The swell had a long fetch from over in Norway and it goes without saying that when you're above 60N and the wind has a northerly component to it, then its going to be cold.
There was more than the odd "for heaven's sake" when a wave threw something across the cabin, often me. It was if the weather was testing us, to see if we were worthy of the Arctic.
Then we were swallowed by fog:
Visibility got pretty bad, which wasn't much fun when the AIS and radar were behaving rather oddly - all part of the test maybe.
Finally wind and wave left us motionless alone in the nothing beadily watched by a couple of Fulmars:
There was a surreal, expectant feeling, as if waiting for something to happen, which in a way we were.
Then directly above us we could see sky and we were the centre of a cylinder of visibility, surrounded by clouds hugging the water.
Finally like the curtain raising on the next act the fog blew away: we felt we had broken through, and now the Arctic Circle was within our grasp.
4 comments:
Interesting report, have sailed many times between Iceland and Faroes.
If you come again you must visit Hov, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. Good harbour.
Will follow your adventure.
takk,
-kristjan
Thanks - it was a shame we didn't have time to stop at the Faroes.
But I had a really great sail so maybe there'll be a "next time"
It was blowing a gale in Chesterfield that night. Luckily you werent there.
I think we were tracking that gale: we were downloading weather charts over the satellite phone and there looked like a real nasty one we were glad to be clear of.
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