Hurtigruten cruise ship
Islands around Sommaroy
Views around Sommeroy
Unusually there was another sailing boat on the pontoon in Tromso – a Westerley ocean voyager en route for North Cape and owned by a couple from Yorkshire – they had been very helpful when we berthed yesterday so we invited them and their crew over for coffee. Like us they had been put off going to Spizbergen by the necessity to be armed and the prospect of a long drive caused by lack of wind.
We set off rather hastily about 1pm when we remembered that we had to go back through the narrows south of Tromso where the current runs fast. We calculated we just had time to get there before the tide changed but all calculations are based on estimates of high and low tide using our excellent tide clock. As usual no wind but occasional breezes on the nose, calm and overcast. We got there to find the tide still running in our favour and inevitably met the virtually the only boat we saw all day in the middle of the narrowest bit – it was the Hurtgruten (pronounced hootierooter) the daily cruise ship that goes from Bergen to the Russian Border each boat taking 5 days.
At the end of Malangen sound which is overlooked by German second world war fortifications, we turned north for Sommaroy (69⁰38’N 18⁰00’.2E) The book says ‘in settled weather a delightful detour can be made’ to the islands on the NW corner of Kvaloy. We got to this beautiful sheltered little harbour after some intricate rock hopping – the sort of challenge Christopher really enjoys! The friendly fisherman on the pontoon had just got back from a fishing expedition and showed us their catch – several enormous halibut - about 130 cms!
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