Yott Sailing Fact Box : Svalbard, Spitsbergen

Yacht Charter: No charter fleets but companies do run yacht charter expeditions to the area. Cruise ships also visit Svalbard in summer. Visit www.svalbard.net for more information on locally organised boat trips.

Location: Svalbard is a group of islands between 76-81° North, under Norwegian administration. Longyearbyen is the largest settlement of 1700 people, followed by Barentsburg, a Russian mining town with 900 people and Ny Alesund, an international research centre with 40 people.

Best Time to Go: June – August, average temperature 6°C. 24 hour daylight from April to August.

Time: GMT +1 hours

Flights: No direct international flights. Domestic flights daily from Norwegian mainland (Oslo and Tromso), subject to weather.

Port of entry: Longyearbyen, 78°12’N 15°40’ E

Shopping: Longyearbyen’s supermarket had most things, fresh food is flown in daily from the mainland but is expensive. Outdoor and hiking gear is also available. Chandlery items are very limited.

Languages: Norwegian, English, Russian

Currency: Norwegian Krone

Information: Contact the Governor of Svalbard before arrival for permission to cruise in the area. Search and Rescue insurance is required for yachts cruising in the area.

Don’t Miss: Don’t Miss: Some excellent day trips from Longyearbyen including dog sledding, kayaking, glacier hike, fossil walks and mining tours. Don’t miss polar bears, ptarmigan, reindeer, incredible sea bird life, black and white eider duck, seals, whales, walrus (arctic fox are hard to spot!)

Charts: Charts are good but often carry an error, so eyeball navigation is important. Our chart software frequently put us on dry land, despite being safely anchored in deep water.

Warnings: Don’t get too close to the heads of glaciers, they can calve at any time and depths are unpredictable. Equally icebergs can roll without warning. Beware of Polar Bears, the Governor has a handy leaflet explaining how to distract a polar, including tips such as drop your hat and growl, shooting a polar bear is a very last resort as they are protected. Bring a gun licence and hire a rifle locally. Beware of drift ice coming down the fjords, if at anchor, the weight of the ice around the boat can break the anchor free.

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