Fabled Fjord Cafe

We left Veidileysufjordur this morning on a mission to find out if the cafe at Hesteyri really existed. David read about it in his Lonely Planet guide to Iceland after we had already visited Hesteyrarfjordur, where the settlement is located. At the time we had been focused on exploring the old whaling station and had not gone into the settlement but had been near enough to see that it was an unlikely place for a cafe. Since Hesteyrarfjordur was practically on our way back to Isafjordur, we just could not resist stopping in for a cup of coffee.

Under staysail alone, we made our way back to Hesteyri. David binoced the settlement looking for evidence of a cafe but all he saw was a large group of tourists walking along the beach and some normal looking houses. After a scenic detour to the head of the fjord we turned around and anchored in front of a small jetty.

On shore Krystina explained our mission to a young American couple who were waiting for the ferry. They informed us that David's guide book was correct and that we could find the cafe in the house with the green roof. We thanked them for the information and took a walk along the beach before checking out the cafe.

David And Krystina At The Cafe

There were people coming in and out of the building as we approached but we were still surprised to find a normal looking cafe in such a remote location. We ordered coffee and a plate of pancakes to share before finding a table by a window that looked out on Snow Dragon. The people running the cafe were very friendly and told us that the house used to belong to the town doctor before the community was abandoned in 1952. We also learned that the nearby whaling station was Norwegain and later used by the Icelanders to process herring.

Krystina And David Leaving The Cafe

With 20 knots of easterly wind and building, we left for Isafjordur with a double reefed main and staysail. Snow Dragon surfed at over 8 knots for nealry an hour. By the time we got out into the middle of Isafjardardjup, the wind dropped just in time for us to be able to sit out in the cockpit and enjoy our dinner with a comfortable motion. The wind continued and we managed to sail until a few minutes before dropping the anchor, needing the motor for the final positioning.

Tomorrow David heads back to England and we will turn our focus to getting Snow Dragon ready for Greenland. It has been a pleasure having David onboard and we look forward to him and Georgina - who was too busy to come this year - continuing their annual tradtion of visiting Snow Dragon in interesting locations.

For more photos please click on Coffee Album.

Exploring In The Rain

To top off our perfect day yesterday, Frances was able to complete a successful maintenance task. Our water tanks seemed to be running out of water faster than normal and we realized that our fresh water pump was failing after four years of reliable service. We had a spare onboard and with an hour and a half the new one was installed and operational.

With our incoming track saved on the chart plotter we were able to leave Leirufordur this morning at our convenience instead of the tide's. We still gave the shallow bar our undivided attention but once we were over it, we rolled out the jib and slowly sailed down wind to Veidileysufjordur. David kept a lookout for creatures, spotting a seal and porpoise as we glided along.

Frances And Krystina In The Dinghy

Clouds started rolling in, banishing the clear skies that we had woken up to. By the time we reached Veidileysufjordur, the fjord was blanketed by gray cloud. We motored up the fjord passing puffins, a razorbill and three great northern divers. Three types of birds that we had not seen before in the Jokulfirdir area. As we were preparing to anchor, we were surprised to see an outhouse on shore and David christened Veidileysufjordur the "En Suite Anchorage".

Over a late lunch we settled on a route for our afternoon explore - a 402m flat-topped fell called Tafla overlooking the end of the fjord. Thirty minutes into the hike, Krystina stepped on an innocent looking rocky area and suddenly found herself in mud up to her shins. Not wanting to hike for four hours in soggy boots, she decided to go back to the boat and remove the rocks and mud, while David and Frances continued up the mountain. Shortly after we separated it began to rain but this did not discourage David and Frances. It did not take long for them to summit and their descent was even faster than anticipated thanks to some excellent poly-bagging runs on the remaining snow.

Frances Poly-Bagging

What has amazed us about the fjords of Jokulfirdir, is that each one is different. from the shape and spacing of the mountains to the wildlife and vegetation, each one has given us a unique experience. We have been lucky to have had a week of blue sky but even in the dreary weather Veidileysufjordur is still spectacular. The horizontal lines of snow that lace the fjord are emphasized by the added contrast of the dark sky. Vertical lines eroded by water help make the mountains more prominent. While the vegetation is just coming into spring surrounded by remains of winter, unaware that it is almost July.

For more photos please click on Veidileysufjordur Album.

An Early Start To A Perfect Day

Snow Dragon On Her Way To Leirufjordur

This morning's 6am alarm was a necessary evil to be able to make it to Leirufjordur, the next fjord, on a rising tide. Leirufjordur has a shallow terminal moraine across its entrance with a few erratics. Our cruising guide described a back range using a waterfall and a mountain peak to avoid running aground. However, the clouds obscured the necessary peak making the range unusable. Frances tried to get the course by figuring it on the chart, though the stream was marked, it was unclear where the waterfall was.

We decided to guess our way through and Krystina slowly inched Snow Dragon into the fjord eyes glued to the depth sounder with Frances on the bow watching for rocks in the silty water. Our course ended up being correct and we passed safely between the rocks, with water to spare. Once anchored, we had breakfast including several cups of coffee and quite a few muffins. Forgoing our traditional tea for something a little more caffeinated helped us get through our morning meal but after we had eaten, we all fell asleep at the table.

After our impromptu nap, Frances and David made an attempt at hiking up to a tongue of the Dragajokull ice cap which took them through a beautiful valley meadow following a meandering ATV track across grassland. On th way an arctic skua tried to distract them from its nest site with increasingly desperate ploys and they watched a family of whooper swans and three cygnets rafting down the river. At the head of the valley an impassible wide, muddy, multiple-braided river blocked the path making the glacier unattainable, but it was still a delightful walk. The easy terrain and shortened walk meant that they returned to the dinghy earlier than expected and found that it was grounded from low tide. They sat on the beach basking in the sun watching the eider and long-tailed ducks on the fjord and waited for the tide to come up. When it did they were able to float the dinghy towards deeper water before making a choppy journey back to Snow Dragon.

After refueling on tea and chocolate brownies - and another brief nap - all three of us made our way to shore for an unexpectedly lengthy pre-dinner stroll. We decided to walk up a hill at the mouth of the fjord but the walking was so delightful that it ended up turning into a circumnavigation of the headland where we saw ptarmigan, ringed and golden plovers. Instead of hurrying back to the boat after our walk, we sat in a meadow bathed in the warm evening light surrounded by bog cotton and pink orchids, watching an eider duck teach her nine chicks how to dive.

Krystina And David Above Leirufjordur

For more photos please click on Leirufjordur Album.

A Look Into Furufjordur

From Hrafnfjordur there is a trail that leads across to Furufjordur on the north coast. Our map referred to the route as a graded track but it was more like a rocky stream bed interrupted by the occasional meadow. We detoured to look inside an emergency shelter that was near where we left our dinghy before we set off. It was well equipped with a sleeping bag, pair of expedition boots (size 10), stove and simple food like pasta on the pantry shelf. The shelters in the area were originally intended to help shipwrecked sailors but now serve as an extra security for hikers.

It took us a few moments to find the start of the trail but once we found it, the going was fairly easy. The only inconvenience was the wind that pushed against us as we climbed up the valley and re-finding the trail when it turned into flower-covered meadow. At the far side of the meadow the trail crossed an elegant arched wooden bridge over a turbulent stream. The remains of a previous flat bridge lay beside it. An hour into our hike, we decided to stop for a snack and found a spot near a waterfall that offered some protection. The consistent rhythm of the water rushing down was relaxing and it was interesting to note how different the waterfalls in the are sounded from each other.

Krystina Walking Over The Bridge

As we continued along towards the high mountain lake that was feeding the waterfall, Krystina surprised an eider duck that was nesting next to the trail, exposing her nest with four eggs. After taking a quick peek, we hurried past the nest to encourage the mother to return. The lake was unfortunately not thermal but still impressive to look at as it stretched across the plateau.

Snow buntings made frequent appearances along the trail. Their white under bodies and black wings blended in well with the landscape, helping them disappear quickly. We also came across two well camouflaged purple sand pipers, the brown in their feathers matching the rock perfectly.

The trail started to descend into the next fjord, which was wider with a more open landscape than Hrafnsfjordur. Half way down the trail became an ancient built up track and we wondered what the valley had been like when it was inhabited. Once we got down to the base of the meadow and began making our way across, we realized we needed to cross a raging torrent that was being fed by the melting snow. Frances and David were finally able to find a spot to get across but Krystina valued her dry socks too much to follow. In the end they decided to turn around and we began making our way back up the rocky hillside.

Furufjordur

Besides some minor complaints from our leg muscles, going back was easier. With the wind behind us, we no longer felt as if we were being pushed backwards. On the way back we passed a sculpted basalt cliff face reputedly the home of the largest elf colony in the Westfjords. By the time we returned, everyone was glad that we had not continued all the way to the beach at Furufjordur which would have taken an additional two hours. Our instinct was to take a long nap after our 12 mile wander put practicality kicked in and we decided to stretch and have dinner. The 35 knots of wind that had picked up made keeping the dishes on the table interesting and we had to use tumblers instead of wine glasses.

For more photos please click on Hrafnfjordur and Furufjordur Album.

Taking Our Time

We woke up this morning to clear blue skies in Lonafjordur. Instead of rushing off to the next fjord we took in our surroundings over a leisurely breakfast. Frances sat on deck and did a painting, enjoying the warm weather that has become the norm over the past few days. While David and Krystina chatted about how nice it was not to be in a rush.

Breakfast

Breakfast seamlessly transitioned into morning coffee before we were ready to think about moving but first we needed to pay one last visit to the harbor seals on the other side of the bay. We dinghied over and found five seals swimming near the beach and sun bathing. They took turns coming closer to us but remained cautious.

Harbor Seal

The wind was still light when we returned to the boat and we decided to motor to Hranfnsfjordur, the next fjord without putting up our mainsail. It was completely calm and Frances was able to make the custard for crème brûlée. While Krystina and David took care of the navigation and tried to count the many whooper swans swimming and flying along the fjord.

Once we turned the corner and began making our way up Hranfnsfjordur the wind picked up and we had 15 knots against us. This fjord was also uncharted and the depth was shallow so we decided to continue motoring instead of trying to tack and increase our chances of hitting a rock. Three quarters of the way up, the depth dropped to below 6 meters and we had to carefully pick our way along the shore with a bow watch to keep enough water under the keel. Eventually we made it to the head of the fjord where we wanted to anchor.

As we were getting into the dinghy to go ashore, a group of people in a power boat came over to say hello and to make sure we understood how shallow it was in the fjord. We thanked them for their concern and reassured them that we knew, before taking off on our pre-dinner explore. We hiked up to the top of a 240 meter summit - where we found a family of golden plovers in a small grassy dip - to get a good look over the fjord and the trail possibilities for the morning before returning to Snow Dragon for dinner and an immoral quantity of crème brûlée.

For more photos please click Lonafjordur To Hranfnsfjordur Album.  

Glacier Fjords

Snow Dragon is comfortably anchored in Lonafjordur, surrounded by waterfalls and green, snow patched mountains. Lonafjordur is one of five fjords just north of Isafjorudr, known as Jokulfirdir or glacier fjords. This area is one of the most spectacular places to sail and hike in Iceland. Our friend David joined us in Isafjordur and after he got settled we took off for Jokulfirdir. The 20 mile sail across was lively according to David. The wind was variable until we neared the mouth of the fjords when it suddenly increased to 20-25 knots. With the wind blowing straight out of the mouth of Jokulfirdir, we decided to stop at Hesteyrarfjordur, the first fjord in the group.

In the morning we went to shore to inspect an old whaling station and were shyly greeted by two harbor seals as we made our way to the rocky beach. Walking was easy, there was a gentle trail that led along grass covered cliffs with the occasional deep patch of mud that needed to be avoided. The area had not been grazed for years and flowers were abundant.

Old Whaling Station

The station had a strong presence with its tall brick tower and large number of foundations. Unlike other whaling stations that we have seen, this one did not have a sad feel to it. There was very little evidence of whalebone, only scattered bits of machinery and we wonder if it was operational when use of the entire whale was enforced.We returned to the beach and found the harbor seals hauled out on exposed rocks. They watched us get into our dinghy and begin to motor back before diving back into the water and disappearing.

The conditions were right for us to move when we got back to Snow Dragon and we decided to make our way to Lonafjordur. It ended up being a perfect sail and Frances was able to prep dinner as we tacked up the fjord. We kept our tacks short and an eye on the depth sounder once we entered Lonafjordur, which is uncharted. With the steady wind, we did not bring in the sails until were ready to anchor. We were quickly able to find a suitable spot with excellent holding and good protection.

This morning David and Frances took off for an extensive hike of the area. They followed a trail up a valley to a lake and pass overlooking Horn on the other side before setting off on their own route across a mountain ridge to one of the higher peaks in the vicinity. There was enough snow to indulge in a poly-bagging run but not enough to tempt Frances to take her skis. Six hours later they were ready to be retrieved and were happy to find that Krystina had been productive, baking a fruit bread coffee cake while they were away.

Just as we were finishing our tea and second slice of cake, Frances thought she heard a person calling but figured it was just an eider duck making noise until the sound continued. She poked her head outside and found that the voice was coming from a kayaker that had come over to see the boat. He was part of a group of four Americans on a kayak tour with an Icelandic guide. We invited everyone on board for cake and a warm drink. It took a bit of coordination for them to get out of their kayaks on onto Snow Dragon without ending up in the water but everyone was able to make it without going for a swim. We sat around the cockpit exchanging itineraries and laughing about running into each other in one of Iceland's more remote areas.

Kayakers Using The Dinghy To Get Out Of Their Kayaks

For more photos please click on Isafjordur To Hesteyrarfjordur Album.

Moving West

It was difficult not to extend our stay in Siglufjordur especially since we were leaving on Iceland’s national day but the weather window we needed to make the 140 miles to Isafjordur was limited. Valgeir Tomas at The Harbour House Café reminded us of the old Viking saying, “The king wants to sail but the wind decides”. After having a taste of the delicious traditional cake that Tomas’ niece made for the national day and saying goodbye to friends, we got ready to leave.

Before heading out of the harbor, we blew our foghorn and waved to our friends at the café. We raised our mainsail for stability and prepared for the hours of motoring ahead of us while we waited for the light tailwinds to fill in. To our delight, they already had and we were able to sail once we left the fjord.

The wind strength stayed constant during our overnight passage until we rounded Horn, the northwest tip of Iceland. We decided to take advantage of the calm conditions and stop at Adalvik, 25 miles outside  Isafjorur. We were both tired from the passage but decided to go for a hike since we did not know how much longer the light winds would last.

There was nothing to tie our dinghy to on the beach so we carried it to the high tide line, thankful that we had rowed to shore and did not have the extra weight of the outboard. Frances pounded a few pieces of wood into the sand to secure the painter. We knew the tide was going down but did not want to take any chances incase we were delayed.

Adalvik

The valley was lush with flowers, including several types of wild orchids which we did our best not to step on. In the center was a lake with several whooper swans and their young. We decided to make our way around to enjoy the bird life and see the church on the other side. There was a couple working on the church and they kindly let us take a peek at the inside. The church was over a hundred years old and had very unusual curved pews. It had been the center of a village that had been inhabited for hundreds of years. By 1952 the lack of road access and the isolation began to take a toll on the residents and they decided at a town meeting to abandon the town. Today descendants of these residents use the remaining houses as holiday homes during the summer.

We returned to the beach several hours later and found our dinghy right where we left her and the water at low tide, exposing numerous rocks. Luckily we had both brought our rubber boots and were able negotiate the partially submerged rocks, before climbing into the dinghy.

The southwesterly that we had been expecting arrived the following morning and Snow Dragon danced around on her anchor in the 35 knots of wind. By the afternoon the wind reduced to 25 knots and we decided to make a run for Isafjordur. It was the most rigorous sailing that we had done since leaving Norway and could very well become the norm now that we are on Iceland’s less protected West Coast.

Arriving In Isafjordur

For more photos please click on Siglufjordur to Isafjordur Album.