Motor Boat & Yachting — August 2017

By now, I had come to realise that

Norway is one of the most beautiful

countries on the planet

Just one example of

the varied lighthouses

protecting this coast

John watches the plotter

carefully while picking his

way through the islands

Even the rockiest of

outcrops are home to

some form of dwelling

At our anchorage that evening, crossing the Circle had to
be recorded in another way – jumping off the stern into the
sea. Probably my shortest swim ever! But we’d made it: a crazy
plan hatched beside the pub fi re in Cornwall six months ago
had become a reality.

WORTH THE WAIT
Norway is far closer to the UK than the Med, but few boats ever
venture there. The longer I spent there, the more I questioned
why that was the case.
It’s an incredible cruising ground – deep fjords run more than
100 miles inland, innumerable offshore islands mean that there
are hundreds of miles of sheltered cruising opportunities along
the coast, and the lure of the north, with its iconic coastal towns
and villages, majestic scenery, spectacular mountains, and clean
clear waters, is simply unavoidable.
By now, I had come to realise that Norway is one of the most
beautiful countries on the planet. Okay, it doesn’t quite have
the Mediterranean weather, but thanks to the Gulf Stream, the
climate is not truly Arctic. And in midsummer its days never end.
The further north we voyaged and the closer to the height of
summer we were, the longer the days became. We were now in
the land of the midnight sun, and although still several weeks
from the summer solstice, the sun never really seemed to set.
Boats are an integral part of the Norwegian lifestyle. Along the
fjords, just about every property has its own jetty or boathouse.
Tiny islands will have houses on them; larger island communities
rely on their boats and ferries for every essential. Commuting to
work by boat is commonplace. Because of impassable mountains
and fjords sometimes slicing as far as 100 miles inland, transport
of goods by sea is far more sensible and cost effective than by road.

Fishing boats large and small exploit the rich cod stocks of these

northern climes, while the sheltered waters of the fjords and inner

lead are a pleasure-boating paradise. Sail, waterski, windsurf,

jetski; there is unlimited space to enjoy any and every watersport.

There is also an exceptionally good infrastructure to support

this boating lifestyle. We never once needed to rely on the extra

fuel that we had brought from home. Even the tiniest islands and

harbours had credit card-operated 24/7 petrol and diesel pumps.

PRINCESS TO NORWAY

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