This blog is for anyone who wants to sail to Svalbard with their own sailboat. We describe our own experiences of the trip with a Hallberg-Rassy 43 MK III built in 2014. There were two of us.
For the trip from Tromsø you should plan at least 5 weeks. In this case, a departure in mid/end of June and a return in early/mid-August is recommended. If you leave earlier, you still have to reckon with pack ice in the northern regions of Spitsbergen. If you intend to return to Tromsø later, you should take into account that the weather windows are getting shorter and shorter from mid-August. Tromsø is a good place (lively, many restaurants, hiking opportunities, groceries, outdoor outfitters). The marina (electricity, water) is right in the center and always offers a place.
Timely preparation is absolutely necessary for this trip, as there are a number of bureaucratic hurdles to be overcome. Each yacht requires a general sailing permit detailing all persons traveling on the yacht. In addition, a yacht must be equipped with EPIRB, AIS, VHF (a fixed station and a handheld radio have proven themselves for us), dinghy, etc. The relevant data must be attached to the permit application. It is advisable to have all permits in paper form with you. It is also checked regularly.
Boat insurance is tricky because not every insurer covers Svalbard. Again, it is important to take care of this early on. SAR insurance or a bank guarantee for the amount requested by the Sysselmesteren (in our case NOK 300,000) is mandatory. We only had a bank confirmation that we were solvent enough. However, this was never checked.
If you want to visit certain nature reserves, you have to submit a separate application for them. Currently only Virgohamna (North-West Region) is issued with a permit.
To protect against polar bears when going ashore, you must have at least flares with you. No approval is required for them. If you also want to rent a gun (I explicitly recommend it), you need a permit for that too. It’s not so easy to get, because you need proof that you can handle the weapon safely. I took one-to-one shotgun lessons with an official German shooting club. In addition, the skipper should also provide his/her own information that he/she has enough experience for this region. It is advisable to apply for all permits in good time – preferably as early as November. All permits and the necessary declarations can be found at www.sysselmesteren.no.
What requirements does a yacht have to meet? In principle, all metal hull yachts are suitable, but fiberglass hulls are also no problem as long as you don’t explicitly intend to sail into the pack ice. The west coast of Spitsbergen including the fjords is usually completely ice-free during this period. However, I would not recommend circumnavigating Spitsbergen in a fiberglass hull, even if a few adventurers have already done so. In any case, you need a reliable motor and a reliable heater. If you want it more comfortable, I definitely recommend a cockpit tent. This protects against wind and weather during the journey. A fender board for the Pantoon in Longyearbyen is necessary.
We have an Iridium Extreme on board to get weather data. You can also take it with you on land and call for help at any time. Others had Iridium Go with them. Allegedly Starlink from Elon Musk also works without problems.
You have to reckon with a significant proportion of engine hours. So you should have at least enough oil for an engine oil change with you and be able to do it yourself. For our route Tromsø-Spitsbergen-Tromsø with a total of 1,667 nm we had 181 engine hours on the counter.
This is due to the wind conditions. If you wait for good wind, except for the two crossings, you have to accept longer travel times. You then have to wait a few days at a lonely anchorage.
Don’t underestimate the danger of polar bears. Almost all yachts were lucky enough to see a bear. It’s a strange feeling to drive the dinghy ashore and find the big footprints of a polar bear in the sand. A yacht has reduced the risk by first flying the area with a drone from the ship.
Ice was never a problem, not even when we were still sailing at 10°N. However, it is advisable to study the ice maps. Rather problematic was that our Navionics charts on the plotter did not reach that far north. But the maps on the iPad were enough for us. We didn’t have paper maps with us.
There are only two places (Longyearbyen and Ny Alesund) where you can refuel. Only in Longyearbyen is it possible to get excellent provisions. For alcohol, which can be bought in limited quantities, you have to get a permit from the Sysselmesteren office on site.
The following guides have worked well for us: „Norway“ by Judy Lomax/Imray ISBN 978 178679 186 3, „Sail to Svalbard“ by Jon Amtrup ISBN 978 82 999676 48 and the „Norwegian Cruising Guide 8th edition Vol. 5 Svalbard & Jan Mayen” ISBN 978 0 9958939 93. Each guide contains comprehensive information on everything that is important for a trip.
Spitsbergen is visited by around 50,000 tourists every year. They all usually come on cruise ships. These ships are ubiquitous and at their anchorages there are often 10-12 dinghies to bring the guests ashore. Yachts like ours are maybe 30-40. So you are much less alone than you would expect.
Anyone who has successfully mastered the wonderful sailing trip can be rewarded here: the restaurants „Smaks“ in Tromsø to celebrate the return and in between by the „Huset“ in Longyearbyen. All are €€€€ and must be reserved in good time. The restaurant at the Isfjord radio station is also very special. You can only anchor there when the weather is calm and, if the polar bear strays across the yard during dinner, you can wait with gin & tonic until you can return to your ship unmolested.
Die Reisen der SY Saphir 