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One year after Norway, we're heading back across the North Sea to the Netherlands. This time, however, we don't take the direct route, but the route via Skagerak and the Kattegat. The first stop in Denmark is the island of Anholt, where we are "welcomed" by a fellow TO (Bernd, SY Hullu Poro) at the jetty. We gladly take advantage of the help with mooring, as there are only rings at the jetty. We notice the beach with sand and dunes, different smells and different goods in the

It is simply wonderful to unexpectedly meet old friends with family from the "old home" in Norway and that twice. Friends from our 'pre-sail mountaineering' phase of life, who follow our journey virtually or were already on board in Tromsø for ski tours; whose children sail themselves or are interested in doing so. One reunion took place in Bergen and one in Strusshamn (5 nm from Bergen). We let ourselves in for the tourist atmosphere in Bergen and then for the lonely idyll w

For us, this summer began on 21 July in Hammerfest when we returned from Spitsbergen. We are now enjoying temperatures in the 20's and the heating is off. The door and hatches are mostly open. The sun is warm. We have swapped the merino underwear for normal T-shirts. Christine swims around the Aegir again, provided the bays are not besieged by jellyfish. And our senses are reactivated by the intense colours and smells of the sea. We left the Norwegian mainland almost in winte

We are leaving Tromsø for Spitsbergen at the end of May. We have been granted a permit to circumnavigate Spitsbergen. This unique journey lasts eight weeks. First, we explore the still very wintry Hornsund and, after a stopover in Bellsund, we reach the large Isfjord and Longyearbyen. During the summer, Longyearbyen is a rather dusty town, but we visit it several times. We use rented bicycles to shorten the way to the town and make our shopping easier. At the Sysselmesteren (

750 nautical miles lie behind us. We started on 27 May in the direction of Spitsbergen. The weather window predicted moderate wind on the nose, especially for the last part. We first set our sights on the island of Bjønøya, for a possible stopover after two days of sailing. Due to the worsening weather forecast, we continue directly. The next two days until arrival are rather rough. Stronger wind than announced, which also does not turn in our favour, and high waves make the

Back in Tromsø, we prepare the ship for our next visit - an 83-year-old mother/mother-in-law (Traudi) and a friend (Teresa) from Switzerland. We also take advantage of the sunshine and go skiing on our "local mountain" (Kjøjen) - probably for the last time for the season. After Traudi and Teresa have spent a few beautiful and sunny days in Oslo, the adventure on the Aegir continues. The wind and wave prospects predict a good "80-plus cruise". As always, the weather offers us

We left Tromsø on 4 April with the aim of doing a few more ski tours on Senja and the Lofoten Islands. But we didn't! Already on Senja we only saw old ski tracks in the remaining patches of snow. Now we need a car to get deeper into the valleys. We anchor in a nice natural harbour in front of a hotel resort in Hamn (Senja), which even fills up during Easter. We leave Senja and head for Vesterålen. We moor at the northernmost harbour, Andenes. It's not exactly a ghost town, bu

We are very happy that some friends are making their way to Norway. Ski tours, fishing, sauna, swimming, fine cooking together and exploring the area around Tromsø to Lyngen, The crew changes worked great. We were all quite relaxed about delayed luggage or late departures (Lufthansa strike...). Thanks to the good infrastructure in Tromsø for rental skis and two unexpected extra days of fantastic weather, the atmosphere with all crews was great. With a watchful eye on the aval

The ski touring season has now really started for us with the increasing daylight. However, these tours often start with a boat trip from the anchorage to the land. On our first ski tour on the island of Arnøja, Christine was able to activate her climbing skills again and had to manage the "overhang" from the stern onto the rudder steps to get down into the dinghy. This was a perceived "5a" climb with cold water underfoot. So the combination of "Ski and Sail" brings interesti

We are absolute beginners when it comes to wintering on a sailing ship. We are still in the middle of it and it is worth writing down a few experiences and lessons learned. One criterion when we bought the Aegir was its suitability for winter. The steel hull is foam-insulated all around and the heating (Kabola) works well. Nevertheless, we are totally happy to have opted for the additional installation of a Dickinson diesel stove. It gives a cosy warmth, also has more power t