Chartering in Norway: what does the base want for the fjords and the coast?

Chartering in Norway takes you into some of the most dramatic cruising in Europe: fjords as deep as the mountains beside them are high, a coast of countless islands and skerries, and summer evenings that barely get dark. Most charter bases are in the south and west, with a few further north up to the Lofoten Islands. Registration, safety equipment and the boat's insurance are arranged by the charter company and stay on board. Your side is the skipper's certificate, a VHF operator's licence and passports for everyone sailing.

What Norwegian law asks of leisure skippers depends on boat size, engine power and age; the authority is the Norwegian Maritime Authority, Sjøfartsdirektoratet. For a charter, what the base asks for is what really does count in practice. It normally wants a sea qualification that suits the boat and the area, often RYA Day Skipper or Yachtmaster, the ICC or an equivalent national certificate, together with an operator's licence such as the SRC. Many bases ask about your experience as skipper and want to see a logbook. Get written confirmation of what they accept for the boat you are booking.

In the fjords the water is often too deep to anchor. You moor with lines to rings or bolts set in the rock, with a stern anchor out, or alongside a guest pontoon; ask for a demonstration at check-in. Gusts drop off the mountains onto the water without warning, even on a quiet forecast. Along the coast rocks lie right beside the fairway, so the chart has to run all the time, and in narrow sounds the tidal stream picks up. Norway is outside the EU, so passports are needed for everyone aboard. If you damage someone else's boat or property you are personally liable, so proof of your own skipper liability insurance belongs in the folder.

Worth remembering

In the fjords mooring is the real exam: ask about rings, bolts and the stern anchor at check-in.