In Bodø, during the three days after our arrival, we took care of Anori: some maintenance work, a thorough cleaning – and we waited for a replacement parts shipment that took its time. At the same time, we inquired about a winter berth. After rejections from Tromsø and Finnsnes, we finally secured a spot in Bodø from September to April. The city is easy to reach in any case, and Anori will be reliably looked after during our absence.
The only drawback: Bodø is exposed to the wind. Winter storms from the southeast can really whistle through the harbor.
Since early August, the weather has changed, and the picture-perfect summer seems to be over.
Once everything was arranged in Bodø, we sailed – with a stop in Kjerringøy – to Sørvågen in the Lofoten. The crossing over the Vestfjord showed two faces: in the first hours, barely any wind, chaotic seas between islands and rocks, with flapping sails. But as soon as we reached open water, the conditions settled – and we were met with surprisingly good sailing conditions. Contrary to our original north-to-south route, we headed for the southern part of the Lofoten due to the wind direction.
On our first day in Sørvågen, we take a walk to Å and continue into Lofotodden National Park. The following day, we cycle along the road to Reine and Hamnøya. Choosing Sørvågen as our base proves to be the right decision: quiet enough to slow down and breathe, close enough to reach the main tourist highlights—and always offering the option to retreat to the small, peaceful harbor when it becomes too busy elsewhere.
From Sørvågen, we continue on to Ballstad. There, we hike up Nonstinden, 450 meters high, enjoying wide-ranging views over the mountains and the sea in still pleasant weather. Hardly back on board, the rain sets in.
Next stop: Henningsvær. We tie up at the guest pier of the Fiskekrogen—a choice we regret during the night, even though the dinner is genuinely excellent. Winds of up to 30 knots set the pier structure creaking and swaying; restful sleep is out of the question, and we are relieved that everything holds. The next day, we explore the island, walk across the famous football pitch, and visit the KaviarFactory, a privately run art gallery.
We continue on to Kabelvåg, where we visit the Lofoten Cathedral, hike around Stor-Kongsvatnet, and explore the Lofoten Museum in Storvågan. After that, we sail to Skrova, which surprises us with beautiful white sandy beaches. Overall, the weather has deteriorated noticeably over the past few weeks, but we were mostly lucky with our hikes.
From Skrova, we set off on the final leg of the season back to Bodø. By mid-August, summer is clearly over in northern Norway, so we head straight into our winter berth earlier than originally planned.
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