Once again our alarm went off at six, this time to make sure David didn't miss his plane. None of us had gotten to bed before three but a cup of coffee and a pastry at the bakery helped pep us up while we waited for the airport shuttle. After saying goodbye to David, we stopped by the tourist information office to inquire about a few things including where we could buy stainless bolts. They suggested a nearby store and before we left we chatted with a hiker who turned out to be a crew member from Polar Bear, a charter sailboat headed to Jan Mayen and Greenland.
It took two stores to find the bolt and the eye that we were looking for. One had a bolt that was longer than we needed and could be cut, the other had the eye. The new piece of hardware is to secure the anchor so that the chain stopper can be left in place. Currently part of it is removed when the anchor is on deck and held on by a piece of line that is prone to chaffing. Tomorrow the upgrade will be put in place and hopefully will be a better solution.
We returned to the boat and spent the rest of the morning organizing our photos from the past week before Frances finally faded and needed a nap. When she revived we headed back to town and Krystina went to the internet cafe to look at weather, ice charts and to start sorting photos into albums. While Frances picked up the new sweater that she had ordered from Frida, a local knitter. Frida invited Frances back to her house to meet her husband who sailed to Greenland last year. After talking, looking at ice charts and Google Earth photos of Greenland over coffee, she finally joined Krystina at the cafe. It was another of those wonderful gestures of hospitality we have often encountered in Iceland.
Frida Holding The Sweater She Knitted For Frances Last Week
Right now it looks as if the ice on the east coast of Greenland will disipate enough by next week, provided that the strong northeast winds do not push more drift ice down from the north. We are just waiting for a few additional charts and for a low that is creating gale force winds to pass. The rain from the low set in as we were ready to head back. It was a wet dinghy ride but the harbor is well protected from swell and we can barely feel the strong easterly quadrant winds. Tomorrow we hope to add photos to the posts that have been put up over the past week.
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