Every day, the Stjernsund leaves Hardbakke at 11:00 for a tour that is part sightseeing, part postal service, and part local bus. The boat was built in the 1970s with two 500 PS motors and has been refitted several times, but the hull is original. Over the years the crew has delivered everything from newspapers to TVs and furniture to the islands.
The first stop is Litlefærøyna, an island with exactly one inhabitant. Roar Moe has been living there since 1998. He was featured on the Norwegian TV show Der ingen skulle tru at nokon kunne bu, which visits the most remote places where people actually live. The captain delivers his newspaper, they have a chat, and the boat moves on.
At Ytrøy, accessible also by road from Ytre Sula, the boat stops at Solundmat, a small company that produces what many consider Norway's best fenalår, which is dried meat from sheep or lamb. Passengers can taste and buy it right at the pier.
The route continues through Storøy, where most houses are now holiday cabins, past Indrøy, and on to Oddekalv with its old trading post that has seen better days. Just before Lågøy, you pass Lågøystolane, a rock formation left behind when the glaciers melted thousands of years ago, once used by sailors as a navigation aid. At Lågøy itself there is a repair shop for fishing boats.
After Lågøy, the boat crosses open sea to Gåsvær, a tiny island that was a trading post in earlier times. People still live here, and there is even a small accommodation if you want to stay overnight. In summer, from mid-June to mid-August, the route is extended past Gåsvær across another long stretch of open water to Bulandet, the final stop.
The boat returns to Hardbakke the same way. The whole thing takes most of the day, and it is probably one of the best boat tours in Norway. Not because it is polished or designed for tourists, but because it is real. This is how people out here get their post, their groceries, and their connection to the rest of the world.
The first stop is Litlefærøyna, an island with exactly one inhabitant. Roar Moe has been living there since 1998. He was featured on the Norwegian TV show Der ingen skulle tru at nokon kunne bu, which visits the most remote places where people actually live. The captain delivers his newspaper, they have a chat, and the boat moves on.
At Ytrøy, accessible also by road from Ytre Sula, the boat stops at Solundmat, a small company that produces what many consider Norway's best fenalår, which is dried meat from sheep or lamb. Passengers can taste and buy it right at the pier.
The route continues through Storøy, where most houses are now holiday cabins, past Indrøy, and on to Oddekalv with its old trading post that has seen better days. Just before Lågøy, you pass Lågøystolane, a rock formation left behind when the glaciers melted thousands of years ago, once used by sailors as a navigation aid. At Lågøy itself there is a repair shop for fishing boats.
After Lågøy, the boat crosses open sea to Gåsvær, a tiny island that was a trading post in earlier times. People still live here, and there is even a small accommodation if you want to stay overnight. In summer, from mid-June to mid-August, the route is extended past Gåsvær across another long stretch of open water to Bulandet, the final stop.
The boat returns to Hardbakke the same way. The whole thing takes most of the day, and it is probably one of the best boat tours in Norway. Not because it is polished or designed for tourists, but because it is real. This is how people out here get their post, their groceries, and their connection to the rest of the world.