Svolvær to Stø - our northernmost point

26/6/25 to 1/7/25

In general, we have not had to think as much about tidal streams compared to back in Scotland, but for our next hop up to Trollfjord, we needed to factor in the tide which meant a post-lunch departure from Svolvær.  The weather was very calm and sunny so we also planned a short fishing stop enroute.  We thought an hour would be sufficient but, again, no sooner than the lure was in the water and we'd hooked another large pollock!  Fish dispatched, gutted and filleted we were back on the move.

Fisherman's wife statue at the entrance to Svolvær.

Trollfjord is a spectacularly, steep-sided 2km fjord, situated towards the eastern end of the Lofoten Islands, accessible only by boat.  There is a pontoon at the head of the fjord that was established by the hydroelectric company to service the dam above.  When this is not in use by the company, other vessels are able to use it.  We arrived at about 5pm and were the first to berth but were joined by a couple of other yachts during the course of the evening which rafted outboard of us.

We took advantage of the beautiful evening and, following another delicious fish dinner, pan-fried with potatoes, we went for a 'walk' ashore.  We are realising that our definition of a 'walk' can vary greatly and this was definitely another fun scramble in places, complete with a few ropes anchored to the rocks to assist with the ascent and descent!  The route was well defined with red paint spots and 'T' marks (the Ts indicating that the path is a recognised national hiking route).  We climbed up a couple of hundred metres, finding a small snow patch on the way - our first within touching distance.  This entailed a short stop to make snow angels and play with snowballs!  Stuart managed to capture some drone shots and then we headed back down to the boat to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Trollfjord from above - boats for scale at the bottom

Leaving Trollfjord - cruise ship for scale in this one!

In the morning, we established that the outermost boat in the raft was keen to stay for the day so the middle boat and ourselves headed off to start making our way north again.  We managed to get a short, sporty sail in (the wind can be a bit fluky when channelled along fjords and between mountains) but as we were nearing the most narrow section of the Raftsundet strait, progress slowed against the tide and we decided to drop the anchor in a pretty bay for an extended lunch stop until the tide turned fair.  An unexpected bonus of this stop were two adorable seals playing in the bay about 40 metres away from us!  I could have watched them for hours!  

Once the tide turned it was time to continue north. Our only requirement for our stop that evening was to be north of Raftsundet so that we weren't tidally constrained the following day and, looking through recommendations from others, we decided to settle on a very picturesque anchorage at Skipøyosen (68° 29.1N 015° 11.9E).  It was a delightful spot to spend the afternoon and evening.  We explored the nooks and crannies of the bay from the kayak making the most of the high tide to access all areas!  There is something mesmerising about watching the life ongoing beneath the surface.  Even the various plant life can be fascinating and we also saw numerous crabs and a few flat fish, sending up a plume of sand as they scurried away from our eagle-eyed viewing!  

Skipøyosen anchorage

The animal life continued as we relaxed back on board.  Arctic terns were dipping and diving for their dinner around us and a further seal popped its head up to look at its new neighbours.  For dinner Stuart decided to get out the smoker, gifted to us as a Christmas present a couple of years ago but not yet used.... and it was an absolute triumph!  We used it to smoke the second fillet of the pollock caught the day previously and it produced the most delicious, succulent and tasty fish dinner that we have enjoyed yet!

Smoking in progress

The result!

For the next phase of our trip we were keen to explore the Vesterålen islands to the north of the Lofoten chain.  The wind forecast for the next few days suggested that it would be best done in a clockwise route but there aren't quite as many anchoring/harbour options on the western side and we knew that the first day would likely entail a substantial proportion of motoring but we hoped that we would be able to get at least some sailing in.  And we did try!  But it probably only lasted about 20 minutes in total!  Frustrating but part and parcel of cruising - balancing the desire to press on and explore new places whilst not always having optimal wind conditions for sailing and making that decision as to when you are content to motor and when you want to wait for better sailing conditions.

The western coast of Vesterålen has limited berthing and anchoring options compared to the other areas we have been in but has still been well worth visiting.  The wildlife for one, has been outstanding.  As we wound our way up from our anchorage to our first stop at Nykvåg we saw a couple of beautiful minke whales and then later on, phenomenal birdlife as we wound our way past the Nykvåg Nature Reserve.  There were puffins galore!  Swarming the cliffs on the surrounding islands and rafts upon rafts of puffins on the water.  In the beaks of many of the puffins flying past you could make out the fish stacked, ready for passing to their young.  Above sea eagles were soaring regally.  As we drew into Nykvåg, kittiwakes were nesting creatively in any rest spot they could find.

Nykvåg 

Creative nesting

The light winds continued the following day albeit from a better direction so we chose to make a short hop up the coast to Hovden.  As Evolene is a relatively heavy boat (I choose to use the analogy of a Range Rover - bit of a workhorse, heavy but incredibly comfortable - compared to lots of other boats that are lighter or more sporty), she does need a bit of wind to get going, particularly if the wind is coming from the aft quarters/behind.  If the wind is light and there is swell in the water, as it was that day, the auto pilot can struggle as it requires a lot of adjustments.  Therefore we decided to hand steer for a change and it was superb fun!  I took the helm but was incredibly grateful for Stuart's extra pair of hands and eyes to keep the sails trimmed as the wind was quite variable and to check potential hazards on the chart plotter as we were still close to shore and winding in and out of various skerries.

Both Nykvåg and Hovden are pretty fishing villages, with little tourism.  There are pontoons to berth alongside and no facilities but it has been really great to experience first-hand island life off the beaten track.  Curiously there hasn't been quite as much fishing vessel traffic as I thought there might have been.  The best time for cod fishing in Norway typically spans from late winter to early spring and therefore I think that little fishing from these villages takes place outwith this time frame, or it may be down to the summer holidays currently.  Either way, in both places there were spaces available for us to use in the main pontoon and no one came to ask us to move!

The last hop up this west coast was to Stø and again mother nature was thriving.  Cruising along in the somewhat grey and overcast conditions, we saw a fin!  And then another, and another!  We eased back on the throttle (another light wind day!), turned off the engine, and watched a pod of 7 or 8 orca, in majestic command of the sea, their distinctive black and white markings so incredibly breath-taking as they broke the surface of the water.  At their closest they were probably only 40 metres away and yet, wholly unbothered by our presence (thankfully!).  Through their movements, and with seagulls circling above waiting for spoils, it was clear they were hunting, at one point corralling their prey towards the steep sided skerries nearby.  A truly phenomenal experience that we have been incredibly grateful to see.

Orca!

Stø is another lovely secure harbour, with a fantastic 'walk' which was recommended to us by our friends from Gogarth.  We did a bit of research before heading out in the afternoon, by which time the clouds were starting to lift, and took note of "You can choose to start in either Nyksund or Stø, but we recommend that you always walk the mountain path towards Stø, and along the shoreline towards Nyksund due to some steep areas".  I'm not overly keen on a significant amount of exposure on mountain ridges and whist I've experienced and completed worse routes, I was very grateful to be slowly and steadily scrambling up the ridge and not trying to navigate down!  And, as we both reflected at the time, at least the thought required with hand and feet placement when scrambling, it completely takes your mind off the actual effort of ascent!  All in all, a superb 14km route and very grateful that we did it! 

Queen's Walk

We were particularly glad to have exercised our legs that day as the following one we were rather pinned in by the weather.  With a gale warning issued and unfavourable conditions forecasted we stayed put for the 1st July but with plans to start winding our way south again when we can - therefore making this our northernmost point of these travels!  Whilst that brings mixed feelings (so chuffed we have reached this far but at the same time it clearly brings a different change in direction), there is so much more we are champing at the bit to explore and see!