Iceland's Second City

Before we left Flatey, Knorrinn, a North Sailing boat came by with a tour group and told us they were heading to Dalvik. We had been planning to anchor at a nearby bay but the weather wasn’t great so we decided to follow them. Our decision to slowly sail instead of motor meant that we arrived in Dalvik just as Knorrinn was leaving. They seemed amused by our change of plans and circled around us to take photographs before heading back to Husavik.        

At Dalvik there was plenty of space for us at the dock and the harbor was well protected. Since Reykjavik is not on our itinerary, we decided to take a day trip to Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest city. There was a convenient early morning bus and we arrived just as things were beginning to wake up. After having breakfast at a local bakery, we wandered around the tree lined streets.

1913 Building In Akureyri

Like other Icelandic towns the buildings were sided and rooved in colorful corrugated iron with painted wood trim. Sitting on top of a hill, was an imposing modern church with beautiful stained glass windows. Some of the stained glass was from the old Coventry Cathedral in England.

We went down to check out the harbor and to say hello to Saxon Blue, a British yacht that we had seen sailing a few days prior. They were just waking up so we went and had coffee before returning to chat with them about their plans. Like us, they are planning to spend a few more weeks in Iceland before heading to Greenland.

On our way back to the bus we stopped at the bookstore to pick up a few books and some croissants from the cafe. We enjoyed the hour long ride back and were happy that we had decided to take the bus instead of bringing Snow Dragon up the 30 mile long fjord. It was a mainly frivolous day but one we enjoyed thoroughly.  

For more photos please click on Dalvik-Akureyri Album. 

Summer Residents

Arctic Terns On Flatey

Flatey, a small island just outside of Husavik was abandoned in the late 1960s and has only recently been re-inhabited during the summer. We had just finished our dinner and were planning on going to bed early, when we noticed a woman and her son standing on the dock inspecting Snow Dragon. Frances invited them on board and next thing we knew we were being given a tour of the island at 9 o’clock at night on a tractor.

Our guide's name was Johanna and she invited us back to her house where we talked until well after midnight. We returned to the boat but were woken up a few hours later by 20 knots of wind that unexpectedly picked up from the west, slamming Snow Dragon against the concrete pier. Our fenders and fender boards were no match for the rough dock and we decided we needed to leave before our fenders were destroyed. Frances lashed a wooden plank against the bow sprit to protect it as we powered off the dock.

Once we got Snow Dragon anchored nearby we slept for a couple hours before putting the dinghy together. It was still deflated on deck from the crossing. We were planning to leave Flatey that morning but decided to spend one more night after Johanna invited Frances to collect eider down with her. Eiders are Frances' favorite duck and she is fascinated by the process of gathering the down.

Johanna puts a stick with a flag to mark the nest. She takes most of the down and then gives the Eiders a few days to produce more before she visits the nest again. The cleanest down is gathered before the eggs hatch but down is also collected when there are chicks in the nest. Some of the fluffy chicks run away and have to be caught and put back. The only undesirable part of the process is the smell of the eider droppings which is quite pungent.

Eider Chicks

After the nesting material is cleaned only 20 percent is usable down. Johanna collects about 70kg from approximately 500 nests on her half of the island. She then sends the down to Japan were the final cleaning takes place before it gets used in high end down products.

That night Johanna, her son and four friends that were visiting her rafted  their power boat to Snow Dragon and joined us for dinner. It was a warm evening and we were able to have hors d' oeuvres and drinks on deck before coming into the pilothouse for dinner. It was a lovely night and we were glad that we decided to spend the extra time to get to know Flatey and the people that love the island. 

Dinner Guests Leaving

For more photos please click on Flatey Album.

Sailing With Haukur

All of the traditional wooden ships in Husavik are very special but our favorite was Haukur, Iceland's only schooner. It was a pleasure to sail on her with only her crew and no passengers. Neither of us had sailed on a schooner before and it was fascinating to see her traditional rig in action. We teased the crew that they should come and learn to sail the "easy way" on Snow Dragon after watching them put up all of their sails by hand.

Krystina and Nils

On another day we joined her for a whale watching trip. This time there was less sailing and more motoring in order to get out to were the whales were in the light winds. Everyone's eyes were scanning for blows and we were quickly rewarded with a humpback whale that playfully rolled underneath the boat. The real highlight of the day was a mother and calf northern blue whale, the largest mammals to ever live on earth.

North Atlantic Blue Whale

Our departure from Husavik was timed with Haukur's Sunday afternoon whale watching tour so that we could sail across the bay together. The conditions were perfect and both boats were able to show their sailing capabilities in the 15 knots of northerly wind. Hopefully the passengers on the whale watching trip realized how special it was for Haukur to be under full sail, moving at over 6 knots. Our speed was pushing 8 knots with a single reefed main and stay sail. We jibed and tacked to make several passes by Hauker to get photos of her under sail. When the wind dropped they turned their focus to whale watching and we headed to Flatey with small detours to watch blue whales feeding.

Humpback Whale

For more photos please click on Sailing With Haukur Album.

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.