Norway from Kristiansund to Bulandet – spring 2026

🧭 Factsheet

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📍 Our route & stages

Stage: Kristiansund → Molde

The start of the season in Norway: we had been waiting a long time for favourable weather. It is still not really the time of year to think about pleasant temperatures, but at least the wind needed to be right. For several weeks, southerly and westerly winds of around 30 kn had been prevailing. We would have had to beat down the coast against that. So we waited.

On the last weekend in March, things looked promising. We got everything ready and set off from Kristiansund in lovely weather. Sadly, it did not last long. And the promised easterly wind turned again and started blowing straight at us. Off Hustadvika, there was also an old swell of around 2 to 3 metres. In those conditions, we preferred to skip the shortcut (Stopleleia) and gave the shallows off the coast a wide berth. Over the radio, Kystradio Sør was already warning about the next storm brewing offshore. So it was not exactly cosy. We made a stop straight afterwards in Bud. The next day we finally continued, nicely sheltered again and even under sail for a change, on to Molde. It not only offers a fantastic mountain panorama, but also a really good marina with a boat lift at a very good price (for 11 metres around €400 including one week ashore). Unfortunately, we had not reserved anything and heard that all the spaces ashore were fully booked. So TIAMAT once again did not get the full wellness treatment, just a quick scrub underneath and new anodes.

Stage: Molde → Ålesund

After a longer Easter stop in Molde, we finally wanted to head to Ålesund as well. We were able to sail about half of the roughly 30 miles nicely downwind. On the way, we even spotted some harbour porpoises. But we were travelling on a lovely warm weekend and the harbour was full again, just as it had been in June 2025. Our fallback harbour on Sula had quite a few surprises in store. First, we really struggled to get the boat alongside the pontoon. Then we discovered that there was neither electricity nor water on the pontoon. And in the end, we realised that the marina had removed the gangway over the winter. So we were moored at an island with no service… and had already dutifully paid the mooring fee.

Stage: Ålesund → Sandsøya

Contrary to the forecast, we had good wind the next day. The predicted 10 kn turned into around 25 kn with katabatic gusts, which you should always reckon with on the Norwegian coast and in the fjords, so TIAMAT made good progress even without the mainsail. Later, unfortunately, we had to motor to windward through the Holmefjorden (near Fosnavåg). The newly built bridge, which had not yet been marked on any chart and had no sign showing the clearance height, forced us to make a small detour around Nerlandsøya on our way to Sandshamn. There, a really very pleasant harbour awaited us, belonging to the local hotel, with a functioning and extremely well-kept shower. Even the toilet paper had been folded lovingly.

Stage: Sandsøya → Rugsund

The day after next, we dared once again to round the notorious cape at Stad (Stadlandet). Since the planned tunnel was still not finished, we once again picked a relatively calm day and reached Silda in 5 hours. Along the way, we had plenty of time to watch the many gannets breeding on the steep stretches of coast. The next day was so warm and sunny that we spontaneously set off after work. We had chosen the small local shop in Rugsund as our destination. The pontoon was a bit run-down, but still safe, and the historic buildings were really lovely to look at. As it was quite windy outside, we enjoyed the longer stop in the calm fjord and stayed for the weekend.

Stage: Rugsund → Florø

We wondered whether we could take the shortcut through the Rugsundstraumen. Our host in Rugsund assured us that the current there was not strong (around 1–2 kn) and that the bridge was high enough. Officially it is 15 metres and our mast is 14. But viewed from below, it looks incredibly tight every single time. So it was a brief heart-rate-120 moment until we had passed under the bridge without getting stuck. Since we had set off early, we were able to enjoy a mooring coffee and cinnamon buns in Florø after 23 miles.

Stage: Florø → Bulandet

After a slightly longer stay in Florø, we headed to Bulandet on 26 April, the westernmost inhabited island in Norway. From our point of view, it is the ideal jumping-off point for Shetland. It is just under 180 miles from here, around a day and a half in our boat.

🗺️ Special experiences & lessons learned

• Passing Stabben fyr once again
• At the pontoon, always check for shore access before paying.
• Rounded two of the nastiest capes once more
• Our first accidental gybe. Luckily in light winds, so no preventer. It still went off with quite a bang.

⚓ Our favourite place on this trip

• Bulandet

💡 Practical tips for fellow sailors

• Alongside Windy, we used Barentswatch.no for passage planning. It made it easier to assess currents and sea state.
• The Norwegian hiking app ut.no is excellent for planning walks.
• If you need to haul the boat out while underway, the large marina in Molde is a good place to go. Good prices and excellent service.
• Sailing and boat life in Norway

🖼️ Gallery