Sailing a Viking boat on the Vefsnfjord

Text: Frederik Amundsen

We are in Mosjøen in Helgeland, just south of the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway.

Lunch in Mosjøen

Vikgården is an historic and cosy general store and coffee shop in Mosjøen town centre, where we meet up to go sailing. We are served traditional food with local ingredients. We get to know Marianne Myrnes Steinrud and Per Einar Steinrud, who own and run the place. They have a Fembøring, which is a wooden sailboat, used by the Vikings for fishing and freight. They are happy to take visitors to Mosjøen out on their historic boat.

Sailing in strong wind and rain

-  We tailor the trips to the visitor's requests. We usually go to a farm a couple of hour's sailing away, and have a meal of local meat and fish, before we head back, says Per Einar.

He has gathered a crew of four locals, and everyone seems excited to get out on the fjord.

The wind is near gale, and the large square sail takes us fast across the white waves. It feels good. It feels real. There is a small cabin at the back with a wood-burning stove, providing a warm place when you get too cold or it starts raining.

- You can not live a whole life without having been on a Fembøring, says captain Steinrud, with beating rain on his smiling face.

The Fembøring boat

The Fembøring is an open clinker-built wooden boat, and represents Norwegian boat building traditions. It is usually made of spruce or pine. The boat has typical square sails with top sails, and six or seven places for rowing. Standard size is up to 50 feet, reaching 60 centimetres into the water.

When to travel

Sailing is best in spring and summer, from April to September. 

Price

The price varies according to the length of the trip. Contact Marianne Myrnes Steinrud or Per Einar Steinrud on phone +47 95 90 64 29 or email to book your trip and settle the price.

How to get here

The E6 highway runs right through Mosjøen and the train stops here as well, both going north and south. There is a small airport here, with daily connections to the main airports. There are many bus routes in the area.

Where to stay

We stayed at Fru Haugans Hotel which is 200 years old and a member of The Historic Hotels and Restaurants in Norway. Organise other accommodation through Destination Helgeland.