The principal aim of this summer’s expedition was to get to Lofoten and spend as much time as possible there. Sue and I recently returned for a final time, with new crew Paul and Rosie.

Rosie had flown out ahead, and Paul came out with us, as we had been back for a few days to celebrate Sue’s 60th. On arrival in Bodø we found Spellbinder and prepared her for another crossing of Vestfjord. This time we decided to sail up the Lofoten chain from SW to NE.

We had a blustery and slightly sea sick-inducing 60 NM passage to Røst, the most southerly of the Lofoten chain, and rarely visited by foreign yachts.

Røst’s only inhabited island rises to no more than 12 metres above sea level, but it is surrounded by other, more vertiginous islands known for their birdlife. We met Rosie, who had arrived by ferry, and had breakfast in a hotel to celebrate Sue’s actual birthday. We then spent the morning exploring the island on foot and by bike.

Having explored Røst we had an afternoon sail to Værøy, where we berthed for the night and had a birthday supper. The next day we made for Å, the first mainland settlement, and tied up to a staging, enjoying a great walk above the town and a fine seafood dinner at an adjacent restaurant.

We spent the following morning immersed in various museum buildings which explained Lofoten’s rich history, notably the cod fishing and drying trade. Big cod come down from the Barents Sea to spawn in the Lofoten, and are caught, dried in the winter air and sold as ‘stock fish’ mainly to the Italian, Nigerian and Croatian markets. In recent years, however, warming waters have meant the cod stop short of the Lofotens, threatening this centuries-established market.

Next up the island chain was Reine. Sue and Rosie chose to walk there while Paul and I sailed up. The weather was forecast to close in, so Paul and Sue decided to walk up Reinebringen that evening to get there for sunset (Rosie and I had both been there). The views were extraordinary and merited their efforts.

It was worth the effort. The following day brought rain, so we had a mellow morning until it cleared and then headed up to Nusfjord, with Paul catching a ling as we approached.

We enjoyed a walk down the edge of the fjord, taking in the views and the flora.

Thank you to Paul and Rosie for being such excellent crew, as ever, and for taking us to a very fine end of cruise dinner!

We enjoyed the bar at Nusfjord, and the following morning the museum huts.

We left Nusfjord, bound for Henningsvær, where we walked and enjoyed the bars, finding the same berth as i had before. Sadly the weather wasn’t cooperating, which precluded another hike, so instead we headed to Kabelvåg, the old Lofoten capital. We enjoyed visiting the old cathedral and also the Aquarium and other museums which showcased Lofoten life.

I wanted to go back to Trollfjord again, given it had been so spectacular first time round. We had a nice passage up there, with the sun making a surprise appearance, sea eagles flying over the yacht and a fair sailing breeze.

We moored at the end, and the next day were greeted by fine hiking weather.

We reached the Trollfjord hut and Paul and Rosie took in an adjacent peak. It was a great walk, in fine conditions, and we enjoyed the magnificent views.

On our way out I went fishing, jokingly saying that I just wanted to catch a big cod for the next supper on board. It really was as easy as that.

We headed back to Svolvær, enjoying the weather, and Paul and Rosie took us out for dinner. It was delicious – 3 of us ate reindeer while I had halibut. We also tasted a variety of local dishes, including smoked whale meat, which was surprisingly pleasant.

We said farewell to Paul and Rosie, as they continued their travels, and Sue and I sailed back across Vestfjord in a fine breeze, mooring at Helnessund. There we shopped, did laundry and watched a fine sunset.

We are now back in Bodø, preparing to head south towards Trondheim over the next 10 days. The Lofoten islands have proved fabulous, and rate as one of the top 5 most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Thank you to Paul and Rosie for being such excellent crew!