August 5, 2026  - The Lofoten Peninsula

Last year, when Nico and I first cruised the west coast of Norway, we got as far north as the Svartisen Glacier before heading back to Bergen. We enjoyed sailing and hiking the Helgeland area so much that we didn't push to reach the Lofoten Peninsula. Locals had warned us that it was beautiful, but overrun by tourists. However, once we were home, so many people asked us if we had made it to Lofoten. So our goal was to make it this time around.

Lofoten delivered. It truly is an area of mind-boggling scenery. And yet, I have mixed feelings about it. The mountains are so high and jagged that I had a feeling the land was out to get us. There were no cozy harbors or beaches. The terrain was grey rock and jagged peaks with snow in August. The scale was so grand that we felt quite small and powerless in our little sailboat. I can't even imagine what the place is like in winter, and yet there is a huge winter cod fishery. They still go out in the winter months and dry the fish on wooden racks like the old days. Men have plied these waters in small boats for generations. We felt the power of the ocean as we rolled on North Atlantic swells.

And it has mobs of tourists. There is one road connecting the islands via a series of amazing Norwegian tunnels and bridges. Camper vans traveled down the road like white army ants. The prices were higher than the rest of Norway because tourists were willing to pay. The towns were all trying to make money off the visitors by offering high-speed jet boat tours to seabird islands and down fjords, fishing trips on restored herring boats, and kayak rentals. The locals had the attitude of those who have experienced a long summer of catering to tourists. We got up at 6:00 one morning to get on the trail of a famous hike before the crowds. The day before, we saw a steady line of hikers, like the pictures you see of climbers heading up Everest with a good weather window. It happened to be raining that morning, so we practically had the mountain to ourselves, - and the clouds lifted in time for the views.

The harbor of Reine, our first stop after crossing the forty miles from the mainland.

The view from our cockpit. Pictures do not convey the scale of these cliffs.

There were drying racks for cod all over town. They are still used to dry the fish during the winter fishery.

View from our hike. I must admit that I got this far and had a major case of vertigo. I sat there happily, having a zen moment, while Nico nipped up to the summit. 

This is what we were going up. Once again, I'll say that the picture does NOT show how steep it was! At this point, the stone steps, placed by Sherpas, ended, and it was a scramble on wet rocks. Not for me.

Nico's view

Far and Away in Nusfjord. This used to be a fishing port, but now it is owned by a resort. It has a fancy gallery, cafe, restaurants, museums, and they rent the classic red fishing shacks to tourists.

They are built around the boulders.

...and over the harbor.

Some of the buildings were filled with old fishing gear

And one had a whole minke whale skeleton and the whaling gear left over from one family.

Dramatic scenery and clouds, as we sailed to Hopen

Everywhere we looked, there were soaring peaks and dramatic cliffs

The geology was fascinating. You can really understand why they believe in trolls. I saw jagged faces in peak after peak.

Then we went down Trollsfjord, a 3 km fjord that is about 300 feet across. It was insane, and yet one small cruise ship/ferry goes down and somehow manages to turn around. 

It was so steep it seemed to lean over us. There was a "caution, falling rocks" sign as we entered.

The moss and bushes seemed to ooze over the rocks.

At the end

Heading back out

Around the corner from the Trollfjord we found a nice anchorage.

The light played on the surrounding mountains

The next day we headed north towards our final destination - Tromso.

July 24, 2026 Eider Ducks

In 1979, I worked for a summer on a treeless bird sanctuary on an island off the Quebec North Shore, just 100 miles south of the Labrador border. The scenery, geology, and culture were, in many ways, similar to northern Norway. That summer I discovered that in the harsh Arctic environment, female Eider ducks make their nests by plucking the soft down feathers from their breasts. The down feathers have tiny hooks on them which create an amazing insulating layer for the eggs and chicks. 

Far and Away is now tied up to a wharf on the island of Vega. The area is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site because of the tradition of islanders harvesting the down after the ducks leave the nest. They clean the fluff and create incredibly warm duvets. One duvet takes approximately 60 nests and over a week to clean the material. The women pick the down to remove sticks and feathers, and then they put it on a "harp". They vibrate the strings with a wooden mallet to remove finer particles. Over the years, they have created an almost symbiotic relationship with the ducks. They build dry little shelters for the females to nest in. They claim the birds like the human presence.

So, during the summer months, these small out islands are off limits to visitors, except in very controlled circumstances, so the birds can nest in peace and the long-standing tradition of gathering the down can continue. In case you are interested, one duvet costs around $6,000 and some, depending on how much down is used, cost over $10,000.

Here is a website about it: lanan.no (change to English in the menu)

Old photos of children tending the nests.

Old boats are used as duck houses

A typical duck house, although they also nest under sheds and houses.

The harp, used to clean the down, by strumming the wires

The lovely town of Kirkoy, where we are tied up.

7/22/26 Summer Attire in Norway

We have been reading about the terrible heat in the US this summer, so I thought I'd list what I've been wearing this summer in Norway. Let's take yesterday, for example. It was raining as we made the passage from Sorjerfjorden to Leka, north of Rorvik. We are at Latitude 65.26, about 65 miles south of the Arctic Circle, which is at 66.33.

Starting from the inside out - merino wool bikini underwear (don't knock them until you try them. I LOVE mine), hoodie base layer top, Eddie Bauer light fleece top, Patagonia sweater-style fleece top, Under Armor thick exercise pants, lined English hiking pants, Gill offshore rated bib rain pants, English Gull offshore foul weather jacket, Darn Tough wool socks, West Marine sea boots, a buff, gloves  (I went through two pairs which got soaked so Nico and I resorted to sharing waterproof fisherman's gloves with a liner.) and to top it off, the thickest, most wonderful Norwegian fisherman's hat made by Devold. On days it is not raining, I eliminate the outer foul weather gear but sometimes wear light rain pants to cut the wind. I sound like a real influencer. Perhaps my readership will jump to over 50!

Here are some pretty pictures as we sail up the coast from Bergen to Bronnoysund

Strusshamn

Typical views as we motored along

I don't know the name of this anchorage, but it was typical of several we stopped in for the night.

Mind-boggling scenery on the Froysjoen

The former trading post of Rungsund

The view from the top of the hill on Rugsundoya

The famous Hornelen cliff

The town of Alesund. Most of the town burned in 1906 and was rebuilt, with the help of Kaiser William of Germany, in the Beaux-Art style.

Details of some of the Beaux-Art architecture
 

The town from the top of the hill that had 418 steps.

We tied alongside an old fish trading post, now an inn and party venue, called Rungsund on a gorgeous evening. We visited it last year.

The old fish drying rack and an example of a sod roof.

There was a wedding the night we arrived, and the place had festive flags all around. Many of the young men were in naval or cadet uniforms, and the women all wore long, pastel colored sleeveless dresses while we were bundled in layers of fleece.

Coastal fishing village of Uthaug

Detail of the bell for an old school in Uthaug

Old school building in Uthaug

Our anchorage in Sorjerfjorden

A sculpture on one side and a climbing wall on the other in the town of Bronnoysund