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NorwayBetween the lecture theatre and freezing nights on board – A winter term on board

Jill Grigoleit

 · 21.07.2026

Living on board in sub-zero temperatures: After the crossing from Kiel, student Hannah is spending the winter term in Trondheim on board her Vindö 40, ‘Lilja’.
Photo: Hannah Hoven
YACHT reader Hannah Hoven sailed from Kiel to Norway on her Vindö 40 ‘Lilja’ to live on board there during the winter term and spend the summer north of the Arctic Circle. Her first experiences of solo sailing, a winter split between the lecture theatre and the icy ship’s sides, and the midnight sun over the Lofoten Islands in summer. Part 2: A winter term on board.

An article by Hannah Hoven

​I insulate the structure and stuff every gap with bubble wrap. In November and December, the temperature stays below minus 10 degrees, with a few exceptions. At times, it even drops to minus 15 degrees. The fan heater is running at full blast, but it’s still cold on board.

Between two worlds: evening wear on ice

Our degree programme’s Christmas party, the Julebord, takes place in December. After weeks of wearing practical clothes, I rummage deep into my small wardrobe. I feel for the trouser suit and give it a tug. It doesn’t budge. I pull harder. With a jolt, it comes loose from the side of the cupboard, to which it had frozen solid. As I’m already running late anyway, I simply put the suit on despite the lumps of ice and set off on my bike. Grinning, I sit amongst my fellow students in their dresses and suits. The ice is melting. The wet linen fabric sticks to my shoulder.

Everyday life in Norway: It’s less cold when we’re together

A cloud of steam rises as I pour the kettle into the small sink. I’ve only just got home and have switched on the fan heater. I’ll keep my jacket on for now. Washing up yesterday’s dishes is a welcome task. The warm water flows around my cold fingers. Yesterday, the five of us sat round the coffee table. I love having people round. Not just because it’s warmer than being on my own, but because it’s so cosy. But I’m just as happy to accept invitations ashore, and sometimes I bring my laundry bag with me, as there are neither reliable showers nor a washing machine at the harbour. Fortunately, there is a water connection that works even in winter. So life on a boat brings a bit of adventure to my everyday university life. And there’s one thing I’ve learnt this Norwegian winter: never go to bed without an electric blanket.

To be continued: In the third part of the story, Hannah sets off on a summer sailing trip to the Lofoten Islands with her “Lilja”.

Norway in winter – sounds like an adventure! Read another sailing log here:

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Jill Grigoleit

Jill Grigoleit

Editor Travel

Jill Grigoleit was born in Hanover in 1985. An early childhood memory is the large collection of YACHT and SURF magazines from her sailing and surfing enthusiast father. However, growing up in a small Swabian village on the Neckar, she had less to do with water sports in her childhood, apart from a few trips to the Baltic Sea with her family. After studying journalism in Bremen and Hanover, she went into television for a few years. Through a few lucky coincidences, she ended up on the water in 2011 and then returned to the written word professionally. For over ten years, she lived with her family on a houseboat in their own harbor south of Hamburg and wrote a book about houseboat building and life with children on the water. Since 2020, she has mainly been writing travel reports and features about people who live and work on and near the water for BOOTE. She has been a permanent member of the Delius Klasing water sports editorial team since January 2024.

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