Call of the North
Have you never seen the Northern Lights? Do you want to sail pristine waters? Are you tired of sharing anchorages with too many other yachts? Cruising the North Sea, the Baltic and Norwegian Seas, and Scotland offers all this, as well as a variety of cultures, historical attractions, and beautiful scenery.
There is no doubt that the Med offers superb cruising grounds, reliable weather in the summer months, a host of attractions on dry land and excellent marina facilities. But there is equally no doubt that it is one of the most crowded expanses of water in the world where – in the high season at least – berths in destination hotspots are in short supply and dropping anchor in a ‘secluded’ bay on your own is a rare event indeed.
Hyperion in Norway
Hyperion, the 47m / 156ft sloop launched by Royal Huisman in 1998 headed north to Scandinavia; the yacht’s team has even produced a dedicated brochure with suggested itineraries for her charter guests extolling the attractions of Norway. Stretching from Tananger and Stavanger south of the city of Bergen, all the way up to Trondheim and beyond, the Norwegian coast has a unique geographical make-up. With its outer fringes of sheltering islands, the dramatic scenery consists of a series of large sounds and deep-water fjords flanked by imposing mountains. Formed millions of years ago by the action of glaciers that cut deep into the landscape, some of the waterways penetrate for miles inland, creating some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the world. Her captain Daniel Rawlins is a keen photographer and captured the images and left of some of the highlights of Hyperion’s summer cruise along the Norwegian coastline.
NORTHERN TRIVIA
- The coastline of Norway, including fjords and bays, stretches over 29,000 kilometres / 18020 miles.
- 66% of Sweden’s energy comes from renewable resources and less than 1% of its waste ends up on a rubbish dump.
- Virtually all of Finland lies north of 60°N and about one-third of its land area is above the Arctic Circle.
- The Jostedalsbreen glacier in Norway is the largest glacier inmainland Europe.
- The zipper, marine propeller, refrigerator, and pacemaker are all Swedish inventions.
- There are 187,888 lakes (larger than 500sqm / 5382sqft) and around 179,000 islands within the territory of Finland.
- Norway has regularly been rated among most peaceful countries in the world by the Global Peace Index.
- There are around 3 million saunas in Finland: 1 for every 2 people.
- The Stockholm archipelago, the second largest in the Baltic after Finland, comprises about 30,000 islands, islets and skerries.
- Contrary to popular opinion, Swedish Vikings did not have horns on their helmets.
- By area, Norway is among Europe’s ten largest countries, yet only about 28th by population.
A stopover in amsterdam?
Amsterdam is an excellent choice for a short stopover (and can be combined with support from HUISFIT by Royal Huisman, if needed). Additionally, a refit by HUISFIT in the Netherlands offers an appealing new option for your cruising schedule. More information and various cruises can be found at huisfit.com: link (opens new tab)
