Sailing Svalbard Expedition to Sjuøyane

For this particular trip, the goal is to get all the way up to the ice edge and the Sjuøyane, which are the northernmost islands on Svalbard. How many of the seven Sjuøyane you reach will depend entirely on the ice and how far south it spreads. Most often, the ice edge is far enough north so that Valiente can reach all the islands, but some years that isn’t the case. However, it is just as exciting every year!

Arctic waters

The ice edge around the polar ice cap is in itself some of the most thriving and diverse environments up in the high-arctic. Here you’ll find a rich wildlife both above and below water. Did you know that the ice even hosts its own specially adapted algae species that grow on the underside of the sea-ice? The polar cod, with antifreeze in its veins, are also an important part of the ecosystem here, which are hunted by seals and whales. On this trip you will experience an abundance of sea birds, maybe even encounter the very rare and nearly threatened ivory gull. And of course also keeping a constant lookout for the queen of the arctic; the polar bear!

Along the northwestern coast Valiente will be far beyond the areas normally accessible from Longyearbyen, and you will get to experience something completely unique – so it doesn’t really matter if you have been to Svalbard many times before, or if this is your first time to the “land north of the northern wind”. On the way up the northwest coast, Valiente will sail past many fjords and glaciers; the most famous ones being Kongsfjorden, Krossfjorden, Lilliehöökfjorden, Magdalenafjorden, and Bockfjorden. Of the countless glaciers, the Kongsbreen, Lillehöökbreen and Monacobreen are the largest.

Land of the midnight sun

On Svalbard there is the midnight sun until mid-August, so it will be bright for 24 hours a day. You will have a great encounter with the beautiful and uninhabited Arctic landscape. Along the northwest coast there could also be quite some cod, which hopefully will bite and be useful in the kitchen, as we prepare delicious food underway. With the sailboat as our mobile base, we get close to nature and wildlife in a careful way, and we are flexible in terms of weather conditions and where we anchor and go ashore.

Life on board

You ticket price will include the skipper and first mate (co-skipper), as well as a dedicated Svalbard guide with extensive experience from Svalbard. The crew-members will work as guides and polar bear guards when we are ashore in the terrain. Along the way, sailing or on motor, Valiente will include all participants in the sailing. Generally, she sails at all times of the day, and everyone onboard will be running watches of 4 hours on and 8 hours off. When on anchor, there will be rotation shifts with one anchor guard awake, so that the rest can sleep.

An expedition to Svalbard is primarily an adventurous exploration, but also a great opportunity to learn about sailing and navigation, and not least the use of a boat as a starting point for explorations and experiences on shore.