66:24.70 N, 17:14.30 W

 

We have come 2/3 of the breadth of Iceland between 6 pm last night and midday today and are bound E and then SSE before jumping off for the Faeroe Islands in a day or so.

 

We left Isafjordur at 11:15 after various chores in town for which we had to wait until opening times (10 for the supermarket, 11 to get a refilled gas cylinder) on a grey and overcast morning and passed the Horn around 7pm. Since then the wind has been from SSW between F4 and F6 off the land so quite a smooth passage, and on a reach, which is why it's been so fast. The visibility isn't very good and it's raining, but we gather that it's the same in Cornwall (it is a bank-holiday!). When we do get a glimpse of the land to our south we can see snow-capped mountains. We did see Grimsey about 8 miles to the north in a temporary clearing of the visibility.

 

En route we’ve had two excitements. While rounding the NW tip of the Hornstrandir peninsular we saw huge breakers ahead, like one sees on a hidden reef. An abrupt change of course before we realised that it was from a huge whale jumping out of the water and slapping its tail down. We still gave it a respectful distance! The second was that, during Fiona’s watch in the small hours the gas strut of the vang (fancy name for a fancy kicking-strap) came loose. She managed to recover most of the little bits from the scuppers and re-attach it, but it will need proper repair and some new bushes when we’re next in port.

 

Leaving Isfjordur

 

 

Tip of Hornstrandir peninsular (where there were whales)

 

 

The Horn itself, seen from the north.