and speed boat/ Hansson at the ferry services link the archipelago helm of his yacht together. Rail lines reach as far as Cutty Sark Lofoten’s Bodø and you can take RIGHT A lone the train from Sweden as far north bench in Kvaløya as Narvik (21⁄2 hours by bus from – becomes a Harstad). The national route planner landmark for a covers all modes of public transport couple to watch for trips across Norway: en-tur.no the surroundings For information about Northern Norway, visit visitnorway.com Tourists come to Northern Norway to fish in waters teeming with cod and other species Dad gives navigation directions

34 Practical Boat Owner • www.pbo.co.uk Practical Boat Owner • www.pbo.co.uk 35