Our two boats: Sting 535 and Kaasbøll 19, who should take which

Checked on 05.10.2026. The legal points below were read on the official pages linked in each paragraph. The boat facts are the ones on our boats page.

At our camp at Vikran you fish from your own rental boat on the Rystraumen strait, 30 km from Tromsø airport. We have two: the Sting 535 pro and the Kaasbøll 19. Both are small open fishing boats, both carry a Lowrance chart plotter and sounder, and both fish four anglers in comfort. This guide helps you pick one, and tells you what you must know before you take it out.

The two boats side by side

Both engines are above 25 hp, which matters for the licence rule further down.

Which boat for whom

The Sting is light, roomy and very stable. That is the boat for a group of four with mixed experience, for a first season in tidal water, and for anyone who wants space to move while a fish fights. Fibreglass is quiet underfoot and forgiving when the boat rocks in the current.

The Kaasbøll is aluminium, a little longer and a little quicker. It suits a crew that wants to cover ground: from the pier to the farther marks takes between five and twenty five minutes by boat, and a quicker hull shortens the longer runs. The aluminium hull leaves room for gear and catch. Pick it if the skipper has done this before and the group travels with a lot of tackle.

For two anglers either boat is more than enough. For four, the Sting is the calmer choice and the Kaasbøll the faster one. We do not promise either one a better catch, the strait fishes the same from both. The halibut grounds begin about 100 metres from the pier, so a short run is often all you need. More on those in halibut fishing at Rystraumen.

Wind and current decide the day more than the boat does. Ask us at the pier where to fish today, we always tell guests the spots, the drift and the tackle.

The boat licence

Anyone born on 1 January 1980 or later who operates a boat with more than 25 hp, or longer than 8 metres, needs a boating licence. Both of our boats are above 25 hp. Source: Sjøfartsdirektoratet

A licence from another EEA country is valid according to its content. An ICC must include coastal navigation to count in Norway. Other foreign licences are accepted if they meet the Norwegian requirements in all material respects and are written in a Scandinavian language or in English. Whether a UK licence is accepted: ask before you travel. Source: Sjøfartsdirektoratet

Born before 1980? The licence rule does not apply to you. Whoever takes the helm should still know the basics of safety at sea.

Safety rules you must know

Life jackets. In boats under 8 metres everyone wears suitable flotation gear while the boat is under way. The authority puts it simply: always wear a life jacket at sea. We lend life jackets free of charge. We also recommend a flotation suit, because the sea here stays cold even in July. Source: Lovdata, Småbåtloven

Alcohol. More than 0.8 per mille alcohol in the blood makes you unfit to drive a small boat, and the driver must in any case be fit to operate it safely. On our boats we ask for none at the helm. Source: Lovdata, Småbåtloven

Fish farms. Do not fish within 100 metres of a fish farm. Keep all boat traffic at least 20 metres from the farm and its moorings. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet

Tackle. Tourist anglers use handheld gear only, such as rod and line. Nets, pots, traps and longlines are not allowed for foreign tourists. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet

Before you cast off

Before your first trip you get a full technical and safety briefing, and we go through the boat and its sounder with you. Our boat rules then come down to a short routine you can repeat every morning.

1. Licence: the skipper holds a boating licence if the rule above applies.
2. Life jackets: obligatory for everyone on board, on before the lines come off.
3. Fuel: the boat leaves the jetty with two full tanks.
4. Condition: you know how you will return it, clean and undamaged.
5. Distance: nothing within 100 metres of a fish farm to fish, 20 metres to pass.

Fuel and returning the boat

The boats are handed over clean, with two full fuel tanks. Fuel you use is paid for separately by the litre and is not part of the rental, see the price list. Return the boat clean and there is no cleaning charge. We may ask for a deposit when you arrive, and it is returned when the boat comes back undamaged.

Booking a boat

Boat days are requested after you book your stay and are confirmed by e-mail. The full picture of what is included is on the boats page. If you are planning your first trip, read first fishing trip to Tromsø, and for the rules on sizes and quotas see fishing in Norway 2026.