Iceland: Sue's Journal Part III

July 13^th

A quiet morning, got up late. The plan was we would leave for our voyage after 4pm when the wind would be favorable. Halldor would join us then. Frances has invited him to come with us to Isafjordur. However, how he will return home is unknown. He has been searching for one of his four motor bikes but to no avail.

Tomas, The Owner Of The Harbour Cafe

Krystina spent a lot of time in the Harbour Café catching up the blog so I read and drank coffee. Eventually we left at some time after 6.30pm for an overnight sail. The Harbour Café owner hoisted the American flag in honor of Snow Dragon and dipped it as we left (After rushing along the quay with a pack of beer, as a parting gift!)

The Harbour Cafe Flying The American Flag

Sue At The Wheel While Talking On Her Mobile

At first, all went well as we motored out of the fjord, I was given the wheel and instructed to steer, which was manageable, but once out at sea with the sails hoisted it was a much more complicated operation. After another hour, I decided that I wouldn’t be eating super. Shortly afterwards I was sick. I was beautifully looked after and I spent the rest of the night on the settee in the pilothouse. John rang at about 11pm and I was promptly sick again! Frances gave me a pill and hot water bottle, and I slept in my clothes including fleece under a blanket and a duvet. It was quite rough. Halldor was heroic and kept watch all night, while Krystina slept. Frances had short snatches of sleep under the chart table. Early in the morning we moved into calmer waters and at 8.30 I was able to sit up and join the others for breakfast.

Sue Asleep And Halldor Relaxing While Underway

14^th July

After breakfast Halldor and I retreated to our cabins, but got up in time for lunch at 2pm. It had been raining since early morning and visibility was very poor when we entered this fjord, but by the time I got up the sun was shining and the views of the hills and the waterfall above us where stunning.

Snow Dragon Comming Into Djupavik Photo Taken By Claus

Photos From Ehibition

We are anchored in Rekjarfjordur at a little settlement called Djupavik. It was a herring station for twenty years from the 1930’s. There is a lot of industrial archaeology here, including a wrecked ship, which was deliberately grounded when the station was being built as accommodation for the workers. It feels very remote and northern here, but there is a good dirt road and quite a few visitors driving along it-it being Sunday. There was a photographic exhibition in the herring processing factory which we visited. It is an amazing building, especially the round tanks which Frances and Halldor crawled into. The acoustic was astounding!

For Video Of Frances Testing The Acoustic

There is a lovely hotel where Krystina made use of the wifi all afternoon, while Frances walked up to the waterfall. I drank coffee, sent some emails and mooched about. At 7.30 Frances brought Halldor and me back to Snow Dragon in the dinghy to start supper. Halldor is a wonder-he had brought a chicken which he prepared and he spring-cleaned the galley at the same time. 

15^th July A closed in day and wet at times. Krystina brought me tea and a sea-sick pill at 8.30am. We set off at 10 for the short journey to Krossnes in Nordurfjordur, where Frances wanted to visit a hot spring. Although not far away, it took four hours to get there because a certain amount of tacking had to take place. Not much to look at (because the coastline was shrouded in mist), except the ever-present fulmars, a tystie, a puffin and a small flock of Icelandic gulls flying past in determined formation. 

We arrived at 2pm and I promptly fell asleep. I woke at 3 o’clock for lunch and then slept again until 6pm. Frances and Halldor had set off at 4 o’clock to find the thermal spring. They didn’t return until 8 o’clock having spent  1 1/2 hours wallowing in the warm bath on the shore with sundry other people. The bath was a 45 min walk form the pier. When Krystina went to fetch them, there was an extra person in the dinghy! Frances had acquired a 26 year old fisherman called Totti, who it appeared was a cousin of Halldor’s. He joined us for supper of Halldor’s spicy chicken soup and cheese. There was animated discussion of world affairs and the state of the Icelandic fishing industry.

16^th July

Sue's Journal

I survived the waves yesterday and again today. A similar start to yesterday. We left Krossnes at 10am. The cloud was low, but hints of brightness, indicating that the day might improve. I sat outside watching the green cliffs drift by for an hour, at which point fog descended and I retreated inside, where I remained for the rest of the day reading and sleeping in the deteriorating weather. We didn’t reach our destination in Hornvik until 8.30 pm. At some point a fast moving zodiac approached with six brightly clad, official looking men on board. Krystina fended them off, with the help of some Icelandic from Halldor, and they disappeared into the gloom, having checked us out!

Lots of sea birds flying round the boat. It was disappointing not to see the dramatic cliffs at Hornvik, where they nest.

Krystina prepared supper on a cold and gloomy night (6C), but it was snug on board. It rained hard at times and we felt sorry for the people camping at this wild and lonely place. There is one, lone farmhouse.

At 11pm the decision was taken not to stay, but to sail on overnight to Isafjordur 36 miles away. We left in the fog at midnight.

17^th July

It was a lively night’s sailing. We all stayed up, dozing from time to time. Frances had the best night’s sleep under the chart table, apart from having to replenish hydraulic fluid in the autopilot in the early hours. Halldor kept watch most of the time. Again I managed to survive the waves! We entered the fjord at 7.30 am, where it was calm enough for Krystina to prepare breakfast-eggy bread etc.

We finally anchored in the harbour at 10am. On approaching the harbour we passed the runway!!!

The cliffs around here are extremely colorful-red rock, brilliant green grass and moss and blue-green lupines.

By lunch time we had all showered and gone ashore. Halldor slept. We made for the harbour café (Edinborg Bistro) so that Krystina could work on the computer. She and Frances shared a lamb burger. I had a bowl of superb sea-food soup. This is the second harbour café of high standard-why can’t we do this in Britain? The harbour has a high number of arctic terns fishing and hovering like butterflies behind the Snow Dragon.

Frances and I went for a wander around the town, but I DID NOT buy an Icelandic sweater. Frances succumbed to a beautiful hand-made glass wall light! The weather was improving all the time and eventually the sun emerged and the cloud lifted from the tops of the mountains. By the time we returned to the café it was warm enough to sit outside.

Isafjordur At Midnight

Isafjordur is a lovely little town, but it is rather hemmed in by two walls of rock on either side of the fjord. There has been a lot of investment here with many new buildings including hospital, school and sports centre. There has been a big effort to promote tourism in this beautiful area, even though it is eight hours by road from Reykjavik. There are several large trawlers in the harbour. Frances, Halldor and I returned to Snow Dragon at 5.30 to prepare supper.

I fly out of here tomorrow-and I’ve seen the runway-oh dear!!

For more photos please click on Sue's Journal Past III Album

For more photos from Clause http://www.claus-in-iceland.com/