Norwegian Sailing: Lofoten and Steigen Islands

Getting Involved

You don’t need any experience to join Humla’s expedition sailing holidays, just a love for the natural world and a real sense of adventure. Sailing with Humla is a real hands-on, humbling experience as you work with the crew and fellow guests to navigate the wild coasts of Norway together. Get stuck into all aspects of life on board, from taking the helm, setting & trimming the sails, basic sail theory and domestic duties.

The skipper and first mate (co-skipper) will be on board during Humla’s sailing holidays. Along the way, preferably by sailing but sometimes under a motor, we will include all guests in the sailing experience.

The physical sailing of Humla is relatively straightforward, so she’s a great boat to learn about if you haven’t sailed before. Her simple rig has two sails, the main and genoa, all working off a winch system. You can take the helm, working with the skipper to watch your course. The crew that sails in these waters are wildly skilled, resourceful and calm, and they are always on hand to guide guests.

The boat works on a relaxed watch system, usually 4 hours on and 8 hours off. During the summer voyages, the watch system is very relaxed, and rarely runs overnight. This gives guests a real chance to have some focused sailing time, but equally have the time to just be. To sit, watch the world go by, to relax, nap, read a book in your cabin, play cards in the saloon or just simply sit at the bows, watching, reflecting as the world glides by. If Humla spends time on anchor, the watch system will run overnight, but with all guests and crew participating, you wouldn’t be on watch on consecutive nights.

There is always a thorough safety briefing and introduction once guests have settled onboard, followed by a “man overboard” procedure (don’t worry – this is a fender, not a real person!) and a fire safety drill.

Sleeping and Relaxation

Central heating runs continuously throughout the boat, so she is wonderfully cosy! The spacious saloon and galley are set midships with 360-degree windows at deck level – perfect for cooking with a view. All cabins have heating, comfy beds, thick duvets and wool blankets. The cabins are a mix of double beds and twin bunks, but cabins are not allocated until all guests are on board, so that everyone is matched with the right size bed and right facilities for their needs!

There are three shared bathrooms with boat showers/hot water, although, as with all sailing experiences, guests are asked to be respectful of their water consumption. There will also be times when there are options to use the marina facilities. A small bath towel is provided per person, but you’ll need to bring an extra hand towel or swim towel if you wish. 

Eating Aboard

Aside from setting the sails and taking the helm, the next most important aspect of sailing on Humla is definitely the food! Once you’ve boarded the boat, a crew member will split all guests into pairs, who are then divided over a rota for breakfast, lunch and dinner duties. With an average of 10 people on board, you’ll normally do one of each service over a week’s voyage.

If you’re not much of a cook, fear not! There will be a menu plan for the whole voyage, with all provisions on board. The menu plan is entirely flexible depending on the plan for the day. Maybe you catch a fish, or maybe the more confident cooks will want to experiment a little! Alongside the menu plan, there is a corresponding recipe book, especially one made with ingredients, quantities, and cooking methods to match the meal plan. Cooking on board is an integral part of how a sailing ship operates. A hearty feed after a sailing adventure, a chance to bring everyone together, confidence to grow, and cultural culinary tips to be shared.

Sample menu

This is an example of what could be served while sailing with Humla. There is no dedicated cook on board Humla. Guests all take it in turns on a rotation basis to cook for the boat. This is an enjoyable part of sailing with Humla as you make firm friends and experience recipes from around the world!

Breakfast

• Eggs, bacon, beans and toast
• Pancakes with jam and spreads
• Oatmeal with various toppings
• Bread and spreads
• Yoghurt and/or milk with cereal

Lunch

• Cauliflower or onion Soup
• Fish soup (using fish we’ve caught from our lines!)
• Cream porridge with cured meats
• Tomato soup and omelette
• Pancakes

Dinner

• Fish or veggie burgers
• Pasta with smoked salmon
• Chilli con carne
• Tacos
• Vegetable lasagne
• Bali chicken stew
• Salmon with root vegetables and sour cream
• Pasta bolognese with salad
• Sautéed reindeer stew
• Self-caught cod with pea puree

Dessert

• Fruit salad with vanilla sauce and firkløver chocolate
• Cream buns
• Sweet biscuits or chocolate

We usually have fish burgers on the first evening, as this is a simple meal to make on the first night, and it has been a tradition to start the trip with fish burgers for many years. Sometimes, we go out for dinner on land (each guest pays for themselves) on the final evening of the trip if we are back in the harbour in time. But this is up to the individual group of guests. Other times, we might also go out for dinner on land the day the trip has ended if people are still in town!

Snacks

We provide a small amount of snacks for the trip, but we usually suggest that guests bring some of their own snacks as well, especially for trips on land (nuts, cookies, chocolate, chips, dried fruit, crackers, etc.). It is always fun when people bring a little something from their home country to share with the rest of the crew. Guests are also welcome to supplement with other food items if they have very specific wishes or needs that we are not able to cater to.