We decided it was time for a night paddle. At night the winds tend to die away.

RSKE2018 Y2D7/8: 26/27 July 2019: From Komagfjord to Storsjøneset in Stjernsundet. 38,6 km, 4,5 km/hr average speed.

The weather forecast across “Verdenshavet” had not improved overnight. After a long and enjoyable breakfast we decided it was time for a night paddle. At night the winds tend to die away. We planned an ca 1900 start, after dinner.

Meantime the house was busy. Mette and Asle were about to leave back for Oslo, but first some crab traps had to be hauled, and a longline for Halibut and four suitcases had to be packed max weight with crab and fish, house cleared and boat washed etc.

We got to help out with the longline and boat wash. It’s easy to feel at ease as guests when the hosts feel free to ask us to give a hand. Thanks again for the hospitality!

We bid Mette and Asle farewell as they left, we should stay a couple of hours more and wait out the weather. That included packing the boats, cooking dinner and a little rest. Mette and Asle had contacted us from Storekorsnes and suggested we stayed for another night given the wind conditions.

We decided to give it a try and see what we could do, but obviously no need to hurry. It was 1930 when we paddled out Komagfjord and straight into headwinds. We had slowish progress and some waves to handle across to Storekorsnes.

Looking from Storekorsnes across “Verdenshavet” we decided a long break was in order.

Finally the wind started to subside and we set out at 2330. By now the overcast weather had created enough of a dusk to turn the streetlights in Storekorsfjord on. A first touch of autumn, midnight sun or not.

“Verdenshavet” was true to its reputation, because five different straights and fjords feed into it, all with its own wind direction, waves were coming a little bit from everywhere. Nothing troubling but it did not help progress.

As we got across to Stjernsund the wind did subside, but go away it didn’t. A very long story short, we arrived at Storsjøneset just across the fjord from the Nefelin mines at 0645 after seven hours plus in the kayaks with just two quick stops to stretch legs and backs.

As we arrived a small herd of reindeer move away, but in no hurry. Four eagles were playing just in and out of the low clouds overhead. And the wind had started to pick up again.

We set the alarm for 1400. No point in being on the water before earliest 1700 given the forecast.