Arctic Princess: North of the Arctic Circle

Who:              Julien, Marc, Floriane, Philippe, Yannick and Guillaume

Multihull:      Lagoon 450

Where:           The Tromsø region, Norway

Blog:              www.team-naturall.com

At the end of March in Tromsø at 69° North, the weather is cold. The temperatures are however tempered by the Gulf Stream which flows up the Norwegian coast as far as Spitzbergen. The port of Tromsø, which is north of the Arctic Circle is known as the departure point for great Arctic expeditions. To reach the island of Senja we needed to weave our way around a patchwork of islands and peninsulas. The landscapes are magnificent. Snow-capped peaks line the coastline on all sides. At their feet small fishing villages cling to the mountainsides. In these Arctic regions, the weather is generally good, and throughout our week we only had a few hours of bad weather. Every now and again, shallows or rocky outcrops forced us to make long detours to get to our destination, because the fjords are huge. The waves, the Arctic breeze and the horizontally falling snow can offer a spectacle which is as frightening as it is majestic. We won’t forget a wonderful night in an anchorage watching the northern lights. We discovered some amazing, poetic landscapes. For example, on the way back we stopped in an incredible bay lined with cliffs and a magical beach. The clear waters were an emerald green. Multicolored houses looked across at us from the water’s edge. It was quite simply a magnificent spot. We regularly did some cod fishing and even went swimming north of the Arctic Circle in waters that were between 6 and 8°C (43-46°F). The Arctic on a catamaran is possible, memorable and totally different, and it is definitely something to add to your sailing bucket list! Everyone on board is looking forward to the next expedition at the end of March/start of April when we should see orcas and whales.