Spring at 67°N: Cold Sailing Towards Bodø | Ep. 93

A cold and choppy spring passage on the Norwegian coast turns into a full day of sailing, snow slush, hiking, fishing, and an unexpected meeting with a remarkable traditional boat crew. In this episode, we continue south along the coast of Northern Norway aboard Polaris, our 46ft liveaboard sailing yacht. With a gale warning due later in the day, we push on early to get across before the weather deteriorates. The sea is lumpy, the wind is unsettled, and Kathrin is still growing her sea legs on our first proper open-water passage of the season. After a cold, wet motor-sail through snow slush and northern swell, we explore a wild anchorage from the Norwegian Cruising Guide, stop for a quick fishing attempt, and head ashore for what was meant to be a moderate hike — but turns into something steeper, wetter, and more demanding than expected. The highlight of the day comes when we meet Skårungen, a 43ft traditional open wooden fishing boat from Fosen Folk School. Her mostly female crew are rowing and sailing 740 nautical miles from Trondheim to Lofoten and back, living cold, damp, and exposed in a way that keeps Norway’s coastal boatbuilding and fishing traditions truly alive. We finish the episode sailing towards Bodø, trying the spinnaker in light following wind before eventually returning to the engine and arriving alongside Skårungen in harbour. Join us next time as we reach the Helgeland coast — one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in Norway, with remote islands, white beaches, and mountains rising straight from the sea. 📘 Norwegian Cruising Guide We also co-write and publish the Norwegian Cruising Guide — a harbour and anchorage guide for sailors exploring the Norwegian coast. Find practical information about harbours, anchorages, approaches, facilities, and local cruising details for Norway: https://www.norwegiancruisingguide.com We are Kathrin & Daniel, a sailing couple living aboard Polaris Helvetica. After leaving our land-based life behind, we refitted Polaris into a liveaboard cruiser and set sail north to explore Norway, the Arctic Circle, Svalbard, and beyond. ⛵ Watch next: Arctic Norway sailing playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvz1BYeqYWQ&list=PLVXrwdYRGthc&pp=0gcJCeECOCosWNinsAgC Boat tour of Polaris Helvetica: https://youtu.be/4HuXWp3PxR4?si=xRddE1KlsQxdrlAl Previous episode: https://youtu.be/dm3lm92nAaw 🌐 More from Sailing Polaris: Website: https://www.sailingpolaris.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingpolaris Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18xwSXRkMy/?mibextid=wwXIfr Contact: dan@sailingpolaris.uk 📍 In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:25 Sailing in choppy seas 03:00 Swell, seasickness, and sea legs 06:48 Snow slush and a wet Norwegian spring 07:40 Exploring a wild anchorage 10:24 Fishing for dinner 10:45 Hiking after the rain 12:00 Wrong turn on the trail 13:00 Steep climb to Middagshaugen 16:50 Meeting Skårungen 18:58 Sailing towards Bodø 21:06 Spinnaker attempt in light wind 22:34 Arriving in Bodø 23:00 Next time: the Helgeland coast Keywords: Arctic sailing, sailing Norway, Norwegian coast, Norway anchorages, Norwegian harbours, sailing Northern Norway, high latitude sailing, liveaboard sailing, sailing couple, fjord sailing, yacht cruising, Norway by sailboat, Arctic Circle sailing, sailboat life, remote anchorages, cruising guide Norway. #ArcticSailing #SailingNorway #NorwegianCruisingGuide #NorwegianCoast #AdventureSailing