Skol My Friends!
Greetings All,
Apologies for the late newsletter! After a long winter with Midnight Voyageur hauled out in Ardfern, Scotland, we finally splashed her and set sail on June 12th. Our route took us through the Scottish Outer Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Sailing to within 300 nautical miles of the Arctic Circle—followed by a North Sea crossing—was no small feat. At that latitude, low-pressure systems sweep through with reliable regularity. Fortunately, we enjoyed fair winds, an exceptional crew, and MV performed beautifully.
Oban to Stornaway, Scotland
For the season’s first leg, I was joined by two veteran salty sailors—Matt and Gabe—and an eager novice, Kerry. We island-hopped our way up the Outer Hebrides, stopping at Mull, Skye, Canna, South Uist, Harris, and Lewis. It was a cohesive team from the start: Matt brought his trademark good cheer, Gabe kept us laughing with his stories and quick wit, and Kerry impressed us all with her grit (enduring seasickness without complaint), patience (tolerating three old men with lots of advice), and endless curiosity about our journey.
Faroe Islands – Shetland Islands – Norway
For this leg, Matt stayed aboard, and we welcomed two more Midnight Voyageur veterans and seasoned racers from Maine—Megan and Kevin. Our route was an ambitious one: a sprint north to the Faroe Islands, then southeast to the Shetland Islands, and finally, a North Sea crossing into the fjords of Norway.
The Faroe Islands were nothing short of spectacular. We made landfall in Tórshavn, arriving just in time for a summer festival that seemed to run both day and night—helped along, no doubt, by the twenty hours of daylight! The highlight of our visit was a hike along the “hanging lake” trail, which ends dramatically at the edge of a sheer cliff with a waterfall.
In contrast, the Shetland Islands offered a quieter stop over. Beautiful, but very rural—think rolling hills, shaggy ponies (cranky little guys), flocks of sheep, and an occasional pub…and not much else. After a much needed rest, we set our course across the North Sea, dodging the occasional cyclops (oil-rig behemoth) that would appear ominously on the horizon, before entering Norway’s largest fjord—Sognefjord. Thirty miles of blissful sailing on glassy water between towering cliffs brought us to Balestrand, a charming Norwegian version of Brigadoon! In fact, it was so nice that we decided to stay an extra day. With rain in the forecast, I happily planted myself with my laptop next to a fireplace at the historic hotel nearby! Two days later we arrived in Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, where I bid farewell to Megan and Kevin.
Norway – Denmark - Germany - Netherlands
After living in a heavy Irish sweater for the past month, I was more than ready to head south in search of warmer waters. For this leg, I was thrilled to have family aboard—my cousin Jackie’s husband, Steve, his two boys, Owen and Wyatt, and my nephew, Collin.
We began by weaving our way through Norway’s coastal islands to Haugesund, then continued on to Stavanger, where we detoured into a fjord that’s famous for a towering outcropping called, Pulpit Rock. It was there we decided to go for a swim. Without exaggeration, it was the best swim I’ve ever had—pristine, crystal-clear water a thousand feet deep, sheer cliffs rising above us, and not another boat within twenty miles!
From there, we headed further down the Norwegian coast. After a quick lunch in a genuine fishing village, we set course for our next destination. As we were still five miles out from the marina, Steve pointed out what looked like a crack in the cliffs that we were passing by. A quick check of the chart confirmed it was navigable…ok, game on! White-knuckling through a narrow gap between massive rocks against a three-knot current, we emerged into a completely still, pristine fjord. We dropped anchor there for the night—it remains one of the sweetest anchorages I have ever experienced.
The next day, we made an overnight passage to Denmark, landing in Esbjerg. We explored the town and had dinner at an outdoor cafe in the main square, where our young, testosterone-fueled crew quickly noticed the abundance of beautiful fair-haired locals.
The following day, we scooted down the coast to the German island of Helgoland. Upon arrival, my heart skipped a beat when Midnight Voyageur shuddered violently as I put her in reverse. A quick inspection revealed the cause—three of the four bolts securing the prop shaft had sheared clean off.
Thankfully, with the help of my capable crew, we replaced the bolts and were soon underway again without further incident. With favorable wind in the forecast, we poled out the jib and staysail and settled into a perfect twelve-hour downwind run, the steady breeze carrying us nearly all the way to our final destination—Amsterdam.
I must say, spending time with family while creating memories that will last a lifetime…it just doesn’t get better than that!
Well, that’s all for now. If you’d like to join us in 2026 (2026 Sailing Voyages), there’s plenty of space available on these routes. Until next time—Skol, my friends!
Mike Foley
