Exploring the Bodø area - part 2 (west and near south)

14/7/25 to 20/7/25

With Kirsty ashore and on her way to catch her flight home, we decided to motor a short distant west to an anchorage in the northeast corner of the Bliksvær archipelago, approximately 9 miles to the west of Bodø.  The sun was still shining and we enjoyed a relaxing evening, soaking up the surroundings and thinking about the next few weeks ahead.

The following day was gusty but we knew Evolene's anchor was secure and we took the opportunity to have a very leisurely day, catching up with boat jobs, admin and connecting with friends and family.  Stuart was continuing to investigate the malfunctioning chat plotter.  Raymarine had responded to his enquiry but could offer little further to what he had already ascertained - the flickering of the screen was not due to any electrical interference but an issue with the unit itself - and would require local dealer input.  We asked if they could recommend a local Raymarine dealer and are still waiting to hear back from them.

There is only so long we can stay still for before we start getting restless again and the following morning we set off promptly for Inndyr, approximately 18 miles due south of Bliksvær.  With the Orca chart plotter set up in the cockpit we weighed anchor and set off southwards.  The weather was glorious again and we had a gentle tailwind that we made the most of by setting Evolene's sails to goosewing (mainsail on one side and foresail on the other).  It was noticeable how much warmer it was on the mainland compared with the offshore islands of Bliksvær.  This was probably in part due to the lighter winds inland and it being closer to midday as we approached but, even so, we have found this temperature differential consistently throughout our travels.

Goosewinging

We thoroughly enjoyed the sail and were reassured by the workaround with the Orca navigation tablet.  Soon we were nestled into the charming fishing village and historical trading post of Inndyr.  Keen to stretch our legs again, we headed out for a walk in the hills behind.  The vast majority of trails are described in the UT app which makes exploring the local landscape incredibly easy.  We settled on a hike that was approximately 6 miles in length, with 546m ascent in total, that wound its way up the hill and around the village's reservoir, taking in the hilltops behind. 

Inndyr

Walk behind Inndyr

At the lower levels the flora reminds me of parts of Scotland, such as the Cairngorm National Park, with lots of low covering foliage and a beautiful birch and rowan tree canopy providing lovely dappled shade as we wound our way up through the tracks.  Beyond the tree line, the scenery is more alpine in nature, with an abundance of low-lying plants and flowers and the snow-covered mountains in the background.

We enjoyed a wee dip in one of the many small lakes scattered about and such was the contrast to the sea temperature, it almost felt like being in a bath!  Unfortunately though, with the strength of the sun and some pesky horseflies about, the suncream and insect repellent needed to be reapplied straight away and very soon we were somewhat sweaty again!  That evening I enjoyed one of the best showers of the trip.  Not because the facilities were anything particularly special (in fact it was more like a shower off a broom cupboard!) but there was plenty of hot water, thankfully not on a timer, and it was a real luxury to wash off the salty sweat, suncream and insect repellent combination after our efforts!   We also availed ourselves of the relatively cheap washing machine facilities and soon had a load drying in the boat (another luxury of the warmer weather - not having to use a tumble dryer).

Like many of Norway's costal villages, Inndyr (population 637) and the surrounding area is well serviced by a large and well-stocked supermarket that is only a couple of hundred metres from the guest pontoon.  Therefore the following morning we stocked up on heavy and bulky items like beer, particularly thinking ahead to our future guests' arrival!  We then readied Evolene for departure and whilst it wasn't a particularly tight or challenging departure, we were nonetheless provided with several offers of assistance.  While this is much appreciated there is always the risk that a non-crew member might not fully understand how we intend to conduct our departure so we generally set the mooring lines such that we can do everything from onboard.  We got the impression that this harbour area is more used to smaller motor boats nipping in and out and therefore a 42 ft, rather hefty-looking, sailing boat is relatively less common!  Therefore we had several onlookers who seemed suitably impressed as we manoeuvred out of our space entirely uneventfully!

Thankful to be out in the breeze again, we chose to head 15 miles northwest towards another small archipelago of low-lying islands, Fleinvær.  This time, with breeze from a northerly direction, it was mostly a close reach.  The wind, however, was fluky at times but we used this to refine my reefing technique of the mainsail from the cockpit.  (Reefing is when the area of the sail canvas is reduced - in our boat by furling (rolling) the mainsail into the mast.  This prevents the boat from being 'overpowered' and increasing the risk of damage to sails and rigging).  I am particularly keen to be able to do this on my own competently and safely for when we do longer passages so that Stuart can sleep more soundly, although he would always be happy to help if required.

On arrival in Fleinvær we found a lovely spot to anchor and then promptly readied the kayak for a little exploration.  Fleinvær has about 30 residents spread over six islands but this number increases in the summer due to people visiting.  The archipelago is also home to 'The Arctic Hideaway', consisting of 11 unique eco-cabins designed to immerse visitors in the local seascape and embrace the simplicity of nature.  It was commissioned by local jazz musician and composer Håvard Lund, and is particularly geared towards supporting artistic creativity (The Arctic Hideaway).

The 'Arctic Hideaway' on the right of the photo

The evening was beautiful and somewhat remarkable in two elements.  Firstly no fish were caught.  Stuart reported not even a nibble!   And secondly, apparently, we should be experiencing sunsets now - albeit not until close to midnight and therefore we can't testify to it first hand as yet!

After a quick dook in the morning we motored back to Bodø to get settled in for the weekend, do some further boat work and generally get ready for our next set of visitors!  Once again, Bodø  was super busy but we found what has turned out to be a near-perfect spot, rafted to a charter boat with no crew currently on board, and cockpit facing the harbour entrance - ideal for watching boat traffic!

Inner guest pontoons in Bodø  - it's busy!

Bodø can be an utter suntrap and it was in the high 20s when we arrived.  Given that we were planning on being here for four nights, we decided to rig up the bimini (a covering over the cockpit area to provide some protection from rain or sun as required) and a tarpaulin tent over the foredeck to provide shade for the kayak and forward cabins.  We also busted out the cockpit table - all very civilised!  

Another dreadful evening...

On the Saturday we explored some of the myriad of trails behind Bodø.  Most start from the outskirts of the city (three to four miles from the marina) so Stuart persuaded me that rental electric scooters were in order!  I needed to put my 'medic' thoughts out of my mind (and all those journal articles reporting resulting injuries from their use!) and tentatively stepped on.  And frankly the alternative of covering the distance by foot in the heat was wholly unappealing!  It took me a little while to get the hang of it, particularly when roads, pedestrians, pedestrian crossings, curbs, vehicles and pavements are all thrown into the mix, but there wasn't much traffic and it was a fun and very effective way of travelling across the city.  

The walk itself provided great views of Bodø and the surrounding area which is feeling very familiar now!  We also planned in a swim and picnic spot at a recommended lake, which was so attractive that, on arrival, we jumped straight into the water - clothes and shoes still on! 

Looking down at Bodø  

Perfect swim spot

On the way back, one of the local fishing boats had arrived into the harbour and was selling fresh shrimp - dinner sorted!

Shrimpy shrimp shrimp

And that takes us to today, Sunday 20th July.  The harbour is currently bathed in the Norwegian equivalent of haar, but it's likely this will burn off over the course of the day.  I have completely forgotten that large supermarkets are closed on Sunday in Norway and so the provisioning shop for our week ahead will have to wait until tomorrow - not a hardship at all! Stuart has changed the engine oil and is currently reconfiguring our storage to make sure we have two guest cabins ready for his family and once I've finished this blog, I'll be on to cleaning and sorting also.... I wonder how long I can draw this writing out for ;-)!