Feeling At Home In Husavik

Normally we don’t have the opportunity to scope out a port before arriving with Snow Dragon but thanks to Gerd, we had a sneak peek at Husavik after he insisted on introducing us to his friend Nils. The three hour drive along the interior route from Seydisfjordur to Husavik was spectacular, taking us through the volcanic area around Myvatn.

We stopped and walked around the geothermal area of Hverarond, with its impressive steam vents and bubbling mud pots. Even with all the geothermal activity, the cold wind still managed to make us shiver. After our brief walk we retreated to the car and continued to Husavik. 

Steam Vent

Husavik was on our itinerary but it became a must stop after seeing the town in person and meeting Nils who works for North Sailing, Husavik’s original whale watching company. The company was founded out of the desire to preserve traditional Icelandic oak fishing boats. Including Iceland’s only schooner, Haurkur. She is Nils’ pride and joy and it is heart warming to hear how much he enjoys sailing her.

On the way back to Seydisfjordur we took the costal route which gave us a good look at the harbor possibilities on Iceland’s north east corner. There were a few that were well protected but none of them compared to Husavik. Getting to see what we would be missing made it easier to decide to skip the north east corner in order to spend more time on the north coast. 

When we arrived last Monday we received the same warm welcome that we had when we were here with Gerd. There was a sense familiarity coming into the harbor and Snow Dragon blended in well, rafted up to North Sailing’s traditional boats. The tourists going out on the whale watching tours took interest in Snow Dragon and we have gotten to meet some lovely people.  

North Sailing’s laid back yet professional atmosphere made us comfortable leaving Snow Dragon for the day. We rented a car to further explore Myvatn and the surrounding area. It was cloudy but much warmer than it had been during our previous visit and we were able to walk around Hverfell crater without freezing. Our only disappointment was the nature baths which were highly commercial and we retreated rapidly after seeing the parking lot full of tour busses.  

Our week in Husavik has not been enough and this vibrant fishing and whale watching center will go down on our list of places that we would love to come back to.

For more photos please click on Road Trip Album. 

An Island On The Arctic Circle

Iceland is below the arctic circle with the exception of its most northerly island, Grimsey. Here the arctic circle cuts through the island, providing Grimsey with the midnight sun in the summer and twenty-four hours of darkness in the winter.

Monument Marking The Polar Circle In Norway

We spent the last year well above the arctic circle and it was with great sadness that we crossed south of it as we went down the Norwegian coast. Somehow leaving the far north gave a sense of finality to our time in Norway and Svalbard. With Grimsey came the opportunity for us to visit 66° 33' N one last time before continuing south.

But there is more to Grimsey than its latitude. Its people are some of the friendliest in Iceland and they take pride in their island and its unusual history. On November 11th they celebrate the birth of their benefactor, Daniel Willard Fiske, an American scholar and world champion chest player. Who never personally set foot on the island but decided to make several contributions to its people after passing Grimsey on a steam ship in 1857. Besides gifting every household with a marble chest set, he funded the island’s first school and library. He also left Grimsey a portion of his estate, leaving a lasting impression on its inhabitants for generations to come. 

Grimsey

Both as we approached and later walked on Grimsey, we were struck with the island’s simple yet intricate shape. Gentle grassy uplands dominate the top of the island, only yielding to the sheer rocky cliffs that drop down to meet the sea. Exploring was easy thanks to the fields. The only inconvenience was a colony of arctic terns that seemed to take great enjoyment in pretending they were protecting their nests. 

Atlantic Puffins

The cliffs are prime nesting ground for various types of birds including our favorite, puffins. Rarely have we gotten a close look at their exotic beaks and plumage until we walked along Grimsey’s bird cliffs. Here they were less timid, we almost thought we were going to accidentally step on them as we walked past. Their density was incredible, a sight we will never forget.

For more photos please click on Grimsey Album. 

Grimsey, A Small Detour

Instead of going directly to Husavik, we have detoured to Sandvik on the island of Grimsey, 30 miles north of our intended destination. There is no serious reason behind our change of plan other than that is what we felt like doing when the final navigational decision needed to be made late last night.

It took us 36 hours to reach Grimsey from Seydisfjordur, mostly under power. Conditions were not ideal when we left Friday night, the sea was still turbulent from the strong northerly that had come through. The wind was almost sailable but not strong enough to keep the sails full with the steep waves, so we kept motoring. Eventually the waves mellowed, greatly increasing our comfort. By Saturday, the wind had picked up and we were able to sail for most of the day before the wind died for the night and did not return until shortly before we reached Grimsey.

Everything seemed normal this morning as we came up to the wharf until Frances asked for a wrench. It is not unusual for Frances to request a tool but she doesn't normally do it as Krystina is getting ready to cleat Snow Dragon's bow line to the dock. Sure enough Frances had a good reason for making the request at such an inopportune time, the throttle handle had fallen off. Luckily the engine was at idle and Frances was still able to shift gears, putting Snow Dragon into neutral as Krystina fetched the wrench and then scurried to get the bow and the rest of the lines secured. Overall it was a perfect docking and Snow Dragon came gently to rest against the tires covering the high wharf.

As we were putting on the sail cover, a local fisherman came by to welcome us. We invited him on board for coffee and as we chatted he asked us if we enjoyed our life on Snow Dragon. When Krystina replied "yes, but it's a lot of work", the fisherman smiled in that knowing way that only someone who has experienced life at sea and spent countless hours repairing their boat can smile.

Before leaving, he pointed out his boat and kindly offered to help us repair the throttle handle if needed. We were able to replace the sheered bolt ourselves but it was nice to know help was available if we needed it. Eventually we'll make it to Husavik but for now Grimsey is beckoning to be explored. Unfortunately we don't have access to wifi right now so you'll have to wait for photos until we do.

Smooth Sailing, Norway to Iceland

Approaching Seydisfjordur Iceland

Just as Norway was beginning to show signs of summer. We crossed over to Seydisfjordur on Iceland’s east coast, where winter still lingers with the occasional blizzard. Aside from the temperamental weather, Seydisfjordur is a warm and friendly place with beautiful scenery and some lovely architecture, which we have explored intensely over the past few days. 

The passage was surprisingly relaxed. We had been seriously watching the weather pattern around Iceland since April, hoping that by the end of May we would find a long enough window to make the crossing. Our opportunity came just shortly after Gerd, whose house we had moored Snow Dragon in front of during the winter, joined us in Trondheim on May 15^th for the passage.

Frances & Gerd tightening the rig

After tightening Snow Dragon’s rig, dinner with friends and refueling the following morning. We left the dock at Trondheim and sailed the 35 miles out of the fjord to the nearby island of Storfosna. Where we anchored for one last night of uninterrupted sleep and a hike before making the crossing. We had stopped at the island several weeks prior and it was nice to come back and see the changes that had taken place with the arrival of spring. 

Dinner with Adrian, Tove & Gerd

Once out on the open ocean, conditions remained calm with light winds and mellow seas for the five day, 613 mile passage. Barely a drop of water touched the deck and only minimal sail adjustments were needed. Most of the time it felt as if Snow Dragon was sailing herself and we were only along for the ride. Even with the mild conditions all three of us struggled with sea sickness at different points during the crossing. We had not done any ocean sailing since October and it took a while for us to readjust to the motion.

The one down side to the light winds was the dense fog that surrounded us for the second half of the passage and did not lift until Iceland’s mountains were towering above us. Luckily there was no traffic which both our radar and newly installed AIS confirmed. Our only company was the occasional bird, whose numbers increased as we approached Iceland.

It is slightly unusual for a noncommercial boat of Snow Dragon’s size to be running AIS, which gives the name, position and course of ships in the area as well as transmitting our own information. When we were 45 miles out, the Icelandic Coast Guard called us on the radio by name to enquire where we were going. They then arranged for the port captain and custom’s official to meet us at the dock, despite are arrival time of 11:30pm.

The port officials were welcoming and did not seem to mind that we were accidentally flying the Faroes courtesy flag instead of the Icelandic which was put up my mistake due to mislabeling by the Norwegian flag supplier. As we answered questions and filled out forms they told us that we were the first yacht to arrive this year and that there had only been nine last year. They were also happy to hear that we had been greeted by the fjord’s resident humpback whale as we came into the port after not seeing any marine life during the crossing.

Four days after we arrived another sailboat came in from Norway and we were quickly reminded of how lucky we were to have had such great conditions. They had 40 knots of wind and 6 meter seas and were forced to divert to Seydisfordur for protection instead of continuing to their intended destination on the north coast. Their experience reinforced our decision to motor when the wind was too light instead of waiting for it to fill in and potentially end up with more than we bargained for.  

After spending six days in Seydisfordur, we are now ready to make our way to Husavik on the north coast. There are few protected harbors on Iceland’s north-east corner and with that in mind we plan to sail nonstop to Husavik.

The past two months have been a bit of a blur as we focused on getting Snow Dragon ready for Iceland and making our way down the Norwegian coast from Tromso to Trondheim. Over the next few weeks we hope to have time to write both about our experience in Iceland and the memorable moments we had before leaving Norway. 

For more photos please click on Seydisfordur Ablum. 

Back Under Power

Engine Control Panel With Zero Hours

When we turned the key for the first time, there was a small sense of relief as we heard the click of the pre-glow and complete joy as the engine came to life. The temptation to immediately leave the dock was overwhelming but it was late in the afternoon and we needed to stick around for another day to tie up a few loose ends with the boat yard.

Kurt from JH Motors, the Yanmar dealer in Tromso came by to see the installation and to pick up the old Perkins. We still don’t know what was wrong with the engine but hopefully some of the parts will be able to be reused. It was nice to be able to give the Perkins to someone who had been very supportive of our project. We have been doing business with JH Motors who supplies several marine products, since we first arrived in Tromso and they always work hard to make sure that we get what we need. Kurt was instrumental in getting the new engine delivered quickly and loaned us a chain hoist when the one provided by the yard turned out to be substandard.

It took us eight days to install the Yanmar after it had been placed on the pilot house floor. There were no major surprises, just a lot of work. Before we left the boat yard on Friday, Frances was told that the head mechanic had said “she had done a perfect job and was quite impressed”.  It was nice that the yard realized that were were not just difficult customers but it was even more important to us that we had met our own deadline of getting the job done in two weeks. Thirteen days after towing Snow Dragon over to the boat yard with the dinghy, she left under her own power and we returned to our mooring on Hakoya.  

For more photos please click on Boat Yard Album. 

Taking Control

Thanks to some improvisation on our part, Snow Dragon’s repowering is on schedule.  We were ready for the Perkins to be removed from the engine room on Monday morning but by the end of business on Tuesday, the yard had yet to make any progress. It seemed they were more interested in doing the work that we had already done than moving the project forward. The head mechanic took all the measurements for removing the engine which we had already done. The next day two mechanics with a grinder came down to the boat to cut the T frame so that the track for the chain hoist would fit. They sheepishly retreated to their workshop when they realized that Frances had already done the job and had the hoists ready to lift the engine.

Frances cutting timber for the supports

With no indication from the yard that they were actually planning to move the project forward, we decided to do the job ourselves. After gathering scraps of timber to use as supports, we spent Tuesday evening lifting the Perkins out of the engine room and onto the pilothouse floor. On Wednesday morning, the yard did a double take when Frances told them that the Perkins was ready to be removed by crane. To our surprise the yard moved us over to the crane and lifted the Perkins out and replaced it with the Yanmar that afternoon.

Cranking on the chain hoist

The Perkins sitting on the pilot house floor

Their rough method of towing Snow Dragon over to the crane, nearly ramming Snow Dragon’s bow sprit into a large fish boat, was high stress. Luckily the lift went much more smoothly. We made it clear that they were not to damage Snow Dragon in any way when they switched out the engines. It took a bit of reminding but they did manage to use more care than usual. Then they towed us back, ramming Snow Dragon’s bow into the dock. We thanked them for the lift and for the “terrifying tow experience”.

Prepping the Perkins to be lifted out of the boat

The Yanmar coming into the boat

The yard seemed to finally understand that when we ask for something we expect it to happen within a finite period. Now when we order supplies, they are delivered the same day and our methods are no longer questioned. This weekend we will finish the new engine bed and lower the Yanmar into the engine room.

Moving Forward

View of the boat yard from our mooring at Hakoya

What makes engine replacement a daunting task is that boats are built around their engine. In Snow Dragon’s case, it’s a Perkins 4-236 which is no longer made. Though parts are still widely available, rebuilding the engine at Norwegian wages would cost more than half a new one and would leave us with a twelve year old engine.

After talking to Perkins, we began to think about the M92b, the modern version of our engine. The placement on the engine bed would be the same but the M92b is slightly taller and wider. Parts of the engine could be dismantled and reassembled once it was in place but it was still was a questionable fit.

With our mind bouncing back and forth between new Perkins and a rebuild, we called Trans Atlantic Diesel, the supplier of Snow Dragon’s engine. Their gut feeling was that we should go for a rebuild instead of the new Perkins on the grounds that the 4-236 was made for many years and parts were ready available. The M92b has not been around for that long, making parts more difficult to obtain. It was also questionable how much longer the M92b would be made.  

Trans Atlantic’s advice was sensible and we would have gone with it except for one problem, we hate the 4-236. It’s noisy, not fuel efficient and has a high level of vibration that would not be tolerated in a modern engine just to name a few of its less appealing qualities. Yes, it’s an engine that any competent mechanic could repair but it has never been a pleasure to use. 

Repowering is something that can not be taken lightly. It requires changes to the engine bed, propeller and placement of fuel lines. Tromso does have ship yard facilities but not the level of welding that would make us willing to have extensive changes made.

After looking at several engines the Yanmar 4JH4 quickly became the obvious choice. Frances originally wanted to put in a Yanmar instead of a Perkins but at the time turbo chargers were still not proven. The 4JH4 is physically smaller which will make access easier and unlike the Perkins, parts are standard world wide.

The new engine will be delivered tomorrow and Snow Dragon is already sitting at the yard’s dock, waiting. We towed her over ourselves by lashing the dinghy with the outboard to Snow Dragon’s side. Frances had already disassembled the Perkins to make it easier to remove before we left our mooring at Hakoya. We spent the weekend in our new location, removing some of Snow Dragon’s interior and her day tank to gain access for engine removal and replacement. 

View into engine room where stairs used to be

Ideally by the end of the week, the Perkins will have been removed and the Yanmar will be sitting on the pilothouse floor waiting to go into the engine room. Between engines, we will repaint the area underneath where the engine sits and get the new engine bed bolted on.