By Boreal Yachting crew, Skippers and guides, Tromsø
Publication date not available
In Tromsø the sun stays above the horizon from about 20 May to 22 July. Further north the period is longer, and in Svalbard it runs from late April to late August. For a boat this removes the need to reach an anchorage before dark.
From late May to late July, the sun never sets in Northern Norway. Evening runs into dawn without a break, and the boundary between day and night disappears. Guests sail through the fjords at any hour and hike under a sun that grazes the horizon but never drops below it.
The midnight sun occurs because of Earth's axial tilt. During the northern summer, areas above the Arctic Circle are tilted toward the sun continuously. In Tromsø (69°N), the midnight sun lasts from 20 May to 22 July, over two months of uninterrupted daylight.
The light during the midnight sun stays low on the horizon, so the golden-hour effect lasts for hours rather than minutes. The result is long shadows and warm colour at any time of day.
For sailors, the midnight sun removes the clock. It is possible to sail, hike, fish or explore at any hour, and arrive at a new anchorage at 23:00 for a hike in full daylight.
The counterpart to the midnight sun is the polar night. From November to January, the sun never rises above the horizon in Tromsø. This is not full darkness: a blue twilight sits over the midday hours, and the polar night is also the best time to see the northern lights.
Related experience: Midnight Sun Sailing.
Where this sails: Sailing Lofoten.
About the author
Skippers and guides, Tromsø
Written by the Boreal Yachting editorial team using operational knowledge from the skippers and guides who sail Northern Norway and Svalbard.
A Svalbard sailing expedition runs from Longyearbyen between June and September, when the fjords are largely ice-free and the sun does not set until late August. Voyages of one to two weeks reach tidewater glaciers, walrus haul-outs and bird cliffs, under Sysselmesteren regulations and AECO guidelines.
Northern lights sailing means using the boat to move away from town lights and cloud. Tromsø lies at 69.6°N, under the auroral oval, and the season runs from late September to late March. A boat can shift anchorage overnight to find the clearest sky.
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