We sailed near 70 nm yesterday too Mo i Rana. We started by going north from Gardsoya. A very pleasant reach up the channels between the low Laying islands.

Closer in, the sounds and the mountains grow higher and the wind died as we passed The Seven Sisters.

We ran wing and wing up the fjord in a slowly increasing SW that an hour later reached 25-20 knots.

We made good speed as the wind followed the slightly winding fjord.

Further in, the fjord was sheltered from the free wind by the high mountains and the wind become gusty and variable as it bounced on the mountainsides. We then reduced sails and motor-sailed the rest of the way.

The 40 nm deep Mofjord/Ranafjord has little to offer the sailor. One would normally not take the extra two days to go in and out. But for us it means visiting Eva’s family. Eva was born here and most of the family on her mother’s side still lives here. One of her cousins is now running the farm in Plurdalen that has been in the family for generations.

Mo i Rana at the bottom of the fjord has good connections and provisioning but very few berths for guests. We contacted Hauknes Marina, on the south side of the fjord. They had a berth for us for a few days and we were warmly welcomed by Leif, their chairman, as the first Swedish boat to visit. It also turned out that he was the son of Eva’s uncle’s brother. This part of the world is smal…

We will be here for a few days now before heading out to the coast again.