13,200 NOK

Day 1: Welcome to Ylvingen

We meet at Himmelblå Brygge, Ylvingen, at 16:00. We settle in and get to know each other. We will enjoy a 3-course dinner in the restaurant, and use the rest of the evening to socialize and plan the week together.

Day 2: Sailing theory and sailing trip

Of course we start the day with a morning swim in the crystal clear sea before breakfast! After breakfast, we go through the plan for the day, the weather report and a navigation brief. We get familiar with the boat, basic sailing theory and safety routines, and then we set off for a day at sea. Out on the fjord we do some man-overboard exercises before we raise the topsail and set course for the island Næs. After sailing through the archipelago, we visit the Vega World Heritage Centre, one of the South Helgeland coast's major cultural attractions. Back at Ylvingen we set up the long table in the restaurant and enjoy a delicious dinner together. After dinner, we fire up the hot tub or sauna, and get ready to enjoy the bright summer night at Ylvingen.

Day 3: Himmelblå island Ylvingen and kayak course

Today we split into two groups. One group starts with a sea kayaking intro course, while the other group goes hiking. The kayak group starts with an introduction to the equipment and a safety brief. We get to know the equipment before we launch the kayaks and test ourselves on the water. During the trip, we will learn basic kayaking techniques. When we feel safe in the kayak, we will try to roll over (optional). The instructor will be close by so that you get a safe and good experience of rolling over. This session is by many seen as the best part of the day. While the first group is kayaking, the rest of us go up to Tyskhåjen, Ylvingen's highest point. Here there is a beautiful panoramic view of the South of Helgeland. Tyskhåjen is one of Norway's best-preserved German fortresses from the Second World War. We take our headlamps with us to explore the deep bunker with many underground tunnels. After lunch, the groups switch activities. We end the day with a well-deserved dinner.

Day 4: Island-hopping, sailing trip, Via Ferrata & RIB

Today we will explore the neighboring islands! First we sail over to Vega, where there are bikes waiting for us. We cycle towards Ravnfloget, Vegatrappa and the Via Ferrata. At the top of the mountain we will get a good view of the archipelago and the world heritage area Vegaøyene. We climb the beautiful mountain and at the top, we enjoy our packed lunch and a cup of coffee The trip home from Vega will be fun! As a contrast to sailing, we will go by RIB boat! We will drive around the little island and show you several treasures of this special island kingdom with over 10,000 islands, islets and reefs. Once back at Ylvingen, we prepare for a final dinner together.

Day 5: Regatta and farewell ceremony

After a morning bath and a filling breakfast, we get ready for one last activity. As we do on all our Sail Norway trips, we will end the trip with a regatta! We will test our sailing skills and end the week with a regatta race in our two 8-foot sailing dinghies! Then we will have lunch and a farewell ceremony, before we pack our bags and head back home.

The program

The program should be seen as a rough itinerary that we can adapt to the weather and conditions. We also reserve the right to change and improve our itineraries. We will have a dinghy for beach trips and small expeditions, fishing gear for cod, and gear to hike or make bonfires on the beach on all our trips - we are ready for adventure! Are you?

Deposit and payment

You pay a 6000NOK deposit when you book the trip, and the rest of the payment is due 60 days before the trip begins.

Travel - in general

Sometimes we have to fly, but not always. If you have the luxury of time, we always encourage you to travel as environmentally friendly as possible. Traveling slowly also allows you to start your holiday in a special way. Cycling, taking the train, or driving a car together can be good options! Feel free to add some extra time before and after your trip, since up north the weather can be unpredictable and might affect your plans!

Travel - Brønnøysund/Ylvingen

There are several ways to get to Brønnøysund, but there are no direct flights from Oslo yet. Train: Take the train from the south or north to Grong station. The train corresponds with bus to Brønnøysund. Hurtigruten: Take the Hurtigruten from the south or north to Brønnøysund. Flights: Widerøe flies to Brønnøysund from Trondheim or Bodø.
From the center of Brønnøysund you can take a speedboat to Ylvingen (Brønnøysund-Rørøy, Ylvingen speedboat stops at Ylvingen upon request).

Safety and risk - in general

We take safety seriously and on our trips we train on handling different situations that can occur at sea. On board a boat and on trips, everyone must know what to do in potentially dangerous situations. For us it is important that you as a guest and participant are trained quickly enough to be a participant - not a passenger. It contributes to learning, a sense of achievement, and increased safety for all. It's also why our trips are considered to be sailing courses: you are trained to be one of the crewmembers on board. Feel free to contact us to discuss risk.

Level of this trip

Sailing wise, our trips are not very difficult, and you are always welcome to join us! Our trips attract both people who have never sailed before, as well as experienced sailors. If you are a beginner, we will turn you into a seaman/woman as soon as possible. If you are experienced, you will be given more responsibility and greater challenges so that you can learn new things along the way. We usually sail along the coast in protected waters, and we often have the opportunity to choose either more or less exposed routes, depending on the weather. The weather Gods decide, so you must be prepared for both windless conditions and sailing in harsher weather!

Equipment/packing

Otherwise, you’ll be quite comfortable in regular hiking/mountain clothing. What you need is something waterproof and windproof on the outside, and layered clothing underneath, preferably wool. Even in summer it can be cold at sea, so bring both swimwear and warm clothing. We will send you a detailed recommended packing list in good time before departure.

Food and cooking

On our trips you will be part of the crew onboard and get the chance to participate in all aspects of the running of the sailboat. This includes the cooking, where everyone is taking turns in the galley! Skippers and guides assist as much as they can along the way. Before the trip we set up a menu and purchase what is needed. We offer good menus with healthy “boat friendly” food. If you have allergies or preferences, let us know in the registration form and we will take that into account. During the trip, we often sail by a good restaurant or two where we stop and eat.

What we expect from you

We want you to take part in the routines onboard the sailboat, whether it is sailing, docking, navigating, looking for whales and icebergs, washing up, cooking, cleaning the boat, or contributing in other ways when required. Our trips require a little work from the participants - and you must be open to contribute and open up a bit socially. We have many different people with us on our trips, and most people get along very well. Our experience is that doing things with others out in nature, and not least doing things with new people with different personalities than one might be used to, is what creates the best, most interesting and memorable stories :)

Life on board and accommodation

Life on board a sailboat is social and pleasant, but for some it can be perceived as quite intimate and crowded, which one should be prepared for. On our trips everyone participates in the operation of the sailboat and everyone is considered crew. We would like to get to know you well and hope that you will get to know everyone else on the boat as soon as possible. It requires some patience, generosity, and an open mind to thrive, but the new acquaintances and completely raw nature experiences will take your focus as soon as you become comfortable with life at sea.
Accommodation on the boat is part of the fun. The accommodation is generally in shared cabins, some of which have a double bed and some of which have bunk beds. Figuring out who sleeps where can be a bit of a puzzle, but we do believe we’ve gotten quite good at it. Let us know if you have any special needs or reservations. You must arrange any accommodation before and after the trip on your own. If you have any doubts about where to stay, we’re happy to give you some recommendations.
We have plenty of heating and good food on the boat, but not always abundance of fresh water. This means it will not be possible to shower every day, but more or less every other day we are either in a harbor with fresh water or we sail through a place where we can borrow showers or enjoy a sauna. A morning swim in the sea is also available all year round!

What kind of people join this trip - and how many will we be on board?

Many come alone, some travel as couples, and others travel as a group of friends. The common denominator for everyone is that these are fun and interesting people you will become friends with almost no matter what. Sharing grand experiences creates strong ties! Many people wonder about the age composition of our trips, but this isn’t so important to us. It doesn't matter if you are young or old as long as you want to go on a trip and intend to do your part in making this a great trip for everyone. The number of participants varies from trip to trip. If we have many participants, we will expand with more boats and skippers. On most trips we sail multiple boats in a fleet, with 7-9 people onboard each boat.

Environment and sustainability

In general sailing is an environmentally friendly activity,, and we sail as much as we can and use the engine as little as possible. We encourage crew and participants to travel as environmentally-friendly as possible, and we use local ingredients and resources as much as we can. We also run trips where we collect litter and clean ocean trash from beaches.
Philosophically, we often say that sailing is an exercise in sustainability: we move with the wind and we have limitations on things like water, diesel, electricity and food. In order to run sustainably, knowledge, patience, flexibility, and hard work are required. The same can be said about many other things that one tries to do in a sustainable way.