We have just completed our third 10 night sailing holiday in the Lofoten Islands. We were pleased to be joined this week by more old friends.  Liz and Dave had previously sailed with us in Iceland, and Lynn and Geoff sailed with us last year in the Lofotens.  We were also pleased to meet Ian and Kay, who were joining us for the first time.   The first night as usual was spent getting to know each other and discussing the itinerary.

The itineraries on all of our trips are tailored to suit the weather forecast.  We are always listening to the weather, and make our plans to allow us to sail during the day time and find safe protected harbours for the nights.  We use many sources to gather our information, the navtext, the barometer, the clouds, the internet, the shipping forecast (in Norwegian) and the VHF radio.  The weather is only announced in English on the VHF radio if a Force 7 or more is indicated – so whenever we hear the announcers voice in English we immediately tune in.

The early indications for this trip were light winds on the first day, moderate winds for the next couple of days and then strong south westerlies.  We decided to spend the first fews days exploring the south side of the Lofoten Islands, and then when the southerly winds came to head north of the Lofoten islands and sail in the protection of the land and flatter water.

We sailed a total of 272nm this trip.  We spent our first few days visiting Kjerringoy, Reine, Nusfjord, Ballstad and Haversand.  Ballstad was new to us and what a find – with lovely walks ashore.

As we headed north via Trollfjord and through the narrows towards the north coast, the barometer started to drop like a stone and we realised that we were in for ‘a good blow’.  This was backed up by the VHF warning us of a ‘Temporary Gale force 8’, but when and how long for?  Our next navtext weather update had no mention of a Gale, which surprised us until we noticed that it was the forecast for yesterday.

We holed up in a quite peaceful anchorage in Brottoya, in flat calm, and wondered if we would escape the gale!  It came, all 45 knots of it, just as we were dishing up the dinner.  It was hold on to your wine glasses as the boat heeled sharply in the anchorage!  We can monitor the wind speed from down below, and saw a gust reach 53.  Time for the cheeseboard to take our minds off it!

I took a quick peek outside, and although it was flat in the anchorage, I could see rolls of white horses and surf breaking on the rocks that protected our anchorage – and another yacht heading in to shelter.  Glad we were here and not there.

As quickly as it started, the wind died, and by the time we had finished dinner and washed up it was all gone – I guess that’s what they meant by temporary!

We set off again and sailed to Stokmarknes for lunch before investigating another new anchorage at Nesoy.  We were surrounded by puffins as we crept in between the rocks to this tiny cove.

We continued our lookout for wildlife, and spotted many more white tailed eagles, but despite seeing lots of shoals of fish on the surface still didn’t spot any whales.  A conversation with a local told us that they are much further north this year.

Our last day before returning to Bodo was perfect.  We sailed 40 miles across from Heningsvaer in the Lofoten islands and anchored in bright sunshine off a white sandy beach.  After piling into the dinghy to go ashore, there was time for a swim and a snorkel before the barbeque was ready to cook our burgers.

We all ate on deck in T shirts with the warmth of the evening sun on our backs and after toasting marshmallows in the embers of the fire Ian entertained us with number games.

Back in Bodo now and it’s a ‘holiday weekend’ with a funfair set up in the middle of the square.  Richard has promised me a trip on the waltzers later!

Picture this!

10pm. We are sitting at anchor in a quiet secluded anchorage.  We spent the evening snorkelling and fishing.  Dinner is  over and the washing up done.  We are quietly reading and playing sudoko when there is a loud knocking noise on the side of the boat.  There, in a rowing boat, is a local from one of the few houses on the shore.  ‘Welcome, we would like to invite you to our house for a drink ‘.  How could we turn down such hospitality, and so armed with bottles of wine we clambered into his rowing boat and were ferried ashore to the family holiday house on their private island!  The house was warm and inviting, heated by a log burning fire and thermostatically controlled by opening and closing the door.  Apparently during the season there is about one yacht per night at anchor in the bay and these friendly people, attracted by our British ensign, wanted to know what had brought us to the Lofoten Islands, and how we heard about this tiny little anchorage.  In return we were entertained with stories of their lifestyle, whilst sampling their home made smoked salmon and dried fish.

This is just one of the memories of our second 10 night Lofoten Islands trip.

We had a great time, sailing 252 miles including 2 nights on the northern side of the Lofoten Islands.

Our first night on ‘The dark side’ , in the sheltered anchorage at Nordvagen, Dave went digging for cockles on the beach at low water.  Within the hour he was busy in the galley, gently steaming them in white wine before dishing them up on a bed of freshly caught seaweed as a starter.

We visited 11 different  places during our 9 days sailing,  a mix of fishing ports and isolated anchorages, including a stunning new anchorage to add to our list of favourites.  We sailed under 3 bridges this week and each time had to hold our breath as there never looks like there is enough room.  We saw many eagles and even an otter, but despite being on the constant look out, still no whales.

We had a mix of wind conditions, ranging from close reaching at 8 knots to motoring in glassy calm seas.  We gybed many times during the week but as we approached Bodo on our last day we realised that during the week we hadn’t tacked once!  Much to the bemusement of the boat behind us, for our last gybe of the trip, we went the long way round and tacked through the wind to a round of applause.

After so many nights of peaceful anchorages, it was a bit of a shock to the system to arrive back in Bodo on a Friday evening and be surrounded by people.  With everyone wondering around in T shirts and shorts, it certainly looks like the summer holiday season has started.  We joined the locals on the terrace and toasted the end of the trip with some well earned local Arctic Beer.

Due to a recent cancellation there is still a chance to join us in the Lofoten Islands for a 7 night holiday at a reduced price of £675, and one last space on the coastal cruise from Bodo to Bergen

Part of the  RYA requirement for a passage long enough to qualify towards a Yachtmaster Ocean certificate is that it should be 600nm by the log and a minimum of 96 hours at sea. As we gathered around the saloon table at the start of our last trip this was an important point to consider as we planned our passage from Madeira to the Azores.

The Azores are a group of volcanic islands situated approximately half way between Europe and America.  Although it is only 470nm from Madeira to Santa Maria, the closest island, it is a further 300nm to Flores and Corvo the westernmost islands.  Depending on the weather we would definitely be able to sail the 600nm by the log, but the question was – which island would we visit and when! As well as the RYA criteria to fulfill, we had to make sure we were in Ponta Delgada marina in San Miguel on 6th April to catch our flights!

Andy joined us this week full of beans and fresh from his ocean theory course, ready to practice with his sextant and take his sights.  Frances and Chris joined us to find out what long distance sailing was all about and would they take to it, and sadly, due to a last minute cancellation we were without our fourth guest, Charlie.

A quick look at the weather map showed Madeira right under a large area of high pressure, but also showed a low moving towards the Azores, how was that going to affect things.  We all agreed that deciding which island at this early stage would be too presumptive.  The best plan was to leave, set off towards the Azores (312T), sail for 96 hours, look at the log, look at the weather and decide where best to go then.  Full of the spirit of Adventure we all agreed this sounded good but we would spend the first day on a short sail to settle us all in to the routine on board.

Safety briefing complete, we left Quinta do Lorde marina late morning, waiting to take advantage of the afternoon sea breeze and enjoyed a fantastic sail to Funchal.  They are working really hard in the harbour here to clean up after the recent floods, and although the entrance was reported to have silted up there was still 3.5m at low water, plenty for us.

From Funchal we set off at noon, again waiting for a sea breeze, but as soon as we left the harbour instead of the forecast light winds we immediately found ourselves with a stiff westerly.  Hard on the wind on the starboard tack we sailed away from Madeira and away from the Azores, notching up 40 miles on the log before the wind shifted and we could head towards the Azores.  As the wind gradually shifted to a northeasterly force 4, Velvet Lady under full sail on a close reach was tearing down the dotted line on the chart plotter at 8 knots.  If this continued, we would have to do 700 miles just to stay at sea for 96 hours.

This is ocean sailing, and the thing to notice is how often the weather changes.  We continued at 8 knots for 48 hours, and then the wind gradually died away, and the speed dropped until we were ghosting along at 3 knots.  At just under 2 knots with the yankee wrapping itself around the forestay we gave up and motored hoping for the wind to pipe up again.  We continued through the centre of another high, mixing motoring with sailing until we made landfall on the eastern tip of  San Miguel.  As we approached the coastline the wind backed to the west again, to give us either a long beat along the coastline to Ponta Delgada, or a comfortable reach down to Santa Maria.  We had now done 100 hours at sea and 580 miles on the log.  Santa Maria at 40 miles away would crack the 600 mile barrier, so we freed sheets and headed south.  We arrived in Santa Maria at midnight – 108 hours and 622 miles from Madeira all on starboard tack.  We celebrated our arrival with a beer in the cockpit before heading off to bed.

During the trip Andy became extremely proficient with his sextant taking shots of the sun, moon, various stars and even Venus.  The saloon became a work station with sheets of paper everywhere, numerous graphs, plots and calculations as Andy worked out our position the traditional way.  The rest of us managed a bit more of a relaxing trip, sitting in the sunshine reading and completing crosswords (when not on watch of course).

Santa Maria is a beautiful island with a brand new marina.  The town of Vila do Porto is up a steep hill behind the marina, a lovely old town – so very real and Portuguese. Arriving on Easter Saturday, we visited the church which was beautifully decorated with white lilies.  We stayed in Santa Maria for Easter Sunday – or Chocolate Sunday as it became aptly named as we feasted on chocolate treats, some of us had given up chocolate for lent!

Easter Monday we sailed from Santa Maria to Ponta Delgada, a great broad reach on port tack in a SW6.  8 hours to complete the 56 mile crossing and then an extra one waiting for a ship to leave the harbour before we were allowed to enter!

A 4 hour day sail to Funchal, 108 hours sailing for our ocean crossing, 48 hours relaxing in the sunshine in Santa Maria, a few drinks and nibbles along the way, 8 hours sailing on the last day and a total of 700 miles in the log book, this is what cruising is all about!  Why not join us on a Blue Water Adventure later in the year.

I have just added two exciting new trips to our schedule for August 2010

Norwegian Coastal Cruise – Bodo to Bergen – 11 nights £1250 – route as above

Milebuilding Passage - Bergen, Norway to Plymouth, England – 15 nights £1295 – route below

Both trips are ideal for milebuilding, challenging sailing and practicing navigation towards your yachtmaster certificate.  Not only that, we will be sailing past some fantastic scenery and on the coastal trip from Bodo to Bergen have the opportunity to visit the Svartisen Glacier.

Don’t miss out – Why not check them out over the Christmas period!

Christmas week now discounted by 34% to £595 per person

Book as an individual or a group

Group discount available at the moment – Book for 6 and Pay for 5

Papagayo beach, Lanzarote – perfect for a lunch time swim

With only 5 weeks to go until Christmas we’ve decided to reduce the price of our sailing at Christmas week.  We’re already full for New Year.

Join us in Lanzarote from 20th to 27th December 2009  for a 7 night sailing holiday aboard Velvet Lady. 

We guarantee to run the trip no matter how many people have booked, so don’t be afraid to be the first.  Although we are dropping our price we will not be reducing our level of service and will still include everything as listed on our Whats Included Page

The Group discount will be available whilst there are 6 berths left.  Familes are welcome when booking the whole boat.

As of the 11th November there were flights available from UK for less than £100 return.  With a Sunday to Sunday turn around to co-incide with the package tour operators you should be able to get a flight to Arrecife from your regional airport.

For Christmas 2007 we were joined by a family of Mum, Dad, Gran and 3 boys, For Christmas 2008 we were joined by a married couple and 2 individuals.  We will decide the itinerary for the week to suit the weather and the people on board.

It was warm and sunny both years and we expect very much the same this year.  With the family we barbequed on Christmas Eve, climbed a Volcano on Xmas day before a full Christmas dinner, and sailed around Lanzarote in to the bargain – Read all about it in my blog. 

Why not join us for Christmas and let us worry about the festive preparations

Hope to see you aboard Velvet Lady

Lin and Richard

We have just spent two  very busy weeks in Plymouth, tidying up from our Norway season and preparing for our winter season in the Canaries.  We have been so busy that I have only  just found time to write a blog.

On our trip south from Dunstaffnage we again had strong winds, and although we had to shelter for two days in port we sailed 501 miles and visited the Isle of Man and Ireland, as well as the Isle of Mull.  There was plenty of night sailing and watchkeeping helped along by endless cups of tea and coffee.   

On this trip as on many others we were asked about how we keep up with the maintenance as we run such a busy sailing schedule, and Velvet Lady is in such good condition for her 23 years. 

We purposely build maintenance periods into our schedule, and our regular 2 week stops in Plymouth in May and September provide our best opportunity to stock up with bits we may need for maintenance jobs in the future. We keep a close eye on our sails and rig, our engine and generator, our winches and all other bits that we need to sail – and stock up on spare parts for all of these which are easier to get in UK because we speak the language. 

We also have a programme for improvements and this September we  decided to replace one vital piece of equipment.  I have thought about it often and one of the most used pieces of equipment on Velvet Lady over the past 3 years must be the cooker.  As Richard and I live on board the boat – the cooker is in use 365 days of the year.   When we have guests on board it is in constant use for the numerous cups of tea we serve up along with the many meals. 

We ordered our brand new cooker, 2 months ago,  for delivery the day after we arrived in Plymouth.  After much chasing it finally arrived this afternoon,  3 hours before the guests were due!  Chris had arrived early for the trip, and willingly helped us with the installation.  As always there is never a simple 5 minute job on a boat – even though we had bought exactly the same model as we previously had.  We were well pleased that within 2 hours of the cooker arriving on a palette in the car park, it was fitted and working, boiling the kettle for the first round of tea as the new guests arrived at 6 o clock. Whew.. 

Its the Bay of Biscay next, and fully prepared with our new cooker and stash of English tea bags to last 8 months away we are ready for anything – although the weather forecast predicts a gentle crossing. 

More from Spain – why not join us in the Spanish Rias in October, now reduced to £695.  Flights are still available to either Santiago from Stansted or to Vigo via Madrid from many UK airports.

 
Velvet Lady approaching the harbour in Reine

We’ve just finished our final Lofoten islands trip for 2010, which was yet again amazing.  We had some great sunny weather, and a mix of good wind and calms giving us plenty of time to sail and explore our wonderful surroundings.  We swam, kayaked, walked, visited museums and galleries, and a few even ‘climbed up mountains.’ My idea of a walk is a half hour stroll to the pub,  three hardy guests had other ideas as they set off on what looked like quite reasonable routes on the map to discover they were strenuous 5 hour steep walks up mountains with detours around lakes!

After all these activities during the day the evenings were spent quietly either in small fishing villages or at anchor, which gave us time to fish and even have a bbq in the evening sunlight.  Not to be outdone by last weeks guests Andy set his hand to fishing many evenings and caught more cod than we could eat. 

Its hard to believe its all over and time to head south.  I am already looking at the charts and the weather and planning where to go on our passage.  The route takes us to more new and exciting places, further south down the Norwegian coastline, the Shetlands and the Orkneys before heading towards the Outer Hebrides and Scotland.  Lots to pack into 2 weeks and 1000 miles! 

So much to do, must dash!

Our Autumn programme is now filling up rapidly with only 1 space left on our Ocean Passage across Biscay and one space from the Med to Madeira, so book soon to avoid disappointment

The guests arrive this evening for our 16 night trip from Isafjord in northern Iceland to Plymouth, UK.  The total distance is approx 1350 nm if we were to go in a straight line, and we are hoping to see a bit of Iceland before we leave so we are allowing 16 days.

Planning for this length of passage becomes second nature after you have done it many times, but seems a bit overawing when you are planning your first trip as there is so much to do.

For 7 days in the passage across the north Atlantic ocean between Iceland and northern Scotland we will be out of reach of land, and not able to just pop in somewhere to fill up with water, fuel, food etc.  We carry 1500 litres of water, and if that runs out we have a water maker.  We carry 600 litres of diesel, enough to motor 600 miles – we use the motor on those days that the wind does not let us make our ‘minimum speed’ of 4.5 knots.  We use gas to cook on and will be starting out with our two bottles full.

We have a full crew this trip, 4 guests, skipper and mate, and a main concern is to make sure we do not run out of food.  Velvet Lady is lucky to have a fridge and a freezer, that work both on shore power and when the engine is running, so we can take a good amount of fresh produce with us.  We always like to eat well at sea both for the energy and morale boosting qualities of good food and so do a lot of meal preparations before we leave.  Instead of being reduced to biscuits in a gale, we can open the freezer and reheat home made stew, bolognaise sauce, chilli etc.  But just like any fridge, we do have a finite amount of space, so we also carry a lot of dried, vacuum packed and tinned food.  We keep our goodie cupboard packed with chocolate, sweets and biscuits for those dark night watches as well as crisps and nuts for those who prefer savoury snacks. When the weather is good we bake bread and cakes to supplement our supplies.

Our longest job before a crossing is not just the visit to the supermarket, but also planning the menu before hand, conveying the food from the shop to the boat, and then ‘finding’ places to stow it.  With limited cupboard space in the actual galley we keep jars and bottles behind seat backs, under the floors, in drawers under the seats, and any other cupboard space we can find.  Remembering where it all is, is quite a challenge. 

Bonus, the largest supermarket in Isafjord, opens daily at 12.30.  Yesterday we were there as the doors opened.  It was quiet when we arrived but when we had finished stacking our 4 trolleys 3 hours later there we caused quite a log jam.  The taxi driver kindly helped us unload the shopping bags directly on board – really valuable help as the boat was about 3 foot below the dock.  We worked like crazy and had all the food stowed by 17.30. 

With the stores safely on board, we have been checking our charts, safety equipment, and deck equipment and stowing all loose articles for sea.  As this will now be our 11th ocean crossing on Velvet Lady we have a very thorough inventory.  We carry all the equipment required by the MCA for an ocean passage and more!

I have been watching weather maps for the past week, watching the progress of the Lows across the Atlantic.  There is one forecast to be centred over Iceland on Tuesday.  Having an idea of the predicted weather in advance helps in the route planning.  When leaving Iceland, we have to depart from an official port of departure where we can complete customs formalities.  As we wish to see some of the westfjords first, we have to plan in a final visit to a clearance port.  At the moment the weather suggests that Heimay in the Westmann Islands would be a possibility.  This is an ideal place, as it is the most southerly port on our route, and gives us the chance to top up on bread, milk, fresh veg and anything else we might need. 

We receive weather forecasts on board Velvet Lady in text form by navtex from Iceland Met Office and by Sat C from the UK Met Office.  We also print synoptic charts and prognosis weather charts using our weatherfax. We will continue to get weather forecasts at least twice daily and of course we are constantly monitoring the clouds and the barometer. 

Just before we leave Iceland, we will clear customs, take the dinghy out of the davits and stow it, top up our tanks, buy some last minute fresh milk and report our journey to the coastguard.  Then we will begin watches and sail southwards, admiring the glaciers as they disappear behind us.

It has started going dark here now.  Last night we had about 3 hours of total darkness.  As we sail further south that will rapidly increase.  I’ve got my fingers crossed and hope that we might see the northern lights before we get too far south! 
 

I have just finished uploading our early 2009 sailing schedule – January to April.  This follows much the same pattern as last year, but added is a new ‘Canary Island Dash’, visit all 8 of the islands in 14 days.

Also New for 2009 – cruise the spectacular fjords of Norway, and visit the Lofoten Islands situated within the Arctic Circle

The spectacular fjords and islands of northern Norway are our destination for the summer of 2009.  Here the islands rise majestically from the sea to a height of 1000 metres, and white sandy beaches line the waters edge.  These stunning mountains are interspersed with many narrow fjords and home to isolated and serene anchorages.  Fishing is the industry here as this is the worlds richest cod ground, and  there are many picturesque small fishing villages to visit nestled at the bottom of the steep mountains. 

The flora and fauna in the area are unforgettable, and we hope to see sperm whales, puffins and sea eagles in their natural habitat.  We should even have a chance of catching our own dinner!

I have sailed this area previously in 1999 and 2002 running adventure holidays on a challenge yacht.  There are many special places that I am looking forward to ‘revisiting’ and plenty of new places to visit in Velvet Lady, who is not as limited in both draft and size that a challenge boat was.  This photo was taken during 2002 from the top of the hill in the picturesque fishing town of Reine.  A steep and exhiliarating climb which led to a breathtaking view.  Our boat is the one on the jetty in the picture.

Our base will be Bodo, 500 miles north of Oslo and just north of the Arctic Circle, and our cruising ground will be the islands and fjords of the Vestfjorden including the ‘sailors dream’ the Lofoten islands.
 
As with all our destinations, this area of Norway still remains unspoilt and off the beaten tourist track.  Getting there is easy if not direct – fly from UK to Oslo on a variety of carriers, and then take an internal flight from Oslo to Bodo  (www.sasbraathens.no , www.norwegian.no).  The airport in Bodo is a mere 20 mins walk from the marina, or 5 mins in a taxi.  As with all our destinations we will be adding  a full travel information and kit list page to our website.

Dates and detailed itineraries will be on the website shortly.  To make sure you receive this information as soon as it is available please e mail us at voyages@velvetadventuresailing.com and let us know of your interest.  You can also sign up for our newsletter at any time, or leave a comment on this blog

Outline Schedule

May 2009 – Plymouth to Oban – 7 days – £650
May/June 2009 – Oban to Bodo via Faeroe islands – 15 days – £995
June/July 2009 – Experience the wonder of the Norwegian coast and islands in the midnight sun – 7 days for £750
August 2009 – Bodo to Oban via Shetland islands  15 days – £995
August 2009 – A week exploring the outer Hebrides – £650
August 2009 - Oban to Plymouth – £650

As always we are constantly upgrading and improving our site.  We are now adding a Blog, which will be able to take may of the stories that currently go on our web News page.  We can now use the news page for just that.  Latest News.  We hope that this makes following our individual trips logs easier, and of course allows us to receive your comments.  We hope you will let us know what you think.  Just bear with me while I’m getting to grips with the software

Lin