Stø to Harstad

1/7/25 to 5/7/25

As the gale passed through on the 1st July, gusts were in excess of 40 knots, but Evolene was safe and secure, and whilst our sleep was not the most restful as we listened to the wind howling overnight, lines creaking and fenders squeaking, it wasn't a particular hardship to endure!  We had also doubled up a couple of the lines to the pontoon as a precaution but all in all she weathered it in her usual untroubled way and soon we were on the move again.

Leaving Stø  with the ridge we walked behind

As we left the harbour we edged north round the tip of the island where Stø is situated, reaching a latitude of 69°01.723N.  Whilst it was momentarily tempting to push on to 70°north, we would have just been doing it for the sake of it and it would have involved a further 120mile round trip in variable winds.  Therefore, instead of chasing numbers, we decided to continue on our explorations, edging east and then south, with the plan to start following the mainland round to Bodø where we will be rendezvousing with family in just under 3 weeks.

Our northernmost point

The 2nd July was a great sailing day, with Evolene firstly heading in a south easterly direction on a starboard close haul (wind blowing across from the starboard side and from close to the front of the boat), before we rounded the south end of the island of Andøya where we were able to bear away from the wind and enjoy some leisurely downwind sailing (wind coming from behind us) as we headed a short distance north east to the village of Risøyham. Puffins continued to join us throughout the journey, bobbing in the water or occasionally flying past, but never ceasing to delight!  We also saw a gannet which we haven't seen many of during our travels in Norway.  In fact, our sightings of sea eagles probably outnumber the gannets at this point!  (Although, to be fair to the gannet, we haven't been actively seeking them out as much as the mighty sea eagle!)

Southbound!

The pontoons in Risøyham are well serviced with water and electricity and berthing is paid for at the village shop at the entrance to the small marina complex.  The village shop is incredibly well stocked with a great range of produce.  The marina is also just off one of the 'main' thoroughfares for larger vessels, including for the impressive Hurtigruten liners, making for some excellent boat watching in the evening.  We were also joined by a Swedish boat and whilst we only said hello and exchanged a few pleasantries, it was fun being back in yacht cruising territory and made the last few days feel even more off grid!

Pretty Risøyham 

In my previous blog I mentioned needing to wait for tides before heading off....well, the following morning, in line with piloting guidance, we were required to wait for the morning's Hurtigruten ship to pass, such is the narrow nature of the channel going north out of Risøyham.  Soon, though, we were underway and it was glassy calm.  Scones were soon cooking in the airfryer, this time cheese and jalapeño.  Arctic terns were fishing all around us and as we emerged into more of the open water we saw a few porpoises passing by!  We were tempted to stop and fish for a bit but soon the looming storm clouds encouraged us on our way and with the risk of thunder and lightning looming (which thankfully didn't materialise), we pressed on towards our chosen anchorage for the night.

Moody skies astern

The anchorage was nestled in the west side of the island of Helløya and we soon realised that we were back at practically the same latitude as we were in Stø.  We will start heading south again soon but this northern latitude sailing is rather beguiling!  We wound our way through the narrow entrances to our secluded pool and, on this occasion, picked up a mooring buoy.  This was our first of our Norway trip (and therefore I hadn't covered this method of securing the boat in previous blogs) but mooring buoys provide an excellent alternative to anchoring.  This one was provided free of charge by the Royal Norwegian Boating Federation and was particularly easy to attach to, as the metal loop was raised on a pole to just above deck height. 

Still mooring at Helløya 

Kittiwakes and terns were darting all around us and the spot was idyllic.  Free from any rain clouds at that point, and with most of the afternoon still ahead of us, Stuart decided that he was on a mission to clean the hull!  Soon the wetsuit was on!  With gloves, boots, weightbelt (to counteract the buoyancy of the wetsuit), snorkle and various implements to scrape the hull he was soon immersed in the 12°C water.  I joined him and assisted with rubbing down and cleaning the waterline but, I have to say, my efforts were minimal in comparison!  There was still quite a cool breeze running (I think we forget that we're still in the Arctic circle sometimes) and I was firmly keeping my head above water!  Meanwhile Stuart was spending most of the time fully immersed, scraping and cleaning the full depth of the hull!  

Fortunately, as a result of our earlier motoring, we had a decent supply of very hot water and once the job had been completed, we were soon rinsed down, warmed up, and the various gear had been hung out to dry.  We enjoyed a very relaxed evening, with the chatter of the kittiwakes beside us, occasionally breaking out into more of a hurried cacophony as it was clear small fish were being channelled into the pool on the rising tide and a temporary feeding frenzy was on the go!

Kittywake feeding frenzy

That night was so calm, I'm not sure that Evolene would have moved far, even if not tethered to the mooring buoy!  In the morning we waited for a rain shower to pass, then moseyed out of the small archipelago, rounding the pool to the south and passing a length of cliff where there were hundreds of kittiwake nests.  We headed south, enjoying a mixture of sailing and motor-sailing and noting Evolene's improved performance with her cleaner and much more smooth hull.  Our destination was Harstad - the second largest city in Troms county, after the city of Tromsø.

It was purely a coincidence that we would be arriving on a Friday but, as a result, we decided to turn it into a bit of a weekend celebration, marking an approximate halfway point in our travels - a couple of weeks shy of three months since we moved aboard and finally turning our bow southwards.  We chose, therefore, to indulge ourselves with a meal out (and not just fish or burger and chips) and ventured out to the nearby restaurant, Bark, and what a treat it was!  The staff were excellent, the panoramic view of the Vågsfjorden was stunning and the food absolutely exquisite.  Such was our decadence, we even enjoyed a dessert each!  And luxuriated in such a lovely evening looking back over our adventures so far and thinking about future plans!

Halibut in hollandaise at Bark

The buzz in the city continued well into the evening with boats continuing to come and go.  The next morning Stuart nipped out for a run whilst I caught up with some boat jobs and then he gamely joined me in visiting the local sauna that is situated in the harbour!  Whilst the sauna can accommodate up to 10 people, we had it fully to ourselves and spent the next forty or minutes or so, alternating between cooking in the dry, hot sauna and then jumping, plunging ourselves from the pontoon (the sauna itself is situated at the end of one of the harbour's pontoons) or from the roof of the sauna, into the cold, arctic circle waters!  Refreshing, invigorating, our skin would tingle following and despite the boost of the sauna warmth, I still don't think I could stay in the water much longer than 30 seconds in just a swimsuit!

Sauna with a view

With the sun still shining it was time to slip our lines again and start winding our way further south.

Sauna as we left Harstad