But it’s summer!

The day after Isabella arrived was her birthday and so we decided to spend the day treating ourselves in Tromsø instead of doing the boat admin needed before leaving the city. We found great coffee and brunch, pastries, a scenic sauna and even found ourselves in a glass blowing studio invited in to watch them and chat!
Afterwards, a trip to Skattøra marina where we could stay for free thanks to our friend Dag. I was very proud of myself getting out and in to a marina for the first time without Russell, and very smoothly if I may say so myself 💁‍♀️
Thankfully we had a bit warmer weather, since Isabella had come prepared for a summer holiday with two bikinis, two pairs of shorts, a summer dress and no jacket…

After a day of shopping, oil changes, laundry and all the other bits and pieces needed for the boat, we missed the tide to where we wanted to go and so decided on a 4am start to catch the tide and have the full day. It was a beautiful little trip down with a very speedy 10 knots through the channel and caught a fish just before reaching the floating dock - all before 9am!
The dock was Tromsø boat club owned and had a little fireplace and cabin on it. So we collected some firewood and had fish for dinner cooked over the open fire. Delightful!

The next day I thought we could try for a spot to see the midnight sun. But after a couple of hours beating into the wind with a cold and slightly seasick Isabella, we gave up on that idea and headed back to the floating dock. Isabella had decided she was a boat person, but maybe not a sailing person. Sailing upwind was maybe not the best introduction to sailing…oops.

We were joined at the dock by Helga, a really nice yacht recently owned by a Swedish girl living in Tromsø. It was quite a treat sharing the dock with 3 other ladies around our own age also on a sailing adventure (she was still learning how to sail her yacht) with swims and a midnight game of catan.
In the morning we watched a red fox having a meal along the beach over coffee in the sun. A real bikini weather kind of day!

Later on we got a lovely downwind sail where Isabella got to experience how nice sailing can be. Still not sailing person but warming up to it. We anchored between the three islands north of Tromsø. The first night at anchor since Russell left and I was a bit nervous and didn’t have the best sleep.. In the morning figured I had nothing to worry about since our anchor had wedged a rock in it and was quite the challenge to pull up!

Ending the week back in Skattøra for the night and a celebratory cocktail.Read more