Bye bye Bodo...

Day 58: Tuesday 7th July, 2026

Bodo to Engeloya

Duration: 7hrs 30mins

Having travelled back from Edinburgh via Stockholm yesterday, we had already topped up the water tanks and filled the fridge, so it just left a quick refuel in the rain first thing. It felt really good to be leaving Bodo, which has been our least liked stop. Apart from being a handy (but expensive) hub to leave the boat, it had felt quite depressive in both mood and atmosphere - probably not helped by the weather we had encountered....

...so it felt liberating and right to be heading back into the open waters, heading north once more... leaving the heavy low cloud hanging over Bodo behind... gently motor-sailing up Vestfjord, following the dancing light illuminating the rugged dramatically-peaked mainland coast ...

...until we reached the sheltered empty bay where the small island of Rossoya meets the south end of Engeloya...guarded by a large sea eagle standing on a small skerrie...(fuzzy photo below)...

...which seemed the perfect spot to anchor up and go ashore...

...for a lovely walk past the chrystaline waters and through the verdant woods...

...up to 'Langsteinen' standing stone that for over a thousand years had stood at the end of a burial ground comprising of 3 large burial mounds. In 2014 the sacred stone was knocked over during roadworks and and broke into 3 pieces, so now it has been moved slightly away from its original postition and has been repaired and reinforced...

...the ancient property ownership marks still visible on its widest side...

...a few steps beyond the burial mounds ...

...we gazed upon Steigen church, which sits upon an older Viking worship site - its eastern white-washed side built in the 13th century and the nave more recently in 1869...

...then, a last look out over the fertile pastureland, with the boat sitting safely in bay beyond, we returned to the dinghy...

and hopped back aboard for a very settled and silent nights sleep...