Anita, the Captain, and the Havila Capella

Anita Isaksen's voice and gaze leave no room for doubt as she sits at the captain's round table in the Havrand restaurant aboard the Havila Capella. Her first encounter with what she calls "the Queen" sparked a special flame within her - a flame so intense that it has repeatedly lured her out of slumber and onto the balcony of her home in Vadsø.

"I have not missed the Queen a single time. Sometimes, when my husband suggests that we visit the camping site, I say, 'But Capella is coming!' And he replies, 'You cannot be that crazy.'"

But Anita is indeed that "crazy," and she admits it willingly.

"My heart brims with joy every time I catch sight of the beautiful ship sailing over the horizon. I cannot compare this feeling to anything," she says.

"But I can," interjects a voice from across the table.

Captain Brynjard Ulvøy perks up, his blond moustache lifting in a smile reaching from ear to ear. Some of his younger navigator colleagues are also present at the table, listening intently.

"Imagine you're a child, only five years old, and you step into a store with your grandfather. And then he says, 'Should we buy a pack of chocolate?'"

The whole table bursts out laughing, as the crew often does when the captain makes one of his witty remarks, whether it is in the restaurant, the employee lounge, the galley, or on the bridge. The captain is concerned about the employees' well-being and makes sure to check the mood on board, showing up in all areas to ensure they are happy and comfortable at work.

It began with the sound of a boat engine

Anita was 12 years old when her fascination with vessels first took hold. It all started with a sightseeing boat in the capital city of Oslo.

"I used to go alone, and the most exciting part was when I had enough money to take the longest tour, which lasted three hours," she recalls.

It was not the sightseeing that enchanted her - after all, she grew up in Oslo and knew the city well - but the vessel itself.

"There was something about the sound and the vibration of the engine that I felt on board," Anita explains.

Finally, the Havila Capella appeared in Vadsø

Ever since then, Anita's fascination with boats has burgeoned. So, when she and her spouse moved to Vadsø in 2021, she was somewhat let down to realise that their picturesque sea vista did not teem with a multitude of vessels.

"I had hoped for a fleet of ships to frequent Vadsø's harbour, trumpeting their horns," she chuckles, well aware of her peculiar adoration for ship horns, engine roars, and foghorns.

Yet, one morning, her eyes beheld Havila Voyages' maiden ship, the Havila Capella, majestically sailing into the port, adorned with a freshly painted blue bow and a gilded stripe atop. Her heart swelled with joy, but there was only one minor issue: the Capella did not below its horn.

Blew the ship’s horn three times

A few months later, on March 15, 2022, Anita sent a message to Havila Voyages: 

“Hi (...) We live right at the pier, and I just love watching the ships glide in and out of the harbour. By the way, do you have that stupid rule that you can't make the ship’s horn sound before 8:00? I moved up here last summer (I'm from Oslo), and I was looking forward to seeing Hurtigruten arrive (now I'm lucky enough to see you too), and especially to hearing the ship's horn! But no, not a sound. If you don't have that rule, can you please blow your horn tomorrow morning?!” 

Anita soon received a response from Havila Voyages, informing her that her message had been forwarded to the captain. The next day, she wrote to the company once more:

“They made the ship’s horn sound - three times! It was so wonderful to hear, like music to my ears. Thank you so much! (Please forward this to the kind captain)”. 

“I was on the terrace, filming, when it happened, and I was so startled from the sound that my hand slipped and impaired my filming. But then they blew the horn again on their way out and I was able to catch it on camera,” says Anita. 

Captain Brynjard Ulvøy was at the helm of the ship that morning. He had taken the chance to whistle to Anita, although the clock had not yet hit 7:00.

“I was deeply moved and grateful when captain Brynjard made the horn sound for me the first time. It's actually the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I'm also incredibly happy that it's him who is on duty now when I'm on board. It's great to finally meet him”, says Anita. 

Fortunately for Anita, captain Brynjard has continued to whistle to her every time he sails into at Vadsø, and he is not the only one... 

“The Queen always delivers, and I'm just as moved and grateful each time”, Anita says.

Ever since the first time the ship Capella blew its horn in March of last year, Anita has made it a point to capture the moment on film every time "The Queen" arrives at her town’s harbour. Furthermore, she always gets up for the sister ship, Havila Castor. 

“But Castor doesn't whistle. That's why she's only almost as beautiful as Capella”, says Anita. 

She has shared these filmed moments of wonder and delight with the members of the "Havila Kystrutens Venner" Facebook group, adding her own reflections and poems to their joy.

Received an Honorary Title

As of the time of our encounter in the restaurant, it has been five days since Anita embarked on the Havila Capella for the very first time. It is worth mentioning that she embarked on a port-to-port trip with the Havila Castor last summer, but it did not involve overnight stays. Although she found the interior of the ship beautiful and the staff "absolutely fantastic," she had always dreamed of going on a proper voyage with "the Queen." When Havila Voyages learned that she would finally do so, the company decided that they would do something special for her.

Therefore, Anita was surprised with this diploma and honorary title "Friend of Kystruten”.

That was not all. On the second day of Anita’s voyage, Captain Ulvøy invited her to visit the bridge during the ship’s approach to Trondheim city. And Anita would do the whistling.

“How did she seem when she came onto the bridge?” we ask the captain. 

“Nervous...” he begins, clearing his throat. “Or maybe not...”. 

“Yes, I was extremely nervous," Anita interjects. "And when it was time to make the horn sound, I barely dared to press the button. But you see, it was just so great meeting the captain. Besides, I was a little embarrassed because I am that kind of person who stands on land waving, being overjoyed by simply hearing the ship's whistle and seeing the beautiful light show they set up for me”, she says. 

“Yes, but we think it's very nice and somewhat special to have a person in Vadsø following and appreciating us”, Captain Ulvøy recounters, smiling.

As the Havila Capella sails towards Vadsø in the early hours of Friday, March 3rd, Anita stands poised on the bridge with her index finger resting on the small button that possesses the power to set off the ship's horn. With her gaze fixed on the captain, she awaits his approval. At last, he nods, and with a broad grin, she presses the button. The horn sounds out three strong blasts: one long, one short, and then another long one, a triumphant salute to the land that awaits them.

Moments later, Anita hurries out onto the gangway outside the bridge, clutching the Norwegian flag in her hand. She is eager to wave to her beloved husband, whom she knows is standing on the balcony of their yellow house behind the pier, watching for her arrival. Soon, he will make his way down to the harbour, his trusty Isuzu D-Max pickup at the ready, eager to bring his wife back home.

Anita bids farewell to the captain and the rest of the crew on the bridge, grateful for the kindness and warmth they have shown her during her stay. Then, she is off to gather her things before disembarking in Vadsø where her husband will be waiting for her. But one thing is for sure: there will be another trip, and then her "old man" will come along.