Journal

Arctic knowledge

Boreal Yachting publishes these reference articles on how the Arctic actually works here: light and darkness, weather and current, wildlife, regulation and what a boat can and cannot do.

Green northern lights above the dark deck and mast of a sailing yacht

Arctic knowledge

Aurora borealis: how the northern lights form

The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the sun striking gases in the upper atmosphere. Green comes from oxygen at around 100 to 300 kilometres. Tromsø sits under the auroral oval at 69.6°N, and the viewing season runs from late September to late March.

Snow-covered Arctic mountain range and glacier beneath pale clouds

Arctic knowledge

The Arctic climate: what to expect

The coast of Northern Norway is warmed by the Norwegian Atlantic Current, so the sea stays ice-free all year despite lying above the Arctic Circle. Summer air is usually 8 to 15°C and winter around freezing at the coast, with weather that changes within hours.

View from a yacht bow sailing through a steep, cloud-covered Norwegian fjord

Arctic knowledge

Need to know when sailing in Northern Norway

Sailing Northern Norway needs attention to three things: tidal streams that reach seven knots in narrows such as Rystraumen, fall winds that arrive without warning off steep terrain, and distances between harbours. Forecasts from yr.no and marine VHF are reliable and should be checked daily.

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