If you are planning to visit Svolvær, Henningsvær, Kabelvåg, Skrova, Laukvik, Brettesnes, or Digermulen (all harbours that we discuss in the Norwegian Cruising Guide), check out the 360° harbour pans at http://vaganhavn.no/. Just follow the link to Havner, and then choose the harbour name from the right hand menu.
Best wishes for the holiday season and for 2012 from the Norwegian Cruising Guide. You can view our Christmas “card” here.
John and I are excited about the upcoming 2012 Edition. Two highlights in the new edition, thanks to Hans Jakob and Eli, are a comprehensive update to Svalbard and a new “Landfalls and Favourite Harbours” section for each mainland chapter.
And, last but definitely not least, we thank all of you for your many contributions over the years. We couldn’t do it without you!
Northern Lights above Tromsø
According to NASA scientists, the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are going to be especially strong this winter. And where better to be than Northern Norway, which is the best place in the world to see this phenomenon.
A quick note to let you know that the new Customs rule regarding overwintering foreign boats in Norway has now been posted in English. This new regulation is great news for all of us that wish to spend more than one season cruising this beautiful and welcoming country!
Well, persistence does pay off sometimes! Due to the pressure brought to bear—and their wish to accommodate foreign sailors (despite how it seemed at times!)—Norwegian Customs have changed their rules on the overwintering of foreign boats in Norway. This is great news for us as foreign sailors, but it is also good news for those marinas and boatyards in coastal villages that were also losing out.
To those of you who are planning to sail in Norway this summer, we send you our best wishes for a safe and enjoyable cruise. We envy you and wish we could be there too! However, all going well, we are also going to be out cruising—in Greenland, Baffin Island and Labrador. (We will be posting on our voyage here.)
We realize that it’s a daunting prospect, having to choose only a few of the 860 harbours/anchorages described in the Norwegian Cruising Guide for your summer’s cruise. And so we have been trying to help out by posting on special events or places.
Today is Norway’s national day. Gratulerer med dagen, Norway (happy birthday, Norway)!
Trying to figure out where to go and when to go there during your summer cruise in Norway? Well, Visit Norway has published a list of festivals and events that will take place this summer, which might be of help as you try and decide between the 860 harbours and anchorages we report on in the Norwegian Cruising Guide!
If tall ships under a full press of sails is something you’d like to see, there will be a tall ships race in Stavanger, Norway this summer. Maybe you can moor nearby and check it out.
