Bodø to Trondheim, including Myken, Rødøya and Lovund

28/7/25 - 6/8/25

Wow, what a week!  I had planned to update this blog after Lovund but weather required us to scamper south and put in a few longer days of sailing to reach Trondheim before the remnants of Storm Floris blew through.

After saying goodbye to Rory, Katharine and Oscar the boat felt oddly empty!  We had become so used to living onboard as the five of us, it was suddenly back to just Stuart and me for company... just as well we had lined up drinks with fellow cruisers later in the evening!  We had crossed paths with Graham of Impaler back in Orkney when he took some beautiful drone footage of our departure from our anchorage at Kirk Sound and then again in Lerwick, but as we headed north east out of Lerwick to Ålesund he was going due east to Bergen.  Having gone our different ways and explored our various routes, this was to be his last night in Norway before heading to the Faroe Islands and it was great to be able to spend time with him and his crew before they left.

The next morning was very leisurely.  I finalised our blog update whilst Stuart did some tweakments to the boat, including adjusting the oil levels in the gearbox to improve hopefully the transitions from reverse to forward.  With the wind filling in mid-afternoon, we slipped our lines (missing the extra assistance from our previous crew members to put away fenders and lines etc. - Stuart had become accustomed to doing 'just' the steering when leaving port!) and headed south to the anchorage where we had spent the first night with Rory, Katharine and Oscar.  This time though, following a cool breeze enroute, later arrival and water temperature of 16°C compared to the 22°C of the previous week, we chose to give swimming a miss this time round!  

Well camouflaged sea eagles chatting

With a 7.45am departure we were soon on our way again, south west, heading towards a small outcrop of islands 20 miles offshore.  The main one, Myken, is less than 1km long and has only 15 or so residents but the community is managing to sustain its incredibly remote existence through the building of the world's first arctic whisky distillery.  We had already bought my brother a bottle for his birthday a few weeks back (sorry for the spoiler, Mark!) knowing that, due to Norway's alcohol licensing laws we wouldn't be able to buy direct from the distillery, but we felt it was incumbent upon us to go and explore its provenance first-hand!

Atmospheric clouds enroute to Myken

The passage to Myken was 40 miles in total (taking approximately 6 hours) and whilst the wind was slow to fill in at first, soon we were skipping along.  The sea conditions were choppy, the sky overcast, but the wind steady and we were able to do most of the journey under full sail.  The entrance to the channel for Myken is narrow but largely protected from the swell of the sea.  As we approached we furled the genoa but with 95% of it away, the motor for the furler packed in.  Frustrating but at least most of the sail was away.  Another thing to add to the expanding list of boat parts needing looked at (alongside the gearbox and chart plotter).  

Myken village

We secured Evolene on the visitors' pontoon and then Stuart proceeded to investigate the furler.  Diagnosis: "the ****ing, ****er is ****ed" (teeth of the motor stripped).  It had been noisy since we bought the boat three years ago, so it had likely been on its way out for some time.  Fortunately we have a couple of work arounds for the electric genoa furler (using the rotating element of a drill to wind the mechanism or a continuous line on a drum that can be attached).  Both of these options, however, require to be operated at the bow and so we were keen to get the wheels in motion and investigate securing a replacement part.  Initial enquiries were promising and it looked like we could effect a repair if we were to head back into Trondheim on our way south.  On the plus side, now that we were south of 67°N latitude we could cancel our enhanced boat insurance premium for the arctic circle and get a small but welcome rebate!

Furler tended to, it was time to explore Myken!  It really is a small outpost in the middle of nowhere but with pretty houses and a lovely community feel.  We wandered up to the Whisky Katedral - a spectacular glass-fronted building, designed to house the maturing barrels of whisky and provide a space for whisky tasting and to learn more about this innovative enterprise.  At this point it was getting late in the day and it looked like the place was about to close.  However, with huge thanks to Roar for accommodating us, we managed to nip in and try a couple of the drams (delicious!) and see the interior of the truly stunning building. Roar told us about his history - he had previously been a chemistry professor and came to Myken, by boat, with his wife 17 years ago and never left.  They set about building the distillery, which is now sustaining life on Myken for the whole community.  His passion for his craft shone through, as did his commitment to Myken.  Both of us felt very lucky to have met him, hear first-hand the history of the distillery, and for the very impromptu whisky tasting session!  

Whisky Katedral

Another day, more places to explore!  With glorious sunshine once more, we motored to the island of Rødøya.  In the distance we could see the distinctive outlines of Hestmona and Lovund islands.  Hestmona is a notable landmark for us as it signalled our approach from the south towards the Arctic circle line.  We truly were edging our way south.  With the incredibly calm conditions the wildlife was out and much easier to see.  A minke whale joined us briefly and as we approached Rødøy from the west, seven or eight eagles soared above.  Our immediate presumption with eagles these days is that they are sea eagles but, no, these were golden ones!

Rødøya is charming and genteel in comparison to the beautiful isolation of Myken.  Arriving in mid-afternoon, with the sun still beating down, we caught up on laundry, enjoyed a coffee and slice of apple cake at the hotel cafe at the top of the pontoons and then, whilst Stuart's focaccia was proving (a total experiment with deliciously tasty outcome!), we enjoyed a much needed refreshing swim in the bay!  Boats were coming and going all throughout the evening and there was a lovely summer holiday vibe to the place.

Laundry day

Focaccia before

Focaccia after

The next morning was humid and forecasted to grow even warmer so we made an early start up the trail behind the hotel to the top of Rødøyløva.  It's a popular hiking trail and clearly a favoured summer destination for Norwegians also.  As with the most commonly used trails that we have encountered so far, most of the ascent has been converted into steps (by Nepalese Sherpas), for safety and to protect against erosion.  The first half of the trail is amongst the lush greenery of the hillside and then it opens up into the mountain plateaus and ridges for the second half.  The view from the top is spectacular.  The sheer cliff face plunges vertically downwards and the expansive array of skerries and islets opens up to the west, with sandy beaches edging the island and crystal clear water shimmering in the sunlight.

Rødøyløva looking west

Rødøyløva looking south

Back on board Evolene it was time for a quick dip and lunch before we were on the move again, destination Lovund.  We sailed south and soon we were approaching the line of the Arctic Circle once more.  In contrast to the conditions when we sailed north and it was grey and wet, the sun was shining and just as well as were both feeling somewhat forlorn at leaving behind such a magical area.  But with cruising life there is always so much to see and explore, we knew the next adventures would not be far away, and we do hope and plan to be back one day. 

Approaching Lovund

After 25 miles we arrive in Lovund, an island renowned for its substantial puffin colony of 200 - 300,000 birds.  The eastern edge of the town is quite industrial but we were able to secure a space alongside the museum pontoon and enjoyed the evening sunset, with the sound of the kittiwakes chattering in the background.  In the morning we went for a short walk up to see where the puffins would be but we knew it was late in the season for them and there wasn't much of a view given the low cloud.  That said, the walk was pretty and we did see three very cute, chubby voles!

Lovund museum pontoon 

By this stage we were firming up plans for our furler and had placed an order for a replacement mechanism that we hoped would arrive in Trondheim by Monday 11th.  This would consequently shape our sailing plans for the next few days as Trondheim was still 215 miles away.  Therefore, in rather grey, murky and still conditions we continued pressing south to an anchorage on the southern end of Tenna.  The bay is not listed as a recommended anchorage stop on most of the apps we use but we identified it through harbourmaps.com and it tuned out to be as expected - very comfortable, with good holding.  

The following morning the clouds had lifted and we were able to see the mountain range of the Seven Sisters to our east.  The Seven Sisters are part of the legends of the trolls of Helgeland and we missed seeing them when heading due to the weather (Troll mountains in Helgeland). The wind was forecasted to be light but with miles to chase down and a looming deadline emerging we needed to continue our journey south.  The aftermath of Storm Floris was due to be hitting our part of the Norwegian coastline on Wednesday and we were now very keen to be tucked up in Trondheim before then - both to shelter from the storm (and follow-on blows) and also to give plenty of time to sort the boat repairs.

Seven Sisters 

What we did not expect that morning was to be greeted by a pod of pilot whales within half an hour of leaving the anchorage!  Absolutely incredible and there were at least 15 to 20, going about their business very relaxed and not giving ourselves or another boat nearby a second thought!  We also didn't expect the wind which appeared during the course of the day and was very welcome.  It was a bit intermittent but that gave us plenty of opportunity to practice sail trimming, using the drill very effectively to furl and unfurl the genoa.  We stopped that evening in an anchorage on the north side of Leka which was pleasant but we were plagued by bluebottle flies!  And whilst they don't bite, thankfully, they do buzz very loudly, particularly in your ear, just as you're trying to get to sleep!  And then to cap it off.... the fridge stopped working!  These are definitely the less glamorous sides of boatlife!

New day, new start and whilst we could have done with a bit more sleep, there were miles to complete and weather to avoid.  Fortunately the fridge had decided that it was a new day for itself also and was back working again.  (We think something is getting stuck as the boat heels and it needs to be turned off for an hour or so after lumpy weather before it can restart again.)  We left shortly after 6 in the morning to head to an anchorage just south of Rørvik for a brief pit stop over lunchtime.  Stuart progressed various boat maintenance plans for Trondheim whilst I prepared meals that we could eat on the hoof over the next couple of sailing days.  We wanted to make the most of the wind that was coming through before Storm Floris and knew it was going to be a late sail so tried to get a kip in also.  However, it's much like preparing for your first night shift - the anticipation always tended to keep me awake more than the preparatory need for rest.  But even a small amount of rest is valuable and by about 3pm we were back on the move.

It was a motor to start with but soon the wind picked up and we could settle Evolene into sailing. Given her weight (16 tonnes) she is very sturdy in stronger wind conditions and with 20 knots gusting 25, she was in her element.  We had a phenomenal sail but with the peak of the blow scheduled to arrive at 2am with windspeeds of 30 knots gusting 40, it was time at midnight to find an anchorage for the night.  After a total of 80 miles that day and 12 hours on the move we pulled in to Harbak.  Following a scan of the bay with our searchlight to check for other boats and mooring buoys, we dropped the anchor, made sure she was secure and flopped into the saloon with a whisky and a port, and a number of squares of chocolate!  The wind was howling and Evolene was pitching in the waves but we weren't going anywhere until the morning and it was time to get some rest.

Evolene going like a train

One more day to go to get to Trondheim.  We had slept reasonably well despite the blow and all the associated creaks that you can hear on a boat in windy conditions!  As we continued south it was strange passing all the landmarks that we had seen as we had sailed north in June and thinking how far we had come in that time.  We know ourselves, each other and Evolene in so much more depth.  Norway has become a second home with navigating the essentials of daily living feeling second nature.  Our health and fitness have undoubtedly improved - we spend all day everyday outdoors practically - and a yomp up a 400metre mountain is merely a morning walk!  And whilst we do have boat repairs to make, Evolene has provided us with the most beautiful home, kept us safe and enabled such incredible adventures, with many more to come!

And here we are.  After another 64 miles and 11 hours of sailing we reached Trondheim last night, just before 8pm.  Unsurprisingly we both slept so soundly last night and were only gently nudged awake by the sound of the increasing wind this morning.  Storm Floris is currently overhead but boat and crew are safe and secure and plans are evolving for the week ahead!