LOFOTEN OR BUST PART 4

Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands

- Per Harrtoft

TRONDHEIM TO SILDA

After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.

It’s a 30-mile trip just to get out of Trondheimsfjord, the fjord where the city itself is based, and further still to the outer archipelago where our next destination of Veiholmen lies. The channel leading to the sheltered little harbour in the middle of the island is extremely narrow and winding but it’s worth it to reach this gem of a place. We have arranged to meet up with our friends Micke and Cina on their Grand Banks, and we spend a lovely afternoon together at the Smira fish restaurant, enjoying the stunning sea views and sharing tales of our adventures.

Later on that evening, my friend and crew mate, Jörgen, and I continue our cruise through the archipelago and back out into open water all the way to Molde, another small town with a sheltered location on the mainland.

After a peaceful night and a thorough wash and sort-out of our inflatable tender, we make time for a relaxed brunch on the pier before continuing south on a pleasantly calm sea. By 4pm we are approaching the infamous Stadpeninsula for the second time on this trip.

To avoid the notorious tidal race, we head offshore on a northwesterly course for two miles before tracking round the peninsula in 2m following seas.

Pleased to have put that challenge behind us, we slow down and try our fishing luck over one of the local shoals, where we swiftly reel in three good-sized cod on our newly purchased jig.