Norway, Spitsbergen and Groenland

Norway is a mountainous forested land, with deep dramatic fjords cutting into the coast: one of the most beautiful sceneries in the world.

Norway is a destination restricted to very few 'yachties'. There are no bare boats on offer and hardly a few crewed yachts . See the enthusiast comments of the captain of M/Y Tivoli hereunder. Although the number of cruising boats visiting the northern part of Norway is still small, mainly because of the short sailing season and unreliable weather, there has been a marked increase in the number of yachts attracted to cold water cruising. A popular destination beyond continental Norway is Spitsbergen (Svalbard), which is visited by over 20 yachts each summer.

There are a few scheduled sailing cruises every year, both on crewed sailing yachts and on traditional rigs . An alternative way to visit Norway is by taking one of the postal coasters, like NORDNORGE .

A chain of islands stretching parallel to the western coast and extending almost as far as the North Cape provide sheltered waters for cruising. The majestic fjords are less suited for cruising as the anchorages are extremely deep and the winds alternate between flat calms and can at times experience violent gusts blowing almost vertically down the sides of the sheer cliffs.
Ny Ålesund in the Spitsbergen prides itself for being the northernmost settlement in the world.

Summer weather beyond the Arctic Circle, both in continental Norway and further north, is unreliable. Visibility can sometimes be poor, with low mist. Winds can be occasionally strong and the weather can change very suddenly.

"We have been in Norway for about a month now and have had an amazing experience exploring the fjords. We've (..) have cruised the area between Bergen and Floro extensively and must say that Norway has exceeded all our expectations. The landscape is incredibly beautiful and the people extremely friendly. We think it would be the ideal area for a charter and are yet to come across a yacht like Tivoli chartering up here. We feel it is a life time opportunity to experience a charter on Tivoli in this area and would like to invite (.) to join Tivoli in Bergen for a 2 week charter.
Alternatively, we are leaving Bergen tomorrow enroute to Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. This is going to be a very interesting trip and I would also like to suggest a two week charter to (.) from Stockholm to Oslo with a visit to Copenhagen.
Kind Regards Toby Gitsham"

See : www.fjords.com