Travelling Norway: Winter cruise in the far north makes for magical days

Looking back at the jetty makes me smile: the wheels of my sailing bag have left a parallel track on the planks. Like a sledge track. In the snow. It's falling in thick flakes. The most unusual start to a charter trip for me so far, without question. When I finally stand at the stern of our Bavaria 51 "Arctic Wisdom" and see the snow-covered cake stand, my second thought is: it could get cold!

The sliding hatch opens and our Norwegian flotilla guide Vetle Ingerøyen sticks his knitted cap-covered head out: "Come aboard!" he calls. Down below, I'm greeted by cosy warmth. I had rather expected a semi-moist stalactite cave. Vetle reads my thoughts and explains with a grin: "We switch on the heating the day before the guests arrive. Then it's nice and warm. After that, it runs 24/7 for the whole trip, more or less." Sounds good!

Read also: Lysefjord harbours breathtaking natural wonders

There's a rumble in the cockpit. Max Barbera, co-sailor and organiser of the flotilla, heaves a huge bag of firewood on board: "For the sauna in the harbour, you often have to bring your own wood." A Norway cruise in winter has its own rules.

Thermal sailing suits on and heaters below deck

The idea for the unusual flotilla came to him when he was on holiday here a year ago and was impressed by the landscape, atmosphere and northern lights. "And as there is a charter company in Tromsø, I simply called and visited them. The owner spontaneously took me out into the fjords on his boat for two days! In winter!"

Thermal sailing suits help against the cold, a solid sprayhood and cake stand protect the cockpit, plus powerful heaters - so why not? At this time of year, Norwegians don't actually give boats to bareboat charter crews because of the winter storms. But if a local as leader adapts the route to the weather and decides where and how to spend the night, then they do.

What many people don't realise: "Winter is the main tourist season up here," explains Vetle, who is actually an engineer and became a skipper and base employee as a career changer. This is when the herring migrate to the fjords in dense swarms and the whales follow their prey. Winter is therefore high season for whale watching. And then there are the northern lights. This is how the idea of this flotilla was born, which was booked by five crews at once.

Another factor is the darkness: now, in mid-November, it gets light around 10 a.m., but by 2 p.m. the sun has already disappeared again. In a fortnight' time, it won't come above the horizon at all. Sailing in the Arctic Circle. Our flotilla of five sets off on the short crossing from the charter station in Eidkjosen to Tromsø's city harbour in the trickling snowflakes.

Five-hour battle against the weather in Norway

The city of 78,000 inhabitants lies almost 70 degrees north. Lushly lit, it stretches across two ridges on the island of Tromsø. A sound separates it from the mainland, which is spanned by a bridge. Despite the darkness, all the crews manage the first mooring. We are right in the centre with its old, colourful wooden warehouses, the Polar Museum and the modern sauna with a swimming area in the harbour basin. The town is young, lively and international thanks to a large university. We meet young French, Germans, Argentinians, Canadians and Asians at the base.

In the evening, all the crews meet in a bar, where guide Vetle Ingerøyen outlines the plan for the week: "Tomorrow it will still be blowing strongly, around 30 knots, unfortunately against the wind. We're moving almost 45 nautical miles to the north-east, staying in the shelter of the fjords as long as we can." There are often whales near the island of Skjervøya. A look at the Windy app shows what he means: on the open sea, it's choppy along the coast, but in the mountainous fjords, the wind dies down.

And so the next day, the flotilla bolts northwards against the wind and rough seas. It's freezing cold when you stick your head out of the sprayhood of the "Arctic Wisdom". Skipper Ulrich and his crew are always changing from the shelter to the wheel to steer. Onion-look sailing gear helps, ski underwear and gloves, hat, scarf and thick socks. Otherwise we go below deck to warm up, but the cold is more bearable than expected.

Five hours of struggle before we finally drop half-windwards and can sail into the narrow sound at Sandnes. It's like walking into a funnel into the mountains, which get higher and higher here. Mooring in the dark, then Vetle asks: "Who wants to go to the sauna?" Everyone, of course. And so follows the routine that will define the week: clear up, cook and then, sorted by boat, into the cosy warmth ...

Breathtaking encounter with orcas

The next morning, the wind has died down. The sun gives the mountains a slightly reddish glow. We cast off like a string of pearls and set course for the fjord to Lyngseidet. Each boat is soon in its own rhythm, the day's destination is clear, but everyone sails at their own pace.

The radio spits out a few crackling words from the loudspeaker. The short sentence electrifies the crew: "Arctic Njord for the flotilla. We're turning east, we've seen fins of orcas!" Everyone rushes to the cockpit side, scanning the horizon. There, perhaps a mile away, sails Ilya with the Hanse, the radio message came from him. A moment of mesmerised silence, then Max calls out: "There are dorsal fins!" Our skipper Ulrich turns round. As if on a rally, the five boats head towards the same point.

The black dorsal fins of the killer whales cut under from time to time, then dive again. They are surrounded by huge flocks of seagulls hoping to get a piece of the prey. Suddenly we see a second group of fins, then a third! As we approach, we begin to realise what our Norwegian guide had told us earlier: "The whales circle the schools of herring in groups, squeeze them into a huge, dense ball and then they shoot through the school from the sides and below and get a good mouthful of fish." We actually see the first orca breaking through the water from below with its mouth. Breathtaking.

Then the group changes direction and comes towards us. Everyone immediately stands at the bow and watches as the animals, still 80 metres away, appear, you briefly see the white and black bodies, then disappear again. You can't get too close to them. In the event of an encounter, the ship should stop slowly and ideally approach at an angle and from astern - so that they don't feel pursued. The code of conduct was provided in advance by the charter company in the form of a flyer.

The orcas pass us. Andrea, Ulli and Max stand at the railing, watch, take photos and enjoy the natural spectacle. On two other yachts, the whales even pass a few metres in front of the bow. The crews will be talking about it with shining eyes on the jetty in the evening.

Like in a cinema film set

More boats now appear, while our flotilla sets course for its destination for the day: deep into the fjord to the village of Lyngseidet. We have to be on time because we have a trip to the northernmost whiskey distillery in the world: Aurora Spirits.

The landscape looks like a monumental film set: The convoy of our five boats passes spectacularly steep, snow-covered mountain slopes that rise to over 1,600 metres. Andrea and her husband Ulli discover half-fertilised waterfalls, lonely log cabins and the occasional small village of red and white buildings. Although the sun has already set at two o'clock, twilight and snow-covered slopes create a diffuse, bluish light for even longer. It's like being on the set of a "Lord of the Rings" film.

Our group comes together again on the jetty in front of the small ferry and fishing harbour with the red houses. Austrian sailing instructor Jan from Attersee has a handful of his licence graduates on board.
The aluminium boat has a centreboard, extra-large tanks because it also sails to Spitsbergen in summer, and a cosy diesel stove in the saloon. In summer, he is tied to his sailing school, so an adventure like this is just the thing to balance things out, says Jan. His crew find the boat, which is unusual for charter sailors, extremely cosy. "When it gets cold, we ask the skipper to do a manoeuvre and then we crank ourselves up!" explains fellow sailor Thomas. On the other hand, it's always cosy below deck.

Whisky distillery in Norway

Or the Schiller family: Thomas is a doctor and has his children and family on board. How did he come to join the flotilla? "We actually wanted to sail to Cape Verde, in the warmth," he says. But then this offer came along - "and you don't get something this unusual every day." His crew is delighted with the whales.

Our detour to the Aurora Spirits distillery reveals one of Norway's little secrets: "Many of its inhabitants have been moonshiners for centuries, hjemmebrennt is still widespread here today," we learn during the tour. No wonder, given the high price of alcohol. So in 2017, the owner family came up with the idea of founding a whisky distillery based on the Scottish model.

The next morning brings a surprise: the cloudy weather slowly clears up. "The chances of seeing auroras are increasing significantly. We need starry skies and as much solar activity as possible, and both of these things will happen," explains Vetle, who also sails the expedition trips to Spitsbergen in the summer. But it will be cold: "The day after tomorrow it will be minus 14 degrees at night." The day's destination is the uninhabited island of Årøya. With a tiny pier, a shelter and, of course, a sauna.

On the way, the crews quickly learn another basic rule in the fjord: the predicted wind direction and the actual wind direction are two different things. Often it simply blows in the direction of the wind and into or out of the branches. The wind is channelled.

Scandinavian romance at its finest

At the entrance to the tiny island harbour of Årøya, flotilla leader Vetle gathers his flock in the wake like a mother duck. The approach is lined with many stones, we are told to follow directly. That way, everyone finds their way safely to the harbour.

While one half of the crew is getting the logs for the obligatory sauna out of the back boxes, the others are preparing the campfire and barbecue in the tiny shelter. LED fairy lights from on board, headlamps and torches later illuminate the interior. Everyone sits close together inside, enjoying the food they've brought with them, bottles clinking. Outside, people stand around the crackling fire and share their experiences of the day. Scandinavian romance at its best.

Which is framed by a sensational panorama the next morning: Directly behind the ships, the Koppangsfjellet mountain rises almost vertically to 1,300 metres and is bathed in sunlight. The perfect setting for a hike across the island. It was fortified by the German occupying forces during the Second World War and the buildings can still be seen today. The contradiction between the beautiful nature and the crude bunkers, which many prisoners of war lost their lives building, is somewhat thought-provoking in view of the troubled times in the world.

And then there are the Northern Lights?

Suddenly there it is, the day with a clear sky. The light mood changes immediately. The mountains now glow white, visibility is wide, the air becomes icier. We head out into the Lyngseidet fjord again. Our destination today is the centuries-old Hamnnes fish handling centre, the most northerly in the country. It breathes history. A small museum and an original historic general shop await you right on the jetty. Hege Bergfald Jakobsen is standing inside. The Norwegian is the go-to person for everything in this old place, which fishermen have used for centuries to sell their cod. "It hangs outside in my husband's drying racks," she says. She is also the harbour master, post office manager, shop assistant and sauna manager. She shows us the Sami wedding costume on display in the shop. "They have also been coming here with their reindeer herds in summer for centuries and travelling to the Finnish border in winter," she explains. They still lead a semi-nomadic life.

We ask who actually buys the stockfish: "A large proportion of ours goes to Africa. Stockfish doesn't need to be refrigerated, but it's a good source of protein! It's very popular there." What strange ways globalisation knows. But she has even more to say about life up here. For example, that the village is constantly shrinking and now only has 26 inhabitants. And what is an advantage in winter: "When the light fades with the polar winter, it is important that it snows as early as possible. The snow makes it so much brighter!" Especially with moonlight and starry nights.

Just like today: while we were cooking together in the lounge in the evening, there was a sudden knock on the hull of our "Arctic Wisdom". "Northern lights, come quickly!" Everyone rushes outside. At first you can only see it as a grey veil in the sky, then the green bands slowly develop, meandering directly above the masts of our boats and the historic buildings of the harbour. They become thinner, then come back stronger. This goes on for almost an hour. A group of sailors wrapped up in thick layers take photos and talk excitedly to each other. "How lucky we are, first orcas, now auroras!" Johanna Schiller can't quite believe it. But at some point it's over and everyone disappears below deck.

The snow shovel is ready

The thermometer now reads minus 8 degrees. In the harbour, the first ice is forming on the shoreline with a quiet crackling sound. Once again, the crews head for the sauna - which even has an ace up its sleeve here: an open-air whirlpool! Cosy warmth while it's freezing outside. The more hardened even jump into the water of the bay. Those who dare feel the cold like pins and needles after just a few seconds. Back in the warm pool, however, complete relaxation follows. A magical day.

For the return journey to Tromsø, Vetle briefs us differently than usual in the evening: "There'll be lots of snow tomorrow. You've got shovels and brooms in the back boxes. Use them! If it thaws on deck and becomes solid again, it will block the rollers and fittings." He was right: on the day of the return journey, the ships lay white on the jetty, the flakes getting thicker and thicker. Soon the autopilot is steering, because the helmsman can see almost nothing. The Norwegians are already issuing storm warnings over the radio. Once we are safely in the harbour, the boats and the landscape slowly sink into the snow.

Area information: Northern Norway

Journey

Flights with various airlines to Tromsø, including Norwegian low-cost airlines. Direct or with a change in Bergen, Oslo, Copenhagen. Flights usually cost 300-400 euros. Transfer to the base by bus in (20 minutes) for 4 euros or about 50 euros by taxi.

Charter

The charter company Boreal Yachting has decades of experience with charters in high northern latitudes up to Spitsbergen and is one of the pioneers of sailing in the region. The fleet comprises 7 monohulls from 33 to 51 feet in size (Delphia, Hanse 458 and Bavaria 50/5, Ovni 445) and one catamaran. Although some of the boats are older, they are in excellent condition, have powerful heating systems and fully enclosed cockpits. They are moored in the small harbour of Eidkjosen, a few nautical miles from Tromsø.

There are two flotilla dates in 2025, from 21 November and 28 November, each for one week. On the lead boat with skipper, a double cabin costs 1,660 euros/week per person, single occupancy 2,951 euros. Bunk bed cabin: 1,415 euros for two people, 2,459 for single occupancy. All inclusive of full board, harbour dues, diesel, bed linen, towels, final cleaning. Bareboat prices: Delphia 40: 7,612 euros/week, Bavaria 51: 8,039, Ovni 45: 8,473, Hanse 458: 9,507. Prices include flotilla fee, bed linen, gas, welcome dinner and final cleaning. Diesel consumption is quite high in Norway, as the heaters are constantly running.

• Info and bookings: Barbera Yachting, Tel.: 0931/73043090, info@barbera-yachting.de and barbera-yachting.com

Navigation & Seamanship

The fjords north of Trom-sø cut deep into the land and are surrounded by high, spectacular mountain ranges. The water is often deep, the bottom rocky, safe anchorages are rare and often not good. The average tidal range is around 1.5 metres. The harbour infrastructure mostly consists of small floating jetties for going alongside or marinas with finger piers, such as in Tromsø's city harbour. Sauna and associated sanitary facilities are available for a fee and are best booked in advance with the flotilla leader.

Currency & shore leave

One euro buys about twelve Norwegian kroner. You can pay for everything electronically on site, shopping facilities are sometimes limited in the small towns, good basic supplies are recommended at the beginning. The price level is high, 30-40 per cent more than in Germany is the general rule. The same applies to restaurants and alcohol. Harbour dues are usually paid by app or by card to cashiers who do their rounds in the evening.

Wind & Weather

The average temperature around Tromsø in November is slightly above zero degrees Celsius, and the water was still around six degrees during the trip, thanks to the Gulf Stream. But there was also a cold night with -12 degrees. Strong winds blow out at sea, the fjords are quite well protected, but a winter storm is still possible at any time.