Exploring the Bodø area - part 3 (south)

21/7/25 to 28/7/25

Family arrived!  And what a magical week it has been!  Rory (Stuart's brother), Katharine (sister-in-law) and Oscar (nine year old nephew) arrived to glorious sunshine on the Monday afternoon and the weather continued in that vein for the first half of the week.  After an early introduction to the manoeuvring of Evolene (we needed to let the boat inboard of us leave the marina then move directly alongside the pontoon ourselves) we settled down to a very relaxed evening, sitting in the cockpit, watching the boat traffic and catching up.  Oscar even managed the first dip of the week in the harbour, bravely testing the Arctic circle waters on behalf of all of the family!

The fun begins

With the sun blazing the next morning, we slipped our lines and enjoyed a leisurely motor south to a bay at Fleina.  We had passed this spot the previous week when enroute to the archipelago with 'The Arctic Hideaway' and thought it would be a good spot.  It turned out to be as beautiful as we had hoped and we even managed our first sea eagle sighting of the week before dropping the anchor.  The bay itself was surrounded by little inlets and channels which were ideal for Oscar to practice and then very quicky hone his skills in dinghy manoeuvring, initially with the electric outboard and then the petrol one.  Snow-dappled hills in the skyline around provided a spectacular backdrop and the water was a stunning turquoise colour and crystal clear... and enticingly warm - a balmy 22°C (although I suspect that really isn't normal for these areas, sadly).  The only slight downside to the location was that there were a surprising number of horseflies around!  We haven't been bothered much by flies during our travels thus far, thankfully, and they probably have only emerged in numbers due to the hot spell so we can't really complain too much about encroaching in their territory.

Dinghy driving school

Following a lot of snorkelling, swimming, jumping off the bow, playing catch in the water with a tennis ball (highly recommended!) and a whole lot of laughter, we rinsed off the salt water, applied the insect repellent and headed ashore in the dinghy, loaded with BBQ equipment and food.  We use a small, gas-powered BBQ that is incredibly versatile, easy to stow and not too difficult to clean afterwards.  As we ate on the rocks, looking across the bay another boat entered the anchorage - Bodyguard - who had been just across the pontoon from us in Bodø.  That made four boats in total.  We reckon that if we had been in the Mediterranean the number would have easily reached the thirties for such a location.

Fleina anchorage

BBQ!

After ensuring we had left nothing behind, we packed up and Oscar drove us back to the boat.  We played cards, relaxed, and then it was time for the Euros semi-finals!  Although, given the timings, a few of us didn't wait up for the final result, it was great to hear of the success the following morning - a super achievement and we were much looking forward to catching the final at the end of the week.

We planned a leisurely morning the following day and while Rory, Katherine and Oscar went on a further dinghy exploration, Stuart and I took to the water for a swim again.  Bodyguard spotted us diving in from the bow and we swam across to say hello.  Stuart had already commented to me that he thought Bodyguard was a very good looking boat - well proportioned and clearly well thought out when built - and we were keen to learn more about her and her crew.  Cue a very pleasant 20 minutes or so treading water whilst we chatted with Dennis and Arianne.  Dennis had built the boat himself and spent the past ten years or so cruising.  We shared reflections on the cruising lifestyle and hoped our paths would continue to cross. 

There was no wind but with the sun still beaming down we motored further south, taking the opportunity of the calm conditions to try a spot of fishing.  Route planned, we weighed anchor and a couple of hours later (and with the help of the 'FishBuddy' app) a suitable spot was identified.  With lures in the water, we were enjoying our surroundings, when suddenly we saw a fin!  It was quite close to a nearby cluster of islands so we had to do a double-take but, yes, it was definitely an orca!!  And then suddenly the full pod came into view!  There were eight or nine of them, approximately 500 metres away, probably using the islands to herd their prey again (much like when we were off Stø).  We knew that orca were often seen offshore of the Lofoten Islands and further north but it was a complete surprise and delight to see them further south and share this sighting with the family.  This time, with the calm conditions, Stuart was able to send the drone up and get some amazing footage of them from above.

It all became a little bit busy for a while with orca to watch, the drone in the air and Oscar and Rory simultaneously catching fish!  Oscar's was a beautiful cod while his dad's was a small pollock.  We changed the lure on Rory's rod and soon he also found a cod, which turned out to be the largest of the day, approximately 75cm long.  We ended up catching about seven in total, I think, filleting three of the catch and returning the others to the sea to swim another day.  

Dinner

The orca carried on south out of sight and after clearing away the fishing equipment we continued our motor to a stunning archipelago 1.5 hours north east of Bolga for the rest of the afternoon/evening.  On dropping our anchor and looking around where we had settled, we saw seven or eight seals basking on the rocks behind us.  Whilst this is quite a common sight in Scotland, we have been told that seals are targeted and killed in Norway in order to protect cod stocks.  We have spotted the occasional one or two on our travels but this was the first time we had seen a number of them together and they appeared relatively relaxed in our company, which was lovely.  

The archipelago and calm conditions provided lots of opportunity for exploration by dinghy and kayak, swimming and snorkling and we enjoyed another beautifully idyllic evening.  We smoked the fish and, by pure coincidence, Bodyguard were spending the night in the same anchorage and joined us aboard for refreshments later that evening.  The next morning, with Rory and Oscar out exploring by dinghy, Stuart tending to boat maintenance, Katharine and I went for a swim and were soon joined by one of the seals from the previous evening, bobbing its head up about 20 metres away which was a real treat.

The next leg of our trip was a short hop down to Bolga.  Stuart and I had visited this island back on 17th June, using it as our hopping off point to the Lofoten Islands, but our visit then had been short (late afternoon to early morning the following day) and we were looking forward to being back.  Aside from Bodø this had been the first time we had revisited a location and we experienced a very satisfying feeling of closing the loop on our Lofoten Island and north of Bodø travels on arrival.  Also when we had visited previously the weather was grey, damp and very overcast.  This time, in glorious sunshine, it was great to take in the topography of the island.  

We set off on the track to the cave (Bolgbørra) that we had visited previously, with Oscar leading the way following the blue markers.  However, instead of turning back once we had reached the very impressive 'cave'/hole in the mountain, we had time this visit to continue through and enjoy the fun scramble down the north side of the hill to the north coast of Bolga and then follow the coastline route back round to the marina.  We had been told of a well-known 50 tonne rock that is naturally balanced so that it wobbles on the west coast of the island but could we find it?!  We pushed and pulled at any likely candidates and then Stuart saw the sign for 'Ruggesteinnen' (translating to rocking rock).  He climbed up and walked and jumped over the top of the nearest candidate but to no avail!  Post-walk analysis on youTube confirmed that we had found the right rock but it seems to have lost its wobble!  

Bolgbørra cave

Strike a pose

Back aboard we enjoyed beautifully refreshing beer, melon and crisps (I would highly recommend the zero alcohol grapefruit beer by Clausthaler) and decided that we would eat dinner out in the local Brygge (restaurant) at the top of the pontoon.  Unfortunately, given the volume of visitors, our highly anticipated showers ashore were dashed when Katharine returned reporting a complete lack of any hot water.  Thankfully our on board shower is entirely adequate but the Bolga showers, when working, had previously been one of our favourites.  Furthermore, the service and food at the Bryggae was slightly haphazard but nonetheless it was a lovely treat in a beautiful location and another great evening enjoyed!  We even squeezed in a few games of cards when back aboard (a taxing 20 metre walk back down to the boat!).

We woke up the following morning to a bit of a breeze!  We slipped the lines and whilst our plans to go to the Svartisen glacier required a short (30 minute) motor into a southerly headwind, it was worth it and as soon as we rounded the headland to head east into the fjord we unfurled the sails.  We coasted along, eking out as much as we could from the wind, managing a couple of hours in total but as the fjord deepened and with less than two miles to go, it was time to motor the last section.  The glacier gradually crept into sight and was magnificent to see, albeit very stark, sad and concerning to see the clearly evident diminution in size that we, as humans, have effected in recent decades.

Svartisen Glacier

The pontoon at Svartisen has excellent facilities and we were able to replenish the water supplies on the boat and confirm that hot showers were definitely available that evening!  Oscar and Rory nipped out in the dinghy to suss out the local fishing opportunities and came back reporting that Oscar had caught a further 8!  Running total...  Oscar 13 versus Rory's 2!  We then all ventured ashore to follow the marked trail up to see the glacier more closely, albeit at a distance of 100 metres or thereabout given the very visible risk of significant (house-sized lumps of ice or bigger) calving from it.  The scale of the glacier is very difficult to comprehend and was really put into perspective for me when we spotted a group of fully-equipped ice climbers to the far side looking like ants in comparison.  The colours of the landscape were stunning - the white and blue of the ice itself and also the smooth, sparkling exposed rock that had been ground and polished from the millions of years of glacial movement previously.

The following morning Katharine was the sole crew member to brave the fjord's waters - it was nearly ten degrees cooler than the anchorage from a couple of nights previously!  Oscar meanwhile increased his fish count further!  Then it was time to move Evolene on, this time pointing her bow back northwards.  This was going to be the longest journey of the week (approximately six hours in total) and we all settled in for the trip.  The weather was wet outside but we had wind and with the bimini still up there was reasonable shelter for people out in the cockpit.  The deck saloon really comes into its own in these conditions - providing a very comfortable sitting area inside the boat with nearly all of the visibility of being outside. 

A cool dip at Svartisen

That evening's anchorage was in a sheltered bay at Vigdel, about 3 hours south west of Bodø.  Rory, Katharine and Oscar went ashore to explore the local coastline, caves and hilltop and then we enjoyed fajitas for dinner together, followed by movie night.... Beverly Hills Cop was the collective choice under the guise of educating Oscar on classic movies!

After further fishing and swimming the next morning, we were on the move again.  Rory, Katharine and Oscar had brought with them a phenomenal array of treats for us both - thank you! - and Katharine's supremely delicious brownies had lasted us for elevenses for nearly the entire week but now it was my turn to deliver on the scones.  Thankfully, despite now having exhausted my supplies of self-raising flour and making do with plain flour and baking powder, they turned out okay - phew! (Flavour this time - cheese, mustard and mixed herbs.)

One last fishing attempt enroute was unsuccessful but overall Oscar's tally numbered an impressive 20 (plus one jellyfish)!  And then, all too soon, it was time to prepare the lines and fenders for one last berthing all together as we drew closer to Bodø.  We edged into the marina, passing all the large expedition boats now making their way back southward from Svalbard, and secured a space at the end of the pontoon.  Unfortunately our gear box is playing up a bit when moving from reverse into forward, requiring a couple of attempts before it clicks into gear - not ideal when manoeuvring into small spaces - but soon Evolene was once more tied up alongside and the next mission was to find a bar to watch the football!

Fed and washed, we headed out to the local sports bar and settled in to watch the Euro finals.  At full time we decamped back to Evolene to watch extra time and then onto penalties....!  It was so much fun to watch it together and what a result!  Delighted for the team and great to see women's sport getting so much coverage and attention.  It made me somewhat nostalgic for all the fun and camaraderie I had playing with my hockey team back home - Harris Hockey!  (Although thank heavens I never had to take a penalty in the matches I played!)

We soaked in all the post-match celebrations, topping off an idyllic week aboard.  Norway, and the arctic circle, at its absolute finest.  A week filled with swimming, fishing, wildlife spotting, kayaking, dinghy and boat handling, sunshine, glaciers, mountains, caves, archipelagos, motoring, sailing, brownies, exploration and most of all fun, laughter and companionship.  Phil, if you're reading this, we even brought out your special SBS port as a final toast to the week - we thought it a very fitting end to an exceptional week aboard - thank you!  Safe travels back home, Rory, Katharine and Oscar, and see you again aboard soon hopefully!

Skål Phil!

The end of a wonderful week