Havilla 6-19 January 2024, 15 January

This morning we reach Harstad early and then continue to Risøyhamn, a narrow sound, Sortland Stokmarknes.

Risøyhamn is part of the municipality (municipality) Andøy in the province (fylke) Nordland in Norway. The town with about 200 inhabitants is located in the Vesterålen region in northern Norway. Risøyhamn is the smallest port of call on the Hurtigruten.

The Risøyrenna, an artificially deepened shipping channel in the Risøysundet with a length of 4.5 km, leads to the port of Risøyhamn. This channel was officially opened in 1922 in the presence of the king. The Risøy channel was a decisive step forward for the shipping connection to the Vesterålen archipelago, as from that point on the towns of Stokmarknes, Sortland and Harstad could be reached by large ships via the shorter and safer route through the Risøysundet. The Hurtigruten ships still use this connection every day today.

The area around the town at Risøysundet is used as a nesting site by a variety of birds, including around 160,000 puffins. To the west and north there are moorlands known for their cloudberries.

After a short visit to Stokmarknes, where the Hurtigruten was founded over 120 years ago by its founder, Richard With, our ship sails through the Raftsundet to Svolvaer, Stamsund via the Westfjord to Bodø.

The Raftsund is the waterway between Lofoten and Vesterålen. There are several houses and former trading places along the sound, most of which have lost their central location and function since the road network was expanded. The nature along the Raftsund is nevertheless a great experience. The Trollfjord is particularly impressive.

The Vestfjord is the bay that separates the Lofoten island chain from the Norwegian mainland. The Vestfjord is important because it is the spawning bay for cod, which comes from the Barents Sea every spring. Although the importance of cod fishing has declined sharply due to EU catch quotas, 37,000 tonnes of cod were caught in the Vestfjord in 2005.

Leaving Svolvaer we see amazing northern lights, what a dream, we can enjoy them all along the coast to Stamsund, so there is enough time to take photos.😇😇😇😇