Kayaking out into the Atlatic
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16-18/08/19
Kayaking and camping along the windswept string of the Froan islands, reaching Finnværet and Halten lighthouses.
A group of us from Trondhjems Kajakklubb headed out for a long weekend paddling in the most exposed set of islands in Trøndelag. Well out in to the Atlantic, out from the mouth of Trondheimsfjord, the Froan islands are mostly protected as part of nature reserves.
The wind was not in our favour when we arrived - too much for the open crossings that we would have had if we had started at Norddyrøya as planned. Instead we loaded our kayaks onto a small passenger & goods ferry, taking up most of the cargo area. We had a nice afternoon paddling to Store Lyngøya where we set up camp.
The forecast for our second day was calm first thing, but by lunchtime it was forecast to be over 12 m/s wind. We therefore decided to make the most of the morning by not packing up camp and coming back by for lunch. We had a lovely paddle out to Finnvær lighthouse, and had a morning coffee on the island. As we paddled back to camp the wind picked up and was already at least 10 m/s when we got back. Unfortunately the wind was not creating any big waves to play in, so we spend the afternoon and evening waiting for better conditions on Sunday.
Determined to reach Halten, we set off early to Halten, with a thin sea mist and drizzle as we set off (after very heavy rain when packing up camp). As we paddled the open crossings between wee islands the weather gradually cleared into a glorious sunny day. The sea started to get more interesting during the final 5 km crossing to Halten, which made for an enjoyable approach to the safe harbour in the middle of the sea. We ate a tasty lunch at the hotel on the island. We then visited what used to be the school and community centre on the island when it was permanently populated. At it's peak this small set of islands had a summer population of around 1000. Today it is deserted in winter, but some people spend most of the summer there. It was very interesting to hear stories of life on the island from the woman showing us the community centre. She had grown up on the island, and had many stories of her mothers adventures. It is now possible to stay in the that building when visiting the island.
